GSP took the Bisping fight because a loss to Woodley would be bad for his legacy

[Perrichet]

Since when did this Woodley become unbeatable? I'd still fancy an out of prime GSP over him.

Woodley got KTFO by Marquardt, lost to Shields and got embarrassed by GSP's apprentice

 

[AnotherOldGuy]

Since when did this Woodley become unbeatable? I'd still fancy an out of prime GSP over him.

Woodley got KTFO by Marquardt, lost to Shields and got embarrassed by GSP's apprentice

You're talking about prime GSP. What we have today is GSP who is four years older, has a bad knee, and hasn't been in the cage for four years. I don't think today's GSP would win a single round against prime GSP. He might even gas in the championship rounds - age does that.

 

[ThunderStruck]

He has tons to prove at welterweight. He couldn't even prove that he could beat Hendricks half a decade ago, is he suddenly a much better fighter after hiding out from usada and real fighters this whole time?

Just go to bed.

 

[Megalodon]

GSP took the Bisping fight because it's the best chance he has at ever being a two weight champion and if he loses he can just move back down to 170 and claim his free title shot because he never lost the belt.

 

[egk]

I'd be tempted to agree with that if GSP had gone up to fight Bisping but not Anderson before his retirement. But I don't like the consequences of the line of thinking that says once you go up you have to fight everyone in that higher division or be considered a ducker. For instance, it means that Anderson ducked Jones when he went up to fight Forrest but not Jones. My feeling is that going up is bonus activity rather than required, so gaining the ducker label by doing something extra just seems wrong. What Anderson did, in going up and fighting LHW's (but not current champs) was above beyond what was expected of him.

I look at it different. I wouldn't have had a problem with GSP moving up to test the waters at MW against someone like Bisping or a gatekeeper fighter when he was WW champ. What I have the problem with is his cherry picking a championship fight. GSP has had 4yrs off. He could have come back at any point to challenge Silva or Weidman or Rockhold. He waited till a career gatekeeper Serra'd the champ before he wanted to come back.

GSP had his chances to fight Anderson when they were both champions and in their prime. GSP claimed Anderson was too big for him which is fine. Then stay at WW. Don't come back years later when there is a seemingly weaker champion and expect a instant title fight. That's exactly what he did.

Bisping is no better. He's done his best to duck any of the top 5 guys at MW. First he got a "money fight" with 45yr old Hendo and almost lost. He then got another money fight against GSP and threatened to go fight Romero if GSP wouldn't fight during the summer. GSP refused and suddenly Mike hurt his knee. lol

 

[Perrichet]

You're talking about prime GSP. What we have today is GSP who is four years older, has a bad knee, and hasn't been in the cage for four years. I don't think today's GSP would win a single round against prime GSP. He might even gas in the championship rounds - age does that.

Wait, where did I talk about a prime GSP?

 

[eddymotto]

If GSP was as obsessed about his legacy as Sherdoggers are, he would not have come back at all. Or he would have come back to fight Hendricks and watch Big Rigg die on the scales.

I mean, the guy who fought every top contender at 170 over a period of years is suddenly scared of Woodly? right....

 

[AnotherOldGuy]

I look at it different. I wouldn't have had a problem with GSP moving up to test the waters at MW against someone like Bisping or a gatekeeper fighter when he was WW champ. What I have the problem with is his cherry picking a championship fight. GSP has had 4yrs off. He could have come back at any point to challenge Silva or Weidman or Rockhold. He waited till a career gatekeeper Serra'd the champ before he wanted to come back.

GSP had his chances to fight Anderson when they were both champions and in their prime. GSP claimed Anderson was too big for him which is fine. Then stay at WW. Don't come back years later when there is a seemingly weaker champion and expect a instant title fight. That's exactly what he did.

Bisping is no better. He's done his best to duck any of the top 5 guys at MW. First he got a "money fight" with 45yr old Hendo and almost lost. He then got another money fight against GSP and threatened to go fight Romero if GSP wouldn't fight during the summer. GSP refused and suddenly Mike hurt his knee. lol

I see what you mean, and I agree its simply wrong that GSP is able to come back and get a title shot against the MW champ (or against the WW champ for that matter) after four years absence.

However I see that completely as a money grab, and I just don't see it making him a ducker before. What it means is that he's an opportunist now, going for what he thinks is big money for a fight he hasn't earned. In his defense, I suspect most of us would do the same (I'd certainly take a big, unearned bonus at work if one came my way). I see the problem more in the UFC itself - of course fighters are going to try to maximize their earnings. The league shouldn't be promoting it.

I guess I just don't see how going up now means he should have retroactively gone up in the past. Its not unlike saying if I earn more money now, I should have paid more taxes in the past. His obligations as champ in the past (ie to fight the top contenders in WW for his title) aren't retroactively changed because he now goes up (and as you say, he's cherry picking - for monetary reasons - the easiest MW champ in a long time). You'd have to invoke time machines to make that kind of responsibility work.

He certainly didn't want to fight Anderson in the past (any more than Anderson wanted to fight Jones or Jones wanted to fight Cain). I'm not sure how going up to fight Bisping for a big money fight four years later has any bearing on that - Bisping isn't Anderson, he's just a chance to make big money. Its a pretty typical business deal in my opinion - you go into a market when the time is right for you.

