• UFC 129

St-Pierre already knows what Shields will do - Jackson

Georges St-Pierre has a title to defend at UFC 129 © Getty Images

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Georges St-Pierre's coach Greg Jackson believes the UFC welterweight champion has a huge advantage over Jake Shields, because he already knows exactly what the challenger will attempt to do.

St-Pierre is the man with the wider range of tools ahead of UFC 129's main event on Saturday. He can look for relentless takedowns as he did against Thiago Alves, he can clinch against the cage and wear his rival out as he did against BJ Penn, or he can outbox his foe like he did in his last outing against Josh Koscheck.

For Shields, the only question would appear to surround how he attempts to take GSP to the mat, so that he can start using his jiu-jitsu. The American can look for the single-leg or pull guard, but either way Jackson has no doubt over the challenger's tactics.

"I think Jake is going 100 per cent for the takedown and try to finish Georges on the ground," he told Tatame. "I don't think he think he can knock Georges out.

"I think he's going to put everything he's got into the takedown and maybe jumping into a leg-lock, pulling guard and try to go for the leg-lock."

In order to counter Shields' main strength, St-Pierre has spent time working with BJJ master Roger Gracie, and Jackson believes there is nothing that Shields will do that Gracie has not already shown GSP.

"I think Roger Gracie has the best jiu-jitsu in the world and I think that if he can get used to Roger being on top you, working you, crushing you and you still live, anybody else below that will not be as tough as him," said Jackson.

"So I really think that's gonna help us a lot, because Roger is so amazing.

"Jake Shields is very, very tough and he knows much jiu-jitsu, so I'm expecting him to come in and try to take Georges down and submit him, or try to get a guillotine, so we trained very hard to make sure that Georges' jiu-jitsu is very good."

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