10 Biggest MMA Prospects Pushed Too Soon
7. Georges St-Pierre
Getting pushed too soon isn’t always a bad thing. Just ask the man many consider the greatest of all time.
St. Pierre first plied his trade with the Canadian promotion TKO before signing for the UFC in 2004, where wins over Karo Parisyan and Jay Hieron earmarked him as a potential star for the future.
After BJ Penn signed with K1-Kickboxing, GSP was paired against Welterweight legend Matt Hughes for the vacant title, despite GSP having just seven pro-fights and taking place just ten months after his company debut.
A visibly nervous GSP failed to find a foothold in the match, as Hughes controlled the majority of the fight on the ground before finishing by armbar late in the first. GSP later admitted taking the fight was a mistake due to being overawed by his opponent.
Rather then deterring the youngster, the fight proved a turning point in GSP’s career; he spent the next year rounding out his skill set and eventually rematching Hughes at UFC 65, winning by second round knockout and setting the stage for one of the most dominant reigns in UFC history.