Serra confirms title match with St. Pierre
Championship rematch likely to headline UFC's first-ever event in Montreal
By Mike Chiappetta
NBCSports.com Updated: Jan04, 2008, 05:54 PM EST
Matt Serra and Georges St. Pierre will meet for the UFC welterweight title during an April event in Montreal, Serra confirmed to NBCSports.com on Friday.
The 33-year-old UFC welterweight champion upset St. Pierre for the title with a first-round TKO in April 2007, and had been scheduled to defend his crown against Matt Hughes in Decmeber. But following the escalation of their rivalry during the filming of the most recent Ultimate Fighter season, Serra suffered a herniated disc, forcing him to pull out of their scheduled UFC 79 match.
St. Pierre stepped in to replace Serra, and outclassed the former champion, finishing him with a second-round armbar to become the interim champion. After the match, St. Pierre noted that he wouldn't consider himself the true champion until he beat Serra.
The Long Island native told NBCSports.com's John Moody that his back has been rapidly improving and is excited about defending the championship, albeit in St. Pierre's hometown.
The event will be the first that the UFC holds in Canada, and is tentatively scheduled for April 19 at the Bell Centre.
