A little over three months ago, Georges St Pierre was literally down on his knees begging UFC matchmaker to give him a rematch with welterweight champion Matt Hughes.

No doubt many fans watching at home were begging right along with him.

It made perfect sense, after all. St. Pierre strung together four consecutive wins since losing to Matt Hughes in 2004, including blowout performances against top contenders Frank Trigg and Sean Sherk. So it seemed like a lock that the young Canadian would be next in line for a shot at Hughes’ title.

There was just one problem. On the same night that St. Pierre dominated Sherk, capping off his fourth straight win, Zuffa, the owners of the UFC brand of MMA, made a shocking announcement. 

The return of he estranged former welterweight champion sent shockwaves throughout the division. Penn, a man who beat Hughes in less than a round before being ostracized from the UFC and stripped of his title, was once again under contract. And he was the only 170-pound fighter in the world could arguably claim priority to St. Pierre in terms of deserving a shot at the UFC Welterweight Title.

Some might even say that Hughes does little more than carry Penn’s title to the ring with him each night.

So the conundrum was set. Who deserved a shot at Hughes – Penn or St. Pierre? The answer to that question was even more shocking. As it turned out, MMA legend Royce Gracie trumped both of them, agreeing to return to the UFC for a special non-title fight with Hughes in May – rumored to be in the Los Angeles area over Labor Day weekend.

St. Pierre and Penn, therefore, were relegated to fighting each other in a title eliminator, with the winner getting the next shot at Hughes. The pair will do battle this Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Event Center in Las Vegas.

“At the beginning, I was mad,” St. Pierre said about his reaction to learning he had to beat Penn to get a rematch with Hughes. “But then I realized that B.J. Penn, he beat Matt Hughes before. For a lot of people, he is still the champ, and probably to a lot of people, he is the best pound for pound in the world. To fight him is a good opportunity for me, and it’s just going to give me more credit for a title shot. Afterward, they are not going to have a choice but to give me a title shot. So I’m very happy to fight B.J.”

The top welterweight contender believes that his change in attitude from frustration to excitement over the Penn fight was an important step heading into Saturday’s fight.

“I try to forget the title fight right now,” he said. “I’m just focusing on the present, my next fight. For sure, I’m thinking about the future, but I’m just focusing about this fight not about the fight after it. I think that’s allowed me to be more prepared that way.”

St. Pierre’s change in attitude, however, wasn’t his only notable change. He also changed his jiu-jitsu training after deciding to leave the Canadian arm of the Brazilian Top Team.

“I had a little political problem with them,” St. Pierre explained. “I’m not mad at them and I still stay in good touch with them, but I just switched places for my jiu-jitsu. I think I’m gonna be more successful like that.”

In a surprising move, St. Pierre relocated his ground work to New York City and the Renzo Gracie Academy. The Montreal native is convinced it was a good move both because Gracie a jiu-jitsu legend and because he has a unique perspective on the upcoming fight. Renzo fought Penn last July, dropping a unanimous decision to the pound-for-pound great at K-1 World Grand Prix Hawaii, under MMA rules, of course.

“I really think it’s the best move of my career to go to the Renzo Gracie Academy,” he said of the move. “I’ve been there for about four or five days every three weeks. Even after my fight, I’m going to keep going there for my ground game. He has taught me a lot of good things. The thing about it that is good for me is that Renzo fought B.J. He saw what B.J. did in that fight, so he has been teaching me how to counter his moves.”

According to St. Pierre, the move is already paying dividends.

“I think my jiu-jitsu has improved a lot since my last fight - not only my jiu-jitsu, but all my skills. I can’t wait to go into the Octagon and fight again,” St. Pierre said, his words dripping with excitement. “I have a specific strategy for B.J. Nobody is perfect, everyone has weaknesses. But I can’t tell my strategy right now, but you can be sure that I have a good one. And I’m going to execute it March 4th.”

Though he won’t disclose details, St. Pierre did admit that the strategy will be much different than the one he prepared for Sean Sherk, his last opponent.

“It’s a total different style,” he explained. “Sherk is basically more of a wrestler. Penn, I think, is more well rounded. I think this is going to be the toughest fight of my career, but I’m ready for it. I expect nothing less than a three round war with this guy.”

Most would agree that this is the toughest fight of St. Pierre’s career. He’s facing the man who dominated his lone conqueror. That in itself must weigh on his mind somewhat. Regardless, St. Pierre insists that he isn’t any more nervous than he normally is heading into a fight.

“I’m always nervous before a fight” St. Pierre admitted. “I’m always afraid. People who say they are not afraid do so because they lie or because they are really crazy, you know? I just think it’s a good thing to be afraid. I’m not afraid of B.J. Penn. I’m afraid to not perform as I am supposed to do. To not perform well, to arrive there and not be in shape, that’s what I’m afraid of. I’m not afraid of my opponent. I’m afraid more of myself.”

The natural fears and nervousness that go along with fighting another man in front of hundreds of thousands of viewers is one thing. But St. Pierre is quick to point out that those emotions do not equate to a lack of confidence.

“It’s not going to be a question of size, but just a question of skill and athleticism,” he said, breaking down the match-up. “And I think on the athletic side, I’m better than him. But I don’t know. We are going to see that the night of the fight. But I really think I’m a very fast fighter and very strong. On the skill part, I think I have more tools than him.”

While St. Pierre remains somewhat guarded when talking about his own game, he got very animated when talking about how he believes Penn will approach the fight.

“I know what B.J. is going to try to do,” he said without pause. “He’s going to try to swing standing up. He’s not a patient fighter. I think he’s gonna try to go right away and take care of business. He’s going to try to knock me out with big bombs and try to put me down to gain the mount position or the back-mount position. That’s going to be his game, and I’m ready for it. I know what he’s going to try to do, and I have a good strategy for him.”

Suffice to say, St. Pierre views Penn as the last hurdle between himself and a second shot at UFC gold. And after an arduous, top-level training camp, he has no doubt that he is ready for the task at hand.