Hardy of Five: 'The Outlaw' gets next crack at St. Pierre dynasty - by default
by Jesse Holland on Nov 15, 2009 1:29 PM EST
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Ask the pundits to measure the worth of an up-and-coming fighter and they're likely to grade him on a scale of one to five. Has he beaten anyone ranked in the top five of his weight class?
Sometimes it may not matter.
When a fighter is presented as a division's number one contender, it usually carries with it the presumption that said fighter has separated himself from his peers -- usually by force.
There was little argument that Thiago Alves was the right man to face current UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre at UFC 100 back on July 11.
What will the argument be for Dan Hardy when he faces "Rush" in Spring 2010?
My argument is that Dan Hardy, sans divisional terror, has earned his crack at the crown by doing his job. He fights, he wins, he moves on. Has he floored a big name competitor with a devastating head kick? Not yet. Has he subbed a competent grappler to escape the jaws of defeat?
Not exactly.
What he did do, is defeat the surging Mike Swick at UFC 105: "Couture vs. Vera" on Nov. 14. For "The Outlaw," it was his fourth straight victory inside the Octagon since his debut win over Akihiro Gono at UFC 89: "Bisping vs. Leben" back in October 2008. It wasn't a particularly memorable performance, but it was good enough to snag a unanimous decision.
That has to count for something.
Fickle fans have come to be spoiled by the dominance of their current champions. Georges St. Pierre and Anderson Silva are so far and above most of the competitive population, they've practically held their divisions hostage since their ascensions to the throne.
Unfortunately they've become victims of their own dominance.
Is Dan Hardy to blame for the tepid reaction to his shot at the big time? No. Neither is UFC matchmaker Joe Silva. There's only so much magic in that man's wand -- the rest is up to the talent.
If I blame anyone, it's St. Pierre, for being that damn good.
Only the memory of Matt Serra keeps my interest in a future "Rush" fight. Lightning never strikes twice in the same place, but if the tiniest hint of vulnerability exists in the GSP armor, I'll continue to tune in for another potential upset.
For Anderson Silva, that may require a flak cannon and Faraday's law of induction.
Dan Hardy is the UFC welterweight number one contender -- by default. The division has long been a revolving door of adequate talent, but of the consensus top five, all but Jake Shields have faced the venerable St. Pierre.
And that's only because Shields fights outside of the promotion.
I'll take Dan Hardy over a Jon Fitch rematch. The wrestling phenom has accomplished more inside the Octagon than Hardy has, but his first attempt at dethroning GSP ended so violently, I hear it's part of the deleted scenes on the upcoming Saw VI DVD.
I would have preferred St. Pierre vs. Swick, but the Texan couldn't get the job done when it counted. Same goes for Martin Kampmann. Anthony Johnson? Diffuse the wrestling of Josh Koscheck -- then plead your case.
Dan Hardy has both the look and the personality to help sell a fight. He's also beaten some stiff competition that while not top of the food chain, was tough enough to prove "The Outlaw" can take some punishment just as well as he can dish it out. Does any of that mean he's good enough to win the UFC welterweight title this Spring?
Probably not, but that doesn't mean he hasn't earned the chance to try.
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Arguments for -- and against Hardy
Anyone totally opposed to the idea of Hardy vs. St. Pierre? Por Que?
It is not enough to succeed. Others must fail.
I just do not believe he is ready for a guy like Georges St. Pierre. I think he has 1 chance off the hop but if he misses or GSP absorbs it fights over on the ground. Id rather see Alves, Koscheck or Fitch fight him. Sure he beat them before but they are better match-ups for him. A fight with Hardy is a waste of time.
Naw, disagree
They only do rematches if there is a compelling reason. Alves and Fitch do not present compelling fights for GSP. He beat them so soundly. Same with Koscheck. At least Hardy is a new opponent, regardless how good are his chances. He may get creamed in R1, but at least it’s more interesting than pointless rematches.
by MMACrossfire on Nov 15, 2009 4:48 PM EST up reply actions
Ah, misread...
Okay, I misread… you’re saying have Hardy fight Fitch, Alves or Koscheck. Hmmm. I think Hardy is on the fast track, in part because of his nationality, and also because he is a new opponent for GSP.
by MMACrossfire on Nov 15, 2009 4:51 PM EST up reply actions
Hardy Does deserve it!!
In the name of the Fedor, the Anderson and the GSP, Amen.
by Spinning Fat Kick on Nov 16, 2009 8:42 AM EST up reply actions
He deserves it on the grounds that he beat Swick, if Swick had beaten Kampmann then people would be fine with a Swick title shot but Hardy beat Swick.
