Georges St. Pierre Holds Back UFC's Canadian Coming Out Party at UFC 129
by Jonathan Snowden on May 1, 2011 1:14 AM EDT
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It was almost an event for the ages. All week long the UFC and media proxies had been telling fans just how historic UFC 129 was. How they would pack 55,000 into the Rogers Centre. How it would be the biggest UFC of all time. And I'll be damned if it didn't almost deliver.
Call me a cynic. I scoffed at the idea this would be a card worthy of verse and song. And the more the event was pumped up, the harder I rolled my eyes. It was unlikely to be one of the UFC's top five grossing events ever I told friends, barely able to contain my scorn. It will hardly come within 20,000 of the worldwide MMA attendance record I said, donning my PRIDE t-shirt with a smile. What, I wondered, was the history that was being made?
And then the event started. From top to bottom, every fight seemed to deliver and not just in a standard "well, that was kind of fun" way. But in preposterous ways. Unthinkable ways. Pablo Garza channeled the great Rumina Sato with a jumping triangle for a finish. John Makdessi erased Shonie Carter from the history books by landing the best spinning backfist in UFC history against Kyle Watson - only to be outshined by Lyoto Machida's Steven Seagal inspired crane kick that knocked out Randy Couture (and knocked out one of his teeth).
There were no bathroom breaks on this card. If you did the sensible thing and went during the Vladimir Matyushenko fight, you missed a rare knockout from the Russian journeyman. There was no reprieve. It was fight after fight of exciting action. Ben Henderson and Mark Bocek had a spirited three round battle. Jose Aldo and Mark Hominick one upped them, if only because they had ten more minutes to shine in the UFC's first featherweight title bout.
I told my twitter audience this was shaping up to be the best UFC of all time. And then Georges St. Pierre and Jake Shields stepped into the cage for the main event. The fight went much as I expected. St. Pierre was content to fight on his feet, never challenging Shields's vaunted American Jiu Jitsu. Shields, in turn, seemed content to allow it, never seriously committing to a takedown attempt and battling St. Pierre on his feet.
St. Pierre and his team had figured Shields out brilliantly. He landed the jab whenever he threw it and followed it with an exaggeratedly looping right hand that hit Shields time and time again. Only a third round punch and what may have been an inadvertent finger in the eye on a rare GSP takedown attempt made the fight remotely interesting.
With St. Pierre unable to see out of his left eye, Shields was able to land the occasional right hand. Even then, St. Pierre dropped him with a big head kick in the fourth round and won every round on my scorecard. Somehow two of the judge's saw the final two rounds for Shields, who taunted St. Pierre like he was winning the fight, but acted like a loser throughout. Shields never made a concerted effort to take the fight to the ground and instead of discussing with his corner how he might time a shot, he wondered if he should pull guard. A telling lack of confidence.
In the end what might have been the show of the year was marred by a dull decision in the main event. For all the talk of Georges St. Pierre leading mixed martial arts into uncharted mainstream waters, it's something that is never going to be accomplished by a fighter who doesn't excite emotions in the cage. St. Pierre has turned into Bernard Hopkins or Ronald "Winky" Wright. He's a brilliant tactician and an excellent fighter. But if he fights the way he did tonight, he's not the fighter to take the sport to the next level.
More Bloody Elbow UFC 129 Results and analysis:
- Georges St. Pierre Holds Back UFC's Canadian Coming Out Party at UFC 129 - Jonathan Snowden
- Is Steven Seagal Secretly a Martial Arts Genius? - Jonathan Snowden
- UFC 129 Post-Fight Press Conference Video
- Play by Play and Live Commentary - Brent Brookhouse
- Georges St. Pierre Slips Past Jake Shields
- Jose Aldo Holds Off Mark Hominick
- Lyoto Machida Clouts Randy Couture
- Vladimir Matyushenko Mops the Floor With Jason Brilz
- Ben Henderson Whips Up On Mark Bocek
- Rory MacDonald Ragdolls Nate Diaz
- Jake Ellenberger Brutalizes Sean Pierson
- Claude Patrick Edges Daniel Roberts
- Pablo Garza Submits Yves Jabouin
- John Makdessi KO's Kyle Watson With Spinning Back Fist
- Jason MacDonald Triangles Ryan Jensen
- Ivan Menjivar Clocks Charlie Valencia
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Nice title.
Turning Bat Shit into BatMan for 27 yrs
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2011/04/ufc-middleweight-champion-silva-like-water.html
Disclaimer:
Rabble directed at GSP, not Snowden. For once.
Twitter me @kkelchner621
Read me at Cageside Seats
by Kaleb Kelchner on May 1, 2011 1:01 AM EDT up reply actions
Seriously though
I’ve never seen a main event derail such a great card like that.
The key is to hit the guy in the jaw really hard before the other guy does it to you.
by FreeLightningLee on May 1, 2011 12:59 AM EDT reply actions 3 recs
I've seen it before
I can’t think of which card it was. What sucks is that even if this was a good fight then it would have been the best UFC card I’ve ever watched. It felt like WEC 49(or was it 50?). Too bad they didn’t stop at the WEC fighters.
I had a glorious shit during it
Let the fighters fight, let the referees ref, but dear God, don't let the judges judge.
by halitosis on May 1, 2011 1:24 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Everyone that I text or tweet with
Was pumped all show. And everyone made jokes by the middle of the main event. It’s not an accurate meter of worldwide interest, but GSP apologizing after every single fight lately is becoming old.
by silent.bisonte33 on May 1, 2011 1:00 AM EDT reply actions
Jon, anyone that...
Disagrees with you gets an automatic ban.
Please agree to this.
What a stinker of a main event.
by Sergio Hernandez on May 1, 2011 1:00 AM EDT reply actions
That main event was a stinker, and it seems that even the fighters knew it. Even the fights that went the distance had some good action. Some of the finishes were just insane to have happened on the same night. GSP was just too tentative that it made Shields’ standup look much better than it actually was. Shields’ standup is honestly below average in that his technique isn’t that great, and he carries no real power in his strikes. His standup is simply awkward.
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GSP has lost...
All killer instinct and doesn’t want to put himself in the danger that comes up when you try to finish a fight.
I was the biggest GSP mark but this shit is getting ricockulous.
by Sergio Hernandez on May 1, 2011 1:06 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Any other fighter champ would have went in for the kill after that head kick in the 4th.
Just Breed!
by ScoreCardOTN on May 1, 2011 1:09 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
What and get sucked into Jake Shields gameplan? Why? So you can be entertained? GSP might not be fighting all that exciting as of late, but until someone makes his caution a problem, how can you knock the guy from consistently winning really?
Who has Shields subbed off of his back?
GnPing a dazed opponent whose path to victory is his top control is not “falling into his gameplan”.
"Unless you can’t think of something intelligent to say, don’t reply and make the world as dumb as you are appearing to be." - mabel4life
by lowellthehammer on May 1, 2011 1:18 AM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
Part of Jake Shields gameplan was getting kicked in the head?
by nastyem on May 1, 2011 1:19 AM EDT up reply actions 5 recs
What and get sucked into Jake Shields gameplan? Why? So you can be entertained?
NO- Shields was ROCKED it wasn’t like it was the first and GSP was completely dry. It was the 4th, GSP was soaking wet, and Shields was on queer street. GSP wasn’t getting sucked into anything. He just takes zero risk.
Even if by following Shields to the ground would statistically end the fight 99.9% of the time, GSP would not go there in fear of that 0.01% of getting caught. He takes no risks and it’s sad.
Just Breed!
GSP was soaking wet, and Shields was on queer street
Simmer down
by JTrain007 on May 1, 2011 10:53 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Exactly
His killer instinct is gone. Of all 4 of all the champs that had an opportunity to finish they did. When Ben Henderson had the chance he jumped in Boceks super dangerous guard and tried to finish. He didn’t, but he landed some serious ass blows. Anytime Hominick hit the ground Jose Aldo was on him. Same thing went with Machida. When Couture went down Machida was diving on him.
GSP just let Jake lay there and recover. He fought pretty much like Paul Daley vs. Nick Diaz(and he was even more aggressive when he dropped Diaz) or any other fighter who is a good striker but has no ground game. GSP is a complete fighter and he has to remember that.
All he did was stick to the gameplan and the plan had only like 4 different strikes in it. The gab, superman punch, spinning back kick, and the overhand right.
It appears that GSP has spent to much time in the NewMexico air. It was a typical Greg Jackson Bob And Weave affair…
by coachtom on May 1, 2011 1:14 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Amazing night of fights. Boring main event.
by Tats16 on May 1, 2011 1:02 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Same feelings about the card
All i was thinking about, was this was the best UFC card ever until the GSP fight happened, well I was extremelly satisfied atleast, when Machida landed that kick i flew out of my seat, its great to see the Dragon comeback and make Captain America’s grave in Canadian soil.
Hominick fought like a champ but came short, he clearly showed he can stand with Jose.
GSP didnt trust his own wrestling and proved to everyone who claims he is a GOAT that the number one thing people look for in that is Finishes, now that title still belongs to Anderson and probably will be retired for Jon Jones.
Was great to see the Janitor do a knock out, I was shocked I predicted he would win via Decision, if he fought tito again I believe he would beat him.
This was a great night for grappling and striking as we got to see incredible KO and submission finishes.
Something the Main event promised to have, don’t blink
I am going to get sooooo flamed for this…..but if you want to see an exciting fight with GSP (NOT necessarily see GSP lose, those are 2 different things), he needs to fight……….Diego Sanchez. Diego, for all his endless faults, would push the fight and wouldnt be content sitting on the bottom getting punished.
Can’t argue with that. Sanchez is never in boring fights. (Koscheck fight is the exception that proves the rule)
But still, Silva or GTFO.
Diego would have no chance, but watch the Fitch fight, watch how active he was on the bottom. Bottomless cardio (usually, anyway), incredible ability to take a beating, and uber aggressive. Its impossible that fight wouldnt be awesome.
