To the people who think GSP layed and prayed..

[MikeMcMann]

TS while I agree with you I cannot help but think posters doing stuff like this are not, in fact GSP fans and just want to see him flamed. As that will largely be the result of threads like this.

GSP never LnP'd. He was one of the most active guys on the ground always trying to advance position to go for better GnP or a sub and that is why his opponents would escape and get back up so often because advancing creates openings. That is why guys like SOnnen and Fitch rarely advanced as they did not want to create those openings for the opponent to get back up.

 

[WalkenWouldOwn]

I’m not sayin he’s not a good fighter. That would be stupid. But it seems pretty obvious he played it safe. I don’t see how you can defend that.

Coming back after so long and knocking Bisping out like he did, though. That was bad ass.

His fans were always so sensitive when anyone said he played it safe. Why is that a bad thing? He was smart and he never got Serrad again.

I guess because Anderson and Penn were finishing people left and right for a stretch there and gsp was winning by dominant decision, and and Fedor built his legacy out striking the best strikers and out grappling the best grappler they felt like fighting safe was an insult. It wasn't. It's who he was, great gameplan and great follow through.

 

[MikeMcMann]

He wouldn’t have nearly as many strikes or submission attempts if he was finishing guys.

I’m not sayin he’s not a good fighter. That would be stupid. But it seems pretty obvious he played it safe. I don’t see how you can defend that.

Coming back after so long and knocking Bisping out like he did, though. That was bad ass.

I do not think it is accurate to say he played it safe. I think he was always going for it but the issue was he in his immense skill set he just did not have the same level of elite finishing skill (Maia like sub's or Hendricks like Power) and when you are only fighting top 5 guys all the time you need that type of skill set or they can ride out a decision as soon as they realize they are out classed. In most of GSP's matches you saw the opponents literally go into defense, I don't want to be finished mode rather than risking going for a win.

When GSP retired there were tons of people clamouring about how the WW division was going to be exciting again as the guys at the top now Hendricks, COndit, Diaz, Lawler were a murderers row of finishers. But then someone posted a stat that as soon as these guys were only really fighting each other or other top 5 guys in that same time period their combined finish rate was worse than GSP's.

People just don't respect how tough it is without an elite finishing skill (like Anderson's striking or Maia's subs) to get finishes if you are fighting other elite guys and they stop going for it.

 

[VIPERdude]

He has the most strikes landed in the UFC, and the same number of submission attempts as BJJ wizard Demaian Maia.

He's landed the 4th most significant strikes in UFC history, and a significant strike defense of 73.1%

and those stats are while he's fighting top contenders in one of the most stacked divisions ever, cleaning his division out twice.

Hold down your friend or younger brother for 25 minutes tell me how many strikes you managed to land.

Chael Sonnen landed 320 strikes against arguably the GOAT in MW history. Does that make him a better striker?

 

[TheRassler]

Expecting fighters to blow everyone out of the water when they reach the top of the game is just not realistic. It is a lot harder to put people away in the ring than the average joe might think. It is not a video game.

Expecting a fighter to get finishes when a fighter fights safe for 10 years is more unrealistic.

 

[JayJayFrench]

All stats aside, of all the many years I ordered, hosted, and watched UFC ppv's, I can only remember 3 times that my company fell asleep. 1 of those times was Machida vs Henderson, the other 2 were GSP fights, take that how you want.

GSP's fights were on at midnight or later, and you're a boring host.

 

[UL]

he did what he had to do to win

i respect that

some stand
some wrestle
some hump
some submit

it's mma

 

[MikeMcMann]

His fans were always so sensitive when anyone said he played it safe. Why is that a bad thing? He was smart and he never got Serrad again.

I guess because Anderson and Penn were finishing people left and right for a stretch there and gsp was winning by dominant decision, and and Fedor built his legacy out striking the best strikers and out grappling the best grappler they felt like fighting safe was an insult. It wasn't. It's who he was, great gameplan and great follow through.

You can see I am not upset in my reply above but I do also not agree with the statement. On this site if you offer up rebuttal shertards often say 'you are upset' which is not accurate.

Context matters in any discussion but many do not want to consider the context which is this:

Anderson and Penn and Fedor did finish more. But ...

- Fedor has been one of my favorite fighters forever but if you remove the CAN fights from his resume and just look at his top fights versus the top ranked opponents his finish rate is around GSP's. Pride liberally mixed in CAN fights to build guys highlights reels.

- Anderson was a finisher who also benefited for much of his run by fighting comp that was considered relatively weak as opposed to the top guys in other divisions. It happens as divisions mature at different rates. Anderson does also have an elite finishing skill. He would often be losing a fight unless and until he got a finish. that is fine. Top guys can have different make-ups where some are elite in certain areas and when they can take over they can finish, or where GSP is a generalist in every area but at the top levels.

- Bj, like Anderson benefited from having a LW championship run in a division that was just reconstituted and with no where near the level of comp other champs had to face. But he had imo the best mix of skill to get finishes and yet not lose rounds if it went to decision, in his prime.

 

[Aslan]

Gsp resorted to lay and pray after losing to Serra because he was afraid to lose again. This becoming one of the most boring fighters ever who couldn’t finish a fight to save his life.

