Georges St-Pierre is the most prominent UFC fighter in Canada and has become the face of MMA globally. Throughout his career, St-Pierre continuously improved his physical and mental skills. But it wasn’t always a smooth path.
From the streets of Saint-Isidore, Quebec, to the octagon, St-Pierre built a strong career that allowed him to dominate the welterweight division for several years and led him to win the middleweight championship.
Due to his incredible success and perseverance, St-Pierre is adored by Canadians, who rush to the Canadian sports betting sites at every fight to show their support and patriotism.
St-Pierre has had many ups and downs throughout the past two decades, so let’s get back to the beginning and reminisce about how he got to where he is today.
How It All Started
Georges St-Pierre was born in Saint-Isidore, Quebec, where he spent a rough childhood due to bullying from classmates who would steal his belongings. St-Pierre began learning Kyokushin Karate at seven to defend himself from the bullies.
At the age of 12, Georges was already a 2nd dan black belt, and four years later, he took up boxing, wrestling, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He would soon be prepared for his first professional fight
His First Professional Fight
St-Pierre became a professional fighter at age 20 through small competitions, having conquered five consecutive wins. These promotions allowed him to showcase his talent, which wouldn’t go unnoticed for long.
He had excellent technique, impressive aggressiveness, and a great understanding of the game that helped him overwhelm his opponents
Debuting At The UFC
Georges St-Pierre first competed at UFC 46 against Karo Parisyan, who had just won his first UFC fight
Parisyan was a strong contender, known for his dynamic abilities and outstanding Judo skills. Due to his impressive prowess, Parisyan would participate in the 2004 Olympic Games soon after.
But his skills didn’t help him against St-Pierre, who would win the fight via decision. This would be the first of Georges’ numerous wins in the UFC.
The First Professional Loss
After winning his second UFC fight, St-Pierre competed with Matt Hughes for the vacated UFC welterweight championship at UFC 50. This was St-Pierre’s eighth professional fight, and Hughes was one of the greatest welterweight fighters of the decade.
Although St-Pierre demonstrated his ability and competitiveness, he tapped the bar with 10 seconds left in the first round. This would be his first professional loss.
Becoming Champion
In 2006, Georges St-Pierre was handed a rematch with Matt Hughes at UFC 79 after Matt Serra withdrew due to a back injury. St-Pierre didn’t stop at anything when facing the only man that had won against him professionally.
Hughes couldn’t defend himself from St-Pierre, who was avenging himself and fighting for the title of UFC welterweight champion. Georges won the match, and his long reign as a champion began.
The Ideal Champion
In 2009, S-Pierre won over B.J. Penn in what would become a duel of champions. This win made him eternally recognized as one of the most complete champions in UFC history.
His athletic abilities, drive to succeed, and strong presence allowed him to become the ideal champion in MMA.
The Unsuspected Hiatus
Four years later, Georges St-Pierre announced that he would vacate the title and remove himself from competing temporarily. In 2014, the athlete revealed that he had torn his ACL, which led to an increased hiatus.
Later that same year, St-Pierre was finally medically cleared to return to training, but it was still unknown when he would compete professionally.
Return and Retirement
In mid-2016, Georges St-Pierre announced that he was negotiating his contract with the UFC and attested his interest in returning for UFC 206 in Toronto.
Over half a year later, St-Pierre finally revealed that he had signed a contract for four fights, the first of which would be against Michael Bisping, the UFC middleweight champion.
Unfortunately, the fight was postponed due to an eye injury and difficulties moving up in weight class. It finally happened at UFC 217, four years after St. Pierre’s last professional fight.
Regardless of his hiatus, St-Pierre won the fight and became the fourth-ever athlete to become a champion in different divisions.
Incredible Recognition In Canad
Georges St-Pierre’s win at UFC 217 earned him his first Performance of the Night bonus award, but the accolades didn’t stop there.
The athlete’s return to the octagon surpassed Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather‘s boxing match on the Canadian pay-per-view channels, setting an unprecedented record.
Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, commented on St-Pierre’s outstanding return, claiming his performance was “like [he] never left!”.
