50 MMA Fights You Must Watch Before You Die
42. Georges St-Pierre Vs. Matt Hughes 2 - UFC 79
The idea of "passing the torch" has been a common theme in fight sports for decades. At some point, someone new will arrive on the scene and take out all of the older fighters and become the best. One of the most significant times this has happened in MMA was when Matt Hughes was finally dethroned by Georges St-Pierre at UFC 65.
After absolutely schooling St-Pierre early on in his career, many believed that Hughes was simply too much for the French-Canadian prospect. However, when they fought for the second time, Hughes found himself coming up against a far more dangerous GSP than he had faced two years prior.
St-Pierre was no longer the wide-eyed, starstruck young buck who idolized the man he was facing. He was now a tactical genius who methodically took Hughes apart on the feet. The champ was clearly confused as GSP set him up with low kicks to bait him in, then landed a devastating head kick finish to take the title away and finally end Hughes's time as the top man in the division.