UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre dominated challenger Jake Shields to retain the 170-pound title by unanimous decision in a luckluster main event to finish an otherwise memorable UFC 129 event on Saturday night in Toronto.
UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo also retained the 145-pound belt with a unanimous decision over Mark Hominick in his Octagon debut, while Randy Couture suffered a front kick KO to Lyoto Machida in what is expected to be the hall of famer’s final bout.
The pay-per-view main card also included wins by Ben Henderson and Vladimir Matyushenko, while the record-setting event, which drew more than 55,000 fans, got off to a strong start with an exciting preliminary card highlighted by wins by Rory MacDonald and Jake Ellenberger.
More UFC 129 coverage: UFC 129 Prelims Recap: MacDonald, Ellenberger Earn Wins
The official UFC 129 results were:
MAIN CARD
- Champ Georges St-Pierre def. Jake Shields via unanimous decision (50-45, 48-47, 48-47)
UFC Welterweight Championship - Champ Jose Aldo def. Mark Hominick via unanimous decision (49-45, 48-46, 49-46)
UFC Featherweight Championship - Lyoto Machida def. Randy Couture via KO (front kick) – Round 2, 1:05
- Vladimir Matyushenko def. Jason Brilz via KO (punches) – Round 1. 0:20
- Ben Henderson def. Mark Bocek via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
PRELIMINARY CARD
- Rory MacDonald def. Nate Diaz via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)
- Jake Ellenberger def. Sean Pierson via KO (punches) – Round 1, 2:42
- Claude Patrick def. Daniel Roberts via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Ivan Menjivar def. Charlie Valencia via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 1:30
- Jason MacDonald def. Ryan Jensen via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 1:37
- John Makdessi def. Kyle Watson via KO (spinning back fist) – Round 3, 1:27
- Pablo Garza def. Yves Jabouin via submission (triangle choke) – Round 1, 4:31
Pictured: Georges St-Pierre
Latest
GSP very well may be they VERY BEST 170lbs fighter in the world but he is also by far the worst champion to watch.
Congrats to him and Aldo for hanging on to the belts.
PS
Hurt my heart to watch Couture go out like that but you gotta love that man. Put on a LOT OF GREAT fights for us.
CAPTAIN AMERICA 06
SIGNING OUT
ALL THE WAY
Gsp was very boring again I know his eye was hurt but I was really expecting a lot more from him. Aldo and hominick was the fight of the night. The judging was a little confusing I feel like buffer had to have misread the 50-43 score he read out. First of all there is no way aldo won round 5. Second of all aldo did not win any round 10-8 and definitely not 2. If that was really what that guy scored that fight he deserves to have his judging license stripped. Machida looked like he is back with a vengence. Hopefully Machida will be added to the Rio card. The only thing is I cant really think of anyone that makes sense for him to fight. Couture obviously did not go out the way he wanted but he had a great career and has nothing to be ashamed of
They corrected it to 48-45. The people tabulating the scores goofed originally.
Ok good I was about to say
What deserves KO of the night? Stegal kick or spinning back fist?
machida vs. bones that makes the most sense to me
I think Machida needs a few more wins before a shot at Jones. Machida has lost 2 out of 3, beating Randy of course ending his two fight losing streak. Machida vs Evans would make sense because that would put the Dragon back in contention, unlike fighting someone like Phil Davis.
as do i but who is it gonna be u think
How does that make the most sense to you.. I really don’t see it
Great call.
Sub of the night-Pablo Garza, thai clinch into flying triangle!
ko of the night makdessi, he looks like a dangerous competator who imo just entered the vast list of great 155ers, very impressive. aldo looked untouchable in the first half of his fight and lookin forward to him fightin better guys at 155 soon. Machida looked dangerous, being finally more agressive, imo he should be fightin rashad instead of davis. Gsp pissed me off but after this he shoulf fight nick diaz in x super fight or move to middle. great card overall and sic prelims, best card in a long time!
The Aldo we watched last night loses to 90% of the decent wrestlers in the UFC in the second round. He lost the fight on the feet and gassed in the late rounds. I don’t even have him over Guida and possibly not over Pettis.
@dbiz
If I didn’t know better, I’d swear that Jose Aldo rolled with Cesar Gracie, and not BlackHouse…
;-)
Machida with the “crane kick”? WOW.
Knockout of the night goes to machida at the expense of capt america
Gsp is soft, he kept complaining about his eye, he looks the part but he’s not effective. Anderson would crush the guy, I hope people boo him now the way the spider was booed for a couple lackluster fights even after thrilling the people in the past, has gsp ever thrilled? Jake Shields has no athleticism..was his plan to with him? He looked very weak and seemed to lose every round…he seemed pleased after the fight, all of his flailing was embarrasing…what a boring fight…mediocre boxer and a novice boxer….now I wonder how much these guys will get paid…if the gate alone did 11 million..gsp should at least get 1.5 million, watch it be around 275,OOO. Manny is getting 20mil and shane is getting 5mil. I guess this proves that boxing is all about the fighters while mma is all about the cage and the org.
Actually it was rumored GSP was getting around 2 million for this fight and if you think that UFC is just about the Cage try attending a UFC Expo or fight because they are more then that, they treat the fighters incredible and the fans as well, Hominick and Aldo got $129 000 for a bonus for fight of the night so if you think GSP will get $275 000 for this fight you may want to give your head a shake and not compare boxing to UFC I believe Couture showed Toney the difference between boxing and UFC and what is the fastest growing sport in the world today ? What event just sold a ticket to every continent in the world except Antartica ? THE Answer UFC !!!!!
i hate how every time gsp is asked about anderson he dodges the question. When is the last time gsp actually ko’d someone? When is the last time one of his fights have been exciting. The guy is ducking silva. No one wants to watch him fight the same guys over and over again. No one wants to see gsp vs diaz. Any fight other than anderson silva would be a joke. Step up GSP. If you want to become the best ever then you have to beat the best.
I really wish you realize that GSP vs Silva would NOT PROVE ANYTHING. IF GSP WENT UP TO 185 AND LOST TO ANDERSON IT WOULD ONLY PROVE THAT ANDERSON IS THE BEST 185 FIGHTER IN THE WORLD….. WHICH WE ALREADY KNOW THAT.
AND GSP WOULD STILL BE THE BEST EVER AT 170!!!!!!
Really sharp point about all of this “superfight” and “best EVA p4p” nonsense…
Its not dodging, it is not GSP making the fights and planning it out its Joe Silva who organizes this, it can’t just be GSP saying yeah lets do it,GSP has worked his ass off to get where he is and in the shape he is in, and if he was to fight Silva he has to gain weight and re configure what he has worked at for many years now, I want to see it too, but you have to respect this is his life and they are in different weight classes, and silva is a big 185 to start with. You go and put everything into training and your career and then ask to change everything you have worked at its not an easy decision!
i wanna see gsp vs diaz. i think diaz can and would beat gsp..even further more…i think diaz could finish diaz.
edit: diaz finish gsp
Wait, what?
Which Diaz are we talking about here?
The one Rory MacDonald humilated last night in the cage, or his older but equally two-dimensionally skilled brother?
Posting that either Diaz could beat GSP is just ridiculous, even if it is an opinion.
