2 truths about GSP

Balzak

Balzak

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Making an argument in another thread I decided that it was worth a new thread. Here is 2 truth about GSP that I hope will make some peoples think about it. Please let the trolling stuff at the door. Feel free to disagree but stay classy.

1- GSP HAS PASSED HIS PRIME. As simple as that. People must stop bitching after the way he fight. He is NOT ANYMORE the GSP he was 10 years ago. He continued to improve his game to become an amazing well rounded fighter and that is why he can stay on top of his sport and still outrageously dominant. Gracie teached us that a grappling game was a must in MMA, GSP showed the world that a well rounded game is what MMA is all about. So haters, please stop bitching about it and just be happy to witness the evolution of a fighter that has changed his sport and that will retire soon.

2- POST SERRA IS A MYTH. I have enough hearing people trying explaining truth #1 by saying it's a post-Serra trauma in the head of GSP. All GSP changed since the Serra fight, as he told himself, is that he will never take a opponent lightly anymore.

After his lost to Serra at UFC69 april 2007, GSP finished 3 out of 5 of his next opponents

UFC74 vs Koscheck: UD
UFC79 vs Hugues: R2 Submission
UFC83 vs Serra: R2 KO/TKO
UFC87 vs Fitch: UD
UFC94 vs Penn: R4 KO/TKO

He started his UD streak at UFC100 in July 2009, like 2 years after the Serra fight... so nothing is related

Again Post Serra never existed, GSP is just passing his prime.
 
Hard to agree with that.

I would argue he's just been facing ridiculously tough competition to finish

Fitch and Shields were both p4p guys on crazy win streaks

Condit & Diaz are guys known for good chins and being very dangerous on the feet and both great submission experts

Koscheck, Alves and Hardy should be the only guys argued GSP should've finished. The rest were just hard to beat guys
 
All his decision wins streak has nothing to do with "passing his prime".
It's all about his style and playing safe.
Love or hate, GSP probably is the most intelligent fighter inside the octagon in UFC.
He knows where he is weaker than his opponent and where he is better so he doesn't go K-1 mode when he will be KOed. Just like that.
 
I kind of agree. The GSP that I have seen of late makes me think that he is pass his prime. But I still think that Serra fight may have effected him, in regards playing it safe as opposed to taking more chances to finish an opponent.
 
eatthisjerry said:
he doesn't go K-1 mode when he will be KOed. Just like that.
Click to expand...

Exactly, he shouldn't go guns blazing against guys like Condit, Diaz, Koscheck and Alves who had all just been coming off many TKO/KO's

I don't expect him to with Hendricks either, Demian Maia however perhaps we would see K-1 GSP
 
ShagginTurtles said:
Hard to agree with that.

I would argue he's just been facing ridiculously tough competition to finish

Fitch and Shields were both p4p guys on crazy win streaks

Condit & Diaz are guys known for good chins and being very dangerous on the feet and both great submission experts

Koscheck, Alves and Hardy should be the only guys argued GSP should've finished. The rest were just hard to beat guys
Click to expand...

This. I'd also add that GSP worked like a dog to finish condit on the ground.

If anyone thinks gsp laid on condit .... they have limited understanding of the ground game

Also- gsp stoood with diaz for half that fight.

I have no idea if gsp is past his prime, but he will lose again eventually, just like Hughes, Fedor, AS.
 
You can't really prove he's passed his prime. That's not a fact at all. That's nowhere near a "fact". At best that's a suspicion.

#2 is a fact, however.
 
Balzak said:
After his lost to Serra at UFC69 april 2007, GSP finished 3 out of 5 of his next opponents

UFC74 vs Koscheck: UD
UFC79 vs Hugues: R2 Submission
UFC83 vs Serra: R2 KO/TKO
UFC87 vs Fitch: UD
UFC94 vs Penn: R4 KO/TKO

He started his UD streak at UFC100 in July 2009, like 2 years after the Serra fight... so nothing is related

Again Post Serra never existed, GSP is just passing his prime.
Click to expand...

So what GSP needs is a way past his prime WW and two super small WW/fat LWs ... I think he can finish a chubby LW again.
 
OmegaRugal said:
So what GSP needs is a way past his prime WW and two super small WW/fat LWs ... I think he can finish a chubby LW again.
Click to expand...

GSP vs Hughes 3 is GSP fighting a Hughes that is "way passed his prime"

everyone ignore this hater-moron.

Oh and Serra and Penn are both former WW champions.
 
I think the level of competition he's faced has gone up over the years, that would suggest he's not past his prime
 
eatthisjerry said:
All his decision wins streak has nothing to do with "passing his prime".
It's all about his style and playing safe.
Love or hate, GSP probably is the most intelligent fighter inside the octagon in UFC.
He knows where he is weaker than his opponent and where he is better so he doesn't go K-1 mode when he will be KOed. Just like that.
Click to expand...

This. GSP approaches it as an athletic competition, rather than a fight. I personally don't like it as a fan, but the proof is in the puddin'.
 
Let me ask you a question...

if you were a well rounded fighter, would you rather do brawls and wars and end up sounding like chuck after you retire, or go undefeated for years, make a crapload of cash, take little damage and retire with your brain intact?

Call him boring, but the dude is smart and doing what's best for him.
 
GSP is probably one of smartest and professional fighters out there..

I've seen nothing of yet to suggest he's past his prime.
 
good OP.

That said the biggest part of why GSP is struggling to finish is not 'fighting safe' as so many wrongly think. it is that GSP has no dominant finishing skill set.

Not every fighter has the same strengths. GSP's is arguably the best well rounded fighter the sport has ever seen and while strong in every area he is most elite in two areas that are control orientated aspects. His transition game and his Arona like positional bjj.

At the highest levels, against the very top guys if you are not an elite finisher in at least one area it will be very hard to finish as the thing that has grown the most in MMA is overall defensive skills. That has grown much faster then offensive skills.

GSP is not a power punc
 
the above said, he did enough to get the finish V kos. The doctor was a dangerous idiot. He did enough to get the finish V Hardy. Hardy just gambled and accepted damage rather then tapping and it paid off.

Had he got just those two finishes people would not be harping like they are.
 
Reason is also the competition he's been facing.
Serra, Hughes, even Penn, are guys from the past generation and are all wether retired or soon to be.
Over the last years, he's fought Koscheck, Condit, Diaz, Shields...All these guys are extremely tough to finish when you aren't blessed with very hard punching power.
People are raving about Aldo, but apart from Mendes, who has he finished over his last 5 ? (KZ isn't a valid answer)
 
Jeff Goldblum69 said:
GSP is probably one of smartest and professional fighters out there..

I've seen nothing of yet to suggest he's past his prime.
Click to expand...

gassed against Nick. Failed TD attempts against him. Etc. The guy is no longer in his prime.
 
GSP has faced the best competition in the history of the UFC. He beat every man he has ever faced and he holds the belt for 6 years in one of the most stacked divisions in the UFC (if not THE most stacked). And you still think he isn't that good just because he doesn't finish people? He dominates monsters like Condit, Kos and the rest of the WW elite. GSP is a freak, one of the best ever, yet people still bitch around cause they can't see how good and technical he is. Kiddo, go watch your new TUF episode and buy another Tapout shirt.
 
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