MONTREAL – It wasn't the worst beating ever seen in the octagon, but UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre thoroughly dominated challenger Nick Diaz en route to a clearcut unanimous-decision win.
The title fight headlined Saturday's UFC 158 event at Montreal's Bell Centre and aired on pay-per-view following prelims on FX and Facebook.
St-Pierre's intensity was evident from the moment he stepped into the cage. Diaz taunted him from the other side of the octagon, and there was no touch of gloves.
As the grudge match kicked off, Diaz walked forward with punches, but St-Pierre answered with kicks to the leg and then scored a takedown just seconds into the opening round. Diaz quickly rolled and turned as he looked for opportunities on the floor, but St-Pierre patiently controlled the positioning as he transitioned from side to side and looked for a chance to take his opponent's back. Diaz defended well as he turned to create space, but it was complete positional control for St-Pierre throughout the frame.
A frustrated Diaz lunged at St-Pierre well after the bell, but referee Yves Lavigne prevented any contact.