Near-knockout at UFC 154 reminded Georges St-Pierre of loss to Matt Serra

Things were going relatively smooth for returning welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre early on in his headlining bout with Carlos Condit at UFC 154 until a tense moment midway through the fight. St-Pierre was controlling action from the opening bell and landing takedowns with ease. However, Condit changed the tone of the fight completely when he blasted St-Pierre with a headkick in the third frame and sent the fan-favorite down to the mat. Condit pounced, and for a few seconds it appeared as though GSP’s run at the division’s top had come to an end.

The initial sequence echoed one endured by St-Pierre in 2008 when he fought and fell to Matt Serra, also eating a stiff strike that left his legs wobbly before succumbing to the follow-up attack. The situation was not lost on St-Pierre either as he explained at the post-event press conference.

“When I had a kick to the head tonight I had a flashback to Matt Serra. It was a similar experience,” admitted St-Pierre.

This time around, the 31-year old was better prepared for the pressure and ultimately escaped the adversity by regaining his composure and battling back for the remainder of the rumble to earn a decision win.

“When I got hit hard, sometimes before I was very proud guy, I try to give it back right away but the experience I gained from a lot my fights allowed me to recompose, defend myself and…it’s that experience that allowed me to survive, you know, and come back from that big kick that I got hit with,” offered St-Pierre, providing evidence of his growth as a fighter.

St-Pierre has not lost since his stumble against Serra, stringing together ten straight instances of success including seven consecutive title-defenses.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

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Source: http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2012/11/19/near-knockout-at-ufc-154-reminded-georges-st-pierre-of-loss-to-matt-serra/

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