Semi-Charmed Life

Georges St-Pierre does it again!

UFC 100 was a good event. I'm glad Georges St-Pierre defended his welterweight title and destroyed Thiago Alves.

After watching the fight, it cemented GSP as my favorite fighter of all time. First let's get the obvious reasons to like him out of the way.

He is an athletically gifted specimen. He doesn't have a bodybuilder's build, which is typically all show no go. This guy has functional power! I remember watching his first few fights when he debuted in Canada and the commentators were raving about what explosiveness and strength GSP had.

He understands the mma game and has extraordinary fight IQ. While many other fighters are labeled as bjj guys or wrestlers or strikers, GSP does it all. He is not amazing at any one particular aspect but he is extremely proficient in all of them and knows how to put it all together seamlessly. He knows how to capitalize on opportunities and knows which tool to use in a given situation. If an opportunity for a takedown is there, he takes it. He mixes it up with all different types of strikes and combos. Two hit high low combos, spinning back kicks, super man punches, etc. and he makes it all look good. Not only does it look good, he makes it work! I think his karate background definitely shaped his striking.

Two other favorite fighters of mine are Fedor and Anderson Silva. I think these three represent the next level in mma. I think all three possess an extremely high fight IQ and are also good at most phases of combat.

What makes GSP my favorite is his humanity. He seems much more personable than either of the other two fighters. He keeps a blog which he updates on a regular basis. He gives interviews on a regular basis. The guy is all smiles all the time. What makes him awesome is that he seems like a genuine NICE guy. I never understand when people say they don't like him because he is an EXTRAORDINARY fighter and not that I know him on a personal level or anything, but judging from his media appearances he seems to be a really nice guy.

He doesn't shit talk, and after all of his victories he is extremely respectful of his opponents. It almost seems as if he's apologetic for having to kick so much ass, and that it's all in a days work.

What also makes him great is that he has tasted bitter defeat and avenged his losses with dominant wins. As a friend put it, he's a "peoples champion." Guys like him are good for the sport.