Even opinions have to have some basis in fact, and assuming that GSP and either Diaz comes down to the Octagon at some hypothetical fightnight, we’re looking at 25 minutes of either Diaz getting outclassed into a UD loss…
ohh come on jcohl.. even u gotta admit nick stands a decent chance with gsp. his bjj is awesome and the guy can strike as well. not to mention he can take a shot..or two or three and still crawl to his feet at continue to deliver. ya his tdd aginst wreslers WAS lacking in skill a few years ago..but diaz is an ever inproving fighter just like gsp..luv him or hate him diaz always comes to win. besides that, who else stands a chance with gsp?
No way nick diaz could beat Gsp. I know Gsp looked very boring and diaz is exciting but Gsp would just do what he always does. If diaz runs at him throwing punches Gsp will just take him down and control him. Gsp is the best in the world at not letting people do what they want to do. IMO shields would beat diaz. I know they would never fight I am just making a point. Diaz would not be able to keep shields from taking him down like Gsp did. Shields is still a very dangerous fighter that I still think would have a chance against a fitch or koscheck if they got careless on the ground. I feel like most wrestlers will do like Gsp did against him and just use their takedown defense to keep the fight standing
Diego Sanchez deserves the shot at GSP. He’d bring it.
Kampmann has the recent loss but is a worthy opponent.
I didn’t see the Macdonald vs Diaz fight. was it that one sided or was there points taken? anybody know?
forgive me and delete if you want. i didn’t see the next thread saying domination :)
nate got man handled. he looked like it was a off night…he had nothin to offer rory.
I think it best that I re-post this on every 129 thread wherein I read posts dissing GSP or otherwise not giving him the full credit he’s earned in the Octagon.
Enjoy!
;-)
The greatest evidence I find that the majority of MMA fans are:
1) afflicted by memory loss
2) spoiled beyond any reasonably level of acceptance
3) almost completely clueless as to how North American MMA fights are scored
and most sadly
4) borderline undeserving of the performances these amazing athletes put on inside the cage.
I read/hear people b!tching about GSP’s performance, one in which he thoroughly dominated his opponent.
AGAIN.
I read/hear people suggesting [on other 129 threads] that Nick Diaz, who at best could be described as a two-dimensional small show fighter, is somehow ready to fight GSP, based [I guess] on his TKO of a one-dimensional small show fighter in Paul Daley.
I read/hear people commenting about main event scoring being sketchy, and that the fight could have even been a draw.
LMMFAO.
I have yet to hear the creditable argument that GSP legitimately lost ANY round, and on my card Shields lost 2 rounds 10-8.
Jake Shields had no business being in the same cage with GSP, in spite of his small show successes.
His striking was in fact more effective than expected, but his vaunted ground game was oddly ineffective, and he seemed to have no fightplan with which to beat the best MMA fighter in the world.
How does any professional MMA fighter come into a fight without a coherent fightplan?
Consider this post that glass of ice water that gets thrown into the face of a hysterical or otherwise afflicted individuals when they act out.
In 36 hours when some of you re-read your posts, you’ll be glad I posted this.
;-)
I completely agree with this whole comment!
GSP’s gameplan is easy. DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS. Keep my opponent at bay. Never let him get close. And win a lackluster round by getting a takedown with the last 20 secs so hes in no serious danger on the ground. WASH RINSE REPEAT
Just to be clear, I’m not putting everyone on blast.
I’m just asking for people to leave off the kick-punch dogsh!t POV on MMA and evolve their perceptions of what the sport is, sort of like the rest of MMA evolves…
;-)
i agree with what ur sayin, dont get me wrong…but gsp doesnt have the intencity he once had. remember when he fought serra 2..or even when he fought bj or fitch? he was an animal. i think gsp is the top of the heap no doubt, dont get no better or more foccused than him. but to me it seems he is point fighting his last few outtings and theres nothing wrong with that other than ppl are gonna bitch about wanting to see the old explosive finishing gsp..hes one of the smartest fighters on the planet an he knows…u wanna b the champ, u gotta beat the champ
I must have missed something because I didn’t see anyone dominate anyone. GSP jabbed around and missed with several wild looping overhand rights. He connected with power twice and both times let off. The guy is an amazing athlete but he fights extremely safe. The head kick rocked Shields and GSP followed it up with nothing. I get that he’s afraid of losing and wants to execute a plan in the cage but I feel he’s cheating himself and all his fans because he’s not leaving it all in the cage. How many times does he have to apologize at the end of his fights I mean I like the guy he’s an ansizing athlete I just think he’s holding back a bit. At least against Hardy he went for a finish but his last 2 fights have been disappointing to me.
@jcohl:
First of all, you give GSP’s under-performance last night WAY TOO MUCH credit, regardless of how much you love the guy, he did nothing remotely impressive (against an opponent who is not known for his stand up skills).
Secondly, stating that Jake Shields “had no business being in the same cage with GSP” makes you sound completely ignorant, especially when looking back at GSP’s last few opponents and their performances against him. Tell me, who has had a better performance against George since he’s regained the belt from Serra? I’m curious to hear your explanation.
Yes, we all get that you have absolutely NO respect for Nick Diaz, his style, and his accomplishments, NO ONE CARES :) It’s simply YOUR opinion. FYI, if Jake Shields can basically stand with GSP for 5 rounds and not even get rocked or dropped, hold his own, and hurt George in the process, Diaz could/would have a field day and it would make for a truly exciting fight, regardless of what you haters have to say.
But yes, continue to be completely impressed with GSP’s performance last night, the rest of us will see it for what it was.
@learntoread
Believe what you like.
My old man used to say, “hey, whatever gets you thru the night is all right”.
I’m satisfied that at the end of the day, my “opinions” more closely connect to what actually happens both within the sport and within the cage, than the posted opinions of some others here at the frenZy [not necessarily you].
As for the Diaz brothers, they repeatedly exhibit poor sportsmanship and two-dimensionality within MMA.
Until that stops, they’ll continue to deserve nothing more than backhanded compliments and minimal consideration.
“Hate” has nothing to do with it, but common sense does.
And for anyone who “doesn’t care” about my opinion/s, I have a simple remedy.
DONT READ ANYTHING POSTED UNDER MY NAME.
EVER.
[Again, this isn't directed specifically at you]
This way no one gets offended or strains themselves trying to keep up, or embarrass themselves by trying to somehow correct something thats not wrong.
In summary, Jake Shields overperformed last night, and GSP marginally underperfomed, but only in comparison to his insanely high skill level.
And Shields still got outclassed.
If you want to score some sort of moral victory for Shields based on that, be my guest. He still lost in a fight that wasn’t that close.
And if you or any other Nick Diaz supporter wants to try and make a case that Diaz should somehow fight GSP based on Shields’ inability to beat GSP and Shields’ total lack of fightplan at 129, go right ahead. Thats your right, and the frenZy is an open platform.
Pardon me if the people who know the sport aren’t exactly tripping over themselves to jump onboard that somewhat unique POV…
jake got rocked a cpl times…even got dropped with a head kick, if i remember right…jst sayin
@jcohl:
Let’s clear something up before you get too ahead of yourself, when a fighter like Jake Shields actually “overperforms” he completely dominates the fight, like he did for 4 rounds against a legend/champion like Dan Henderson. That’s a fact. Last night Jake came in and fought his heart out, just like he always has.
