TLDR
- Georges St-Pierre calls Islam Makhachev the best pound-for-pound fighter after his UFC 322 welterweight title win
- St-Pierre defended Makhachev against critics who called the fight boring, saying they don’t understand fighting
- Ian Machado Garry challenged Makhachev after beating Belal Muhammad at UFC Qatar
- St-Pierre ranks Arman Tsarukyan among the top five pound-for-pound fighters following his win over Dan Hooker
- Other fighters St-Pierre mentioned include Ilia Topuria, Jon Jones, Alex Pereira, and Merab Dvalishvili
Georges St-Pierre has declared Islam Makhachev the pound-for-pound best fighter in MMA. The former two-division UFC champion made his opinion clear after watching Makhachev win the welterweight title at UFC 322.
Makhachev defeated Jack Della Maddalena over five rounds in the main event. The Russian fighter became a two-weight UFC champion with the victory. He now holds both the lightweight and welterweight titles.
St-Pierre was cageside at UFC 322 and praised Makhachev’s performance. The Hall of Famer said he was “blown away” by what he witnessed. “I was there, I witnessed his performance last Saturday. It was freaking brilliant,” St-Pierre told Adin Ross during a live stream.
The Canadian legend defended Makhachev against critics who found the fight boring. St-Pierre said those critics don’t understand fighting. “A lot of people who were there said, ‘Oh, yeah, it was a decision.’ People who say that, I’m sorry, because they don’t know the art of fighting,” he explained.
St-Pierre emphasized how difficult it was for Makhachev to move up in weight and dominate. He noted that Makhachev barely got hit during the entire fight. “I don’t think he even took a punch. It’s unbelievable,” St-Pierre said.
Welterweight Contenders Line Up
Several welterweights have called out Makhachev since his title win. Michael Morales and Carlos Prates both asked for title shots after knockout wins on the UFC 322 undercard. Ian Machado Garry made the loudest challenge after beating Belal Muhammad at UFC Qatar.
Garry beat the former champion over three rounds. He used his post-fight interview to call out Makhachev directly. “I just beat the number one ranked welterweight on the planet… Belal couldn’t take me down, Islam, you try to take me down,” Garry said.
The Irish fighter expressed confidence in his abilities on both feet and ground. He told Makhachev to sign a contract for a fight. “You come into my division, and you show up wherever you want in the world and I’ll be there,” Garry stated.
St-Pierre’s Pound-for-Pound Rankings
St-Pierre shared his thoughts on other top fighters in MMA. He named six fighters he considers for his personal top five list. The group includes Makhachev and Ilia Topuria at the top.
Arman Tsarukyan earned St-Pierre’s recognition after dominating Dan Hooker at UFC Qatar. Tsarukyan submitted Hooker in the main event. St-Pierre agreed the lightweight contender had a “great fight” and belongs in the pound-for-pound conversation.
Jon Jones, Alex Pereira, and Merab Dvalishvili round out St-Pierre’s list. The former champion’s rankings reflect the current depth of talent across multiple UFC divisions. His endorsement of Tsarukyan came after the fighter’s dominant victory on November 22.
