George St. Pierre (center-left) posing for a photo with some fans

For two years, St. Pierre has chased after the welterweight title—a weight class featuring fighters from 155 to 170 pounds. His long journey, however, began when he was only six. He has trained in Kyokushin karate, wrestling, the painful art of Brazilian Jujitsu, Muay Thai, and Western boxing, making him a paragon of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).

“It was just something I knew I was good at, and something I wanted to be the best at,” he said about his decision to become a professional fighter. His first match in the UFC, on January 31, 2004, was a three-round apocalyptic battle against Karo Parisyan, a much more experienced fighter with 21 matches under his belt.

The 22-year-old St. Pierre had just five professional MMA bouts to his credit, and after a show of Homeric courage on both sides, the judges decided in favor of St. Pierre. After that night, St. Pierre would go on to trounce another up-and-coming fighter, Jay Hieron, knocking him out in two minutes into the fight. His next opponent would be the former four-time Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes in a bout for the vacant title. Matt Hughes, a small man that looks like a Sherman tank, held the title before the previous owner, BJ Penn, left the UFC. Hughes delivered the first loss of St. Pierre's career in the final seconds of the first round, forcing him to submit to an arm bar, a hold that traps the arm between the legs resulting in a broken arm or verbal submission.

UFC fighters, or ultimate fighters, use a variety of techniques from the full spectrum of martial arts — hence the term, Mixed Martial Arts. Breaking limbs is part of the business; in a bout for the heavyweight title, challenger Frank Mir broke then Champ Tim Sylvia's arm with an arm bar. Fighters aren't expected to box and wrestle, but the best do both extremely well.

Fighters like Light Heavyweight Champion Chuck Liddell are known almost solely for their striking — punching combos and kicks. St. Pierre doesn't really have a definite style; he has knocked out opponents known for striking (Jay Hieron), and he has submitted (making the opponent quit and say uncle) plenty of people. This ability to adapt to new opponents is what makes St. Pierre the future of fighting.

Olivier Renuad and Phillipe Alliare practice Muay Thai in the ring at Tristar

“The title is just plastic and leather; it's the principle of being the best. I know I'm going to be the best, and the title just proves the fact,” St. Pierre said about his quest to be the best. St. Pierre's drive to be recognized as the best is sordid mess, a tale that begins where one ends.

"The title is just plastic and leather; it's the principle of being the best. I know I'm going to be the best, and the title just proves the fact."

St. Pierre's upcoming opponent is no stranger to the UFC. In fact, he beat Matt Hughes for the title — BJ Penn. Due to contractual disputes, Penn was stripped of his championship and hasn't entered the octagon since his win over Hughes. Penn is considered by many as the rightful champ because he was stripped of the title. Seeing it now on Hughes adds a Shakespearean element to this tangled triangle, which will end when the two square off.

“My mother never liked to watch my fights because she was scared I'd get hurt,” says St. Pierre. "Now that she knows I'm very good at my job, she will watch my fights at home. She told one time that now, not watching was worse than watching because she didn't know what was happening to me.”

One thing that sets St. Pierre apart from other fighters is his demeanor. He is polite, humble, and never talks trash about his opponent. Some have called him 'The Gentleman Fighter.' “I don't like to fight, not outside the ring. These are for my job,” he says holding up his fists . “And the punches never stop hurting, that's a myth,” adds St. Pierre, who studied aeronautics, and has a degree in sports science.

Today St. Pierre is focusing on his stand-up game: kickboxing. His trainer is the renowned Victor Vargotsky, who was named both Intercontinental Welterweight Full Contact Champion and Middleweight Canadian Kickboxing Champion before retiring in 1997. “Many fighters panic if they throw everything at a guy and it doesn't faze him; George isn't like that," Vargotsky says of his apprentice. "He's got a good head, a good chin, and he's a very versatile fighter."

George St. Pierre pre training

It's important for a fighter to aspire to something. This is evident in the vast number pictures, posters and memorabilia that cover the Tristar Gym's walls. A mural of Muhammad Ali takes up one wall, and the gyms founder, Conrad Pla, has an autographed picture with 'The Great One'.

Posters of Cinderella Man and Ali serve as inspiration to amateur fighters training with visions of greatess as fuel. Even Vargotsky has pictures of his great moments and numerous championships on the far wall. As one hero fades others, take up the reins and now, George St. Pierre travels his own path to glory, carving a name where only legends dare.

To say that men like George St. Pierre, BJ Penn or Matt Hughes are modern day gladiators may sound cliché. Yet, look to the past and find another occupation where a man's physical prowess, martial ability, and courage in the face of adversity is tested to such a degree. They fight for themselves to survive and be at the top. They fight for us, for our entertainment, for our adulation. Gladiator is not the wrong term; it's the only term.

Who do you think will be the next champion?

Has there ever a more prosperous relationship then that between sports and gambling? You can bet on anything today — cock fights, football, the Olymipcs, or whether the next shuttle mission to space will crash. Betting has no limits. You can bet on anything, but you can't bet with everything, which is why we've narrowed down the most valuable items to bet with

Money — Perhaps the most common and the most lucrative bet is made with money. If you have a lot, you can afford to lose it. If you got a line on a team or horse, and you know they're going to win, place the bet because it can't hurt. If you lose, though, you lose big and no one likes going away empty-handed.

Hair — Hair is a proud, arrogant mans bet. Hair takes time to grow back, and it leaves a lasting impression. Every day, when coworkers or class mates look at your friend, they will know who lost the bet. That scarlet letter will be available for months of ridicule and harassment.

Dignity — Dignity can cost a lot more than four months of wearing a hat. It means walking into a karaoke bar and singing "Like a Virgin" in front of a crowd of steel workers. Not only is there potential for long term embarrassment, but a thorough ass-kicking isn't out the question. Yet this is only one variation of the dignity bet; creativity is the real value of the dignity bet.

Your Children's Savings — It's got be important really important for you to even consider betting with your children's savings.

Cigarettes — I know what you're saying, but when a game of poker is the only thing saving you from being raped by a 250-pound man with a tattoo of Bluto on his neck, you tend to bet smarter.