I'd rather see Diaz
At best for GSP. it’s another decision. But I think Diaz takes him. He certainly would’ve last night
"I tried to take a midnight piss, but the toilet moved so again I missed"
yeah Diego would push the fight and GSP will actually KO him
so i agree with you, it will be exciting to see GSP get a KO victory.
by elmojo on May 1, 2011 1:04 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Remember when Shields was the guy that was going to be an easy GSP highlight KO?
"Unless you can’t think of something intelligent to say, don’t reply and make the world as dumb as you are appearing to be." - mabel4life
by lowellthehammer on May 1, 2011 1:06 AM EDT up reply actions
thats nuts
who said that?
Nuttier things have happened though, like Joe rogan asking Anderson Silva about fighting Cung Le during the super 7 interviews.
Plenty of people.
“It’s Jake, he has no stand-up and can’t get it to the ground. GSP’s finally going to let his hands go!”
"Unless you can’t think of something intelligent to say, don’t reply and make the world as dumb as you are appearing to be." - mabel4life
by lowellthehammer on May 1, 2011 1:10 AM EDT up reply actions
Youir problem is, you hang around idiots LOL This was always going to be a 5 round GSP surgical dissection on the feet, which is exactly what it was til the eye injury.
by Hutchy on May 1, 2011 1:12 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I was talking about those that are on here.
Surgical dissection is what we’re calling it now? Is that the phrase for becoming preoccupied with a tiny injury so much that you let the guy with the worst striking in the division connect on a dozen right hands?
"Unless you can’t think of something intelligent to say, don’t reply and make the world as dumb as you are appearing to be." - mabel4life
by lowellthehammer on May 1, 2011 1:14 AM EDT up reply actions
Those are two different arguments. GSP was utterly tooling him pre eye injury. Post injury, he settled for merely beating him soundly. Like I said, exactly as predicted. Now, if you want to argue that GSP seems to crumble under any adversity whatsoever, thats definately an argument worth having, because it certainly seems that way.
so an eye injury
doesn’t count for jake shields? from my point of view it seemed jake intended to strike and hit his target.
i really don't think Freddie Roach is that incredible when it comes to training MMA fighters after this
So he fixed GSP’s jab, i think thats all he did.
Arlovski/GSP who else trains with Roach?
roach has never made a good boxer
he always just took over already good boxers.
by silent.bisonte33 on May 1, 2011 1:58 AM EDT up reply actions
i really think its hard to transition from boxing to mma when it comes to coaches
MMA just has too many variables, he did fix GSP’s jab but im pretty sure thats all he did, I guess it can give a fighter more confidence standing as well.
Or Nick Diaz
Nick would bust up GSP bad in the feet. I think he’s durable enough as well to take 5 rounds of french-canadian pillow fists.
It's hard to bust someone up from your back.
"Unless you can’t think of something intelligent to say, don’t reply and make the world as dumb as you are appearing to be." - mabel4life
by lowellthehammer on May 1, 2011 1:08 AM EDT up reply actions
GSP isn't Gomi.
I can’t think of a choke Gomi hasn’t found himself caught in.
"Unless you can’t think of something intelligent to say, don’t reply and make the world as dumb as you are appearing to be." - mabel4life
by lowellthehammer on May 1, 2011 1:15 AM EDT up reply actions
Exactly.
“I don’t think he can win…..so there is no need to make the fight.”
What?
Learn JiuJitsu, it's fun.
Who said that?
You let your fandom blind you way too much dude.
"Unless you can’t think of something intelligent to say, don’t reply and make the world as dumb as you are appearing to be." - mabel4life
by lowellthehammer on May 1, 2011 1:36 AM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
Maybe I missread your statement,
my bad.
Learn JiuJitsu, it's fun.
by RolloTomasi on May 1, 2011 1:36 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
After banning three people and dealing with general fucktardedness over the past couple days … it’s really, really refreshing to see somebody say “my bad.” Kudos to you sir.
And then God created Saturn ... and he liked it, so he put a ring on it.
SaberCats Examiner | SB Nation Bay Area | Niners Nation | Twitter
If everybody that couldn't beat GSP retired, MMA would be pretty fucking boring at WW and below.
"Unless you can’t think of something intelligent to say, don’t reply and make the world as dumb as you are appearing to be." - mabel4life
by lowellthehammer on May 1, 2011 1:34 AM EDT up reply actions
Nick
Diaz
Learn JiuJitsu, it's fun.
by RolloTomasi on May 1, 2011 1:14 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
The main event went exactly as everyone expected. Go back and read the Bloody Elbow staff predictions, this is exactly how everyone thought it would go, aside from a slowing of the pace due to a GSP eye injury. That allowed Shields to land a shot or two. What did everyone expect?
by Hutchy on May 1, 2011 1:04 AM EDT reply actions 2 recs
If anything I like..
how jake shields showed how human GSP is….
Which is sad, considering how laughably bad Jake Shields' standup is.
I specializes in grammar fail.
by a tommy point on May 1, 2011 1:05 AM EDT up reply actions
or not
maybe everyone is being critical.. too critical
the best part is how this is a ‘eye poke’ injury..
hmm sounds like bj vs gsp 1 to me
by waldog on May 1, 2011 1:07 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
It wasn't a poke
It looked like it was the glove. Whatever it was, it affected the fight.
Shield's showboating was hilarious
just because after he got hit hard he completely reverted to a robot like stance.
or how about gsp showboating..
i think him shuffling his feet like a ko artist was sad… especially with the bloody nose in the 5th.
He did that in the first two rounds
when he could see. When he was also lighting Jake up.
That wasn’t even showboating, that was just to loosen up Shield’s stiff gaurd.
by av1o3 on May 1, 2011 1:12 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Well of course he couldn't showboat after the 2nd round
he got “poked” in the eye, lol
by Dane Robertson on May 1, 2011 1:24 AM EDT up reply actions
Wow
The dude had a fucked up eye. Watch his previous fights, he’s never lost standing up maybe except for BJ in their first fight and Serra’s wild swings.
He got hit in the eye...
by a punch that jake shields intended to do damage with.. nothing more
Man really???TOtally disagree.
GSP absolutely toyed with him. TOYED. He was landing his jab at will, Shields’ takedowns were laughably stuffed, and any thing that Shields threw looked like an amateur fighting a professional. His kicks were so bad it was surprising that he even decided to throw them. You can call it exciting or not, but GSP was truly great before losing his left eyesight.
my band
http://www.groggybikini.com
As soon as someone figures out a counter to that jab
GSP can’t immediately adapt to, he’s gonna be in trouble. Silva would counter that jab so fast, if you blink, you’d miss it.
Just Breed!
GSP toyed with Shields? I don’t know about all that. Shields def was competitive. GSP toughest fight in the last three years, was Jake freaking Shields.
I’m talking about before the eye injury, which was referenced above my earlier post. Before that, GSP made Shields out to look like a complete amateur. Like someone chosen from the crowd to fight the champ or something. The last 3 rounds were interesting, but the way GSP tossed Shields to the mat, along with making him miss so completely was pretty damned dominant. Whether or not it was exciting can be debated, but it was totally dominant.
my band
http://www.groggybikini.com
You do know
He didn’t come into the fight with a messed up eye……so we can use that excuse for Koscheck????
by Dane Robertson on May 1, 2011 1:25 AM EDT up reply actions
I wouldn’t go that far. It seems your not taking into account the complete fear of the threat of a takedown that GSP had in him… Striking while worrying about a takedown, is like a sport on it’s own. Technique takes a major major hit when always being on guard for a takedown… It’s a shame people don’t realize this more often…
I think of GSP as a sportsman, an athlete more than a fighter at times.
I am free because I choose to be so-Me
Yeah! That was his big line going into GSP/Penn II. “Georges is an athlete, I’m a fighter.”
by JRN on May 1, 2011 1:08 AM EDT up reply actions
Nah, please. His big line was" to the death, George" aso. Everything else as a little remark off the side.
To save me some time on 25% of all threads, here's the universal answer to the Fedor-debate: Fedor is the most accomplished MMA fighter ever. That is a fact. If he still is the best fighter at this point in time is up for debate.
People are surprised that the GSP fight would be boring?
If ya’ll take your rose-colored glasses off, you’d realize GSP has been boring for a long time now…
The “experts” should stop predicting a TKO from GSP. He’s the only UFC champ who’s guaranteed to decision anyone and everyone he fights.
I agree that GSP was very dull tonight...
But I still think this is one of the best UFC events of all time.
When was the last time GSP finished someone? 2-3 years, depending on if you count BJ Penn throwing in the towel.
Awesome athlete and all that, but at some point he’s going to lose some popularity if he’s going to refuse to take a risk ever again. I was screaming when he knocked Shields down and just stood there, debating with himself, and then backed off. He makes Machida look like a rabid pitbull.
"an excellent example of why most MMA "journalism" is a joke. Pseudonyms like "toxic" and shitty writing like that dopey article"--- Joe Rogan.
He has no killer instinct whatsoever.
Not having that trait will keep him from being the number one pound for pound fighter in the world. Anderson would make him a chew toy.
I’d rather see GSP fight Nick Diaz than Silva. I don’t think GSP is ready to move up in weight. Silvas jab would kill him.
Are our bones not dust?
Is our Blood not Poison?
On my knees in the black light
Praying for Salvation, bitter Redemption
So throw your dice and cast your shadow
You may look away
But your children will not...
by ProfessorBLove on May 1, 2011 1:06 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
His jab? Really? OF all the things GSP would have to worry about in that fight, the jab is the least of it.
Lol! I know that, I was just relating that potential fight w what just happened. Shields stiff and wooden Jabs gave GSP some problems, Silvas would obliterate him.
Are our bones not dust?
Is our Blood not Poison?
On my knees in the black light
Praying for Salvation, bitter Redemption
So throw your dice and cast your shadow
You may look away
But your children will not...
by ProfessorBLove on May 1, 2011 1:36 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Why was GSP shuffling his feet like Ali ?
I just dont get that..
It was just horsing around
Sometimes people like to play around when sparring. Just to make it more lighthearted I guess.
I’m really having trouble being a fan of GSP lately. That fight was incredibly boring.
GSP is like the Star Wars prequels. You knew you were going to regret it, but you still bought tickets. Cause it was Star Wars and it had a weird magnetic pull over you.
