By Robert Rousseau
That's right, folks. Georges St. Pierre will be taking on Jon Fitch at UFC 87 on August 9th at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In terms of hype, this one doesn't have nearly as much as St. Pierre's fights against Matt Hughes, B.J. Penn, and Matt Serra did. But that doesn't mean that Georges St. Pierre vs. Jon Fitch should be receiving less hype.
Actually, this fight should be as hyped as they come.
Georges St. Pierre will bring an overall MMA record of 16-2 into his UFC 87 main event battle against Jon Fitch. In sum, he's probably the most explosive and athletic fighter pound for pound to ever grace the Octagon. That means strength, speed, and straight out power are all his friends. Even with that, things wouldn't be as impressive if he were technically lost.
Unfortunately for his opponents, that's hardly the case with St. Pierre. Actually, he appears to own the best takedowns, takedown defense, and ground control skills in the division. Further, he's a ground and pound nightmare, able to beat up on opponents with a ferocity that's perhaps unmatched in the division.
Beyond that, St. Pierre now owns better than average submission and technically striking skills. And make no mistake- if he lands a clean kick or punch it could be lights out.
Jon Fitch sports an overall MMA record of 17-2. He's won 15 straight, including eight consecutive matches in the UFC. To put things in perspective on Fitch, let's rundown a list of some of the fighters he's defeated.
How about Thiago Alves (TKO), Shonie Carter (submission- strikes), Brock Larson (decision), Luigi Fioravanti (submission), Roan Carneiro (submission), and Diego Sanchez (decision).
Now that's impressive.
The bottom line is that Fitch has above average technical striking and submission skills. Further, he's an awesome wrestler with excellent takedowns, takedown defense, and ground control skills (ask Diego Sanchez). What's more, he's a very big and strong welterweight.
Submission skills? Maybe a slight edge to St. Pierre. Technical wrestling? Maybe a slight edge to Fitch. Stand up? Very, very close.
But as good an athlete as Jon Fitch is, Georges St. Pierre looks to be just a little better. This one could go either way. When everything is even, go with the more explosive and athletic guy. It's that athleticism that has seemed to put St. Pierre over the top against competition that is on a par with him in other areas.
Georges St. Pierre in a close decision victory.
