Full Fight Vault: A young GSP destroys Jay Hieron
With Georges St-Pierre returning to fight after a 19-month layoff next weekend, it seems that many fans of MMA have forgotten the old GSP, an extremely athletic combatant who finished opponents with a versatile array of strikes and submissions. Back in 2004, GSP was a relatively unknown commodity with only one UFC fight under his belt. He was signed to fight Jay Hieron, who came into this match undefeated just like GSP.
It is interesting to note that at this point in time, Hieron was regarded as the better wrestler of the two. Even GSP states that Hieron may be a better wrestler than him, but he is the better Mixed Martial Artist. Now, GSP has taken his wrestling to an unreal level, fending off takedowns and delivering his own with remarkable accuracy. In this bout, however, he shows his excellent striking with his karate background. Rocking Hieron early on, GSP follows the dazed fighter to the ground to seal the deal with some ground-and-pound.
In speculating as to the outcome of GSP versus Condit, it is important to remember the GSP of the past, with St-Pierre recently addressing his intentions to take more chances to finish fights as he did early on in his UFC career. He appears in great shape in preparation for the bout. Which GSP will we see on November 17th? The hungry attacker or the the wrestler content to grind out yet another long unanimous decision?