"an excellent example of why most MMA "journalism" is a joke. Pseudonyms like "toxic" and shitty writing like that dopey article"--- Joe Rogan.
by toxic on May 1, 2011 1:10 AM EDT reply actions 4 recs
Yeah, you guys are so right....
We should watch Anderson Silva dance around his opponent for 5 rounds, that’s so much more exciting.
At least that’s riskier than GSP’s last 3 fights. Huge Anderson fan here so I “might” be a little biased.
At least Silva...
Peppers in an occasional come from behind triangle or an insane front kick KO.
by Sergio Hernandez on May 1, 2011 1:13 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Hahahah
1. Who said anything about Andy, you mad.
2. You talking about the Maia fight? Where he danced for two rounds? Or the Leites fight where Leites kept jumping on his back?
3. Ok, maybe you’re talking about the Cote fight? Are you? Sure, that’s what you’re talking about. 1, it wasn’t five rounds, and Andy was punching the hell out of him.
4. Did you happen to catch Andy’s last couple of fights.
5. I know this was my first point, but I’ll make it again. Who the hell mentioned Andy?
Contributor at cagepages.com Come check us out.
Head Kick Legend
by Neil Manich on May 1, 2011 1:15 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
First off....
“U mad” is such an overrused and unfunny meme that I can hardly take you serious when you use it.
Second, the point I was trying to make was that those fights were boring…..BORING….Yet people give someone like Anderson a pass just because he pulls out a miracle triangle or a damn cool front kick. But GSP actually fights….WITH ONE EYE, against a dude with a 15 fight win streak, and he’s just the most boring fighter ever.
Hypocrisy at it’s finest, GSP couldn’t KO a guy that ate a Henderson right hook, oh noes.
No, he did...
Not get a pass. Fans RAILED against Anderson when he fucked around with Cote, Leites, and Maia.
by Sergio Hernandez on May 1, 2011 1:24 AM EDT up reply actions
Seriously.
Everyone hated him. Now the tides have shifted.
"Unless you can’t think of something intelligent to say, don’t reply and make the world as dumb as you are appearing to be." - mabel4life
by lowellthehammer on May 1, 2011 1:26 AM EDT up reply actions
MMA is fair-weather-fan central (are other sports like this? I don’t follow them).
by JRN on May 1, 2011 1:45 AM EDT up reply actions
Definitely, the internets have shown how easily influenced we all are
Turning Bat Shit into BatMan for 27 yrs
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2011/04/ufc-middleweight-champion-silva-like-water.html
Yes....yes it is
Turning Bat Shit into BatMan for 27 yrs
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2011/04/ufc-middleweight-champion-silva-like-water.html
Anderson's fight with Maia
Is better than GSP’s last 3 fights. Anderson at least gave us a 3 round show before coasting.
by Dane Robertson on May 1, 2011 1:28 AM EDT up reply actions
Agree
Silva acting crazy and matrix-ing around the octagon is 10xs more exciting. I seriously wonder if the people who complain about it have actually seen it. It was highly entertaining, if not wierd
Turning Bat Shit into BatMan for 27 yrs
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2011/04/ufc-middleweight-champion-silva-like-water.html
by warren305 on May 1, 2011 1:30 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
silva maia might have been entertaining for you
if you weren’t the one dropping $55 on the event.
Agreed. It was. But it’s just one fight, against a highly dangerous wrestler/JJ guy. If it’s pretty, it’s generally because the wrestler/jj guy finished …
Doesn’t matter at the end of the day. GSP is winning. Period. Until someone can capitalize on GSP cautious style, I see no reason for him to change it…
by p123 on May 1, 2011 1:42 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
again?
why is everything about anderson silva for you? just let it go already…
GSP will never be as exciting as Anderson. GSP will never have such a huge skillset weakness as Anderson either though too…
I was just addressing the exciting aspect.
I agree. If I were a fighter, I’d be cautious as hell. Especially if I was a champ and beating everyone. But that’s not really the shit people want to watch. People want to see front kick knockouts.
This is GSP. This is what he does. He’s not Anderson. And never will. If you don’t like the cautious / fear induced / strategic style of GSP. Don’t watch. I find it very entertaining, and I feel that GSP is a more complete fighter, and a better P4P fighter than Anderson is…
by p123 on May 1, 2011 1:49 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Sure, obviously on a lower scale. But GSP completely shut down Shields grappling gameplan. I think you would be hardpressed to find anyone else capable of being that patient, and being that risk adverse. GSP should get credit, not lynching honestly IMO. GSP fought the smart fight. Period.
by p123 on May 1, 2011 1:55 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I agree.
He fought a smart fight. He controlled the action and didn’t let Shields get anything going. But that shit wasn’t exciting. Period.
Of course not. But this shit shouldn’t be something new to you. GSP is a risk adverse, cautious, scared fighter. He’s not freaking Anderson. Get over it…
It's not new to me. And I was never on the other side of it.
And quit bossing me around man. Telling me to get over shit. Not watch shit. I’ll watch whatever I want. If I feel like watching boring shit where I almost fall asleep, I watch baseball. If I feel like watching boring shit where I fall asleep 29 minutes before the TV timer turns the TV off for me, I watch GSP fight.
goddamn sleeping pill
but i hope his eye is not seriously injured
Well, I don't think anybody will disagree with this.
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Head Kick Legend
Right now I think Jon Jones is the only one with the potential to take the sport to the next level
I think Carwin could have had the potential to be that guy too had he beaten Lesnar. But right now I don’t see anyone else who could do it
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" - Philippians 4:13
He’s not the most dynamic personality, but he was KOing everybody in the first round. He would have had the Tyson effect without the craziness. People love their big hulking monsters that just destroy everybody. Liddell, a boring interview himself reached a huge audience because he was knocking people out left and right. Plus, though Shane is not the most exciting guy out of the cage as far as personality, he has the kind of life that the UFC could push to help make it more mainstream IMO.
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" - Philippians 4:13
Unfortunately, thats incorrect, because the redneck section of the fanbase will never embrace him because hes black (sad but true), and the black fanbase will never embrace him because hes too “white”.
I think he can overcome both of those parties just by whipping asses. Regardless of what the people watching think, if the man can fight, they will come, regardless of what ridiculous line of thinking they follow.
Twitter me @kkelchner621
Read me at Cageside Seats
by Kaleb Kelchner on May 1, 2011 1:17 AM EDT up reply actions
Anderson Silva couldnt draw flies if he was dead by the side of the road unless hes fighting a racist sociopath to get the audience excited. They didnt even trust him to headline against Forrest, a fight GUARANTEED to be awesome.
Honestly, I think that has more to do with him not speaking English than anything else. No English speaking fans could relate to him. In Jones, you’ve got a clean cut, almost super hero persona…it’s a big difference on U.S. soil. We’ll see what happens though, I think Jones holds on to the strap for at least a few fights, so we can tell what happens then.
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by Kaleb Kelchner on May 1, 2011 1:22 AM EDT up reply actions
This, and I do not think he would be seen as “too white” at all. Living where I live I can promise he’d attract guys who are not typically followers of the sport
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" - Philippians 4:13
Ehhhhhhh
Tiger Woods was the most popular athlete in the world in a WHITE ass sport.
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Head Kick Legend
"Rednecks" don't typically follow golf
by Dane Robertson on May 1, 2011 1:29 AM EDT up reply actions
Aldo?
He battled through some ring rust and a bad cut to completely dominate Hominick for four rounds. Damn he looked dirty.
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I don’t think he’ll get over like we’re talking about here, but the man earned a ton of respect from me tonight. That was a gritty throwdown, but he came out on top. Watching him cling on in the last minutes was something special. Typically, it would make a fighter look bad, going out like that, but I think he did more than enough throughout the fight to overcome the beating in the last round. Hominick’s massive swelling helped, for sure.
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by Kaleb Kelchner on May 1, 2011 1:18 AM EDT up reply actions
Fight of the year?
I think so. So far at least. Better than Edgar/Maynard for me.
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Head Kick Legend
Nah.
Edgar/Maynard was goddamn inspiring. Seeing the smaller Edgar get put through the wringer by a massive guy nicknamed the Bully only to get up, go to his corner, shake off the rust, and proceed to whip that dude’s ass for the remainder of the fight was just incredible. Hominick/Aldo was more frustrating than anything else to me. Have you not heard of elbows Mark? Guard passing?
"Unless you can’t think of something intelligent to say, don’t reply and make the world as dumb as you are appearing to be." - mabel4life
by lowellthehammer on May 1, 2011 1:25 AM EDT up reply actions
It was a brilliant stand up war though.
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It was fun, back and forth, etc.
Maybe it’s just because I’m an Edgar fan but that was the first fight I’ve ever watched where I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. Hominick was just frustrating me.
"Unless you can’t think of something intelligent to say, don’t reply and make the world as dumb as you are appearing to be." - mabel4life
by lowellthehammer on May 1, 2011 1:31 AM EDT up reply actions
What? He threatened no offense and got the shit beaten out of him the one time he was on his back for an extended period.
by Jonathan Snowden on May 1, 2011 9:01 AM EDT up reply actions
Its been proven time and again: if you dont speak English, you will not draw fans, period. It doesnt matter if you are the 2nd coming of Christ, no English=no fans.
He can learn English
You hear Machida tonight?
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Head Kick Legend
WTF is he waiting for? A written invitation? None of this is a comment on Aldo’s qualities as a fighters, he is amazing as a combatant, I’m not hating.
No, I understand where you're coming from
It just takes a while to learn a language. And Aldo is still just a pup.
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Head Kick Legend
Shit, if I was a fighter, training my ass off constantly, I’d NOT be trying to train myself in a language in my free time. No sir. lol
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by Kaleb Kelchner on May 1, 2011 1:24 AM EDT up reply actions
You also wouldn’t be looking to maximize your career earnings. Learning english = making more money. Period. If you don’t take it serious, you aren’t taking your family’s future serious.
