Rory is not what people built him up to be.. They were calling him the next GSP like 3 years ago including GSP.. Rogan even said he would be better than GSP. He is good but I don't see true greatness in him.. Something is missing..
When Rogan and GSP are speaking of Rory's talent they are addressing his raw talent and ability to learn, adapt, and apply it to MMA.
When fans are speaking of Rory's talent they are thinking about exciting action packed fighting that include big finishes. Conor fits this description much more than Rory does.
Rory, Conor, and I will include Anthony Pettis in this as well, are all fighters that have big futures with MMA if they can remain healthy (Pettis is obviously the most injury prone) while continuing to get better.
Rory is happy and content at Tristar. It will most likely lead to a Championship for him, but I do believe it could be to his detriment as far as style development goes. I honestly believe Rory would be a very different style of fighter, albeit still awkward, if he were to train elsewhere. His instincts are to finish but his training is to play percentages and ultimately point fight.
Just like in professional pool; some players go for the low percentage shots and when they win it looks amazing, when they lose it goes unnoticed. Other players play safe relying on the percentages to work in their favor. Few people enjoy watching videos of safety shots. The best players do both very well without leaning on too much of one or the other.
I am hoping that Rory's finish on Tarec Saffiedine will be a catalyst for his instinct to pursue the finishes a bit more. I don't want to see Rory get reckless, but I do want to see him open up when he hurts someone.