Talking about who has the best chance of beating GSP… I can’t see anyone at welterweight beating him. It’s all pretty pointless when you look at it like that. I for one think that Hardy would beat Koz anyway, Hardy has relatively good takedown defence and is good at transitions from his back. He would beat him on the feet all day.
Wether or not he would beat fitch… who knows, Fitch is a master at grinding out boring victories and if Fitch got on top he may very well hold him down for three rounds, but the fight ALWAYS goes back to the feet, even if it’s just at the start of each round, Fitch has terrible stand up and Hardy has dynamite in those hands.
The fight that I most want to see at ww is Thiago vs Semtex, that would be a complete war! no hugging match to be found there!!!
In the name of the Fedor, the Anderson and the GSP, Amen.
by Spinning Fat Kick on Nov 16, 2009 8:51 AM EST up reply actions
DJ
Pourquoi? Well, a fight with Alves or Fitch would be much more interesting at this point in Hardys; career. He is not ready for GSP (and may never be) but someone has to contend for the title.
amazed
i’m suprised they have given hardy a title shot, maybe a rematch against fitch would be a better fight. being a hardy fan i would prefer he got another 2 or 3 wins under his belt before a title shot but gsp can’t just sit on the sidelines waiting for a worthy opponent to appear because the way he has been despatching them of late there are not many out there!
LMAO
I’m against anyone at WW getting a title shot!
I’d pay to see GSP/BJ 3 before any other WW! and I’m 100% serious!
Why is everybody forgetting about Daley?
Let Daley and Hardy fight for number one contender at 108 and then have the winner face GSP.
by Danza Macabra on Nov 15, 2009 3:52 PM EST up reply actions
WTF...
Let Daley and Hardy fight for # 1 contender. How…when neither one is even close to being the true # 1 contender. Pitch Hardy in with Alves or Fitch, Alves being my weapon of choice. Then you got a true # 1 contender.
Daley and Hardy…more like fighting it out for a chance at maybe a top 5 ranking in the UFC WW division.
It's not the size of the dog in the fight...It's the size of the fight in the dog.
good point
but as it stands… Hardy is getting a title shot anyway so your point is moot. Alves JUST had a shot and wasn’t able to do anything with it. Fitch wasn’t able to do much with his shot. Why would you want to see Alves potentially get the next shot? It just doesn’t make sense. Kampman and Swick were supposed to fight for the No. 1 spot. That didnt happen and they both lost their respective bouts. Have the winners from those bouts fight at 108 (a card that is lacking) and then have the winner face gsp… may not be the TRUE no 1 contender but it would be more legit than just having Hardy face him next.
by Danza Macabra on Nov 15, 2009 5:05 PM EST up reply actions
Hardy and Semtex are more deserving than the original top 2 contenders as they beat both Swick and Kampmann. However they’re training partners at Rough House so they’ll never fight, it’s unfortunate as it would be a sick fight and a huge draw in the UK but it won’t ever happen. Seeing how Fitch and Alves both got smashed by GSP and Thiago is injured neither of them have done enough to earn a rematch, while Kos and Rumble have to fight each other first before mentioning them and Swick and Semtex have done enough to be above the rest of the division. Seeing how Daley is already set to face Condit that just leaves Hardy as the marketable WW opponent for GSP, as that fight would make a lot of money if it’s held in Nottingham (Dan’s hometown). Shields and Nick Diaz would be better opponents, as GSP won’t get beaten by any current UFC WW, but neither of them have been signed so the next best option is the most marketable one and that right now is Hardy.
Love the signature!
Another favorite, “there’s no such thing as winning silver, only losing Gold”
No I don’t have a problem with it at all. Sure I think GSP is on a whole other level than Hardy, but if we wait for that fighter to come along, we may not see a title fight for some time. Besides, I remember thinking that Hughes and Liddell were all but invincible.
"Remember men, we are all winners in the eyes of Christ...except for the guy still bleeding on the canvass"
not really against it
My money would be on GSP, however, Hardy has risen to every challenge he’s faced so far. Close fights be damned, he’s got the W. Rewatching the the Davis fight, I’m not sure how Marcus could really think he won that fight. I don’t think Hardy will be the guy to beat GSP but he will show up to scrap. If nothing else, he shouldn’t get worked on the feet like Fitch did and seems to be able to avoid damage on the ground. Could be an ok fight. Really no other options here.
Flashback
I don’t like this for GSP. This has shades of Serra written all over it. Win or lose, Hardy is getting a huge boost up on the pecking order. If he loses, no biggie as he is expected to lose. But, if by some lucky behind the ear punch that he tags GSP he will win the title and have it for how long?? His first defense? Bringing back some bad deja vu.