Well obviously he’s going to pick it up eventually, most of the top Brazilian fighters do. He’s probably not wanting to pull a Wand and have a “I want to fuck Chuck” moment. It’ll come. The man just got out of the WEC, not like he was going to be maximizing career earnings there, he probably JUST bought rosetta stone. lol
Twitter me @kkelchner621
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by Kaleb Kelchner on May 1, 2011 1:38 AM EDT up reply actions
I'd think MMA fighters are more inclined to use the Primsleur program or whatever it is.
And then God created Saturn ... and he liked it, so he put a ring on it.
SaberCats Examiner | SB Nation Bay Area | Niners Nation | Twitter
He's only 24 too
and he’s getting paid. Learning another language will be the last thing on my mind.
Damn. I pretty much just said this to you in an above reply to a different fighter. Go figure. lol At least I know we’re on the same page.
Twitter me @kkelchner621
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by Kaleb Kelchner on May 1, 2011 1:23 AM EDT up reply actions
Aldo was doing some Anderson Matrix shit
but even better. Silva’s head slips normally have exaggerated movements, Aldo did that shit with barely moving his head. Added the fact that he was clearly gassed after the second round and still did that as well as making Hominick grow a horn, is simply amazing.
Aldo was right though, he looked bigger than he has in his previous fights. I wouldn’t mind seeing him move up in weight soon.
You realize that most of the times Goldberg was screaming about Aldo’s head movement he was actually getting punched in the face right? His power is a gift, because Hominick was lighting him up.
by Jonathan Snowden on May 1, 2011 1:23 AM EDT up reply actions
Well, Goldberg is Goldberg. It wasn’t as good as he made it out to be, but there were a few times he really caught my eye with the head movement. Then again, there were many many more times he caught my eye with standing there getting punched in the face.
You’re right about that power though. He’s damn lucky to have that to fall back on, because he pulled it out thanks to it tonight. Hopefully he looks better next time around.
Twitter me @kkelchner621
Read me at Cageside Seats
by Kaleb Kelchner on May 1, 2011 1:26 AM EDT up reply actions
Aldo was dodging a majority of them but he got hit more and more after each round.
And I think I remember that it was Rogan who was screaming about Hominick’s head movement.
Aldo dodged the majority of the punches..
Were you watching the fight???
by Dane Robertson on May 1, 2011 1:30 AM EDT up reply actions
Wow... what a bunch of children you are, BE posters
The best fighter in the world fought with ONE eye.
He clowned Shields for 2 rounds. His eye was injured and Shields could still not mount anything with TWO good eyes.
GSP wins
What does that mean?
I agree it was the worst match of an exceptional card. But this BS libel vs. GSP is just ignorant.
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."
Mohandas Gandhi
"The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses - behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights."
Muhammad Ali
"If MMA is like dog fighting, those are some pretty fucking smart dogs."
"I don’t want to lick any butt."
GSP
by jackbox on May 1, 2011 1:14 AM EDT reply actions 24 recs
he is not the best fighter.
He isn’t getting better and he can barely win.
by Roaringblood on May 1, 2011 1:15 AM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
Can barely win? Who the fuck rec’d this comment- show yourselves!
by John Danaher's Hair on May 1, 2011 9:41 AM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
Thank you.
People are so quick to grab the pitchforks.
There’s always something isn’t there. His groin, his eye. I don’t give a fuck. Throw some combinations for fucks sake, do something other than jab. Hominick had a fucked up eye and went out and arguably got a 10-8 round. That’s what u do when you’re worried about an injury, you fight with urgency, not sit back and coast.
by MMAussie on May 1, 2011 1:16 AM EDT up reply actions 6 recs
Anderson Silva
is the best in the world.
Learn JiuJitsu, it's fun.
by RolloTomasi on May 1, 2011 1:16 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
You mean that one time…when he finished him from his back
Turning Bat Shit into BatMan for 27 yrs
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2011/04/ufc-middleweight-champion-silva-like-water.html
by warren305 on May 1, 2011 1:25 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
He beat Hendo
who was one of the top wrestlers at the time.
Also subbed Chael with fucked up ribs.
Hendo was a legit wrestler. Problem is, Hendo rarely comes to wrestle. He wrestled in the first round, and got stifled, and then started trying to throw bombs…
A wrestler who comes to wrestle with good sub defense will beat Anderson 9 out of 10 times…
Jake Shields IMO, would be a heavy favorite against Anderson…
I would agree with you
but I honestly can’t remember the last time he’s used his wrestling in a fight. That’s why I said at the time lol.
This is ridiculous.
Josh Koscheck fought with one eye. GSP fought with a tiny little cut.
"Unless you can’t think of something intelligent to say, don’t reply and make the world as dumb as you are appearing to be." - mabel4life
by lowellthehammer on May 1, 2011 1:16 AM EDT up reply actions
You mean the same Koscheck....
That stood there and let GSP punch his face into meat, and lost?
Yeah, I remember him.
The exaggerating of his injury needs to stop.
He did not fight with one eye, he fought with a cut on his eye.
"Unless you can’t think of something intelligent to say, don’t reply and make the world as dumb as you are appearing to be." - mabel4life
by lowellthehammer on May 1, 2011 1:29 AM EDT up reply actions
He couldn't see.
Jesus, you’re a hater, you wholeheartedly accept Silva’s rib excuse but GSP eye being damaged is an “exaggeration”.
The difference is....
GSP showed up to the match fine….Silva didn’t
by Dane Robertson on May 1, 2011 1:32 AM EDT up reply actions
Who the fuck is talking about Anderson?
Making shit up doesn’t help support what you’re saying at all.
"Unless you can’t think of something intelligent to say, don’t reply and make the world as dumb as you are appearing to be." - mabel4life
by lowellthehammer on May 1, 2011 1:32 AM EDT up reply actions
There is no such thing as exaggerating an eye injury.
I take my sight pretty damn seriously. I sure so does GSP and everyone else. That injury had to of taken him out of his game plan both mentally and physically.
If people are going to bitch about GSP not finishing a one-eyed Koscheck, then where is all the hate on Shields for not finishing a one-eyed GSP.
just to let you know...
shields said in the post fight press conference that he had no idea about GSPs eye situation. just sayin.
People are really stretching the GSP defense now
Kind of reminds me of myself after Abu Dhabi.
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yep we get a GREAT night of fights
and the first thing MMA fans do is bitch about the one less than thrilling fight.
It’s kind of the most important fight of the night. Being the one that drew the audience and all….
by Jonathan Snowden on May 1, 2011 1:29 AM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
I don't buy into that too much
people go to Cardinals games to see Albert Pujols, but if someone goes to a game and everyone else in the lineup hits a HR expect Pujols people don’t go home and say “that sucked because Pujols didn’t knock one.”
It’s not the same thing at all. GSP makes a demonstrable difference at the box office. People pay specifically to see him fight. And this one was a let down.
by Jonathan Snowden on May 1, 2011 1:34 AM EDT up reply actions
The letters "UFC" also make a demonstrable difference at the box office.
Tons of people tune in to see the brand more so than fighters.
This is a story because people had already made up their mind about how “exciting” the Jake Shields/GSP fight was going to be and were ready to jump on the internet and cry. This was a great card.
Yup.
No one walked away from that Arena or the PPV last night thinking, “God damn, that was an awesome night of fights.” All of us want our money back and we want Dana to fire GSP for exceptional suckitude. In fact, I’ll be the first to say it. If Dana White does not fire GSP today, I will never watch another UFC fight.
by Wrestling Uber Alles on May 1, 2011 10:13 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
GSP is on the poster dude...
He’s the only fighter other then Anderson
Silva that my uninformed friends who watched his fight know….and they know he’s boring.
Not
Good.
Learn JiuJitsu, it's fun.
Let's see here...
Team sport v. individual sport. In which sport do you think individual performance is more important?
by sgiblin on May 1, 2011 1:47 AM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
So Individual performances like this...
![Lyoto Machida Front Kick KOs Randy Couture [129]](http://h-3.abload.de/img/machida_coutureicol.gif)
or this
or this
or this
by T.P. Grant on May 1, 2011 9:42 AM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
Was that post supposed to make sense?
There’s no getting around the fact that the main event was boring.
and there is not getting a round that we got an really good night of fights
the main event was dull, deal with it.
It was a really good night of fights. And it's dealt with.
Unfortunately, cards are remembered for their main events. This one sucked.
GSP is a great point fighter and defensive fighter.
But he is not a deadly finisher…
He's like Floyd in another way too...
Everyone just want to see him fight Anderson damn it.
Got my pitchfork.
GSP gets hit in the eye, otherwise he would have finished Shields! GSP couldn’t finish a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich. The guy is becoming oppressive to watch. I’m with the crowd who says he’s done evolving. Supreme take-downs, take-down defense, crisp jab, and no kill switch. Maybe he’s just too nice a guy. He should try out for the Canadian gymnastics team. When is Carlos Condit fighting?
by Charlie Custer on May 1, 2011 1:40 AM EDT up reply actions
Shields didn't do shit
Yet the blame for the fight rests with GSP. Welcome to MMA analysis on the Internet.
by Ironbuddha on May 1, 2011 1:44 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
So that's why after the Serra fight
he armbarred Matt Hughes and TKO’d Serra
Yup
just don’t agree that Serra beat it out of him.
I think he still had the killer mentality during the Fitch and BJ fight. Something must have happened inbetween the BJ and Alves fight.
Your right, Serra didn’t beat it out of him. But perhaps it plays a part, GSP himself always brings up the Serra fight as to why he is so scared and cautious.
Yeah GSP seems like the cautious type now a days
fighting in front of 55,000 fans in your hometown probably doesn’t help calm the nerves.
Yeah GSP seems like the cautious type now a days
fighting in front of 55,000 fans in your hometown probably doesn’t help calm the nerve
GSP says that’s when he’s at his best.
Just Breed!
Not in the Primetime show
he literally said he was nervous to fight in front of all those people.
Forgot about that part then lol
This time might have been a special case though.
Not only has there ever been an audience this big, he also never had to fight with a bum eye too. You can tell he was freaking out in the corner.
Koscheck’s face was so fucked that he’s out for almost a year and that he lost feeling to half of his face.
Most fighters would have tapped in the positions Hardy was in.
