Two P4P Kings: St-Pierre visits Pacquiao

Marv Dumon International Sports Examiner September 25th, 2010 Boxing / MMA - UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre (MMA: 20-2) visited WBO welterweight champion Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao (Boxing: 51-3-2) Friday afternoon at the (oven-hot) Elorde Gym in Manila. Observers saw two pound-for-pound kings under the same roof - each a ruler of his own sport. Yahoo Sports considers Georges St-Pierre, a French Canadian who hails from Montreal, as the best mixed martial artist (MMA) in the world. He is tied with Fedor Emelianenko of Russia for number one on the list, while Sherdog rates him as the second best MMA fighter after Anderson Silva (MMA: 27-4). The "Pacman" is considered the top pound-for-pound fighter in boxing. Georges St-Pierre watched Pacquiao train for his upcoming bout with Antonio Margarito (38-6) of Mexico, and was impressed with the Filipino's speed. "He’s the fastest guy I’ve ever seen in my life. Both his hands and his feet. He’s fast. He’s amazing," in an interview on local television. The MMA king also hoped that his boxing counterpart would eventually take on undefeated Floyd Mayweather, Jr (41-0) and knock him out. The UFC king conducted a brief boxing workout with trainer Freddie Roach soon after Manny's session ended. Roach, who mostly trains boxers, occasionally works with MMA practitioners including the Montreal native. St-Pierre is currently visiting the Philippines on behalf of Ultimate Fighting Championship, as part of the promotional tour "GSP hits Manila," and has received enthusiastic reception from Filipino fans. UFC is the fastest growing sports in the United States and is led by its president Dana White. St-Pierre shares celebrity similarities with his Filipino counterpart, starring on the reality television show "Ultimate Fighter" on ****e TV, while Pacquiao appears on his own show "Show Me Da Manny" on Philippine television. The Canadian stands at 5'11" and weighs 170 lbs, and combines a style of wrestling, boxing, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Like Pacquiao, St-Pierre has risen through the ranks of his sport with an electrifying fighting style combined with a pleasing personality. He is considered one of the best in taking down an opponent to the floor. Nevertheless, the Canadian faces a tough fight against American Josh Koscheck (5'10" and 170 lbs), who is known for a wrestling and kickboxing style, at UFC 124. The bout will be held on December 11 at St-Pierre's hometown of Montreal, Quebec.