Help me better understand GSP's opponents.

Shield was on a 15ish win streak before facing GSP

among the wins was Dan Henderson, Robbie Lawler, Okami, his win streak was from 2005 - 2011..
People claimed UFC was protecting GSP from Shields...


But yes GSP suck and was a can.
Sadly nobody was able to beat this can...
 
The most important thing you need to know about the men that GSP fought during his time is simply this. Their rankings, records, and the crazy winning streaks many were on at the time he fought them. Men that hadn’t lost for years. The best of the best from the other promotions. Yet they fought GSP and were dominated without exception (Close fight with Juiced Hendricks and a less close fight with eye poker Shields).

There it is. No comment from me either way. Not putting anybody down per se ( apart from Hendricks, and Shields). Just giving an answer that will allow you to further research the topic if you really want to educate yourself.
 
Top ten all-time Welterweight. He's a chain/pressure wrestler. Prior to losing against GSP, he was on a 16-fight, five year win streak, and after losing went on a 5-fight win streak.

Wrestler who'd strike. He defeated Trigg, Anthony Johnson, and Daley to get a rematch against GSP; after losing he had a close fight against Hendricks.

Top five all-time Welterweight. He's a wrestler who'd go for submissions. Prior to losing against GSP, he was on a 15-fight, six year win streak with victories over the likes of Yushin Okami, Carlos Condit, Paul Daley, Robbie Lawler, and Dan Henderson. After losing to GSP, he got victories over Tyron Woodley and Demian Maia
 
I'll describe them:

BJ: LW
Fitch: one dimensional wrestler who's vegan
Shields: one dimensional wrestler who throws coffee
Koscheck: one dimensional wrestler from Fraggle Rock
Hughes: one dimensional wrestler who mutilates piglets for fun
Serra: LW
Diaz: hasn't won in 10 years

"I'm kidding. They are all pretty good. GSP was the best anti wrestler in MMA history.

And Conor is the GOAT right?
 
I'll just go with his historic run:
Hughes - Ridiculously strong wrestler with savvy submissions and heavy ground and pound.

Serra - Heavy handed BJJ blackbelt who previously beat GSP by TKO.

Fitch - Grinding, high paced wrestler with endless cardio.

BJ - Former WW champion with slick boxing and nasty submissions.

Alves - "Muay Thai wrecking machine" with massive leg kicks and power in every strike. Great TDD.

Hardy - This one didn't age as well, but at the time he was hyped as a KO machine with death in his left hook. Realistically, he was just another mid level guy who fought a murderer's row of vets.

Koscheck - Prototypical wrestler with a massive overhand right.

Shields - Crafty veteran with limited striking and fantastic wrestling/grappling.

Condit - Another that hasn't aged for shit. Submissions off of his back and violent finishing ability on the feet to supplement endless cardio. A lackluster fight with Diaz stained him in a lot of eyes.

Diaz - BJJ black belt with good boxing. As durable as they come, but refused to adapt mid-fight. Later in his career, he threw temper-tantrums and taunted instead of fighting.

Hendricks - A bit like a heavy handed Hughes. Nothing really stands out about him. He starched Kampmann and Fitch, but struggled against Koscheck and Pierce.
 
I don’t think that any intelligent person could call him a can. Seems more like an issue of you just not liking him. Which one of your favorite fighters did he destroy?
Mayhem.....I still can't sleep at night cause of it.
 
Koscheck
- Great takedown artist/defensive wrestler
- Pretty solid chin Paulo Thiago fight aside
- Fell in love with his stand-up (aka throwing overhand rights) which became his downfall
- Lacked the fight IQ of Fitch and was thus less successful despite being a much better athlete

Shields
- Amazing grappler; one of the P4P best in mma history
- Fairly weak takedowns
- Absolute iron chin
- Some of the most awkward, least appealing striking that was somehow still very effective
- Fought outside the UFC for most of his prime so was lesser known

Fitch
- The worst athlete out of the 3 IMHO
- Overrated college credentials but great mma wrestler due to being absolutely relentless (better takedowns than Shields)
- Knew what he was good at and stuck to it unlike Koscheck
- Absolute iron will, cardio, submission defense, and work ethic
- Limited stand-up but pressured enough to usually avoid getting substantially hit (like Chael)

The thing that separates Fitch from other "boring" fighters like GSP is that I genuinely don't think he has the tools to stop people if he wanted to. Georges was a proven finisher with KO power and offensive submissions but he often played it safe and didn't want to sacrifice position for submission attempts (Shields was similar except had ZERO KO power).

Fitch on the other hand is an overrated college wrestler, has very little power standing, and is really not that great of an athlete. Despite all of these limitations, Fitch beat many more "skilled" fighters by simply wanting it more and outworking them just like he did against Rory. Despite being outmatched in nearly all areas, Fitch would win because he is absolutely relentless and could hang on when he was in serious trouble in fights (unlike Chael).

People dump on him but Fitch was incredibly successful without natural gifts and exceeded his potential so I will always respect him for that. He is the anti-BJ Penn.
 