Also tapped to strikes.

And quit twice. After Jonny eat him up so he didn’t have to give rematch and agin after cherrypicking bisping so he didn’t have to fight the real tough fights at 185. Even made up some butt disease!

 

[Magx951]

Gsp resorted to lay and pray after losing to Serra because he was afraid to lose again. This becoming one of the most boring fighters ever who couldn’t finish a fight to save his life.

Also tapped to strikes.

And quit twice. After Jonny eat him up so he didn’t have to give rematch and agin after cherrypicking bisping so he didn’t have to fight the real tough fights at 185. Even made up some butt disease!

join date: 2018

 

[WouldNotBang]

@bigwaverider Photoshop GSP's face onto the guy laying on the table please.

 

[WouldNotBang]

He has the most strikes landed in the UFC, and the same number of submission attempts as BJJ wizard Demaian Maia.

He's landed the 4th most significant strikes in UFC history, and a significant strike defense of 73.1%

and those stats are while he's fighting top contenders in one of the most stacked divisions ever, cleaning his division out twice.

GSP is the GOAT

 

[quadrunner]

The people who talked shit about gsp were the laughing stock of Sherdog for a very long time.

It still has not changed.

The most well rounded and dominant champion in UFC history, and he did not need steroids to do it like some people.

 

[MusterX]

His fans were always so sensitive when anyone said he played it safe. Why is that a bad thing? He was smart and he never got Serrad again.

I guess because Anderson and Penn were finishing people left and right for a stretch there and gsp was winning by dominant decision, and and Fedor built his legacy out striking the best strikers and out grappling the best grappler they felt like fighting safe was an insult. It wasn't. It's who he was, great gameplan and great follow through.

I kinda agree with you, kinda. Georges out struck pretty much everyone he ever fought and he out grappled pretty much everyone he ever fought, same as Fedor. GSP neutralized his opponents strengths.

 

[suffersystem]

Gsp resorted to lay and pray after losing to Serra because he was afraid to lose again. This becoming one of the most boring fighters ever who couldn’t finish a fight to save his life.

Also tapped to strikes.

And quit twice. After Jonny eat him up so he didn’t have to give rematch and agin after cherrypicking bisping so he didn’t have to fight the real tough fights at 185. Even made up some butt disease!

Well, he did finish Matt Hughes, Matt Serra and BJ Penn after losing his title to Serra.

It really wasn't until 2 or 3 years after his Serra loss that his decision streak started.

 

[JsinLegacy]

That stat is useless when you go to decisions every fight for 10 years.

Okay cool, lets go back 10 years between his fights, submitted Hughes, TKO'd Serra, made Penn quit, and submitted Bisping. So, basically not every win was a decision win. Oh, and 4 of those 10 years he was not even fighting. It's cool though, you can keep saying he went to decision for every fight.

 

[The Hash Slinging Slasher]

That stat is useless when you go to decisions every fight for 10 years.

So now we just make up numbers? I guess if you’re reaching you could say he went 8 years without a finish, which includes 4 years of Not fighting.

 

[JoshR86]

He has the most strikes landed in the UFC, and the same number of submission attempts as BJJ wizard Demaian Maia.

He's landed the 4th most significant strikes in UFC history, and a significant strike defense of 73.1%

and those stats are while he's fighting top contenders in one of the most stacked divisions ever, cleaning his division out twice.

Cleaned it out thrice

 

[MusterX]

I do not think it is accurate to say he played it safe. I think he was always going for it but the issue was he in his immense skill set he just did not have the same level of elite finishing skill (Maia like sub's or Hendricks like Power) and when you are only fighting top 5 guys all the time you need that type of skill set or they can ride out a decision as soon as they realize they are out classed. In most of GSP's matches you saw the opponents literally go into defense, I don't want to be finished mode rather than risking going for a win.

When GSP retired there were tons of people clamouring about how the WW division was going to be exciting again as the guys at the top now Hendricks, COndit, Diaz, Lawler were a murderers row of finishers. But then someone posted a stat that as soon as these guys were only really fighting each other or other top 5 guys in that same time period their combined finish rate was worse than GSP's.

People just don't respect how tough it is without an elite finishing skill (like Anderson's striking or Maia's subs) to get finishes if you are fighting other elite guys and they stop going for it.

I agree 100% with what you are saying here. Plus people don't really take into account that Georges beat the brakes off a lot of guys. He 50-45'ed some guys so bad that with today's scoring system those fights would be 50-43's. These were the same sort of performances that Khabib now gets praised for.

 

[JoshR86]

He wouldn’t have nearly as many strikes or submission attempts if he was finishing guys.

I’m not sayin he’s not a good fighter. That would be stupid. But it seems pretty obvious he played it safe. I don’t see how you can defend that.

Coming back after so long and knocking Bisping out like he did, though. That was bad ass.

Nah, GSP was so dominant in his bouts that his opponents were the one's playing it safe and hanging on for a decision.

I remember Hardy having this sense of victory of making it to the bell in a horribly 1 sided match.

Its hard to finish guys who have given up trying to finish and are just tryinf to survive