He completely dominated Thiago Alves with a groin injury that kept him from defending his title again for 8 months.
Fitch didn’t look like the same person going into the fight.
by av1o3 on May 1, 2011 1:51 AM EDT up reply actions 4 recs
Or you could just say, yes you’re correct.
by MMAussie on May 1, 2011 1:52 AM EDT up reply actions 6 recs
Statement: "Grass is green."
Rebuttal: But the sky is blue. Concrete is grey. Wood is brown.
by sgiblin on May 1, 2011 1:54 AM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
I think it’s more a long the lines of
“This patch of grass is a particularly light shade of green”
“This patch over here is very dark”
by castleeb on May 1, 2011 10:09 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Probably the only time when slamming out of a triangle
actually didn’t help lock it up.
By the way...
I forget who it was tonight, maybe Jensen, but he pulled the sweetest mini-Rampage slam before tapping I’ve ever seen. It was like a “from the knees” Rampage slam. Very cool.
Yup
too bad he tried it against J-Mac who is a pretty damn good black belt.
The moment he was lifting up before the slam I thought he was going to break out of it though.
Not anymore… The defense to the slam has adapted, which is why you never see it anymore. If you just grap onto the back of the leg, the fighter cannot pick you up like that…
I think Rampage's ridiculous strength makes him a special case though
I haven’t seen any other fighters lift somebody that high up for a slam before.
Of course not. Why would I want to watch that? I’m only interested in the best human being in a weight class, not the best female human being in a weight class…
Well they are wearing spandex. So that brings on the whole sexual stuff.. If they wore baggy clothes, you know you would not be watching them .
I promise you that no one would watch it if they were in baggy clothes. There are plenty of pretty faces in other sports, gymnasts have rocking bodies, and wear tight clothing.
Umm, that soul snatcher hasn't finished a fight in over 2 years.
Coincidentally, Georges St. Pierre has actually finished a fight more recently than Rampage Jackson (BJ Penn fight- 1/31/09 as opposed to W. Silva 12/27/08). Funny how people perceptions stick, huh?
El Santo inspired me to be a submission grappler.
by Enmascarado on May 1, 2011 3:42 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
I like to think that's what gave Vitor, Hepatitis
for some reason I think that is hilarious.
Tonight's big winner:
The most electrifying entertainer in MMA, Nick Diaz
by smoogy2 on May 1, 2011 1:19 AM EDT reply actions 3 recs
Meh.
I don’t think anybody’s thinking twice about Diaz because
a) Shields, generally accepted to be a more accomplished fighter than Diaz, didn’t get much done against GSP
b) Nate looked bad against MacDonald and too many people think that they’re the same fighter because they share a last name
"Unless you can’t think of something intelligent to say, don’t reply and make the world as dumb as you are appearing to be." - mabel4life
by lowellthehammer on May 1, 2011 1:22 AM EDT up reply actions
You should review your Nick Diaz data
And this is like the third time I got suckered into reading your baseless opinion. Stop it
You know Joe, Brandon Vera is considered to be a Heavyweight George St.Pierre because he just comes, comes, and comes again... -Mike Goldberg, UFC 57
Cheick Kongo looks like a cross between Evander Holyfield and pop singer Seal!
Melvin Guilard looks like a little Kevin Randelman!
-Mike "All black people look alike to me" Goldberg, UFC 62/64
No idea what you're talking about.
"Unless you can’t think of something intelligent to say, don’t reply and make the world as dumb as you are appearing to be." - mabel4life
by lowellthehammer on May 1, 2011 2:02 AM EDT up reply actions
WORST LOGIC EVER
"I tried to take a midnight piss, but the toilet moved so again I missed"
His name does seem to be on a lot of people's lips
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Head Kick Legend
Post Fight Presser notes
Gate: $12,500,000
Attendance: 55,724
FOTN: Aldo/Hominick
KOTN: Machida
SOTN: Garza
GSP and Couture are both in the hospital
http://unintelligentdefense.blogspot.com
I said it before
GSP has lost the fire to impress, perform and push himself.
He reminds me of Rick “Wild Thing” Vaughn in Major League 2.. He needs to stop fighting for “his legacy” and start fighting for the sport, his fans, himself.
1 slightly boring fight doesn't make everything else meaningless
Twitter @MaZZM
http://mazznettt.blogspot.com/
True.
But it don’t help.
Shit happens, people just need to give it up for Jake.
GSP said it was the toughest fight of his carrer and it just might be.
Learn JiuJitsu, it's fun.
1 slightly boring fight doesn’t make everything else meaningless
3 in a row- Hardy, Kos, now this one (exact same fight as Kos minus the damage)
Just Breed!
he dominated all of those and didn't let any of them do anything productive
Twitter @MaZZM
http://mazznettt.blogspot.com/
by MaZZacare on May 1, 2011 1:31 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Er what?
Didn’t he perform multiple submission attempts on Hardy but Hardy just refused to tap? Didn’t he wreck Kos’ eye such that the doctor should have stopped the fight? Didn’t he knock Shields down multiple times? Do you people even watch these fights?
by Wrestling Uber Alles on May 1, 2011 10:30 AM EDT up reply actions
Perfect summary of how I saw it too. If Anderson hit him the way Shields did it would be over in one or two rounds. GSP is the beat welterweight of all time, but he is not going to reach his own goal of bringing MMA to the next level. I used to think only being French Canadian was his only issue with doing it. Now, I am going to get in line with the others that say he is a “conservative” fighter. Sigh
by troutki on May 1, 2011 1:23 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
He's not looking at the "big picture" of MMA
He says that cause it sells. It’s starting to piss me off more than Jones being a Christian, I’m getting sick of both of them trying to convince everyone of these things.
Just Breed!
This is who GSP is. I’m surprised by the backlash. Shields has a mediocre stand up game. All Georges had to do to win was keep the fight standing, work the jab, and play to Jake’s weaknesses. No matter what he says he doesn’t work to finish, he works to out point his opponent and his game is well rounded enough that he can do that consistently. He is the epitome of a Freddie Roach/Greg Jackson trained fighter. That’s never going to change.
Ugarte: You despise me, don't you?
Rick: If I gave you any thought I probably would.
by memitim on May 1, 2011 1:23 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
The epitome of this was his takedown attempt with 5 seconds left in the fight. Where a lot of fighters we have the privilege of watching would go for broke trying to knock a guy out with 5 seconds left, GSP sees an opportunity for a final riskless point.
by dribblebib on May 1, 2011 1:28 AM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
Exactly. That’s who he is. He knows how to work the point system better than any fighter today. I don’t doubt that if an opportunity presents itself to finish with little risk he will take it. But, otherwise he doesn’t have to. He can win time and time again by racking up points. We, as fans, are bored by such an approach but for Georges it keeps hIm in that rarefied air as one of the great P4P fighters and makes each of his fights must see viewing.
Ugarte: You despise me, don't you?
Rick: If I gave you any thought I probably would.
by memitim on May 1, 2011 1:41 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I know he is stretching it thin but if you are a hardcore MMA fan you can’t miss a GSP fight. Just on the off chance he might get beat.
Ugarte: You despise me, don't you?
Rick: If I gave you any thought I probably would.
by memitim on May 1, 2011 1:46 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Are they stil making those precious black boxes? Or are you talking about going to a bar. I hope you have a black box supplier. I loved them so!
Ugarte: You despise me, don't you?
Rick: If I gave you any thought I probably would.
by memitim on May 1, 2011 1:51 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I want to know how you do that voodoo you do so well.
Ugarte: You despise me, don't you?
Rick: If I gave you any thought I probably would.
by memitim on May 1, 2011 1:57 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Being from Denmark
Voodoo computer skills are pretty much my only means of watching.
by DreamingOfFighting on May 2, 2011 2:50 AM EDT up reply actions
After the horn to signal the end of the fight...
I immediately knew two things: 1. Jonathan Snowden would write an article calling out GSP. 2. I would agree wholeheartedly. BORING tentative fight. Not the way to bring new fans to the sport.
"Me, afraid of Michael Bisbing? Stop the jokes!" -Wanderlei Silva
GSP is the San Antonio Spurs of MMA
Turning Bat Shit into BatMan for 27 yrs
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2011/04/ufc-middleweight-champion-silva-like-water.html
by warren305 on May 1, 2011 1:27 AM EDT reply actions 5 recs
ugh
I hope that Jake Shields is the Memphis Grizzlies waking him up
That means
Jake Shields is going to be destroyed in his next fight because the Thunder are going to destroy the Grizzlies.
I actually feel bad for the Spurs
if it weren’t for that insane buzzer beater that put them into OT. They would have lost 4-1.
So true
It’s hard to believe the number one team was also the most boring.
Except the Spurs have 4 rings and are considered a dynasty.
by troutki on May 1, 2011 2:24 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
GSP was tooling Shields for the first 2 rounds. His eye got hurt and he decided to play it safe. Really, is this that big of a crime? He was being more aggressive in the first 2 rounds then he’s been in any match of his since BJ. But I wasn’t drinking tonight so I might have missed a lot of what everyone else on here saw tonight… :P
by theuprightman on May 1, 2011 1:30 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
That's all he does is play it safe.
His whole “Don’t blink” quote was him telling all of us, “I’m gonna injure my eye and put on another less than stellar performane.” It all makes sense now.
Just Breed!
That would be pretty counter productive to injure your own eye in a title fight as an excuse to play it safe, but I’ll assume you’re kidding. Just IIHO, it looked like he honestly wanted a finish before his eye got hurt, and then just changed game plans.
by theuprightman on May 1, 2011 1:37 AM EDT up reply actions
If he hadn’t done it for the past 3 years, it wouldn’t be a crime.
And hey, he want’s the fight that way, fine. They had just better stack the card with a bunch of other cool fights if they want me to buy it. Cause that is what is going to sell the card outside of Canada.
"an excellent example of why most MMA "journalism" is a joke. Pseudonyms like "toxic" and shitty writing like that dopey article"--- Joe Rogan.