GSP is a can. Got armbarred by Hughes (the same Hughes that lost to a LW) and then got dropped multiple times and tapped to strikes against a fat midget grappler. Then got his shit rocked by Hendricks after dodging wada testing then ran away from MMA.
WOW
 
Kos - throwing haymakers and driving two legged takedowns


fitch - all about the takedown and the grind


Shields : ugly but serviceable standup. Submissions
 
I started regularly in 2015. I've gone back and watched a lot of old fights, but mostly of those still currently fighting. The only old GSP fights I've watched were his ones with Hendricks, Hughes, and Penn, (Btw, unbiased opinion, I had GSP squeaking 3 rounds against Hendricks).

The other big three I keep hearing of are Fitch, Koscheck, and Shields, but I keep getting them mixed up with each other because they're all described as the same fighter. What made them unique from each other? Before I watch GSP's fights with them, if I had to watch one of their fights to best understand how their whole shtick, which would it be for each?
The three aren't very similar at all.
Fitch - is a wrestler, grappler who looks to get the fight to the ground and gain top position and usually grinds out an easy UD. He was thought of as GSP lite and the second best WW during GSP's reign.

Kos - is a wrestler who learned how to strike for MMA and fell in love with his boxing. Tons of power in both hands. He rarely relied on his wrestling as good as it was and often got himself in kill or be killed striking battles. Lasted 5 rounds against GSP after suffering a broken orbital in the early 1st round.

Shields - BJJ guy who looked like an easy fight, but was tough to battle on the ground. Not too much of a striker, but dangerous in the clinch and on the ground.
 
I started regularly in 2015. I've gone back and watched a lot of old fights, but mostly of those still currently fighting. The only old GSP fights I've watched were his ones with Hendricks, Hughes, and Penn, (Btw, unbiased opinion, I had GSP squeaking 3 rounds against Hendricks).

The other big three I keep hearing of are Fitch, Koscheck, and Shields, but I keep getting them mixed up with each other because they're all described as the same fighter. What made them unique from each other? Before I watch GSP's fights with them, if I had to watch one of their fights to best understand how their whole shtick, which would it be for each?
Dan Henderson knocked out Michael Bisping at UFC 100, in one of the greatest knockouts of all time. Following this win, he could not come to terms with the UFC, and signed with Strikeforce.

In his Strikeforce debut, he was matched with Jake Shields. Shields was a massive underdog, despite having recently submitted Robbie Lawler. Shields survived a 10-8 round 1 to come back and dominate Dan Henderson to retain the 185lb Strikeforce belt. He subsequently signed with the UFC, returned to welterweight, and his fight with GSP was incredibly hyped.


Nobody really gave a shit about the Fitch or Kos fights. Fitch was considered the boring bridesmaid of the division. Kos always felt like an eternal gatekeeper, who was best known as being the last fighter to win a round against GSP.
 
Koscheck
- Great takedown artist/defensive wrestler
- Pretty solid chin Paulo Thiago fight aside
- Fell in love with his stand-up (aka throwing overhand rights) which became his downfall
- Lacked the fight IQ of Fitch and was thus less successful despite being a much better athlete

Shields
- Amazing grappler; one of the P4P best in mma history
- Fairly weak takedowns
- Absolute iron chin
- Some of the most awkward, least appealing striking that was somehow still very effective
- Fought outside the UFC for most of his prime so was lesser known

Fitch
- The worst athlete out of the 3 IMHO
- Overrated college credentials but great mma wrestler due to being absolutely relentless (better takedowns than Shields)
- Knew what he was good at and stuck to it unlike Koscheck
- Absolute iron will, cardio, submission defense, and work ethic
- Limited stand-up but pressured enough to usually avoid getting substantially hit (like Chael)

The thing that separates Fitch from other "boring" fighters like GSP is that I genuinely don't think he has the tools to stop people if he wanted to. Georges was a proven finisher with KO power and offensive submissions but he often played it safe and didn't want to sacrifice position for submission attempts (Shields was similar except had ZERO KO power).

Fitch on the other hand is an overrated college wrestler, has very little power standing, and is really not that great of an athlete. Despite all of these limitations, Fitch beat many more "skilled" fighters by simply wanting it more and outworking them just like he did against Rory. Despite being outmatched in nearly all areas, Fitch would win because he is absolutely relentless and could hang on when he was in serious trouble in fights (unlike Chael).

People dump on him but Fitch was incredibly successful without natural gifts and exceeded his potential so I will always respect him for that. He is the anti-BJ Penn.
Yeah, I can just wiki these guys, and watch one or two fights, but accounts like these really paint a better picture of these guys and help relay the hype around the time. Good post
 
GSP is a can. Got armbarred by Hughes (the same Hughes that lost to a LW) and then got dropped multiple times and tapped to strikes against a fat midget grappler.
LOL. But you can put a negative spin on pretty much all the GOATS.
* Fedor was finished by a 40 year old MW/LHW,
* Silva in his physical prime lost to Chonan and Okami, and went on to get outstruck for 4 rounds straight against Sonnen.
* Jones had to piss himself beneath the cage hiding from USADA.
 