Hearing you say GSP only “marginally underperformed” last night, (in what was arguably the least exciting fight of the entire card), makes me wonder if your admiration for George has clouded your analysis of the fight. It’s you sir who is “intelligibly incorrect” in this instance. Let’s be realistic here, Shields went toe to toe with GSP (a far superior striker) for 5 rounds and kept the fight close (two judges scored two rounds for Shields, ending GSP’s round winning streak btw). George wasn’t even close to having Shields in trouble or capable of finishing him on the feet, where he should have had a decisive advantage. When George “performs” to his abilities he finishes fights, like he did against Matt Hughes the past two times they fought, like he did in regaining his title against Matt Serra (you get the point).
As for your POV on Nick Diaz and his skills as a mix martial artist, sure let’s talk about his last performance & why it was impressive. You like to call Paul Daley a “one dimensional” fighter, that’s fine, but the reality of the situation was that Diaz went out and fought Daley within that “one dimension” and beat him down at his own game (let’s be clear, Daley is one of the best strikers at WW, bar none). Diaz did so in front of the Zuffa brass who sat cage-side, whom were all very impressed. So impressed, Dana White is flying to California this week to meet with Nick to discuss his future within the promotion. Truth is, Dana and Co. like fighters who have guts, put on exciting performances for their $paying$ fans, who fight for the finish, (not simply fight to outpoint / win enough rounds). Regardless of Nick’s antics outside of the cage, that is precisely why Dana admires a FIGHTER like Nick Diaz…or is this just Zuffa being “intelligibly incorrect”?
u sir, are a d bag! :-)
@bsbiz
@chrisl
“Wack”?!
LMAO…where did you fly in from, 1996?
Whats next Vanilla Ice, “wiggidty wack”?!
Mods, please, this sh!t post has got to go.
A guy like learntoread may not be right, but at least he’s intelligbly incorrect.
But santos?
At this point I’ll pay you guys to remove his post…
;-)
i agree with jchol..that sh@t has gatta go. if it stays, jchol u gotta put this tard in his place with ur words of wisdom!
Preach it brother!
Idiot
this is why you are a MMA fighter that delivers gameplans in all of your fights lol. wait do u fight, did u beat Dan Henderson or did you do the most damage that gsp has had in years. NO didnt think so,I have no doubt that jake shields lost this fight, but he did account for himself very well with his stiff standup he tagged gsp and i do think he may of won 2 rounds and if you think he didnt your as blind as Rogan was last night bro
@Santos
How many drinks have you had? “Burnt frog?” Not sure about the burnt part but the frog bit is racist and not necessary. “Gay an pray”-there were 2 take downs in the fight or were you watching reruns on spike?
Try using one these , in the middle of a sentence it’ll at least make your gibberish flow at bit better. A period is for the end of the sentence. See. By the way where is canadia?
I don’t see how this fight was boring at all. GSP showed a great game plan to DEFEND his belt. He utilizes the jab better than most other fighters, very fun to watch a guy get frustrated because he has no answer to one of the most rudimentary punches out there. It’s not his job to go out and press the action, it’s the challengers job to go out and take the belt. St. Pierre went out there and effectively neutralized Jake’s game plan……if he even had one at all. On top of that GSP apparently could hardly see out of one eye for two rounds. The only people booing during the fights are the people who seem to not understand what real MMA is about, they want a F*$^ING KNOCKOUT or to see a guy GET HIS FACE POUNDED IN WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. In regards to the Silva super fight GSP said if he moved up in weight to fight he would stay at middleweight for the rest of his career, that’s a huge decision to make, you can’t fault him for taking his time in making a choice to do it or not.
Consider GSP a “barometer” fighter, by which I mean the following:
If someone acknowledges GSP’s greatness, that tells you that they know what they’re talking about regarding MMA.
I’m not saying they have to be a GSP fan with his poster on their bedroom wall, all I ask is to give the man the credit he’s earned in the cage.
GSP is quite simply the best MMA fighter in the world, something he demonstrates every time out. No one else consistently exhibits GSP’s blend of sportsmanship, freak athleticism, tremendous mental MMA acumen, steely emotional MMA dicipline and control, and unmatched desire to compete at the highest level possible.
However if someone whines about GSP being “boring”, or “not finishing”, or otherwise not fighting like a character out of Tekken, THAT tells you that they barely understand what they are looking at when they watch MMA.
The most important way to “finish” a fight, ESPECIALLY when you’re the champion, is as the WINNER.
This GSP has done for years now.
It also tells you that said person b!tching about GSP would probably be better off watching pro wrestling or martial ats flicks or sticking to button-mashing PS3 combat games rather than trying to follow the greatest combat sport in the world…
@jcohl
Thank you jcohl. I’ve been agreeing with mostly everything you’ve been saying for the past few years. You’re spot on when it comes to GSP vs. Shields. It’s really nice to have someone like you come on here and sort out this mess of small minded comments. You’re a very intelligent person when it comes to MMA and I want to say keep it up, you do a great job. You’re like the GSP of mmafrenzy. ;-)
I do have one question for you if you don’t mind. Do you think Goerges was truly happy with the performance he put on against Jake Shields?
Sorry, I know I’m only an unqualified non fighting Brit but I’m quite sure that the idea is that the challenger has to beat the champion…..and not the other way around. GSP doesn’t have to finish guys Mortal Kombat style, they have to beat him.
If that means that GSP merely nullifies the opponent then surely that is all he needs to do. GSP will only need to raise his game or finish a guy if he is getting a Chael Sonnen style beat down from someone (which I don’t see happening at all)
Just my uninformed opinion remember but it’s time dominant champions get credit for a change instead of griped at by posters on here!!!
@kool-aid
I don’t want to put words into GSP’s mouth, but he’s previously stated that he’s almost never truly happy with any of his performances.
Beyond that, I’d hazzard a guess that GSP probably wanted to finish Shields, and mentioned something to that effect in some of the pre-129 hype.
First and foremost, its GSP’s MMA mindset that gives him an edge over the other fighters.
He keeps opponents off-balance, forces the fight away from where his opponent is strongest, and most importantly, WINS the fight, and minimally concerns himself with pleasing some of the bloodsport fans.
If you listen to GSP he always comments about how this is MIXED martial arts, which is his polite Canadian way of asking whiners to STFU about ref-stoppages.
And I couldn’t agree more.
Everytime I have the misfortune of reading a post complaining about GSP not winning every fight with either a pentagram choke or a spinning backflip kick, it triggers my gag reflex.
GSP has been and should keep continuing to fight [and win] on HIS terms, and not worry about noise from those few fans unable or unwilling to see MMA for what it really is…
@Jcohl
You know I almost never criticize fighters for they performances, but after last GSP performance I must say, how do you expect to put guy to sleep if all 5 rounds you are using the same 3 attacks (spinning back kick , 1 – 3 combo and superman punch) over and over again. I know he had a problem with his eye, a lot of pressure on him win in Canada and so on and on , but it’s no way you can win in a striking department doing what he did even if you opponent has no clue about the striking game. All what I’m saying now comes from a huge GSP supporter.
