Let's find out.
What Georges St. Pierre brings to the table: St. Pierre holds an 18-2 record in MMA competition for several good reasons. First, he's the most explosive pound for pound athlete in MMA. Second, he's a huge welterweight that's as strong as an ox. And last- well, not really last- he possesses the best takedowns and ground control in the division.
On top of it all, St. Pierre possesses well above average technical striking, great cardio, above average submissions, and outstanding submission defense. Oh yeah, and his stellar wrestling skills plus his power make him perhaps the greatest ground and pound fighter in MMA today.
There was prior talk of him being weak mentally. Forget it. St. Pierre really doesn't have any weaknesses, so the only way to beat him is for your strengths to overcome his.
What Thiago Alves brings to the table: Alves is as big a welterweight as you're going to find. Along with this, he's a powerhouse that hits as hard as a mule. Speaking of hitting people, Alves is an upper level Muay Thai fighter that utilizes damaging knees, expert kicks, and hard punches to destroy his opponents. In addition, he recently proved that his takedown defense is exceptional against Matt Hughes.
Alves also has above average Brazilian Jiu Jitsu skills and is an exceptional athlete.
Georges St. Pierre vs. Thiago Alves Prediction: In the end, if this fight hits the ground for a significant portion of time, Alves will likely end up wilting under the amazing ground and pound pressure that St. Pierre delivers. If the fight stays on the feet for the majority, Alves will probably have the advantage.
So here's the first question: Can St. Pierre get this fight to the ground? Answer- yes. St. Pierre is both stronger and faster than anyone that Alves has ever fought professionally. Expect that speed and athleticism to allow St. Pierre to grab a leg or two and eventually pull Alves to the ground. Further, the man they call "Rush" should have enough on his feet to compete, especially considering he will have almost no fear of being taken down, whereas Alves' mind will be almost exclusively on avoiding the takedown. This will help St. Pierre to do what he does best.
Ground and pound.
This will be St. Pierre's greatest test to date. There is no doubt that Alves could stop him. But guess is that we're still firmly in the middle of the Georges St. Pierre era.
St. Pierre wins by TKO in round three.