I’m still riding the high of the Machida crane kick, so really the GSP fight was a non issue to me! And yeah, most of the posters on here should forgive 25 minutes of not the best fight in the world (it wasn’t GSP against Hardy, you have to give him that), for,what, 5 hours of pure awesomeness that preceded it.
by theuprightman on May 1, 2011 1:49 AM EDT up reply actions
To be fair
Shields was awful. Why didn’t he even make an effort to take it to the mat?
by Jonathan Snowden on May 1, 2011 1:34 AM EDT reply actions 6 recs
Didn't commit at all. It was bizarre.
"Unless you can’t think of something intelligent to say, don’t reply and make the world as dumb as you are appearing to be." - mabel4life
by lowellthehammer on May 1, 2011 1:35 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
"Not yet."
GREAT corner advice.
(Not really)
by TooLegitToQuit on May 1, 2011 1:36 AM EDT up reply actions
Both their corners were weird to watch.
GSP’s was trying to convince him that his eye was fine while Shields’ corner was trying to convince him that he should start trying to win the fight. Both corners failed to effectively get those messages across.
"Unless you can’t think of something intelligent to say, don’t reply and make the world as dumb as you are appearing to be." - mabel4life
by lowellthehammer on May 1, 2011 1:37 AM EDT up reply actions
I think George really freaked out. He held it together enough to finish the fight, but it did really worry him and throw his game right off. Greg could not talk him out of that, you could see him touching it after Greg told him to ignore it. George seems to overthink himself into a corner sometimes.
As for Shields, I mean his takedowns were NOT working. His clinch was shrugged off and he did kinda move forward more, but never did anything enough to win at any point.
Agreed
You could hear it in his corner’s voice. He was freaking out.
Turning Bat Shit into BatMan for 27 yrs
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2011/04/ufc-middleweight-champion-silva-like-water.html
Like a 4 year old freaking out
over scraping their knee. If GSP ever got a serious injury during a fight, it would completely destroy him.
GSP’s scratched eye> Lesnar getting punched in face.
Just Breed!
If someone could just capitilize on GSP worry / fear / caution, it would be a dream come true. No one has seen a fighter with such great weaknesses like that
I'm not saying it's a weakness. It helps him win when the sh*t hits the fan.
But he was a bit frantic, and didn’t stay calm. It genuinely changed the way he had to fight.
Shields looked like he was one of the worst fighters
I’d ever seen in a main event UFC title fight. His standup looked like a guy off the street.
Turning Bat Shit into BatMan for 27 yrs
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2011/04/ufc-middleweight-champion-silva-like-water.html
Craziness...
Turning Bat Shit into BatMan for 27 yrs
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2011/04/ufc-middleweight-champion-silva-like-water.html
Does nobody incorporate the threat of takedown into how striking plays out? I mean, this is MMA guys, not K-1…
Giving a justification
Doesn’t change the fact that it sucked
Turning Bat Shit into BatMan for 27 yrs
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2011/04/ufc-middleweight-champion-silva-like-water.html
He did, and it's odd to see.
He really freaks out when he gets injured waaaaaaay too much.
"Unless you can’t think of something intelligent to say, don’t reply and make the world as dumb as you are appearing to be." - mabel4life
by lowellthehammer on May 1, 2011 1:45 AM EDT up reply actions
Shields choked, plain and simple. We saw none of the Shields we saw in previous fights. Give him Finch next and let’s see what happens.
Ugarte: You despise me, don't you?
Rick: If I gave you any thought I probably would.
by memitim on May 1, 2011 1:49 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I hope he believes that and comes back better
and doesn’t drink the “I won two rounds, I should have won the whole thing” Kool-Aid.
Shields did much better against GSP than anyone else in a really long time. Shields walks away a winner in his mind IMO…
That’s not how things go in Cesar’s camp. Between Nate’s and Jake’s loss I wouldn’t want to be in that gym Monday morning.
Ugarte: You despise me, don't you?
Rick: If I gave you any thought I probably would.
by memitim on May 1, 2011 2:04 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I'd rather not
Maybe they both cancel each other out and we get a sloppy kickboxing match or they don’t cancel each other out and we see them try to grind each other out.
Judging from these comments, you wouldn't think that was the case.
It’s more of a GSP lynching in here.
by R.J MacReady on May 1, 2011 1:36 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
He completely gave up on it
after he dived for the take down and walked right into a jab.
He got the jab down, but not the overhand right.
GSP probably thought for how successful he was with the jab, he’d be just as successful with the overhand right and get a KO…. Guess not. Don't Blink Pretty cocky.
Just Breed!
His right looked atrocious, hitting Shields on the arm and back about half the time. There was no right cross to be found… it was ugly. His kickboxing did not look good.
I know
and usually it flows better.
Not a ton of power, but he’s kinetic.
Tonight he looked……tentative.
Learn JiuJitsu, it's fun.
More blame should be put on Shields in this fight. Since when is Shields a K1 star? Do what your good at and take him down.
by theuprightman on May 1, 2011 1:40 AM EDT up reply actions
I counted 2, possibly 3 attempts. He shouldn’t have given up that quickly.
by theuprightman on May 1, 2011 1:43 AM EDT up reply actions
I thought he was gonna do
the Sonnen approach since he was in his camp and all. Just plow right thru him, eat the strikes and get him on his back. Guess not.
Just Breed!
That would have been cool to see GSP defensive off his back, haven’t seen it in a long time. But I guess the grappler vs grappler meme came true; sloppy kickboxing!
by theuprightman on May 1, 2011 1:51 AM EDT up reply actions
Nick Diaz had to communicate between rounds “Don’t be scared homie.”
Ugarte: You despise me, don't you?
Rick: If I gave you any thought I probably would.
by memitim on May 1, 2011 1:43 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Jake channeled his inner Diaz with the “what’s up” taunt in the 4th. :)
by theuprightman on May 1, 2011 1:54 AM EDT up reply actions
Didn’t work too well, but Jake could have pushed the action at that point. To me, it was obvious GSP was hurt and having an issue with his eye. If he pushed the take down attempts at that point or just used his weight in the clinch to possibly manhandle him down, Shields might have had more success.
by theuprightman on May 1, 2011 1:59 AM EDT up reply actions
Shields just wasn't good enough.
that’s the main problem I have with GSP, he can outclass people all day.
He just wont finish, when he clearly has the tools.
Learn JiuJitsu, it's fun.
No argument there. Again, as posted above, in my IMO it looked like he wanted a finish early in the fight. I just really want a rematch with Fitch. Off topic, but I want to see him face Jon again.
by theuprightman on May 1, 2011 2:04 AM EDT up reply actions
DUDE WHAT THE F ARE YOU TALKIN ABOUT
THAT FIGHT WAS AMAZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
http://mixedmartialartsblogger.wordpress.com/
by Cory Braiterman on May 1, 2011 1:39 AM EDT reply actions 8 recs
Not dominate, more like defensive.
A Defensive Victory for GSP.
So GSP didn’t win with a finish… sure it wasn’t the most entertaining fight, but I don’t understand why people don’t bash Shields for his lack of a gameplan or his inability to implement a gameplan against GSP.
by aTn on May 1, 2011 1:47 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Bc Shields is not talked about as the GOAT.
MMA fans are quick to be critical of a champ who only finished 1 of his past 5 fights.
Shields looked like he should of been blown out of the water
By Josh Koscheck, hell even Matt Serra
Turning Bat Shit into BatMan for 27 yrs
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2011/04/ufc-middleweight-champion-silva-like-water.html
This really cheered me up.
I expressed that GSP basically lost killer instinct and was winging overhands and pumping the jab predictably, but all of the guys I know who take MMA classes were shitting on me for “not knowing what it is like to fight with one eye.” I defended that with the fact that Hominick looked like he was giving birth out of his forehead and had been busted up, but still kept fighting valiantly, but apparently I don’t know shit.
Glad to see my opinion is echoed, though (:
The only thing that's gonna save GSP
from all the haters, including me, is to get rid of Freddie Roach and get Steven Seagal.
Just Breed!
This reminds me of the Diego/Kampman fight.
Look at the two fighters after the fight and tell me who won.
Just Breed!
Where? Posted on Bloodyelbow? I think this fight was a big tell of why GSP should not move to MW… Agreed?
http://blog.fightmetric.com/2011/05/st-pierre-vs-shields-official-ufc.html
I think this fight showed that he should go up to middleweight, but that’s mainly because I want to see him lose.
After seeing Silva struggle against Sonnen
and SP dismantle Kos, I believed GSP would beat AS. Now, after seeing the Belfort fight and the rest of Silva’s highlight reel and seeing this fight tonight, I highly doubt that.
Bruised Rib + A LOT of finishes >>>> Scratched eye + A FEW finishes
Just Breed!
More than ever I want to see a Diaz/GSP match up. If he stands with him he will he in trouble and if he goes to the ground he will be dealing with a BJJ black belt that has hopefully learned from past mistakes. It’s the only fight I want to see for GSP at WW. Otherwise bring on the Spider.
Ugarte: You despise me, don't you?
Rick: If I gave you any thought I probably would.
by memitim on May 1, 2011 2:22 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
I think Diaz will need another match first
he needs to fight somebody who is not a striker and has a decent ground game/wrestling.
I hear there's this Tyron Woodley guy
I think he vaguely fits your description…
Xtreme Couture- The best never rest!
"I swear it upon Zeus an outstanding runner cannot be the equal of an average wrestler."
-Socrates
by ElliotMatheny on May 1, 2011 2:30 AM EDT up reply actions
Diaz should not fight a wrestler at all. That’s horrible matchmaking Av103. GSP needs a contender now, not tmrw, and DIaz is the easiest sell, putting him up against a wrestler who will probably beat him, is not helping the cause. This is entertainment/sport not jsut sport…
There are many contenders coming up to challenge GSP very soon, Tyron / Rory/ Hendricks / Story / Pierce , are all coming. GSP will have his work cut out for him in the future. Let’s make the fights that we can make for now…
This. Gsp would put Nick on his back and beat him to a pulp. Far more entertaining fights for both elsewhere. Nick also could probably cafe less about the hardware as long as he is getting paid.
by troutki on May 1, 2011 2:38 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I don't want to even waste GSP's time
if Diaz can’t even handle a still green Woodley, then I have zero confidence he’d have a snowball’s chance in hell against GSP.
