How many of GSP's title defense victims would Usman beat?

[Equinox Shadow]

Well Hendricks did beat gsp easily in there match!

Nope! If GSP wasn't already the champ, I had the fight a draw.

 

[Billthebutcher]

none. They all would destroy usman at his age.

 

[pankrat]

K-1 Shields decisions Usman

Prime Hendricks has a chance


But other than that, I don't see Usman losing to any of those old lions of yesteryear. Too good everywhere, like GSP was.

Nah Shields gets pieced up, although he would probably make it to a decision

The only WW from a decade ago who has a legit chance vs current version of Usman is GSP imo. BJ in his best version maybe and Hendricks on the gear because of his raw power.

 

[chardog]

who knows

kos
hendricks
fitch
condit
hardy
alves

diaz and penn were way too comfortable on their backs to be a threat

I wouldnt rule out any of those guys during their primes

 

[Prologue]

He's not one of GSP's victims, but I think prime Rory would have beaten Usman too.

 

[Brutus.......]

Usman would probably beat most of GSP’s opponents. He’s too big, and too good a wrestler.

That said, GSP would have few problems with any of Usman’s defenses. Maybe Colby would be a tough matchup. Guys like Burns and Masvidal would not.WW is not strong ATM.

 

[Shaddows]

1. Jon Fitch
2. BJ Penn
3. Thiago Alves
4. Dan Hardy
5. Josh Koscheck
6. Jake Shields
7. Carlos Condit
8. Nick Diaz
9. Johny Hendricks

I think he beats Diaz, Condit, Hardy, Alves, Penn but loses to Fitch, Hendricks, Shields, Koscheck.

So 5/9

Meh.Different era, impossible to really say.
Though we can say that he would not have lost to Serra, couldn't we?

 

[MyFavSport]

He beats all of them unless prime juiced Hendricks lands a big shot.

And if BJ is motivated--

then Usman faces some problems atleast

 

[King of Fists]

That said, GSP would have few problems with any of Usman’s defenses. Maybe Colby would be a tough matchup. Guys like Burns and Masvidal would not.WW is not strong ATM.

Burns would absolutely cause GSP problems though, good enough grappling to prevent GSP's normal gameplan and enough power to hurt him.

 

[Brutus.......]

Burns would absolutely cause GSP problems though, good enough grappling to prevent GSP's normal gameplan and enough power to hurt him.

Burns has average standup. He likely wouldn’t beat most of the guys GSP beat comfortably. Grapplers don’t really present much of a problem to a fighter like GSP.

Burns struggled at LW, but found some recent success at WW fighting old versions of formerly top fighters. He’s never really beaten a top guy in their prime, let alone GSP.

 

[HP_Nut]

I would say all of them, but that doesn't mean Usman is greater than GSP. MMA has so many variables, thats why upset victories aren't surprising. Usman came close to losing to Burns & Colby, even though on paper & in theory he was favoured. I would favour Usman over all of them, doesn't mean an upset can't happen. Even if I assume Usman is favoured over all, upsets happen often

 

[Tweak896]

Funny Shields stood with GSP, and Usman has 100% tdd. I can't imagine Usman being taken down by Shields.

 

[RiotWyatt]

People always saying the sport has evolved but unable to say how. What do you see now that we didn't back then?

If you actually know what you are watching you can clearly see the sport, in general, evolving from the early 90s to the early 2000s then start to plateau in the late 2000s.

Breaking it down by weight class since early 2010s:
HW - Devolved
LHW - Peaked with Jones, DC, Rumble, Gus, Davis
MW - Evolved
WW - Same
LW - Same but the talent is deeper now.
FW - Evolved
BW - Evolved
FlW - Peaked with Mighty Mouse.

 

[Elvis.]

They are all dangerous and capable of winning, but I have Usman as the favourite against all of them

 

[RiotWyatt]

They are all dangerous and capable of winning, but I have Usman as the favourite against all of them

That's one thing too. Usman and GSP are clearly a head above the rest. Being able to beat each other's opponents is not a knock on one or the other.

GSP has always been GOAT WW to me but Usman is making more and more of case with what he has shown.

 

[King in the North]

All of them. Pre-USADA Hendricks could give him some problems but I see Usman as too big and physically imposing for Hendricks to have much success.

 

[King of Fists]

Burns has average standup. He likely wouldn’t beat most of the guys GSP beat comfortably. Grapplers don’t really present much of a problem to a fighter like GSP.

Burns struggled at LW, but found some recent success at WW fighting old versions of formerly top fighters. He’s never really beaten a top guy in their prime, let alone GSP.

You have just described Matt Serra, and Burns is way better than Serra.

 

[Brutus.......]

You have just described Matt Serra, and Burns is way better than Serra.

Nah, Matt Serra ended up as champ. Burns never will.

 

[rearnakedchoke]

All of them except maybe hardy. But hardy has a punchers chance.

 

[mashonkeyboard]

Since the olympics is on I really like olympic analogies as of late. In mma its sort of hard to tell how a sport is evolving because metrics are not that clear, it is a messy sport and there is not a lot of ways to measure if people are getting better. On the other hand many sports in the olympics is meant to be measurable and the trend is clear. People are getting better and better and the world records of just four years ago is an average contender today. While mma is more complex than the more linearly measurable sports like weightlifting or running, swimming etc. The underlying trend is obvious, athletes are always getting better.

If Usman was from the same era as GSP, I think GSP wins, even if Usman can take one off of GSP I would say 2-1 for the trilogy in GSP's favour. But if we time travel Usman of today back to 2012-2013 where you might say GSP was at his prime (a lifetime ago in any sport time, 2 olympics and an entire generation of athletes) Usman will beat all of GSP's opponents and then GSP himself, soundly.