in UFC / MMA Articles

It’s Canada Vs. the USA this Saturday night as UFC Welterweight champion Matt Hughes defends his title against Canadian Georges St. Pierre.

Hughes and St. Pierre first met in the ring two years ago at UFC 50: The War of 04, with a young St. Pierre declaring he was going to "shock the world." Hughes dismissed the challenger by saying he wasn't mentally strong enough to take him.

The Canadian held his own in the first round, taking Hughes down and then stunning him with a spinning side kick. St. Pierre also managed to get back off the ground when Hughes, a superb wrestler, took him down.

But St. Pierre was taken down again late in the round and, from an exposed position, tried for a submission hold. Hughes reversed it, stepping over him and slapping on an armlock. The Canadian tapped out almost instantly, rather than have his arm bent any further in the wrong direction, with one second remaining in the first round.

This Saturday, November 18, sees them fight once again in UFC 65: Bad Intentions.

“Rush” St. Pierre, or “GSP” as he’s commonly known, is well liked amongst UFC fans, whether it’s because of his dominating victories over high caliber opponents, or because of the way he admitted that Matt Hughes beat him fair and square first time out.

Matt Hughes, now 33, is dubbed “the Greatest”, with an outstanding record of 40-4-0. Rumor on the internet has it that after his current UFC contract runs out, which will leave one bout left following his title defense against Georges St. Pierre, he will retire. There’s also talk though that should he get past a very tough St. Pierre, he’ll move up in weight to face UFC 185-pound champion Anderson Silva in hopes of becoming the first fighter to concurrently hold UFC titles in multiple weight classes.

When asked about the rumors, Hughes said that his competitive fire still burns brightly. He said he doesn't believe that he has anything left to prove in MMA, but fighting is his way of life. He said he will continue to fight to support his family, which recently grew by one with the addition of daughter Hanna Grace.

Matt Hughes is deeply religious, you get that vibe from reading his blog. In it he has become an active member of The First Presbyterian Church in his home town of Hillsboro. He currently lives in Hillsboro, IL with his wife Audra, son Joey and daughter Hanna Grace. He seems like an all round nice guy. Don’t piss him off though, cause he’d beat you to a pulp.

Georges St. Pierre trains with Triumph Fight Team and the Canadian National Wrestling Team, among others. Prior to his fight with B.J. Penn at UFC 58, he trained at the Renzo Gracie Jiu Jitsu Academy in New York City. St. Pierre received his brown belt in BJJ from Renzo Gracie on July 21, 2006. St. Pierre is also a former member of the BTT Canada MMA team.

Although St. Pierre is a Canadian fighter, he believes he is more popular in the United States than in his home country. "In the States, when I walk down the street, people everywhere recognize me, so I don't really have a private life…[in Canada] though, no one knows who I am”, says St. Pierre.

At UFC 63, St. Pierre made an appearance to support fellow Canadian MMA fighter, David "the Crow" Loiseau. At that event, after Matt Hughes had defeated BJ Penn, St. Pierre stepped into the ring to hype up his fight against Hughes by stating that he was glad that Matt won his fight, but that he was "not impressed" by his performance.

According to announcer Joe Rogan, Hughes was unhappy with St. Pierre's statement and that said they "had words" off-camera shortly after. Apparently St. Pierre apologized, saying he was merely trying to hype the fight.

St. Pierre said on the hype-up for UFC 65 that he wasn't impressed by Hughes' performance against BJ Penn. Will this be more incentive for Hughes to increase the pain on St. Pierre? We’ll have to wait and see. The odds favor Hughes in this bout, and there isn’t much chance of the young Canadian taking the UFC Welterweight belt north across the border with him. Stranger things have happened though

BetUS.com is celebrating UFC 65 with an offer of a $50 free play with a $100 deposit. So sign-up and put a few bucks on either Hughes or St. Pierre. It’s going to be a great fight.

Catch all the action of UFC 65: Bad Intentions on November 18th on Pay Per View,  and place your bets right here on BetUS.

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Eamon O'Cairbre is a freelance columnist and regular contributor to the BetUS.com Locker room.