@vasya
GSP underperformed, no doubt about it.
I’m pretty sure in the post-129 interviews, we’re going to hear from GSP himself that he wasn’t “impressed with his [own] performance”…
;-)
Thank you! This seems to be the one aspect of title fights that people just don’t get! The onus is not on the champ to come out there and finish although it’s nice when they do. The onus is on the challenger, it’s the challenger’s job to go out there and take the fight to the title holder, not the other way around. If you want the belt, then TAKE IT!
It’s funny I don’t hear anyone complaining about Jose Aldo and how he tried to lay and pray his way to a decision. Every time Hominick hit him he would take him down and lay on him really not mounting any offense from top position, to the point where Big John had to stand the fight up I think 2 or 3 times. It seems GSP’s detractors suffer from “selective amnesia” when criticizing George’s performances.
@ Benny:
“It’s funny I don’t hear anyone complaining about Jose Aldo…”
No Benny, the difference is that the Aldo/Hominick fight was AWESOME to watch and arguably the best fight of the year so far. Why would anyone criticize that?
UFC 129 was everything I was expecting and more. Rory Macdonald looked liked a beast and I hope Diaz got frequent flier miles for the differnt time zones he went threw during that fight.
That was the sickest flying triangle I’ve ever seen in my life.
Ben Henderson proved he is at the top of the foodchain in the lightweight division.
The Janitor looked awesome.
Machida proved that if done correctly. The crane kick has no defense. Jumping switch front kick. Absolutly amazing.
Randy Couture. Thank you. You have nothing left to prove and you are an amazing athlete and a testimate that life isn’t over at 40.
Jose Aldo is the real deal. Will be very tough to beat at 145.
Mike Hominick has the heart of a lion. Even with that huge mellon growing out of his head he still did very well. He is def in the top 5 featherweights in the world.
Now onto the main event. Right from the very start I thought GSP didn’t look relaxed. His entrance wasn’t smoothe and he looked tight. For some reason his left eye injury really freaked him out. Shields did more damage to him than anyone since BJ Penn #1. GSP should NOT go up to 185. His frame doesn’t allow for that. He is short at 5′ 10″ for a middleweight and putting on even 10 extra pounds would greatly slow him down. The only other person at 170 who is left is Nick Diaz. GSP will prob be out for 6 months with that eye injury which I suspect is a torn retina or a cut cornia from the end of the finger holes in shields gloves. Shields is still a beast and will beat 99% of all other WW. I would say Shields next should get Josh Koscheck.
I agree, Shields will beat anybody but GSP. I would really like to see him fight Fitch. Both of these fighters can beat anybody, but GSP. So put them in the cage and lets see who the #2 fighter in the world is at 170.
another thing i gotta say is Jake “mother fu@#in” Ellenberger!
Right kohl, gsp is the best, a guy who never finishes, I guess we all have opinions, he fights like vitali klitchko, I like to be entertained and a guy with his skill set doesn’t do it for me
I meant with his incredible skillset, blinded your love of him, you have to look at reality a bit, delusional gsp fans
I dont know why people are giving GSP a hard time just because he didnt finish another opponent. He is fighting the best in the world you cant KO people like Sheilds, Fitch , Koshcheck once again he dominated another top opponent and made it look easy (With one eye)
Why are people asking for GSP vs Diaz ? are people crazy ? when diaz was in the ufc he got beat by Sherk , sanchez and parisyan just because he on a long win streak fighting UFC cast offs in Strikeforce
GSP would destroy diaz
im not saying gsp sucks or cant fight. simply all im saying is hes not as good as most people think or as he thinks. hes reached a platform. yet he thinks hrs the shit. at 170 its a shame he dosent finish all these fighters. witch proves to me he wont hang at 185. so he cant be the p4p king as he thinks he is. silva goes back and forth btween lbs. so why cant gorgie. bj does it to hell bj fought machida. thats fighting the best. as far as put mein my place. ive been watchin ufc since day 1. i think i know wat im talkin about.
Hilarious, this coming from someone who most likely doesn’t have the talent or the balls to do what these guys do for a living. Have you ever fought before? Because I can tell you from personal experience that eye injuries are no picnic, and they are the easiest way to have a fight end prematurely. Until you’ve been in a fight where you literally have the use of one eye, I don’t think you’re in a position to make such a brash statement. I’m also willing to call bull$hit on the assertion of you watching UFC since day 1.
One more thing GSP has never claimed to be the P4P king, he actually said he thinks Anderson and Jose Aldo are. *Sigh*, another poster in desperate need of proofreading lessons.
uh yes i have been watchin ufc since day 1. yes ive been in plenty of fights in my life. and yes gsp has said plenty of times how he wants to be the best p4p fighter in history. but yeah he needs to get there 1st. hes not my cup of tea. i dont support his arse and i dont need to for your aproval. i see well at night. theres plenty of fighters i dont like. but when they deserve a hand ill give it. i love mma. a true fan of it and could talk this shit all day. so wat ev dude.
I’m gonna be honest, I thought that GSP would exploit Jake’s stand up more than he did being how amateur it is but, Jake over accomplished in my eyes and yes I love GSP sorry. It looked like Georges not being able to take the fight to the ground “due to his gameplan” seemed to through him off a bit, as that’s his strong hold of course. I think for fighting with one eye had a lot to do with the so called “lackluster performance” people are claiming, GSP was super nervous after that as ANY ONE WOULD BE IF YOU HAVE EVER BEEN IN A FIGHT, not to mention the stage they were on. AS to ANYONE who says or even believes Georges has no change against Silva has another thing to think about, his gameplan for that fight wont be to stand with Anderson obviously but, to get it to the floor asap witch we have already seen Silva had no answer for in a previous fight. GSP and his trainers come up with the Game plans to BEAT PEOPLE not necessarily to please fans.
The only reason Shields didn’t get finished was because of GSP’s eye injury which i thought was a poke in the eye. It look like one fighter didn’t even belong in the same cage as the other those first two rounds. Shields was getting outclassed in every phase before the eye injury. Back kicks, kick to the head, staggered him a few times. Tossed the elite so called wrestler to the ground a couple of times. He was getting dismantled. Did u guys miss the first two round or only remember the last minute of fights? He beat the guy the last two rounds with one eye and those judges scores were as embarrassing as Shields performance.
diaz knocks out one dementional fighter in paul daley gsp goes five rounds with hardy in a snoozefest…gsp lovers say diaz doesnt deserve to be in the ring with him
i love watching Nick Diaz but the bottom line is that if he fights GSP he will be on his back more times then Tito’s wife
Considering that’s where he’s more likely to win the fight, I don’t think he will see the ground at all. The same gameplan GSP used against Koscheck and Shields would be the one he used against Diaz.
