Canadian Georges St. Pierre, also known as GSP, is usually considered one of the two best pound-for-pound fighters in mixed martial arts (MMA) today. The other fighter that is considered the best is Brazilian Anderson Silva. Some consider Silva the best; some consider St. Pierre the greatest. They both have incredible UFC records, with GSP’s tally at 22 wins and two losses and Silva’s record standing at 31 victories against only four losses. Both are champions, as St. Pierre is the UFC Welterweight Champion and Silva the UFC Middleweight Champion. Both have defended their titles multiple times and are renowned for having long title reigns. The comparisons are numerous, and there has been pleading from fans, experts and UFC officials alike for a “super” fight between the two.
Anderson Silva, known for his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai combat skills, is the holder of UFC’s longest winning streak at an impressive 14 straight victories. This is truly an incredible feat – MMA records are typically not as polished as boxing records. A boxer with a 40-0 record is an impressive but very feasible record for a highly skilled professional. In MMA fighting, there are too many variables affecting the fight to give one fighter a pristine record of that length. To be honest, 40-0 will probably never happen in UFC competition. With that being said, Silva’s record 14 straight wins is a so impressive that Dana White, the UFC president, has stated that he is the greatest mixed martial arts fighter in history.
Georges St. Pierre, the current UFC Welterweight Champion, grew up in French-speaking Quebec, Montreal. Known for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu like Silva, St. Pierre also mixes in his Karate heritage in his fighting style. He has recently added wrestling and boxing to his repertoire. GSP, as he is also known, has won nine straight UFC victories with six of those being title defenses. He has dominated his weight division much like Silva has, and he’s considered the second best fighter, pound-for-pound, in the world.
Fans of MMA fighting have clamored for a matchup between the two giants of the sport for years. Both fighters have stated that they are open to the fight, and GSP has stated he is eager to fight the Brazilian known as “The Spider.” Silva has told reporters that he would love for the match to take place in either his home country of Brazil or in Las Vegas, NV. St. Pierre has said his demands for the fight would be simply to have time to gain the weight to enter Silva’s weight class and for both he and Silva to be withdrawn from other fights until the bout.
Dana White has said that for a fight of this magnitude, he has concerns over the best venue to put it on. It would surely be the greatest draw in UFC history as far as pay-per-view receipts are concerned, and actual attendance would be through the roof. Considering the popularity and records of the two fighters, the matchup would indeed be a super-fight. Let’s hope it happens soon.