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GSP is literally the greatest fighter MMA has seen so far, having 26 wins and only 2 losses, both of which were brutally avenged. He has the most top 5 wins, most top 10 wins in MMA history. Most title wins. Lineal MW champion. Lineal WW champion. He has beaten like 10 former champs... the guys record is absolutely legendary.
 
LOL. But you can put a negative spin on pretty much all the GOATS.
* Fedor was finished by a 40 year old MW/LHW,
* Silva in his physical prime lost to Chonan and Okami, and went on to get outstruck for 4 rounds straight against Sonnen.
* Jones had to piss himself beneath the cage hiding from USADA.
All fighters suck because all the fighters they beat got beaten. Duh.
 
You can spot Anderoid fans in this thread like a sore thumb
 
I started regularly in 2015. I've gone back and watched a lot of old fights, but mostly of those still currently fighting. The only old GSP fights I've watched were his ones with Hendricks, Hughes, and Penn, (Btw, unbiased opinion, I had GSP squeaking 3 rounds against Hendricks).

The other big three I keep hearing of are Fitch, Koscheck, and Shields, but I keep getting them mixed up with each other because they're all described as the same fighter. What made them unique from each other? Before I watch GSP's fights with them, if I had to watch one of their fights to best understand how their whole shtick, which would it be for each?

The reason you're getting them mixed up is they are all primarily wrestlers.

Fitch-Was 8-0 when he fought GSP and went 5-0 afterwards. Dude is the sterotype of a boring lay and prey wrestler but who was about as good a lay and prey wrestler ad you can get which is why the UFC wanted to cut him and did after a non consecutive loss. But yeah maybe cause he wasn't a threat in the standup GSP went off on Fitch and beat him up really bad, knocked him down and more impressively took him down a bunch and Fitch despite taking down most of his opponents multiple times with ease couldn't get GSP even once. To put this in perspective, looked it up and the only other two fighters Fitch couldn't get down in the UFC were Johnny Hendricks(who sent him into the clouds before he got the chance to try) and Damian Maia who is about the best grappler in MMA history. IMO one of the best 170 fighters ever.

Koscheck-A TUF 1 alum who GSP beat in between the Serra loss and getting a title shot. That fight was somewhat competitive so when the 170 division was cleaned out he got a rematch. Like Machida at 205, if a champion is dominant someone fighting him close is cause for a rematch and we kind of had that here. Koscheck is best known for being a self described and proud asshole, though Matt Hughes has GOAT in that category taken for 170. He baited Paul Daley into hitting him after the bell in their title eliminator getting rid of the only powerful striker 170 had at the time and the only matchup v GSP that seemed appealing. He also beat Rumble Johnson which in hindsight is an incredible accomplishment seeing that there's people who non ironically think Rumble can beat Jon Jones. Koscheck was just another elite wrestler in a division of elite wrestlers at the time. IMO he's clearly the worst of this group. Had the most colorful personality that's for sure and maybe because of that maybe because he was a TUF 1 alum(Dana LOVES TUF 1 alums) he had considerably more room for error than Shields and Fitch before being cut. He'd lost 5 in a row when the UFC finally pulled the plug. Ironically the man whom he'd baited into hitting him is the poster boy of zero tolerance in the UFC who's been the best fighter ever perma banned from the UFC.

Shields-Incredible wrestler, abhorrenet striking. Like with Fitch the UFC got rid of him after 1 non consecutive loss which came after what was a 4 fight win streak if you don't count a no contest. Was the Elite XC welterweight champion and the Strikeforce MW champion. He beat Hendo for that one. Basically he can best be summed up as a better version of Jon Fitch, for example he actually got a close decision against Maia and came pretty close to beating GSP who was considerably more cautious in that fight. He also won a split decision with Woodley who was the best 170 fighter until very recently. On paper until recently he stood a chance against any 170 fighter, GSP, Woodley etc. But yeah he got cut on 4-1* run cause he was boring and if they hadn't cut him he'd probably have kept winning for a while and after years of having a 170 where everyone were mainly wrestlers the UFC had elite strikers contending so the UFC probably didn't want this. But in 2011 he'd clearly convinced fans he had a chance to beat GSP because that fight broke the UFC's live gate record and was one of the biggest PPV's in company history that didn't involve Brock Lesnar for that time. But after that "superish" fight(he had been the champ of another division in another promotion) he was a perfect example of an expensive top 10 guy with a fighting style unpopular with the fans, so like Fitch, Okami and others he got the axe.

I think most would agree Shields and Fitch are GSP's two best strongest defenses. Technically GSP defended his belt against Hendricks but most think he lost that one. Part of why Hendricks was so much trouble for GSP is 170 was full of wrestlers for GSP's reign and he was a bad matchup for GSP after years of good ones. Fitch and Shields were the best of those good matchups.
 
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