It is becoming very clear.. GSP vs Nick Diaz
Yes, GSP won every rd last night..I would like to see George show more of a sense of urgency in regards to finishing fights..GSP could have forced a stoppage after the head kick that landed flush..with that said GSP continues to do enough to win convincingly
Nick Diaz has grown on Dana and when Dana asks Nick what he wants, odds are the answer is a big money fight vs GSP
Nick Diaz absolutely has a skill set that poses a legitimate threat to GSP but Diaz will have to prepare to be working off of his back for much of the fight
u guys really don’t understand how bad his eye really was. If a doctor came over and heard him say he couldn’t see out of it they would have stopped the fight. Shields had nothing. No answers until the eye injury, and those answers weren’t that good either. GSP beat a guy using one eye for two rounds. A so called number one rank guy in the world.
Yes this is a point I forgot to mention in my post. Had the doctor seen his eye, the fight would’ve been stopped. Notice that Joe and Mike said nothing out loud when they heard Georges saying he couldn’t see out of his left eye. Yet he continued to dominate a fight that really should have been stopped. Good point.
Ok I’m going to weigh in here because a lot of people are disrespecting GSP and sound like complete morons doing so. @learntoread: Are you smoking something? Did I just hear you say that GSP never had Jake in trouble? What about BOTH times GSP dropped him with a stiff jab or the head kick that almost put his lights out? Please go elsewhere with your so called “knowledge”. I actually didn’t like the way Georges fought that fight, it had me worried. I felt as if he was tossing aside the more crisp technical aspect of his striking and going for that big K.O. to appease fans who don’t really deserve it anyway.
Not only did GSP completely outclass Jake Shields, he did so with one functioning eye. In the process he also shattered his overhyped 15 fight, 6 year winning streak as well as COMPLETELY neutralizing his highly touted grappling game. Jcohl is absolutely correct, Jake didn’t belong in that cage with Georges. He came to that fight with a really stupid gameplan. Please explain why Melendez was advising Jake to stand with GSP and not pull guard? Jake’s corner can share the blame in that loss.
It sounds like a lot of you GSP detractors are just bitter that the one guy who was hyped to take the crown fell short…..miserably short. I don’t know what qualifications one has to posses in order to become a judge, but whatever those qualifications are don’t seem near enough. I had GSP winning all 5 rds in that fight.
But I guess people would have been happier had Georges thrown caution to the wind and with one eye proceeded to brawl his way to a decision. I guess that’s what happens when you have casual fans watching the sport, all they want to see is K.Os and subs EVERY fight. Well when you’re fighting the best in the world, you can’t win every fight like that, and I personally prefer to watch technical brilliance dominance than a backyard brawl.
In the words of another poster who’s posts I thoroughly enjoy reading: “At some point people’s ‘opinions’ need to have some sort of basis in reality”. Oh and Georges would destroy Nick Diaz, keep dreaming haters.
Regardless of your, or anyone else’s, admiration for GSP, you’re the one who is HIGH if you think last night was an impressive performance from someone who is widely considered the “pound for pound” king in the sport…especially when he was fighting a person whom you (and others) suggest “never belonged in the ring with him” in the first place.
You say I’m “disrespecting” George St. Pierre, how convenient. Truth is, I’m simply pointing out his continued hesitation in pulling the trigger, a trigger we all know he has (there’s no denying his ability). I mean honestly, what of the past 4 TITLE fights GSP has had would you even be excited to watch again? (I’m asking that of everyone here) I’m curious. Because to most MMA fans they were practically all 5 round snooze-fests, with few truly exciting moments (other than showcasing GSP’s domination, which is not in question here).
I am GSP fan, always have been, and I obviously cheer for him every time he fights…but if MMA fans can’t have healthy debate about the sports elite fighters and their performance(s) without being called out as “disrespecting” or “you must be a casual MMA fan”, then what’s the point?
As huge GSP fans, yourself, (jcohl, among others), come off as a little bit insecure and overly defensive in your POV’s on his past few 5 round UD’s…just sayin’
Yes GSP is awesome, yes he is key for the sport, but NO he hasn’t put on very exciting fights in the past couple years. IMO his last great fight was against BJ Penn, and that feels like a loooong time ago. Though I am certain you disagree, carry on.
Why would I need to be insecure in defending the best MMA fighter on the planet? He does it time and time again, he comes in, neutralizes his opponents strength and wins on HIS terms. Again what’s to be insecure about? How convenient that you fail to answer my question about Jose Aldo. And I’m sorry but you are a casual fan if you can’t appreciate a decision win via pure technical dominance.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again the term “exciting” is completely subjective. What was an exciting performance for me, was boring for you, see where I’m going? You claim to be a fan of Georges but I can’t help but notice the air of “GSP hater” in your demeanor. If you were a true GSP fan you would appreciate the fact that he completely dominated last night with the use of only one eye. He managed to rock Jake at least 4 times and completely neutralized Shield’s TD ability, while managing to put Jake on his back twice.
Unless I’m missing something here, what exactly did Shields do last night besides show up unprepared with the worst gameplans and cornering we’ve seen in a while. Please, at least proofread your $hit before posting it.
@ Benny:
First, I already answered your Aldo question, it was in a different post you made above ;)
Secondly, LOL @ you calling me a “GSP Hater”. I mean, seriously.
What I meant by insecure is your obvious inability to openly admit that the longtime Champion under-performed last night (in a 5 round stand up fight, against a fighter who has never been known for his stand up skills).
Let’s look back at the pre-fight talk, George clearly stated numerous times he was going to go for “the finish”, do you recall that? Those bold words give anyone the right to criticize & debate the outcome.
Again, no one is debating GSP’s dominance over past opponents, no need to bring it up.
What’s being discussed here is his killer instinct, him not backing up his words (remember he said he wanted to finish Kos and Hardy as well), and fighters who choose to play it safe (win enough rounds) VS. fighters who come in to finish their opponents (you know, great Champions such as: Chuck Liddell, Shogun, Jon Jones, Nick Diaz, Cain Valasquez, etc, etc).
It’s no secret what type of fighter Dana and Co prefer, so why is it in bad taste to criticize a Champion who states he wants “the finish” yet won’t pull the trigger (when he has the ability)? ‘Cause your “he doesn’t want to lose his belt” excuse sounds like horse shit to me. Lots of legendary Champs went in for the kill time and time again (but I suppose you’d call them careless, while others love & respect them for their guts and brashness).
You ask “what did Shields do last night”? Well, for starters he fought his heart out & stood toe to toe with a dominant champion who has FAR better stand up skills then he does and managed to be the first opponent in almost 4 years to take a round from GSP (in fact, he took 2 rounds in the eyes of two of the judges). I’d say that is pretty damn impressive, considering some of Georges opponents during the round winning streak. Sure he couldn’t get the fight to the ground, but who has been able to get GSP on his back and keep him there? Christ, Fitch couldn’t even accomplish that. What I don’t get is that you (and others) cry wolf every time a poster in here dares criticize George and claim they’re “disrespectful” or “morons”, yet find it totally hip and valid to openly mock someone like Jake Shields (who’s done a lot in the sport, is a champion, not to mention a very respectful, graceful guy).
Cheers.
Sorry but your argument about lots of champs going in for the kil isn’t gonna fly with me bro. GSP unlike those champs (i.e Chuck), doesn’t have the luxury of fighting one dimensional fighters who in their time didn’t posses half the skill level of the athletes in the sport today. And please don’t bring up Silva because the competition at WW has been a lot steeper than that at MW for sometime now. I guess Anderson’s is a boring fighter too? cuz after all he couldn’t finish Demian Maia who’s striking is 100 times worse than that of Shields. the logic used to present your argument to me is flawed, what part of GSP only had the use of one eye don’t you get?