Disagree
He simply isnt ready to take on GSP. GSP will destroy him. Just look at what he did to Thiago Alves and BJ Penn. He absolutely anilated them and they are way better than hardy is at this point in his career. I Think dana is running out of options for GSP as hes too afraid to take on Anderson silva nd possible lose his era of invincibility. Der is nobody even close to beating him at welterweight. Matt hughes is the only one that could possibly do it. But looks past his past.
by Stonecold316 on Nov 15, 2009 6:09 PM EST up reply actions
you had me until
you mentioned Hughes, a better statement would be
NOBODY AT WW IS EVEN CLOSE TO BEATING GSP!
move up or shut up, padding your record with “easy” fights doesn’t cement the legacy GSP is after, go ask Fedor! Look at all the hate he gets, but all the love and respect someone who challenges themselves, win or lose gets!
agreed
agree with you 100% on this, he should make the move to 185 if there are no competitive fights for him at 170. he has nothing more to prove at 170 so competing at 185 seems logical but i think he’s running scared of anderson silva, did he not say in one of his post fight interviews with rogan the size difference was too much between him & silva.
How about Fitch or Alves First?
Hardy has not been in deep water yet.
Does anyone else think Fitch or Alves or Koz are better fights for Hardy?
Agreed
I believe that as well. Fights against any of these guys won’t even be close , no need to mention GSP.
Agree
I like the hardy matchup but i think the winner of kos/johnson should have got it first with hardy fighting alves/fitch
but anyway ill be putting money on hardy over GSP, because the odds will be stupid
I’m glad Hardy is getting a shot. He is a better fighter than the yanks give him credit for. He has a durable chin, a never-say-die attitude and the ability to land some hard punches.
Of course he goes into the GSP fight as a massive underdog, but there would be no shame in Hardy losing to the best P4P fighter in the sport today.
Huh?
Buy “who” has he fought?
I don’t disagree with you on his displayed ability but he has yet to take on anyone in the Top 5.
I agree he has earned a shot. I thought Swick was going to win, but he dominated him for all three rounds, and Swick is no joke. I think GSP will crush him, but it’s still interesting. I’d love the UFC to bring in Shields once his contract is done at Strikeforce. I also feel that Nick Diaz has evolved since leaving the UFC. Bring on Shields and Diaz. After that, I can’t think there’re anyone left.
Spot on mate, Hardy did well and proved me wrong. I was speaking to a bunch of Hardy fans at the MEN and none of us expected him to win so it was awesome seeing him prove us wrong. No other WW is as marketable or as worthy of a title fight as Hardy, chances are it’ll be a massacre but if Swick/Kampmann were worthy of a title shot then Hardy and Semtex are, plus us UK fans want to see GSP fight here. Nick and Jake would be the toughest fights at WW and I’d love it if the UFC signed either of them, they’re my favourite 2 SF fighters by far (not counting Marius until he’s fought there).
Stop hating on the british
I like Hardy more and more each time, he’s tough as hell and has an IRON chin with good power.
He could rock GSP, but most likely it will look just like the GSP Alves fight.
by Lester The Pimp on Nov 15, 2009 1:53 PM EST reply actions
What about Semtex?
If he gets past Condit i would love to see him and Hardy fight with the winner of that getting a title shot
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rough house
they fight out of the same camp, so i don’t see that fight happening especially if dana white and co are trying to promote the ufc in the uk it makes no sense for two up and coming fighters to fight
semtex?
come on dude, just cuz he’s a fresh name? he’s had 1 fight in the UFC, lost to shields, has no ground game. So you want these guys to face off to see who gets the shot, that makes a little sense considering they both beat the guys who were supposed to fight to determine the no 1 contender, but now you’re talking about GSP not fighting for a full year. They’d likely hold him off until a big summer show if we’re talking about 2 fights to determine a contender. And lets say kos or rumble look impressive coming up. Do we then add them to the mix. Simplist answer is Hardy is up next. After that, we’ll see what the division looks like
Semtex definetely has the power, but GSP will just neutralize it like he did with Alves and keep it on the floor. I just don’t see anyone giving GSP a contest at 170. The UFC needs Shields or GSP has got to go to 185.
Sheilds?? LOLOLOLOL
Do you think sheilds has a chance against any of the ufc’s top 5 WW?? Cause i sure the hell dont!! He has great ground skills but is far too one dimensional to compete with the top WW in the world!! seriously did you even watch the mayhem fight?? All top 5 WW in the ufc would have smashed miller! sheilds dry humped him for 5 rounds and almost got choked out himself!!