Its the same reason I don't think Anderson's failed PED test affects his earlier career - it happened at the end of his career after a spectacularly bad injury, conditions quite different than his earlier career.

 

[AnotherOldGuy]

Wait, where did I talk about a prime GSP?

I think it was implied in pointing out that GSP's apprentice beat Woodley - prime GSP was clearly better than Rory. Four years retirement GSP? There's no evidence that after four years of retirement he's better than Rory, or even as good. Very few pro athletes in any sport come back after four years and have the same form they had when they left (I'm trying to think of an example, there probably is one but none come to mind - people who try to come back usually fail ... even Gretzky played around with it for instance, and gave it up).

 

[90 50]

He said anderson was too big when George was fighting @ 170.

He stated if he ever went up to the 185 he'd take time off and put weight on.

Not he'd wait around for the weakest opponent. The time is right now for him to make a 185 run, he aggreed already to fight Whitaker if he beats bispings.

 

[shino]

Here's my thoughts, you may disagree with me. If Romero had beat Whittaker and Maia had beat Woodley, GSP would be returning as a WW. After his fight with Hendricks a fight with a good wrestler that has ko power has become very unappealing to him.

 

[90 50]

Here's my thoughts, you may disagree with me. If Romero had beat Whittaker and Maia had beat Woodley, GSP would be returning as a WW. After his fight with Hendricks a fight with a good wrestler that has ko power has become very unappealing to him.

Woodleys record against tri-star fighters is horrible. You think the best friend-star fighter wouldn't do the same thing?

Of course he would and he has no interest in WW as he was bored there.

He's coming for the challenge.

Bisping would straight up merk woodley

 

[IIIIIIII]

GSP can always say i fought a man 15 lbs bigger if he loses to Bisping.

GSP has a better shot of beating Woodley than Bisping, but the Woodley fight is 50/50, with a loss likely being a Woodley KO, whereas the Bisping fight it's more like 40/60, with a more chance of a decision loss than a KO.

There a good chance Woodley can knock out GSP, which would look very bad.

GSP doesn't have the one strike to knock you down power of Wonderboy or the submissions of Maia. Woodley will not fight like this last couple of fights and will stuff takedowns and go for the knock out.

yeah, i think you might be right. and i definitely think woodley would ko him. after that first serra fight, gsp became terrified of getting hit.

 

[Dbreiden83080]

Gsp, even to revisionist retards that want to pretend that it wasn't one of the worst championship robberies ever, barely squeaked by Hendricks half a decade ago.

Seriously, do you think taking that long off has made him better? What was he cycling?

He doesn't have to be better to beat Woodley. Woodley got embarrassed by GSP's little brother.

 

[Dbreiden83080]

yeah, i think you might be right. and i definitely think woodley would ko him. after that first serra fight, gsp became terrified of getting hit.

GSP reeled off 12 straight wins after that loss. Routinely beating much better strikers than Serra.

 

[UFC=Pride]

GSP took the Bisping fight because it's the best chance he has at ever being a two weight champion and if he loses he can just move back down to 170 and claim his free title shot because he never lost the belt.

Exactly this don't know how people can't see it

 

[AnotherOldGuy]

Exactly this don't know how people can't see it

Its interesting. About half of us think its about money, the other half think its about legacy.

I suppose we're all just projecting what would drive us. For me it'd be all about the money - you can't eat legacy (as many now destitute one time champs in a lot of sports will tell you). On the other hand I can see that for others it'd be all about legacy (you can't take your riches past the grave).

I suppose only GSP knows what it is in his case (though for him it might well be aliens, I like him, but he's kind of a strange duck in many ways).

Legacy or money. I guess it depends on how cynical you are. I'm old, so I'm very cynical - its amazing how often things, especially in pro-sport, come down to money. However, legacy is possible too.

 

[90 50]

The aliens told him to fight bisping @ MW for the belt is the only correct answer.

And they gave him untestable roids, so he can land a sweet spinning roid kick

Is normal

 

[Dbreiden83080]

Exactly this don't know how people can't see it

GSP is not exactly used to losing. 25-2 with both losses avenged. He is not going into the fight unless 100% motivated to win. He is not built that way. Losers are built that way..

 

[AnotherOldGuy]

GSP is not exactly used to losing. 25-2 with both losses avenged. He is not going into the fight unless 100% motivated to win. He is not built that way. Losers are built that way..

I agree he's not used to losing, but I don't think he's serious about winning the title either.

Muhammad Ali (great as GSP was, he was never at Ali's level), at a younger age and after only three years out of the ring (vs four years out of the cage for GSP) still took two warmup fights before going for the title against Joe Frazier (and still lost). If GSP was serious about gaining the title he'd take at least one and probably two warmup fights, just like a younger Ali did after fewer years inactivity.

I think GSP (along with Fedor, Jones and Anderson) is a MMA GOAT, but I think he's only back for the money. Serious fighters take warmup fights after several years absence. He's like Roberto Duran (another all time great fighter) who came back to make money but not caring if he won or lost.