Each blow is like the crack of a whip in the tight quarters of the training room, St. Pierre's body reacting instantly to his coach as they circle each other. Combined with Vargotski's guttural shouts, it makes for a savage sound.

The barrage ends suddenly and the other fighters in the room break the silence with applause.

"That's it Georges," yells one.

St. Pierre is ready.

The 24-year-old Canadian is a mixed martial artist poised for stardom. UFC president Dana White raves about St. Pierre, calling him "the most talented fighter on the planet right now."

A title shot awaits. But first the five-foot-10 fighter must get past Hawaiian B.J. (The Prodigy) Penn, a former UFC champion with an 11-2 record.

The St. Pierre-Penn bout is part of UFC 58 USA vs. Canada (available on pay per view) headlined by middleweight champion Rich Franklin taking on Montreal's David (The Crow) Loiseau, St. Pierre's friend and training partner.

Penn, 27, is making a return to the UFC after leaving over a contract dispute. He is a master of Brazilian jiu-jitsu who needed just four minutes, 39 seconds to beat American star Matt Hughes via a rear naked choke hold for the title at UFC 46 in January 2004.

Hughes, now champion, is the only blemish on St. Pierre's 11-1 record, forcing the Canadian to submit with one second left in the first round at UFC 50 in October 2004.

St. Pierre acknowledges he let fighting the champion get into his head against Hughes.

"I thought the guy was just going to crush me," he said.

Pre-fight interviews just added to the stress. Reporters talked about how tough Hughes was and St. Pierre bought it.

During the fight, St. Pierre was doing well but thought Hughes was only toying with him. One mistake and the champion had him in an armbar. Time to tap out or else seek a doctor to put his arm back together.

"He beat me fair and square," St. Pierre says wistfully. "I have no excuse.

"But after the fight, when I saw the replay, I realized I was doing pretty well. And when I saw the replay, I get pissed off because I realized I could beat that guy. . . . I realized I'm a world-class fighter and I can beat everybody on the planet."

You could say the same of Penn, although the 170-pounder hasn't fought for a while. St. Pierre, for one, isn't taking the ring rust theory seriously.

"I expect a three-round war, Nothing less."

Vegas oddsmakers essentially say the bout is a toss-up.

Knowing Penn is a jiu-jitsu marvel, St. Pierre has been driving six or seven hours to New York every three weeks to train at the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu academy.

"I think I have more tools than him," St. Pierre says of Penn. "Athletically I'm faster and stronger than him, And I have more stamina. ... he's going to crack sooner than later."

St. Pierre has won three straight since losing to Hughes, going through contenders Sean Sherk and Frank Trigg like tissue. The Canadian is now so popular Caesar's Palace has thrown afterparties in his honour.

St. Pierre leaves his fighting in UFC's eight-sided Octagon caged ring. If someone challenges him outside he says, "I'm going to smile and I'm going to tell him, 'Look man, you're the king. Me, I leave.' I don't need to prove myself in the street. I'm a professional, I fight for money. I fight because that's my job."

It wasn't always like that. He says he fought often in school to protect himself.

"Now I act like a gentleman most of the time. I am always smiling. Normally nobody wants a piece of me."

There is less to St. Pierre as Friday's weigh-in approaches. He has to lose 15 pounds in five days to make the 170-pound welterweight limit.

To do it, he rids his diet of all carbs and sodium - "because one gram of carbs and sodium in your body retains three grams of water with it." Without rice, pasta, potatoes or salt, the body gets rid of water faster. The day of the weigh-in, he finishes cutting the weight by sitting in a sauna.

Then it's time to load up on carbs. The 15 pounds are back when he steps in the ring.

St. Pierre is better known in Las Vegas than Montreal. Canadians haven't taken notice of mixed martial arts, St. Pierre says, because they still see it as a sport filled with thuggish brawlers rather than well-rounded pro athletes. Plus nobody covers the sports, which means sponsors aren't interested.

His sponsors are all American and he dislikes winter, but he has no plans to leave Canada. St. Pierre accepts the cold because he loves hockey. The lifelong Oilers fan hits the ice with friends after every bout - usually after a one-week hedonistic vacation in the islands.

Then it is back to training and the next challenge.

His nickname is Rush, because he finishes off his fights fast. Plus it was better than Georges of the Jungle, as suggested by his training partners.