BRING ON ANDERSON I SAY!!
Xtreme Couture- The best never rest!
"I swear it upon Zeus an outstanding runner cannot be the equal of an average wrestler."
-Socrates
by ElliotMatheny on May 2, 2011 2:28 AM EDT up reply actions
Good God. I love Diaz, but he would get schooled by GSP. I love Nick! But for everyone who is on the bandwagon of beating Gsp after the Daley fight actually watched the Noons or even his last couple of fights before that critically observed it with an impartial set of eyes would realize that the fight would be very lopsided.
by troutki on May 1, 2011 2:35 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Sorry for that mess of a post. Hate iPhone plus white russians
by troutki on May 1, 2011 2:36 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Of course GSP is likely to school him. Just like everyone else in the division as of right now. Point being, Nick Diaz is by far the best match you can make right now. It’s either that, or rematches with Fitch or Penn, and no one wants that…
Diaz is the right fight to make, for the time being.
Agree with this even though my post doesn’t read that way. I think it is the most logical fight, just have a difference with people who think it would actually be competiive.
by troutki on May 1, 2011 2:40 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Stylistically, GSP would be a heavy favorite. But there’s a reason why they fight the fights, and that’s because you truly never know…
Agreed. Now, more than ever we need to see it. As lopsided as I think it would be…it’s more competitive than GSP v silva.
by troutki on May 1, 2011 2:53 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I just don’t get Shields. He is in the biggest fight of his life, clearly losing every round, and doesn’t make any real effort to get this to the ground. I never believed he could get GSP down, but at least make an effort.
by Michael Rome on May 1, 2011 2:42 AM EDT reply actions 3 recs
I think he believed he could get GSP down and then after the first few failed attempts he knew he had no hope. Still should’ve been shooting in again and again and again.
It’s fairly amusing to me that this guy beat Dan Henderson. I mean, it really makes me wonder about the talent in the middleweight division altogether.
Well Jake Shields is a phenomenal grappler. Not picking up on that is foolish. Second, Hendo had a long break, ring rust, bad weight cut, plus age, and deterioating wrestling skills all play a factor in that…
If you didnt notice, a non gassed Hendo was stuffing Shields easily…
Shields did almost get choked out by Mayhem if he wasn’t saved by the bell. Shields isn’t the "ultimate’ grappler IMO, people need to look at fights and the context instead of just the records/numbers.
Yup
if you look at his record, it’s been a while since he’s actually subbed a top tier opponent with good grappling.
I don’t think that Kampmann, Hendo, Condit, Okami or Dave Menne are top level BJJ guys and those are the guys he decisioned in his streak. If you look at the list of people he’s subbed, they are pretty much all stand up fighters with little to no ground game.
So are we downplaying Shields grappling now? This is quite funny. Shields is a legit threat grappling , period. Phil Davis had big trouble with him in training, and GSP and his trainers clearly saw the need to gameplan around Shields strength…
Just stating facts
He hasn’t subbed anybody with decent grappling in a long time but his grappling is still good enough to take almost any opponent down and keep them there.
That’s cool. But you are doing it in a way to downplay his grappling prowess. Having alot of subs, generally means you are not fighting guys with good JJ really…
Where Shields really shines, is his ability to pass people’s guards like butter. It’s almost unfair. Also his scrambling, and sweeps, are 10/10.
There is a hell of a lot more in grappling , than just subs…
Agreed. No one said he was. But don’t forget, Mayhem did more than just survive Jacare, who is Maia level. Mayhem was quite competivie with the highest level of BJJ in MMA. So, Shields slipping up once against him, is not as big of a deal as you think.
Not to mention, that GSP BJJ is not nearly up to par, and his own trainers were worried about it. GSP is not a natural grappling like SHields is. Shields is one of the best in the game. Period…
good thing
that this is MMA and not Abu Dhabi (sp?) who was it that said “everyone has a game plan until they get punched in the face”? Tyson, right?
Yes… Clearly GSP does not agree with you. GSP and his trainers, both showed Shields the proper respect, and came out with the W for their efforts. Your POV of jumping in there at Jake’s strength is uncalled for an unneccessary don’t you think?
i think i’m agreeing with you, p123 lol i’m not trying to disprove what you’re saying at all because i agree with it. i’m a little lost right now
Lol ok. I thought you were using the BJJ credentials = jack shit in MMA approach. Maybe it was I who was confused then…My bad…
i think i meant that you can’t just rely on one skillset, ie grappling in this case. As we saw if you can’t take someone to where you want the fight, ie, Maia vs Silva. GSP vs Shields/Kos. as Adept as you can be at grappling, like jake shields, if someone can nullify your attempts to drag you to the ground with awesome TDD. THEN those credentials don’t really mean a lot. Not because they’re “useless” but in the context of a MMA fight, they have become null and void.
Methinks that’s why GSP avoided “going in for the kill” because he really didn’t want to slip up and get armbarred or triangled like Fedor did against Werdum. He was already winning according to his gameplan, so why take the risk? I give kudos to GSP for sticking to his gameplan since this is an MMA fight with rules and way to USE the rules to your advantage. A street fight this is not.
I disagree. It’s Jake’s skillset that gave him a chance to strike against GSP at all. GSP was very wary , and cautious, and not striking confidently. Meanwhile, Shields was able to strike comfortably, and confidently… That played a huge factor in the fight. If Shields striking was just a little bit better, with that kind of advantage in the grappling department, it would have likely been a win for Shields. Remember, this is Jake Shields striking, and doing damn well against GSP. Jake Shields is known for his horrid striking. Imagine if Shields had decent striking?
Of course thats why GSP was off his game. Jake Shields skillset caused GSP to hesistate and be extra cautious. That’s a huge plus for Shields going into the fight…
So, in a sense, even a one dimensional fighter, can receive an advantage because of that one dimension, but they still have to be skilled enough to capitilize on it…
A less skilled striker can outstrike a more skilled striker because of the threat of a takedown. It’s one of the biggest factors in GSP dominance as well. We all got a good lesson on how important it truly was tonight when the cards were switched…
Exactly. GSP breaks your will. If Shields kept shooting, he would have just kept getting stuffed. GSP did an excellent job with his striking, and not allowing any room for grappling…
by p123 on May 1, 2011 2:47 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I woulda liked to see Shields attempt to pull guard. I’m sure he was having fun in the standup seeing GSP’s face and all but he had to know he was in a big hole.
Shields was sucked in a weird place. He couldn’t establish his strength, but wasn’t doing bad at all in his weakness. This is like a Penn/Sherk scenario, except with no finish, and the fight was even closer…
First off, he wasn’t clearly losing every round, as he actually won a couple. Second, this is the best Shields has ever done striking, and he was doing it agains the champ and P4P great. I’m sure he was enjoying it. Third, GSP gave SHields no holes to exploit.
Did you think the fight was that boring because GSP was striking without fear? THe entire reason the fight sucked, was GSP had to strike, with the fear of the takedown. Generally in all of GSPs fights, it’s opposite…
He did not win any round. Judges are ridiculous.
by Michael Rome on May 1, 2011 2:46 AM EDT up reply actions 5 recs
Barely.
Those last 2 were 10-10 rounds IMO. Even in those last 2 rounds, GSP landed the cleaner, harder shots IMO.
Xtreme Couture- The best never rest!
"I swear it upon Zeus an outstanding runner cannot be the equal of an average wrestler."
-Socrates
by ElliotMatheny on May 2, 2011 2:48 AM EDT up reply actions
I could NOT believe that two judges had the fight 48-47. That was complete nutso.
my band
http://www.groggybikini.com
It was a horrible performance by the judges.
by Jonathan Snowden on May 1, 2011 9:05 AM EDT up reply actions
and thats not even mentioning
Doug Crosby’s 50-43 score card for Aldo…
really Doug? Aldo didn’t drop the 5th round?
That was read wrong
According to Iole and several other sources, that card was actually 48-46.
by Wrestling Uber Alles on May 1, 2011 10:34 AM EDT up reply actions
Yeah
People were going nuts at the 50-43. It was clarified in a bunch of tweets and a couple of interviews afterwards.
by Wrestling Uber Alles on May 1, 2011 11:14 AM EDT up reply actions
well it would have been a blindingly stupid score
and somewhat in line with his Penn/Edgar I scorecard
is it just me
or does GSP seem to get injured rather easily? not saying he’s soft but he seems like a bleeder, one of those dudes that just open up easily. if you watch the first BJ fight, dude totally looks like he got his ass kicked even though he won on points. POINT FIGHTER is what the game is about, even though GSP did beat Fitch at his own game.
that’s what BJ meant when he was saying GSP is “an athlete and not a fighter”. fighters need to be more athletic, too bad BJ doesn’t seem to want to evolve and do gymnastics. LOL
What people don’t understand though, is that Shields hid some chalk in his hands and then threw it in GSP’s face so that GSP couldn’t see, yet still GSP was able to take the decision. GSP is a dammed hero after this. A FRIGGIN HERO DAMMIT!
my band
http://www.groggybikini.com
by Dooda on May 1, 2011 2:50 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
THis fight means absolutely nothing in the context of GSP fighting Anderson Silva. Shields is a guy with great grappling, incredible BJJ, and good wrestling and absolutely no standup at all. Andy is completely different, and thus that fight (GSP VS ANDY) would go entirely differently.
my band
http://www.groggybikini.com
Exactly! Shields vs GSP has no relevance in GSP vs Silva. If anything, it shows us how dangerous SHields really is, if GSP, one of the best wrestlers, wants nothing to do with him.
Shields would be a heavy favorite to Silva if people used their brains and not their heart IMO…
In no way is Shields a favorite to Silva except on Planet Shields.
by troutki on May 1, 2011 2:58 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Of course not. But if people broke down fighters but their stylistic advantages he should be. People build up fighters to be super heros and then forget about their strengths/flaws. It’s silly fanboy shit, and there should be no place for that…
If you think Shields isn’t a serious threat to Silva, you aren’t being realistic…
Threat yes, but you said a “heavy favorite.” no…just no. Would it be closer than most may think? Yes, but in no way would he be a “heavy favorite.” No, not at all.
by troutki on May 1, 2011 3:18 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Yea heavy favorite might have been overplayed… Lol… There’s so much underrating/overrating I find myself having to overrate or underrate to compensate . Silly me…
a healthy Andy would give anyone a run for their money if they’re trying to fight and not just be one dimensional. I believe that most people fail to understand just how hard it is to just BREATHE with a broken rib.
