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When compiling lists of the best Canadian sportsmen of all time, it is interesting to see how combat sports are often overlooked. However, there can be no doubt that Georges St-Pierre is not only Canada’s most prolific combat sports athlete but also one of the greatest sportsmen to ever come out of Canada.
GSP Early Career
GSP made his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut in January 2004 at UFC 46. He was part of the preliminary card for the event in Las Vegas and beat Karo Parisyan by unanimous decision in 3 rounds. Just five months later, GSP competed at UFC 48, again on the preliminary card and beat Jay Hieron by TKO in the first round. Having fought on only two preliminary cards, GSP was thrust into the main card of UFC 50 in October 2024 against Matt Hughes for the vacant UFC Welterweight Championship but lost to the more experienced man. Fast forward to UFC 56 and GSP beat Sean Sherk by TKO, becoming the first man to finish Sherk. Unfortunately, having established himself as the number one contender for the UFC welterweight title, GSP was forced to withdraw from a rematch against Hughes due to injury. However, between January 2002 and November 2005, GSP competed in 12 fights, highlighting his prolific nature inside the Octagon.
Winning the UFC Welterweight Championship
GSP did not allow the injury setback to deter him and in November 2006, he beat Hughes by TKO to win the UFC Welterweight Championship. The belt is up for grabs again on the 27th of July 2024 as Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad compete to follow in the footsteps of GSP. You can check the latest odds and have a wager on the contest at bet365 Canada.
It did not take long for GSP to suffer the disappointment of losing his title as he lost to Matt Serra in April 2007 but a long and undefeated run as champion was just around the corner. GSP defeated Serra in April the following year to win and unify the UFC Welterweight Championship. This is where the reign of GSP started at the top of the UFC Welterweight division. The Canadian star went on to defend the UFC Welterweight Championship 9 times and broke records along the way. GSP broke the record for the most consecutive UFC Welterweight title defences in April 2011 when he beat Jake Shields by unanimous decision in Toronto. GSP went on to extend that record by beating Carlos Condit, Nick Diaz, and Johny Hendricks.
History Made Against Bisping
Despite having a four-year gap since his previous fight, GSP beat Michael Bisping via technical submission to win the UFC Middleweight Championship in 2017. It was an incredible achievement and GSP cemented his place as Canada’s most prolific combat athlete as he become only the fourth person to become a UFC champion in multiple divisions. Following his retirement in 2019, GSP was awarded the Order of Sport and inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2023.
