Pros Picks: St. Pierre vs. Alves

Stephane Vigneault: I’m a friend of Georges and a teammate. Georges is the Wayne Gretzky of MMA. Georges all the way, I think, by ground-and-pound or submission [in] round three.

Gabe Ruediger: The most interesting fight on the card in my opinion. Thiago has grown immensely since his last loss, as has GSP. Thiago’s takedown defense has gotten incredibly good, and he has always had good stand-up. Now, on the other side, GSP’s wrestling has gotten really good. This will be the deciding factor. I think Thiago can stay on his feet for a while, but if and when GSP gets him down, that will be his demise. There is always the “any given day” that a strike will land and it will be over, though. GSP by TKO in a later round.

Brad Pickett: As much as I love GSP, Alves is my man, and he’s hungry for that belt. If he keeps the fight on the feet, it will be an Alves KO in round two.

Elvis Sinosic: This is an exciting fight. The question here that comes into play is where will the match take place? If it stays standing, Alves has the advantage. If it hits the ground, GSP has the advantage. Next, if it stays standing, how good is GSP’s stand-up and can he handle Alves? If it hits the ground, the question is how good is Alves defense? Can he defend the ground-and-pound? Both fighters have improved immensely. GSP’s takedowns, grappling and setups are fantastic. Alves’ striking is crisper -- and he still has his power -- and his takedown defense has improved drastically. How good is GSP’s chin if he gets tagged and how good is Alves’ gas if it goes to the later rounds? I think that Alves has the ability to defend and scramble in the early rounds to give GSP trouble. He has that power that quite possibly could end the match at any time. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him catch GSP in the early rounds and put him away. I just don’t expect that to happen. I think GSP has fantastic footwork, distancing and timing. This is what makes his wrestling and striking so effective. He also has a great ability to mix up what he is doing. He can keep his opponents off balance. He also has a great gas tank. You know, if it goes to the later rounds, he will be working just as hard as he did in the first round. He and his team also come in with great strategies. They really study their opponents -- as demonstrated by the B.J. Penn victory where they clinched up to tire his shoulders to nullify B.J.’s jab -- so you know he will be prepared. I see GSP mixing it up during the fight, keeping constant pressure on Alves. He will not let Alves get comfortable or get into his rhythm or range. I think GSP will win the fight in the later rounds via TKO. This will be a great fight.

Pete Spratt: This fight is a matter of who can impose their will and keep it there. Alves’ striking is very, very good, and if it stays on the feet, Thiago will win, for sure. Georges has been a bit gunshy since the [Matt] Serra KO, and I don’t think he will risk any business on the feet. If he cannot get Alves on the ground and keep him there, we will have a new champion. If GSP can use his skill of keeping guys off-balance, he will win by decision. I remember when he and Serra fought the second time and Serra was on his stool asking his corner, “What do you think he’s going to do this round?” He had Matt so confused with the mixing up of his game. When Serra thought he was gonna strike, he was taking him down; when he thought GSP would take him down, he was beating him to the punch on the feet. So with that being said, I will go with what I know best -- the striker. I don’t believe he will win a decision over GSP, so he will have to catch him early. Alves by TKO, round two.

Ben Saunders: Alves by way of pain all night long.

Eddy Millis: Tough call, but I’m going with Thiago in this fight. He’s tough as nails. I think these two are going to stand up and bang, and Thiago comes out on top with a KO, second round.

Lyle Beerbohm: I think GSP will win. I’m not sure how or what round because anything can happen in a fight. I will, however, give a lot of credit to Thiago, because he has come a long way from when I first watched him in the UFC when he fought Spencer Fisher. I’m really looking forward to watching. I do think it’s going to be a great fight, but I just don’t see how Thiago can beat him. Maybe if he catches him with one of those tricky knees. But GSP is the man.

Mike Dolce: This fight is so close on paper. In reality, though, it could be a blowout based upon game plan. If GSP can dictate the range early to set up his takedowns and suffocating ground game, he wins. On the other hand, if Thiago can control the distance, he’s going to land a few of those big shots eventually that just might rattle Georges right out of the fight, like B.J. [Penn] did in the first round of their first fight or [Matt] Serra did in their first fight. The “Pitbull” certainly hits much harder and will only be one clean shot away from claiming the belt. The key here is range and pressure; six inches can literally win the welterweight title. Who’s gonna win? I change my mind every hour, but since this is a pick ’em piece. I’m gonna go with GSP -- maybe even by split decision -- in the toughest battle of his career.

Pros who picked St. Pierre: 20
Pros who picked Alves: 13
Pros who did not decide: 2