Is GSP vs Khabib the greatest fight the UFC could have ever made?

[AnotherOldGuy]

GSP lost to Hendricks

Should have lost 48-47 all right. But he really did lose to Serra and Hughes, who both did far worse to GSP than Hendricks did (ie both finished him). Beats me why Hendricks gets more credit for what should have been a close decision win (instead of a close decision loss) than Hughes and Serra got for completely and totally beating GSP.

Besides that, no division is ever cleaned out. There's always new guys coming up, and prime is short (which is why most Olympic champions are unable to even get a medal four years later -- their prime doesn't even last that long). Its why so few NBA MVP's win more than a couple of times (if that), same for NHL MVP's. One year you're on top and Superbowl Champ, the next year you're in the middle of the pack. Divisions and leagues in sport don't stay cleared out.

 

[AnotherOldGuy]

Bro I'm a fan of GSP but I don't understand it's almost as if you mean that I'm cherry picking what you're saying. GSP gave up when he tapped to strikes against Matt Serra in their first fight which was also GSP's first title defense. He then fled the rematch with Hendricks. Khabib is undefeated and his will is unbreakable

He also gave up when he tapped to an armbar against Hughes. Everyone who taps for any reason is by definition giving up.

GSP had been talking about retirement ever since his knee injury (he never really recovered, was never the same afterwards), so no matter who he fought last that person would have retired him. Right now the fighter that retired GSP is Bisping (who wanted a rematch that GSP never game him). At some point everyone quits. Khabib for instance was retired by Justin (and hasn't given him a rematch). Rocky Marciano was retired by Archie Moore (and didn't give him a rematch).

Retiring on a win basically means refusing to give someone a rematch.

 

[CashMoney1991]

No because GSP is too old. GSP vs. Silva circa 2010 would have been a big fucking deal at the time. That’s truly the one that got away in my eyes.

FACTS they kept teasing it for years and even had Silva's reactions during the GSP/Condit fight, and when Silva was being a dick during the Maia fight, fans chanted GSP

 

[chiefwiggum]

Gsp fought once in 8 years. And way past his best days.

it would be gsp vs Anderson. Or bones vs Anderson.
Or fedor vs the last two and even Brock as far as biggest fights that could have happened.

 

[FastSmith7]

Cyborg vs. RR is up there as well.

Come on man, that fight would have ended in a brutal KO in less than 30 seconds.

 

[skylolow]

Probably GSP vs Anderson back in the day.

Khabib is popular in certain areas of the world. But in North America does anyone really know Khabib outside of fans of MMA, I don't think so. GSP and Anderson in the heyday were pretty well known even outside of MMA circles to some extent.

 

[MRT]

Lol wut?

No one gives a shit about this fight. Although im certain geroges would have ducked this one too.bThe fight that the world wanted to see and had the potential for being the biggest fight of all time was Anderson vs Georges and we all know how Georges ducked that fight for a decade. The same people who praise Georges for not taking a mw fight in 2009 are the same ones that shit on Anderson for losing to cormier on a days notice at lhw. You gsp fans are truly the worst.

You not being interested in this fight does not equal "no one gives a shit about this fight"

The fight clearly would have done good numbers...it is borderline delusional to believe otherwise.

 

[Tweak896]

Gsp Silva
Fedor brock

 

[Shaddows]

I mean think about it, two men who both beat everyone they faced in the Octagon, Khabib who almost never lost a round and GSP who almost never lost a round. Khabib who is the best fence wrestler the UFC has ever seen and GSP who is the best center of the Octagon wrestler the UFC has ever seen, there are so many variables that would be at play...

Could GSP take Khabib down? We know Khabib loves to chase people around the Octagon, applying relentless pressure, this would offer plenty of opportunities for reactive takedowns that GSP could land on Khabib. On the other hand, if the fight was against the fence, would GSP be able to resist Khabib?

This is such an incredible matchup and it makes me so sad that we will never see it, it just dawned on me that it could have been the biggest fight in MMA history and the most intriguing one. It really is sad that it didn't happen just because UFC had different plans for Khabib...

Anyway I think GSP would have won the fight 49-46, giving up one round where Khabib manages to take him down next to the fence.

Absolutely not.
GSP & Silva was the greatest fight.
They both were dominant for over half a decade and both were in their primes together.

Khabib & GSP was far from it.

And I don't think GSP would take Khabib down. IMHO he would keep it standing and Jab him to death.

 

[Canadian Kicker]

I think all seem in agreement that 2010 GSP vs Silva would have been bigger.
I think Randy vs Fedor 2007 could have been second
Khabib vs GSP however probably is the biggest fight that UFC could make now.