@ Benny:
Seriously, where in any of my posts in this thread did you see me mention Anderson Silva? And now you bring it up out of the blue as some back-peddling attempt at ammunition? What are you going on about? Who’s arguing that the Damian Maia fight wasn’t a complete disgrace to the sport? LOL. *sigh*
Wow, are you really calling Randy Couture (whom Liddell KO’d twice during his reign at the top) a “one dimensional” fighter? Sure Chuck is the easiest target of the the great Champions I mentioned, (mostly because of his post-title run), but when he was defending his belt he went out to finish fights in what’s basically always been considered the most stacked division in the UFC, yes even back then. NONE of his title fights went the distance. Sure you can try to mock his opponents, but the last time I checked they were all far more valid contenders than say: Dan Hardy, (minus maybe Jeremy Horn, which was a fight Chuck pleaded for, for obvious reasons).
Also, you didn’t answer my earlier question, tell us, what of the past 4 GSP ‘five rounder’ Title Fights would you be excited to watch again? Honestly.
I would sit home all day on a weekend and watch every single one of GSPs fights again and again, and I do so quite often. I’m a true MMA fan, I’m not looking for a KO, sub or even a finish every single fight. I thoroughly enjoy watching technical brilliance and dominance displayed by fighters of Georges’s caliber and if it ends in a decision, so be it.
IMO, champions who finish fights are great, but it says more about the challenger than it does the champion in many cases. I LOVE watching GSP defend his belt with sound, smart and tactical gameplans. I LOVE watching guys like him drag guys out of their comfort zone with minimal risk to himself. I LOVE watching him take a dangerous striker like Thiago Alves and completely neutralize his strength and render him helpless in a 5 rd war. Does this answer your question?
Also what I said in my above post just goes further in proving my point that “exciting” fights are completely subjective. Just to further elaborate, I love a KO or sub as much as anyone else but there’s nothing I hate more than a title fight that lasts 3 mins, I like for it to go to the championship rds.
Oh and the reason I brought up Anderson’s name “out of the blue sky” is because that’s the first line of defense often employed by those who support the notion that “real champions finish fights”.
UFC should have GSP fight on Spike so people they don’t keep getting ripped off by his fights.
I think the moderators should have you go post on Sherdog so we don’t get ripped off by your comments.
GSP wants to be recognized for his dominance in MMA. But, what he fails to understand, is that he is in a FIGHTING sport and all he does is jab or smother his opponents. His tactics win fights but he will NEVER be recognized as a great FIGHTER because he doesn’t FIGHT.
GSP doesn’t take chances and doesn’t get too close to his opponents the way a boxer does. He stands far away and throws single JABS. He doesn’t get close enough to throw hooks and combinations. After all, he may have to take a few hits in order to deliver a few hits.
He scoots away from contact, hits like a girl and whines when his eye gets puffy. All the GREATS in MMA and boxing never acted in such a way. Carmen Basilio made the cover of Life magazine because of his enormously puffed up eyes and his dominant fighting spirit. He didn’t whine. He kept fighting.
GSP is in MMA as an athlete and a businessman – not as a FIGHTER. Even Muhammed Ali would stand and bang with the toughest of opponents (Foreman, Frazier, Liston, Cooper etc.). That is why Ali has so many knockouts with his wins and why he is adored as a FIGHTER.
Fans cheer for those who show a FIGHTING SPIRIT not for businessmen and dancers who scoot away from contact. And that is why GSP has such a low knockout record.
If we honestly put the facts in order and use some common MMA sense ………
The most logical fight by way of rights is Nick Diaz -Strikeforce Champion vs GSP -UFC Champion . You have two guys that have defeated the entire roster basically of each org they work for . They both call themselves ” World Champion ” ……. a term that has been watered down since the addition of the IBF in boxing .And I wont even start on the rediculous term of Undisputed World Champion ….. whats next ? Universal Galactic Galaxy Champion ? I would actually like to see this not as a unification fight but rather about who is the better fighter period .
They both have good skills , one like to go the distance while the other pushes for a finish
so how could you not want to see it happen ….. other than the fact that Diaz had a so-so run with the UFC … when he was like 15 .He has matured as much as a guy in his mid twenties can with the roughish start he had …. he wants the fight …. he has a shot and to be honest do we really want GSP vs Silva ? That fight went stale a while ago for me . Jones vs Silva is the hot fight now … sorry .
Its too bad that there is not a “RING MAGAZINE ” MMA award belt ….. better suited for a cross promotion superfight . Then the sticky details about who defends against who and how is not really a factor . And the RING belt is the coolest looking Boxing trophy anyways .
Diaz will be fighting GSP…
Many predict that GSP’s wrestling will shut down Diaz’s otherwise good odds at either KTFO GSP, or submitting him.
With Diaz’ hands/chin GSP won’t wanna stand. Vertainly not bang. with his ground game GSP will not want to roll too fluidly. So what’s left might be the takedown>side control> short elbows and knees.
Considering Diaz trains with Shields he might not be nearly as susceptible to the wrestling shut down thing as his detractors think.
I think he may be already planning and the boxing thing I$ a bargaining chip
osama bin laden dead. NICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
why does everyone complain so much about how gsp fights this is mma were talking about not boxing or submission grappling you want him to take risks in the chance of losing thats stupid because im sure if you were gsp you wouldnt be taking stupid risks its not gsps fault everyone he faces isnt as good as him in terms of skill on the feet or on the ground shields is 1 dimensional so blame him for the boring fight he should work on his striking more
in all of his fights you simply blame him i blame alves,fitch,koscheck,hardy for being so 1 dimensional that gsp could beat them all with no effort had they not been so 1 dimensional there fights with gsp would have been better
@ben hey do you really watch replays of gsp hardy or gsp koscheck…and so on? woah, i thought i had a lonely life imo the greats win and entertain….a la pound for pound best/goat anderson silva…hes had a couple lesser fights, but the majority have been incredible, i second a previous posters comments about feeling ripped off after gsp fights, the last card was great, the return of the dragon with segal, aldo vs mark too bad that gsp fight was standard recent gsp, he lacks the fire that i like to watch in combat sports. manny vs shane should be okay
Hominick was on top for 4:15 seconds in round 5.. if that is NOT a 10-8 round i Don’t know if anything should ever be called a 10-8 round again. Aldo god 1 good hit in 45 seconds…
Any Judge in this fight that did not have a 10-8 for round 5 should be sent to judge in japan :)
Looks like 49-45, 48-46, 49-46 with those scores 2 judges should be out of a job IMO. Even if Aldo won 4 rounds the last round has got to be a 10-8.. 4:15 min on your back taking punches to the face if not a 10-9 round,, there is no way any of Aldo’s scores should have been higher then 48.
@dan82523
@learntoread
and @everyone else wanting to see Nick Diaz fight GSP [except the trolls, I prefer not to read anything from any of you, ever] .
Why exactly do you collectively think this fight is a good idea?
