Every time Georges St. Pierre (22-2) steps inside the Octagon, he's facing the second best fighter in the welterweight division.
That could be part of the reason why the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 170-pound titleholder has gone to the judges' scorecards in five of his last six outings, including his unanimous decision win over Jake Shields at UFC 129 last year in Toronto.
That put him at nine decisions against eight knockouts/technical knockouts and five submissions in 22 wins
So why is racking up points when Anderson Silva, Jon Jones and Junior dos Santos are all sealing the deal? To date, they've been more "opportunistic," something St. Pierre tells the Toronto Sun he's working on as he prepares for his upcoming fight.
Those comments after the jump.
"I can make up a bunch of excuses but the truth is I’m fighting the best guys all the time and it’s tough competition. You cannot always win by beautiful fashion. The guy that is in front of me is a very good guy. He’s the number one contender all the time and now I’m fighting the (interim) world champ in Carlos Condit. I’m working a lot more on being more opportunistic and it’s going to pay off I’m sure... I think that my opponents have become better in time. Sometimes, when you break a guy mentally, he doesn’t fight to win anymore, he fights to not lose and to survive. That minimizes the opportunity for him to be finished. And that’s what’s happening in a lot of my fights and it’s hard to finish a guy who doesn’t fight to win. I think that my opponents have become better in time. Sometimes, when you break a guy mentally, he doesn’t fight to win anymore, he fights to not lose and to survive. That minimizes the opportunity for him to be finished. And that’s what’s happening in a lot of my fights and it’s hard to finish a guy who doesn’t fight to win."
"Rush" is expected to headline UFC 154 opposite Carlos Condit on Nov. 17, 2012 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The champ has been riding the pine while he rehabs a surgically repaired knee, which has kept him out of the Octagon for over a year.
He clearly needs a win over "The Natural Born Killer."
Aside from being out of sight and out of mind, mixed martial arts (MMA) fans have been heaping unwarranted expectations on St. Pierre before he steps inside the cage later this year, as a potential "superfight" against UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva hangs in the balance.
Anyone think he will respond in kind?