UFC Hall of Famer Georges St-Pierre conquered one of the greatest disturbances in MMA history.
Georges St-Pierre was the victim of one of the greatest disturbances in UFC history at UFC 69. But almost exactly one year after the stunning defeat, St-Pierre used extra motivation to win one of the characteristic victories of his career.
Few predicted that Matt Serra St-Pierre would eliminate in their UFC 69 collision for the Welterweight Championship of the latter. But only a few minutes after their fight, Serra proved that he belonged to the top of the division and St-Pierre drowned with ground-and-pound to win the belt.
After having had the beautiful upset, it didn't take long before St-Pierre and Serra meet again in the Octagon. When they did, St-Pierre brutally turned the tide.
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Georges St-Pierre hit Matt Serra to reclaim the Welterweight Throne
St-Pierre worked its way back to a welterweight title shot with dominant victories over Matt Hughes and Josh Koscheck. After he had captured the interim -Weltergevergeverkampieschap by submitting Hughes with an arm bar, he assured a rematch with Serra on UFC 79 in Las Vegas.
A back and forth opening round between St-Pierre and Serra started the long-awaited Rematch. But after St-Pierre had the fight against the canvas, he quickly earned side control and went to a series of brutal knees to Serra's belly that forced the referee to step in and stop the fight.
It was a destructive version of ST-Pierre when he would be cruel what his last career defeat would be in the Welterweight Division. After completing Serra, St-Pierre defended the UFC Welterweight Title nine times, so that the belt was abandoned after a good victory over Johny Hendricks at UFC 167.
Serra then lost two of his next three UFC fights before retired in 2010. He went to the UFC Hall of Fame in 2018 and is today considered by many as one of the best MMA coaches in sport.
#Onthisday in 2008: Georges St-Pierre received revenge on Matt Serra 🇨🇦 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆
View the rematch on @ufcfightpass 📺 pic.twitter.com/ujo0nyqypf
– UFC Europe (@ufceurope) April 19, 2025
Georges St-Pierre took unusual measures to prepare for Matt Serra Rematch
To prepare for his chance of redemption against Serra, St-Pierre took a number of unusual measures to guarantee the victory. After a meeting with a sports psychologist, St-Pierre wrote the name of Serra on a brick that he had taken everywhere, as a reminder of the importance of reducing the belt.
Despite the leading-off movement, St-Pierre used the memory to release one of the most dominant versions of his career.
St-Pierre became a UFC champion with two division when he returned to the Octagon at UFC 217 and Michael Bisping ended up to win the middle weight belt. But shortly thereafter he would return to retirement and turn off a combat return in 2023 before he withdrew from a planned gripping match due to injury.