GSP refused to fight Silva, yet he's considered the GOAT...

[Fyreborn]

No.
Get through your thick skull.
he agreed to fight.
UFC GUARANTEED that TJ would make weight.
DJ simply asked them to make a monetary penalty if their GUARANTEE was not proper.

This is not a refusal, it is called a counter-offer. Or Monetary repairment in case what UFC promised him did not happen.

but T the end of the day, it is NOT a refusal.
UFC is the one who refused it.

And the UFC said Ray Borg would be on the card in case TJ missed weight. MM refused this, he wanted the fight canceled if TJ missed weight. Which is a BS demand, but either way, in the end it's a refusal.

It's fucking bizarre how you are trying to deny something that literally happened. MM refused all offers from the UFC on the TJ fight. Period.

 

[tenniswhiz]

You make no sense.
TJ is nowhere that great. He does not have that great resume, and was not even close to a great win for DJ.
Not at FLW where TJ never fought.

Dodson, Lineker, Reis, Benavides, Moaraga... there are plenty of great names DJ beat.
Any good win by DJ improves his plea for GOAT.
TJ would be a good win, but not nearly as much as you are attempting to make.
DJ beat plenty of good fighters already.

TJ beat Lineker.
Not DJ.

You guys confuse me by calling then DJ and TJ.

 

[Shaddows]

And the UFC said Ray Borg would be on the card in case TJ missed weight. MM refused this, he wanted the fight canceled if TJ missed weight. Which is a BS demand, but either way, in the end it's a refusal.

It's fucking bizarre how you are trying to deny something that literally happened. MM refused all offers from the UFC on the TJ fight. Period.

No, it is bizarre the fact you know DJ should NEVER accept to fight a completely different fighter that they would be paying without training for said fighter.
It is bizarre how you attempt to throw some stupid BS on the fighter, instead of the promotion who is supposed to be a good promotion, and yet is doing bush-league type of business.

You are a fucking UFC shill or a dumbass... either way, you show you have absolutely no functioning brain to think about issues with a minimum of common sense.

 

[Shaddows]

TJ beat Lineker.
Not DJ.

You guys confuse me by calling then DJ and TJ.

meh.
one name out of 4 I named. My point stands.
Besides, DJ did not fight Lineker because Lineker couldn't make weight...
If UFC did not allow him to fight DJ, why should they allow TJ, a guy who NEVER made that weight ?

 

[TheBulletwithWings]

MM doesn't have to same quality of opposition GSP, Fedor, Jones & Silva had.

Moving up might be the only way to achieve GOAT Status

Good explanation
/thread

 

[TheBulletwithWings]

meh.
one name out of 4 I named. My point stands.
Besides, DJ did not fight Lineker because Lineker couldn't make weight...
If UFC did not allow him to fight DJ, why should they allow TJ, a guy who NEVER made that weight ?

Perhaps because TJ doesn’t have a history of missing weight like Lineker and claims he can make the cut.

 

[powerhockey17]

As the time GSP refused to fight Silva they were different weight classes and it was not like it is now where you guys guys jumping weight classes. Normal Silva walks around at about 200 and GSP at that time was around 180.. For Bisping, GSP said he spent time pigging out to gain the extra weight to fight Bisping. Normally GSP doesn't do this as his body type is a natural 170 pounder. But 5 years ago things were different.

 

[Shaddows]

Perhaps because TJ doesn’t have a history of missing weight like Lineker and claims he can make the cut.

You do realise that claiming you can make it (without ever making it) and actually making it are two completely different things.
Pettis claimed he could make FW... even made it once.
Then he gave up on the idea during his title shot.

Mighty Mouse is smart to learn from the episode.
Get TJ to fight once at FLW. Then, if he wins, he gets a title shot.
Or (now that TJ has the belt), set this fight at BW and have DJ try for that belt instead.

 

[Rudeboyben84]

And the UFC said Ray Borg would be on the card in case TJ missed weight. MM refused this, he wanted the fight canceled if TJ missed weight. Which is a BS demand, but either way, in the end it's a refusal.

It's fucking bizarre how you are trying to deny something that literally happened. MM refused all offers from the UFC on the TJ fight. Period.

Fighter A demands half fighter B's purse if he misses weight = Duck
Fighter A demands half fighter B's purse if he fails drug test = Duck
Fighter A demands half fighter B's purse if he eye pokes him = Duck

Mightymouse made special demands not in his contract and when he didn't get them he refused to fight his toughest opponent to date. His biggest career fight and guess what? He ducked TJ. It happened, MM ducked TJ, no two ways to look at it.

 

[Levi_]

MMAth.