Anderson Silva is the P4P champ, and he is probably the greatest fighter to ever grace the Octagon. With that said, he does have a major flaw in his game. His JJ is actually very good at stifling others, but he is very susceptible to an LNP styled game plan…
While I agree that Silva was certainly effected by his " bruised " rib ( wasn’t broken until the fight started IIRC ) , it still doesn’t change the fact that their is a clear path to victory against Silva, and it isn’t impossible…
A wrestler with similar size, and good sub defense, should be able to beat Anderson more times than not.
Yushin Okami will lead us to have even more evidence about Silva shortly though. So we will see if I’m right on that…
the fight that i'd love to see
is Penn vs Silva. Penn held his own against Machida even though he was outweighed by almost…30+ lbs IIRC? obviously there’s a huge size difference but their strengths, striking and BJJ, would definitely make for a very interesting matchup
Correct. If Andy hit him the sane way Shields did it would have been over in the first or second
by troutki on May 1, 2011 2:57 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
he cut "too much weight"
and gassed, but he still went on to win the fight even losing the 5th round. THAT’S the heart of a champion IMO
Stuff about “heart of a champion” is all nonsense to me, the question is whether we found a new hole in his game that could be exploited. I think the answer is yes. Off his back, he looked to have no answers for someone who can posture up and throw bombs on him. The vaunted guard game was non-existent.
he was gassed
so a guard game is kinda hard to do when you have no energy. I give kudos to Aldo for even FINISHING and he got the win too
Neither were exposed really if you think about it. It’s just a bunch of fanboys going crazy and expecting their favorite champions to crush everyone with ease.
Aldo, ring rust, bad weight cut, gassed early, and still outboxed and outstruck perhaps the best striker in the division besides Aldo himself. And Aldo was never in any real danger, Hominick was just competivie. Is that really a big deal?
GSP- Fought a smart gameplan against a high level grappler. GSP got surprised by SHields striking a bit, but fought smart, and got the win…
by p123 on May 1, 2011 2:58 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Even Georges did not fight well. It was the worst his kickboxing technique has looked since the Serra loss. He just seemed way off from the opening round.
Could be because he was focused on the threat of the takedown the entire time, while Shields had no fear of going to the ground. It’s surprising how MMA fans do not take this into account, meanwhile, it’s one of the biggest factors in MMA striking…
by p123 on May 1, 2011 3:03 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Obviously I take it into account. What I mean is, his overhand right was just awful and his spin kicks were worse than they’ve looked in a while. Someone who is so scared of being taken down doesn’t throw a bunch of spin kicks.
Well why was GSP overhand geared like that? There is a reason, it’s not like GSP totally forgot his training. GSP does everything for a reason. I think it was to overcome Shields height advantage…
And the thing is, GSP overhand was very effective in the fight. Just because you didn’t think it was pretty, doesn’t mean it wasn’t doing exactly what it should have been doing..
And yes, GSP nervousness of striking against SHields because of his grappling ability, is a plus for Shields. Not a knock on GSP preparedness. Shields threat of grappling took GSP out of his game …
by p123 on May 1, 2011 3:07 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Agreed. GSP fought smart/safe and Aldo fought a tough opponent. Jury will be out on his “exposure.” bring on kenflo and we will see.
by troutki on May 1, 2011 3:01 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
How?
He beat the living shit out of Hominick for 4 rounds. The 5th was just a ess for him, but he wasn’t in danger of being finished.
He hasn’t fought since what, September? He looked good for what he was dealing with.
by TooLegitToQuit on May 1, 2011 2:58 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I disagree. The first couple rounds were pretty even, but Aldo clearly landed with more power, I didn’t feel like it was too bad. When Aldo got him down though, he did a lot of short elbows that cut and make a guy look a lot worse than the punches that Hominick was landing.
my band
http://www.groggybikini.com
They were not even. At all.
FM had the 1st round effectiveness score 118 for Aldo and 15, yes, 15 for Hominick.
2nd round 95 for Aldo, 55 for Hominick
3rd round 150 for Aldo, 70 for Hominick
by TooLegitToQuit on May 1, 2011 3:04 AM EDT up reply actions
By “exposed” I don’t mean overrated, which people are obsessed with saying about people. I mean that a certain part of his game for fighters to exploit in the future has been exposed. It’s up to him to close it.
I don’t think Aldo is overrated, but I do think if certain talented 155 pound wrestlers cut down to 145, they can pound him from top without a lot of threat of being submitted. On his feet, Aldo is an absolute monster.
Aldo’s TDD looked real serious against Brown. Don’t let a gassed Aldo play too big of a factor on judging him. This guy is a complete mixed martial artist… P4P champ IMO…
We’ll see what happens once he fights the top weight cutters. Until then the jury is out. Lately he is on a steady diet of sub-top 10 155’ers. Florian is really the big test.
Agreed. The 55ers dropping down is the biggest thing for me right now, just to see where the 45ers stack up. I’m not really up on them, and I don’t think they stack up well. BUt who knows, it’s quite possible that the 55ers could get steamrolled, or do the steamrolling…
IMO, Aldo is looking to be the most complete fighter out there as of right now, IMO. We will find out in the future though for sure…
conditioning is a part of being a complete fighter, btw.
If aldo wants to keep the belt, he has to sto getting tired.
by TrueTillDeath on May 1, 2011 3:32 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I disagree on Florian. I doubt he'll even make a healthy 146..
Mendes is the big test for Aldo. By far.
by TooLegitToQuit on May 1, 2011 3:10 AM EDT up reply actions
I think two things went wrong for Aldo:
1) He cut too much weight
2) Hommnick’s hematoma made him stop fighting.
he did the same thing in the Faber fight (5th round). He let up on him and did not kick the leg anymore.
Ummm?
Round 5 – Jab by GSP. Left hand by GSP again. Occasionally Shields lands a right hand and it’s what caused the small cut on GSP but there’s just not really any steam on it so it’s not likely he can get any sort of KO with it. Right hand again by GSP. Right hand again. I really think the eye injury has allowed for Shields to look more effective at times than is really the case. Shields lands a glancing right hand. The fight ends and it was not exactly a great fight. 10-9 GSP
Technique was the problem, surprisingly.
I think the one of the main reasons George couldn’t finish this fight was because of the looping over-hand right he was throwing constantly throughout the fight.
It was refreshing to see him throw a power shot again and again because that’s what was missing in the Kos fight, but I believe the technique was a little off. I would have liked to have seen a left hook-straight to open Jake up followed by a straight power right.
I do however believe that him throwing this punch so hard and so often shows that he was genuinely trying to use the tool he truly believed was best to finish Jake.
Jon Jones can't heal up fast enough
Devastating finishing ability + English speaking marketability = the best bits of Silva and St. Pierre without the baggage they both bring.
Same old discussion, and I agree with Snowden
I’m sick of the argument over GSP’s finishing ability after every fight. All his fight go to a decision, and it’s basically the same story after each one. Haters say he’s not a PFP great and he’s boring, his fans have an excuse every time. The eye thing last night may be more a lgitimate excuse than some others, but it’s always something.
The bottom line on GSP is he’s way ahead of everyone at his weight class and out of interesting opponents. He also values winning in the safest way above all else, and no amount of whining from fans will change that. This is a sport, so like it or not, we have to live with it.
It would be more tolerable for me if we could all just agree to call a spade a spade, and quit waiting for Georges to get a highlight reel knockout and then arguing over why he didn’t after he dominates his opponent for five rounds.
I agree that GSP’s performances are uninspired and lack the visceral emotions that many of us watch the sport for, but I think that at this point it’s just who he is. It’s like the Spurs championship teams and the Devils of the pre-stoppage NHL- they win boringly, but that isn’t any less valid a win than any other kind of method. If it’s not your kind of win, cool- just say so, but this attacking of GSP’s skills, saying things like “he barely wins,” or he’s not getting better or he’s a mediocre standup fighter is really disappointing from an educated community.
My biggest beef with GSP is that he finds one method of offense that works with almost impunity, and he just sticks to it the entire fight. Against Kos and Shields it’s just 1-2, 1-1-2 and that ridiculous overhand “fastball” he was throwing last night. He establishes that he can do anything he wants to his opponents and yet he picks the basest, most simple attacks and sticks to them. I haven’t seen him throw more than a 2-3 strike combo in a looong time- it’s disappointing, but it in no ways invalidates him as the best (or at worst) 2nd best fighter in the world and doesn’t exonerate his opponents for taking defeatist, passive approaches in their fights.
Personally, I blame GSP’s taming on his switch to spandex- dude was a destroyer in board shorts- needs to go back to them.
by John Danaher's Hair on May 1, 2011 9:52 AM EDT reply actions
In past fights I would agree with you. I thought the Koschek fight was a demonstration of superiority. It wasn’t visceral, or emotional, but I found it interesting. The fight tonight last night was a different beast. GSP looked lost while throwing his overhand right. He didn’t take advantage of and OBVIOUSLY advantageous moment following the head kick. I don’t expect Georges to be a killer like Anderson, but I expect him to at least attempt to take advantage dominant situations.
It looked like GSP panicked about his eye (no judgment) and settled on a decision to avoid hurting himself. Sadly this fight looked exactly like the last one, so I don’t think people are going to give him a pass even with the injury. Jake showed improved stand up (good jab and timing, if anything), but the gameplan must have stayed in Cesar Gracie’s pocket.
It was still a sick night of fights.
Boys becoming men...Men becoming wolves
by spectaa on May 1, 2011 10:44 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Ran into Charlie Valencia in the airport this morning.
Told me the standing elbow he took from Menjivar broke his nose and boy was it ever crooked.
The First Certified Grabbo Lover
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