Promotionally I’ll admit it has some value, the sportsman versus the sh!t-talker, especially if its prefaced with TUF, +but competitively?
Diaz isn’t nearly as accomplished a submission grappler as Jake Shields is, and just like a lot of Cesar Gracie fighters, Gilbert Melendez notwithstanding, his wrestling is anemic by UFC standards.
GSP has faced strikers before, and its clear that they spend the majority of 25 minutes whining on the mat for the ref to stand the fight up.
Do we really need to drop another $55 to see that sh!t again?
GSP has pretty much faced every sort of fighter Zuffa has access to, and they keep losing.
Badly in most cases.
If those in favor of a GSP-Diaz fight are simply Diaz supporters, GSP detractors, or simply MMA fans who want to see GSP face someone new, thats cool.
I can even understand on some level those few fringe fans hoping to see some sort of ridiculous UFC vs Strikeforce event.
But the MMA logic that Diaz deserves to fight GSP is sketchy at best.
Shouldn’t Diaz have at least 1 UFC 170 fight before facing GSP, like Jake Shields did?
Let Nick Diaz face Jon Fitch or Josh Koscheck or Diego Sanchez or even BJ Penn and see how that goes, and then we can talk about GSP-Diaz down the road.
Assuming Diaz can actually handle a fight in the Octagon against an opponent not hand-picked by his former guardian angel Scott Coker.
MMA is both sport and spectacle, and while I have ZERO doubt that Nick Diaz if given a UFC 170 title shot would manage to make a spectacle of himself, both in and out of the Octagon, it does little for the sport.
Enough with the sideshow matchmaking.
The Dan Hardy nightmare should have shown Dana White & Co what happens when you throw a guy in with GSP who doesn’t belong there.
I’ll reconsider my Nick Diaz POV as soon as i see him beat a single UFC 170 fighter with a well-rounded skillset.
Until then, Diaz fans can “rep the 209″ all they like, but you can’t be expected to be taken too seriously…
And in the interests of fairness to those I disagree with, it bears posting that according to online reports, Firas Zahabi isn’t opposed to GSP fighting Nick Diaz, so maybe the idea isn’t as ridiculous as it sounds.
Of course Cesar Gracie is supportive of it, its his guy thats on the outside looking in.
But if Zahabi would consider it, and GSP would consider it, then the idea rates more serious discussion on another thread IMO…
Hey Jchol ,
This fight is now the talk of every site covering sports in general-not just MMA ….. Its gonna happen brother !!!!!
Dana cant just whisk Diaz away though, Zuffa is the big Cheese and the Fertitta Brothers call the shots …. because the contracts are Strikeforce based and intertwind with other large companies ie CBS/ SHOWTIME , to avoid legal problems that favor the other guys this will have to be a “Cross Promote ” . Sounds funny because they are the same company ….. but its how it has to work on paper for legal issues .
Its almost makes me wonder if the UFC could be possibly slapped with one of those “Monopoly” decrees and be forced to split .Kinda like the Phone company years ago ……..no one company can own a market .
@jcohl
I agree with a lot of what you are saying here but we all know that fight selection is not always fair and if Zuffa values Nick Diaz like I think they do, we could very well see Diaz vs GSP without any tune up UFC fights for Nick
Also consider that fighters who consistently produce exciting fights & finishes usually get more slack when it comes to getting big fights
I would think GSP fans would welcome the Nick Diaz fight knowing that George’s explosiveness would probably be too much for Diaz to handle
@jcohl
Also Nick Diaz has a better overall skill set than anyone GSP has fought in quite awhile..so I would not go as far as assume that the fight would not be competitive
I realize that Nick’s weakness seems to play to GSP’s strength but Nick’s submission skills make this fight very interesting…Nick Diaz offers a much more well rounded skill set than a guy like Dan Hardy
As a a huge GSP fan I was relieved that he won but I felt like I was watching two fighters with jitters, ring rust, and timing problems. One of the things that threw me off about George was what appeared to be a panic response regarding his vision loss. Not just at the break after the second but after the fight, the post fight interview and the no show at the press conference. It seemed out of character for him or any fighter in general. When I think back to the pre-fight hype GSP seemed to be ruminating over his fears as he usually does but this time it seemed more like he was wrestling with an ongoing intrusive fear-based thought process. He didn’t appaer sharp as he was entering the Octagon and, yes I understand this is all Monday morning QB sh!t but George looked like he was having a mini-meltdown. He wouldn’t be the first champ who ever wondered if he was going to retire without permanent damage.
@ jcohl:
You and I have had this discussion in past threads, so I’m not going to keep repeating why I, (and many others), believe Nick Diaz would put on an exciting battle against GSP: “WW Champion VS. Champion”.
My question is to you is, if not Nick Diaz, (whom you openly disrespect and showcase your disgust for when ever you get the opportunity…even snickering at his entire camp and their accomplishments in the sport), then who in the WW division do you see “fit” or “worthy” to step in the cage next with the beloved GSP at WW? I’m curious.
@learntoread
Right now the UFC 170 weightclass is awaiting its next contender.
It could be Diego Sanchez, it could be Carlos Condit, or it could be the winner of Fitch-Penn 2 when Zuffa gets that fight rescheduled.
“Fit” and/or “worthy” UFC contenders IMO should be defined as someone who has actually fought and won recently at 170 in the UFC, something Nick Diaz hasn’t done since 2006.
Or is that “snickering” by pointing out the obvious?
Its also not “showcasing disgust” to point out that Nick Diaz was nearly TKO’ed by Paul Daley, a man who was humiliated by Josh Koscheck, who in turn was victimized by GSP.
When Zuffa absorbed the WEC their champions weren’t given immediate title fights, so why should Strikeforce’s?
Shouldn’t Diaz have to win even a single UFC 170 fight before getting a title shot? If thats was fair for Jake Shields, thats fair for Diaz.
Plus Diaz whined only a couple weeks ago about not wanting to be overfought and underpaid, and wanted to box professionally.
Zuffa should let him, and see how Diaz’s attitude changes after getting his a$$ kicked by someone like Jeff Lacy.
On the respect issue, I give Nick Diaz in particular and the Cesar Gracie camp in general their words and actions merit.
As soon as they meet my criteria of sportsmanship, they will continue to be regarded by me as second class MMA citizens.
Or am I supposed to overlook how the Diaz brothers run their mouths like they are hanging in a prison yard instead of an MMA fightcamp?
Or how the Cesar Gracie camp conducted themselves on the last Strikeforce event CBS aired?
And what about some of the nonsense that comes out of the mouth of Cesar Gracie himself?
Earlier today CG was commenting about GSP and greasing because Jake Shields lacked the ability to hook GSP’s leg.
Really? Greasing again?
THATS what Cesar Gracie goes with when his most accomplished fighter doesn’t get the job done?
Saturday night in Toronto Nate Diaz refered to his opponent pretty disrespectfully, and got humiliated immediately thereafter by Rory MacDonald.
Will Nate Diaz learn his lesson to shut his mouth and improve his skillset?
History says probably not.
Look, we can go on and on with this, but honestly its pointless and boring to me.
