Canadian Georges St. Pierre UFC wins UFC welterweight title
Neil Davidson, Canadian Press
Published: Sunday, November 19, 2006
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CP) - Canadian Georges St. Pierre dethroned UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes in a dominant mixed martial arts performance Saturday night at UFC 65: Bad Intentions.
The 25-year-old from Montreal was razor-sharp from the get-go, controlling the first round and dropping the 33-year-old champion with a right and a left as the round ended. Hughes complained twice of kicks to the groin in the round and was given time to recover.
There was more of the same in the second. St. Pierre nailed the 170-pound champion with a kick to the head and finished him off with some ground and pound at 1:25 of the second round.
Hughes, who looked dazed at St. Pierre's onslaught, could not defend the Canadian's kicks or punches.
The first thing St. Pierre did with the championship belt was give it to his mother, whom he hoisted on his shoulders in the ring.
"I'm the happiest guy on Earth right now," an elated St. Pierre said after the fight.
UFC president Dana White said St. Pierre's first title defence will be February in Las Vegas against Matt Serra, the winner of the most recent Ultimae Fighter reality TV show.
A subsequent re-match with Hughes could taker place in Montreal next year, White said.
St. Pierre joins Carlos Newton as the only Canadian to hold a UFC title.
St. Pierre improved to 13-1 while Hughes fell to 42-5.
Hughes defeated a 23-year-old St. Pierre in October 2004, submitting him via armbar with one second remaining in the first round at UFC 50: The War of 04.
