How do you see a fight between GSP and Demian Maia going?

Yujiro Hanma

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I would love to see this one...even if GSP tried to go the route he did with Shields and keep it standing Maia might just decide to jump guard. Who do you think would win?
 
It wouldn't end well for GSP
 
GSP doesn't have the ground skills Shields has
 
Broken Orbital via jabs
 
With GSP being inactive for so long, definitely not well for him. If he was still in fighting shape, his legendary double-leg and top control would give him the tools needed to decision Maia. Maia would have a hard night being on his back and using a lot of defensive BJJ. (This is how Woodley can give Maia trouble too, but he's not prime GSP.)
 
I think on paper GSP is the nightmare matchup for Maia. He's an amazing wrestler and in general has been very good on the ground with good submission artists. Shields and MacDonald were both able to win decisions against Maia at 170, and IMO GSP is a better defensive wrestler than both of them.

I can't remember exactly, but I think Munoz and Weidman both beat him pretty comfortably as well (I recall the Munoz fight being closer), and both those guys are/were strong top position guys who can neutralize a lot of offense off the bottom.
 
It all depends on what kind of fighting shape GSP is in. At this point nobody knows.
 
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I can't remember exactly, but I think Munoz and Weidman both beat him pretty comfortably as well (I recall the Munoz fight being closer), and both those guys are/were strong top position guys who can neutralize a lot of offense off the bottom.

Those fights were before Maia went back to using jiu-jitu as his primary weapon. He was trying to develop his muay thai at that point. He did have some success on the feet against Munoz though. From what I can recall he even rocked Munoz on the feet at one point.
 
Like a fuckin indy race. A guy running in circles only making left hand turns with some light rubbing on the turns
 
Those fights were before Maia went back to using jiu-jitu as his primary weapon. He was trying to develop his muay thai at that point. He did have some success on the feet against Munoz though. From what I can recall he even rocked Munoz on the feet at one point.
yeah I think he's a more effective fighter now that's he's improved his wrestling and gone back to his roots (and at 170 vs 185), but he's still a guy who gasses after a couple of rounds, can't strike very well, and generally hasn't submitted guys who are outstanding at not being sub'd.
 
GSP is great on the ground and is way better at striking than him. he would stuff maia's takedowns and school him on the feet where maia would be out of his league.
 
hasn't submitted guys who are outstanding at not being sub'd.

Is GSP's sub defense really that great though? He did get submitted by Matt Hughes way back in the day...but other than that...I don't really recall anyone really testing GSP's sub defense.
 
Is GSP's sub defense really that great though? He did get submitted by Matt Hughes way back in the day...but other than that...I don't really recall anyone really testing GSP's sub defense.
Diaz, BJ, Shields, Condit, Fitch are all guys who are pretty capable off their back. I'm not saying they're Maia level, but pretty much all of them had little to no success getting and subs or sweeps going.
 
With GSP being inactive for so long, definitely not well for him. If he was still in fighting shape, his legendary double-leg and top control would give him the tools needed to decision Maia. Maia would have a hard night being on his back and using a lot of defensive BJJ. (This is how Woodley can give Maia trouble too, but he's not prime GSP.)

GSP has kept training and, if his body hasn't deteriorated, he should be able to get to that shape without much trouble. I remind you he just went through a test training camp to see if he could still perform at his best, and he seems to think so.

Now it's a matter of seeing whether this is true. As for a fight with Maia, GSP should be favored. His BJJ is very high level and he fights very smartly. Consider how he neutralized Shields. Maia is craftier taking the fight where he wants to, but GSP has the best defensive game and reaction time in the history of the division. Impeccable takedown defense, explosiveness, amazing level changing, bjj and conditioning.
 
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