The plain truth is that the facts do not indicate the slightest inclination on the part of the Ceaar Gracie camp to even remotely conduct themselves like sportsmen, but rather, like some street gang going to war with Bjj and amateur boxing modified for MMA.
If you, or anyone else want to view that sort of thing positively, and/or support it, thats your choice.
My choice is to squash that noise everywhere I read it at the frenZy, and try to continue to treat MMA as sport instead of spectacle.
At some point we have to have standards in MMA, or at least within the UFC.
Promotionally the fight has merit, so I imagine that Dana “I heart bank” White will sign the fight.
Competitvely its a case of rewarding fighters for poor behavior, something I am not and never will be in favor of.
And neither should Dana White be, but unfortunately all he sees is dollar signs in promoting a fight between the “street” and the “elite”…
@ jcohl:
Alright, Carlos Condit, (if he gets past Kim), I could see, but he most definitely doesn’t have the CURRENT marketability or fan base that Nick Diaz has (like it or not, Diaz has a solid fan base and is a current title holder).
Diego Sanchez isn’t fighting until the fall, and is definitely still on medical suspension due to the damage done in the Kampmann war. He won’t be ready for a title shot for awhile now and will need to win his next fight, (which is most likely against Matt Hughes), to be fully in the mix. So let’s axe that immediately as a potential NEXT opponent for GSP.
GSP has already fought and beaten John Fitch, and has beaten BJ Penn twice now…As much as either of these fighters are “worthy”, do you really think the Zuffa brass are really looking for a ‘rematch’ for their next marquee WW title fight? Realistically, I am very much doubting that.
Now, in terms of Zuffa absorbing other MMA promotions and giving immediate title shots, let’s have a look back why don’t we. When Zuffa absorbed Pride FC Dan Henderson, (who was both the LHW and MW Champ at the time), was given back to back “Champ VS. Champ” title shots. Fedor would have been given the same if things had worked out. Thing is, Pride FC was the main competition of the UFC before they were absorbed, as was Strikeforce. We just can’t say the same for the WEC, which was NOT highly popular at the time it was absorbed, (you know, when it had the heavier weight classes), just a fact. That’s why Condit and the other title holders were simply brought over and given UFC contracts rather than attempting to create the whole “Champ VS. Champ” scenario from an organization many UFC fans probably never watched or even knew existed. Get the point?
When you state along the lines of: “well, why didn’t Jake Shields get an immediate title shot when entering the UFC?” The answer is that transition occurred PRIOR to Zuffa buying Strikeforce, plus the fact that he vacated his title upon leaving, also keeping in mind that he held the MW title, not WW (the weight class he was entering into in the UFC).
Now about this whole “sportsmanship” crap you keep bringing up when referring to Nick Diaz and his team. You do realize that once the cage closes that the two men in there are IN A FIGHT, right??? Last time I checked there weren’t any rules or regulations on ‘name-calling’ or taunting your opponent (which, if you haven’t noticed is a tool used by Diaz in the cage to lure his opponents into fighting emotionally and into his game, a tool used successfully if you’ve actually watched his fights in Strikeforce and Dream). Also, Since when do mma FIGHTERS necessarily need to be walking PR & Ad machines a la Randy Couture, GSP, or John Jones to earn respect? At least Nick Diaz is authentic and consistent in who he is, sure he’s unpolished and impulsive but there’s a certain appeal in that for a lot of MMA fans. Yes, he evokes a reaction and everyone has an opinion on him. Some are drawn to it, others repelled. So what?
Truth is, he is by far the most exciting fighter to watch at WW right now. You can try and dismiss that all you want, but you’d be wrong. Inside the cage, he’s the type of fighter the UFC can’t get enough of. He gives the paying audience their $$$ worth every time he steps in, which is why fans love to watch him fight.
Why you would even bring up Koscheck’s performance against Daley and try to compare it to what Diaz did to Paul is beyond me, LOL. Sure, Koscheck chose to continually take Daley down and laid on him for 3 rounds (doing little to no damage in the process). Which is exactly what GSP would have done had Daley been able to get past Kos and gotten the title shot. Diaz on the other hand stood with arguably the best striker in the WW division and beat him down at his own game in the 1st round, with Dana cage side yelling “Holly Sh!t !!”. Enough said ;)
Deal is, he is the defending Strikeforce WW Champion and a “Champion VS. Champion” cross promotion match up makes the most sense right now in a division that both fighters have basically cleared out in their respective promotions. It’s a win / win for all parties really, Zuffa gets $$$ from a high profile WW title-holders clash, George gets a new opponent who will most likely bring the best out of him, Diaz gets his “big pay day”, and the fans finally get what could be the most exciting WW title fight in recent years.
But you’re right, it’s getting very boring debating over this, and we both know the fight is apt to materialize.
Cheers.
I said this in another post, in a lot fewer words mind you, Diaz vs koscheck, or fitch, or condit, or even Nate would be a great test to see if he can compete with GSPs level of wrestling. I don’t think it will happen because the Diaz GSP fight is the most promotable fight for GSP and Dana is all about the bottom line. If you disagree then who else is a better promotable fight? Fitch is by far more deserving than Diaz but I’ll bet only a hand few of people want to see that one and Dana white isn’t among them.
I guess I’ll weigh in on the GSP shields fight–George wasn’t at his best, maybe because of the eye, or the pressure, who knows. I do like gsp (not as much as benny apparently) but I was a bit disappointed that when he had Jake hurt(head kick especially) that he didn’t try to put more pressure on. I really find it hard to believe that some thought it was a good fight or performance on either fighters part.
Anderson Silva is hands down a more exciting to watch fighter than GSP. A better spokeman probably not but a more spectacular fighter absolutely. I would like to see Silva & GSP both make 177.5lb that way if we have a superfight there can be no doubt or excuses when discussing the best p4p fighter on the planet.
You know it makes sense.
@learntoread
With reasoning like yours, I would strongly suggest you consider a career as a lawyer.
It almost sounds like you make a case in favor of poor sportsmanship, while avoiding/deflecting immutable MMA facts.
And opting for spectacle over sport in terms of matchmaking should get you free day passes to Dana White’s office. Your POV of, “sign Diaz to fight GSP, it’ll be fun to watch” is right in line with the Zuffa marketing model.
Pretending you don’t understand the Diaz-Daley-Koscheck-GSP example is funny, but ultimately not helpful to the discussion.
We should all be trying to elevate MMA’s sports standards, not serve and condone the lowest common denominator in terms of promotion.
However you should consider joining us over at the forums, where we can discuss this more robustly, and you’ll most likely receive responses from people with higher MMA IQs.
Any law school in America would be proud to have you sir…
;-)
I find it hilarious how some guys are in a panic with GSP’s victory on Saturday night. Noe here is a guy (gsp) who was just destroying Shields for two round making him and his hype look as silly as it was. It was embarassing for Shields. Then all of a sudden a poke in the eye changes things for Shields. NOt a punch or kick or close sub, but a poke. This put GSP in survival mode. Now we all know Shields gameplan was about as bad as his performance but was this poke part of it? http://www.mmatko.com/georges-st-pierre-getting-poked-in-the-eye-by-jake-shields-slow-mo-video/
@mike
That video did make it look intentional. I wonder if Jake came up with this ‘game plan’ himself?