UFC's greatest rematch fighter

[joy2day]

Who is the greatest rematch fighter of all time? By that I mean who has responded to the call of rematches by improving on their previous performances the most?

Muhammed Ali lost to Ken Norton, Joe Frazier, and Leon Spinks, and returned impressively to beat all of these guys. Joe Louis has the famous debacle of Max Schmeling.

But in MMA, I can’t see that it is anyone but GSP. During his career, he rematched Hughes, Penn, Koscheck , and Serra.

GSP was a novice to the sport when he got thrown to the dogs by Dana against Hughes the first time. He was in his early 20s and had been fighting MMA for a total of two years at the time- he was physically and psychologically unprepared to contend for a title at the highest level. But his comeback victories against Hughes demonstrated total dominance in every domain of fighting. He absolutely turned the tables in destroying Hughes twice after that. Hughes was helpless in wrestling, striking, and submissions in those fights; GSP was beating him and throwing him around like a ragdoll.

The first fight against Penn was close. The second fight was utter destruction, and Penn didn’t have a prayer.

Against Koscheck, GSP beat him solidly the first time and surprisingly dominated him in the wrestling aspect. But it was nothing like the (50-45) total domination and sadistic torture of jabbing Koscheck’s face into oblivion in the second fight; GSP literally broke his face (orbital fracture) early in the fight, and being jabbed in the face over and over through 25 minutes had to be excruciating for Kos.

The Hughes, Kos and Penn fights were different for the same reason- GSP was just so much better the second time than he was during the initial fight, and his opponents were not progressing at nearly the rate that GSP was. He also used fight IQ to improve his outcome the second time by learning from the first time.

Serra hit the lotto in the first fight, and GSP showed this in the rematch by destroying him in every aspect of the fight to an early finish; this was the parallel to Anderson's losses to Takase and Chonin. It was a lesson in the mental game that GSP improved from.

I can’t think of anyone else in MMA/UFC that is close, unless I am forgetting someone. Who else has big improvements in their rematches?

 

[Streeter]

JDS v Cain
Serra - GSP

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

Shogun's rematch victories over Machida and Forrest were very nice

 

[BEATDOWNS]

Michael Chandler

Eddiie Alvarez X 2 - 1-1 - Chandler lost the rematch
Patricky Pitbull X 2 - 2- 0
David Rickles X 2 - 2-0
Will Brooks X 2 - 0-2
Ben Henderson X 2 - 2-0
Brent Primus X 2 - 1-1 - Chandler lost the first fight
Charles Oliveira X 2 - 0-2

 

[markg171]

I'm sure Rampage took a lot of satisfaction in KOing Eastman, Chuck, and Wand when he came to the UFC.

 

[BowserJr]

It's probably Rampage vs Chuck in terms of magnitude, both being at the absolute top of the heap both times and no one really knowing who would win both times.

In terms of hype, rivalry and living up to it as far as being true battles again

Rampage v Wanderlei 2
Nog v Fedor 2
BJ v Edgar 2

In terms of trilogy/rivalry maybe Chuck v Randy, Hughes v GSP, Hughes vs BJ

 

[Bork Neslar]

This is just another ball sucking GSP thread in disguise. Boring.

 

[felmmando]

Not the UFC, but your question certainly brought to mind Patricio Pitbull in Bellator.
Hasn't he won all his rematches?

 

[BJJ4Tone]

Gotta be GSP...
He only lost twice and his revenge-wins were absolute MAULINGS...

 

[tequilaboy]

Crocop vs Wand nearly killed him in the rematch, dismantled Barnett again, subbed Randleman, slashed Gonzaga open

 

[HHJ]

Lennox Lewis in boxing

 

[Bend NvR Break]

Jon Jones.
Has viciously and brutally stopped any opponent he's had a rematch with which is DC and Gus.

 

[HUGHPHUG]

Michael Chandler

Eddiie Alvarez X 2 - 1-1 - Chandler lost the first fight
Patricky Pitbull X 2 - 2- 0
David Rickles X 2 - 2-0
Will Brooks X 2 - 0-2
Ben Henderson X 2 - 2-0
Brent Primus X 2 - 1-1 - Chandler lost the first fight
Charles Oliveira X 2 - 0-2

Chandler choked Eddie out first fight, lost a close rematch

 

[WeiserBucks]

Jon Jones.
Has viciously and brutally stopped any opponent he's had a rematch with which is DC and Gus.