 

[tenniswhiz]

meh.
one name out of 4 I named. My point stands.
Besides, DJ did not fight Lineker because Lineker couldn't make weight...
If UFC did not allow him to fight DJ, why should they allow TJ, a guy who NEVER made that weight ?

Ok...
Your point stands.

They did let Edgar fight Aldo under the same circumstances though.

 

[Shaddows]

Ok...
Your point stands.

They did let Edgar fight Aldo under the same circumstances though.

Not really.
Edgar was the LW champion who dethroned BJP and just lost his belt on controversial fights to Bendo.

TJ was a champion long ago, while the division was waiting on Cruz... And Cruz beat him on his return, proving TJ was just "holding the belt" for Cruz.

So it is quite different what each one brought to the table.

 

[Fyreborn]

As the time GSP refused to fight Silva they were different weight classes and it was not like it is now where you guys guys jumping weight classes. Normal Silva walks around at about 200 and GSP at that time was around 180.. For Bisping, GSP said he spent time pigging out to gain the extra weight to fight Bisping. Normally GSP doesn't do this as his body type is a natural 170 pounder. But 5 years ago things were different.

1) GSP said he'd fight Anderson at 170. It was at MW he didn't want to, and he has no obligation to move up, just like Anderson had no obligation to fight Jones.

2) Anderson walked around much higher than 200, but walk around weight is meaningless. Only in cage weight matters. Anderson weighed about 195 for the Maia fight according to Ed Soares, IIRC. For I think it was the Leites fight he took a dump before weighing in and weighed in at 182 or 183 IIRC - we don't know what he rehydrated to, but clearly he didn't cut much if he weighed in below the limit.

3) GSP weighed a lot more than 180. For Shields he was like 192 IIRC, but that was his heaviest. He was usually over 185 though. GSP was not a small WW.

Fighter A demands half fighter B's purse if he misses weight = Duck
Fighter A demands half fighter B's purse if he fails drug test = Duck
Fighter A demands half fighter B's purse if he eye pokes him = Duck

Mightymouse made special demands not in his contract and when he didn't get them he refused to fight his toughest opponent to date. His biggest career fight and guess what? He ducked TJ. It happened, MM ducked TJ, no two ways to look at it.

Well said.

 

[FloydMayweatherMMA]

You need to beat some credible opponents. And being 5'3 when most men in that weight class are around that size eliminates nearly all competition. No man and I mean virtually no man is that size anywhere in the world. Hell you can walk around most elementary schools and 4th and 5th graders are that size. How many people the size of Jockeys become pro fighters? Walk through Times Square mid day and tell me how many men you spotted 5'3? 125 pounds? What man weighs 125 pounds? Almost Nobody..

Including DJ, pre weight cut. And in answer to your question about height, granted, in Times Square, not many. However, people of asian descent are, on average, shorter than their American and European counterparts. Although I do take your point that, being a North American fight promotion, the talent pool is more stacked at 155 - 185lbs. This is generally reflected in the rankings, where a larger percentage of the top 15 is made up of US fighters in these weight classes.

 

[Idonotbelieveit]

How many fighters has Silva declined and refused?

Big list

 

[Quebec Nick]

Because he's 5'3 and fights @ 125

you cant be an all time great beating up 5'3 men

you just cant

A 5'3 men is a better fighter than most 6'3 guys in the UFC that can't do a highkick or have a major flaw that would get them destroyed in the lower weight classes. The small guys are super skilled, deal with it

 

[superpunch]

A 5'3 men is a better fighter than most 6'3 guys in the UFC that can't do a highkick or have a major flaw that would get them destroyed in the lower weight classes. The small guys are super skilled, deal with it

I'm a manlet myself. I'm just being real. No one would consider the best midget league player of all time (and there is one, and he has Michael Jordan like stats) to be one of the basketball greats. It's the same with guys at 125 lbs

 

[Babaganoosh]

Yep...he is the best. I’m glad he is back for a few more fights.

 

[Dbreiden83080]

Including DJ, pre weight cut. And in answer to your question about height, granted, in Times Square, not many. However, people of asian descent are, on average, shorter than their American and European counterparts. Although I do take your point that, being a North American fight promotion, the talent pool is more stacked at 155 - 185lbs. This is generally reflected in the rankings, where a larger percentage of the top 15 is made up of US fighters in these weight classes.

He is a hell of a skilled fighter, but there is just nobody his size of merit to fight. Most guys fighting at LW are near 200 pounds if they let themselves go a bit. Tony is a big LW has to be like 175-180. 125 is an insane weight for any man to try and make, and the only ones that can are very very short..

 

[IsNormal]

MM would have to lose and win the rematch to have beaten a featherweight with a respectable win.

The problem with his division is that it's brand new.
MM didn't have a generation of old legends to beat in order to get the title.
And with no former greats around, contenders can't build an impressive resume.