This.

 

[Bend NvR Break]

Michael Chandler

Eddiie Alvarez X 2 - 1-1 - Chandler lost the first fight
Patricky Pitbull X 2 - 2- 0
David Rickles X 2 - 2-0
Will Brooks X 2 - 0-2
Ben Henderson X 2 - 2-0
Brent Primus X 2 - 1-1 - Chandler lost the first fight
Charles Oliveira X 2 - 0-2

Chandler beat Eddie in the first fight and Eddie beat him in the rematch and left bellator with the belt and went to the UFC and lost to Cowboy in his first fight.

If Eddie would've beaten Cowboy his next fight would've been for the title.

 

[markg171]

Chandler beat Eddie in the first fight and Eddie beat him in the rematch and left bellator with the belt and went to the UFC and lost to Cowboy in his first fight.

If Eddie would've beaten Cowboy his next fight would've been for the title.

Such a shame he didn't KO Cerrone in the 1st like he nearly did and we instead got Eco-Eddie for his next couple fights while he re-built himself.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

I wonder why he didn't rematch Hendricks

 

[Sonny Qc]

I wonder why he didn't rematch Hendricks

Should have, Hendricks went on a great run after GSP...

 

[Qays Stetkevich]

Who is the greatest rematch fighter of all time? By that I mean who has responded to the call of rematches by improving on their previous performances the most?

Muhammed Ali lost to Ken Norton, Joe Frazier, and Leon Spinks, and returned impressively to beat all of these guys. Joe Louis has the famous debacle of Max Schmeling.

But in MMA, I can’t see that it is anyone but GSP. During his career, he rematched Hughes, Penn, Koscheck , and Serra.

GSP was a novice to the sport when he got thrown to the dogs by Dana against Hughes the first time. He was in his early 20s and had been fighting MMA for a total of two years at the time- he was physically and psychologically unprepared to contend for a title at the highest level. But his comeback victories against Hughes demonstrated total dominance in every domain of fighting. He absolutely turned the tables in destroying Hughes twice after that. Hughes was helpless in wrestling, striking, and submissions in those fights; GSP was beating him and throwing him around like a ragdoll.

The first fight against Penn was close. The second fight was utter destruction, and Penn didn’t have a prayer.

Against Koscheck, GSP beat him solidly the first time and surprisingly dominated him in the wrestling aspect. But it was nothing like the (50-45) total domination and sadistic torture of jabbing Koscheck’s face into oblivion in the second fight; GSP literally broke his face (orbital fracture) early in the fight, and being jabbed in the face over and over through 25 minutes had to be excruciating for Kos.

The Hughes, Kos and Penn fights were different for the same reason- GSP was just so much better the second time than he was during the initial fight, and his opponents were not progressing at nearly the rate that GSP was. He also used fight IQ to improve his outcome the second time by learning from the first time.

Serra hit the lotto in the first fight, and GSP showed this in the rematch by destroying him in every aspect of the fight to an early finish; this was the parallel to Anderson's losses to Takase and Chonin. It was a lesson in the mental game that GSP improved from.

I can’t think of anyone else in MMA/UFC that is close, unless I am forgetting someone. Who else has big improvements in their rematches?

Fucking right on!
Well said. It's cliche, but a lot of people really have forgotten, or never knew, just how great and dominant GSP was, and for how long, because they only see those "Decs".

 

[joy2day]

I wonder why he didn't rematch Hendricks

GSP had already planned to retire before that fight; he had nothing to be gained from coming back to a championship he no longer wanted the responsibility of.

Otherwise, you see the others that thought they could do well rematching GSP? That's what would have happened in the rematch. GSP has a pattern of wrecking people in rematches, and patterns have a way of repeating themselves.

Let's not forget they went in opposite directions- GSP dusted Bisping for the MW title, Hendricks plummeted both in his physique and his performance after that; he lost many consecutive fights (posts USADA changes).

It's a good thing for Hendricks's sake that GSP came back and fought Bisping- Hendricks was on a streak of losing 7 out of 10 fights after the GSP fight (Hendricks would follow that up by losing to a former male porn star in a bare-knuckle match). GSP would have tooled Hendricks that night, so don't be too smug about him not taking that rematch; he never had a reason to since he got the decision and later the MW title (not to mention Hendricks going downhill). GSP had nothing else to prove.