Hardy has a better shot than sheilds! at least hardy has some power and might be able to catch GSP. Sheilds would get worked over on the feet and on the ground with GSP!
by ItsNormlToSmokePot on Nov 15, 2009 4:02 PM EST up reply actions
Miller
you’re underestimating Miller. GSP didn’t smash him. You are however right about shields, he would get dominated. The fight would never hit the floor and he has no standup. I wish ppl would stop calling for him to come to the UFC. Nick Diaz is the only guy I can see who could hang with GSP from outside the UFC right now.
Huge mayhem fan!
I never said GSP smashed miller! I said all the top 5 WW’s in the ufc would have smashed him, maybe thats an overstatement but i was just trying to make a point that sheilds couldnt do anything with a decent but not top tier fighter in mayhem! He shouldnt even be mentioned with GSP.. In the GSP fight he dominated miller but never really had him in trouble. Sheilds could never put up the fight miller did against george!
If sheilds can learn to be decent on the feet he might be a threat in the ufc, but untill then he is going to desperately dive for takedowns and dry hump guys that he cant dominate on the ground! (which is anybody with a decent ground game)
by ItsNormlToSmokePot on Nov 15, 2009 5:01 PM EST up reply actions
Shields fought a bigger and better Mayhem than GSP did for a longer period of time and still beat him, he shouldn’t get bashed for winning a belt at a higher weight class. Shields’ last fight at WW was a submission win over Semtex, one of the UFC’s top WWs, and he’s beaten Lawler and Mayhem at MW since then despite being undersized at 185. He may not be a great striker but grappling wise he’d be a good test for top wrestlers like GSP, Fitch and Kos. He deserves a lot more credit than he gets.
Im not bashing him for anything he has accomplished i just dont think he could hang with the guys in the ufc… Yes he beat semtex and lawler but there both strikers with limited ground games, jason is decent on the ground but has horrible takedown defense and he still was never in any real trouble. The guys you mentioned i think would be horrible matchups for him because of their wrestling.. When he cant take a guy down what is he going to do?? GSP fitch and kos have better takedown defense than just about anybody shields has fought. and all are good on their feet. Could he compete in the ufc?? no doubt, im just not sold he can get vary far with his one dimensional style. he might be like mai at 185 beating all the sub par guys then getting smashed when he makes a mistake or cant take the guy down.
by ItsNormlToSmokePot on Nov 15, 2009 9:17 PM EST up reply actions
What else can the UFC do though, someone has to fight GSP and both he and the UFC seem reluctant to move up to middleweight. Rematches against Fitch, Alves or Kos would be tough sells when we’ve already seen them all dominated. The Hardy fight will be promoted well by Dan with a load of smacktalk, so its probably the biggest fight in the division outside of rematches against those previously mentioned, the only other option is for GSP to move up, but with Anderson silva still at 185 i think we know its not going to happen.
I’m an American and I think the U.K cards are among the best everytime. The Brits like to through down. They always bring it.
Poor AKA guy’s. Swick, Kos, Fitch have all been given the opportunity at the WW title and all have failed. Swick probably being the worst case because he fought a contender for a shot at the title and didn’t make it beyond that. Fitch and Kos have both already fought GSP. I would like to see all the AKA guys fight the top 3 contenders. Kos vs A. Johnson, Fitch vs Hardy, and Swick vs Alves. In my opinion last night Hardy exposed Swick for throwing too many hooks and not enough straight punches.
I met paul daley today
talked about his fight at 108 with Condit. Hope he does great things.
Great article about Hardy… i agree!!! i’ve seen 3 of his 4 UFC fights live and i’m a huge fan of the Rough House team!!
Boring
I dread watching GSP fight Dan Hardy. But I will because GSP is the man. Yeah, Hardy hits hard but the skill levels are in different stratospheres. And I don’t think GSP will ever make the Matt Serra mistake again.
Calu
Not Ready
I think Dana is rushing in Hardy too quickly – they should first have the winner of Kos vs Johnson fight Hardy for the title shot.
GSP by a 1,000 take downs
Good Match
GSP is in another league and beath the best in the division. Hardy has shown some unique qualities in his fights to show he’s give a decent acount of himself. Mentally he’s very strong and confident, always surprises with how well he deals with a lift in quality of opponent. He’s also shown he has a cast iron chin and heavy hands. This gives him a chance on the feet against GSP and at the odds he’ll be given against GSP i’ll be putting a tidy amount on incase lightening strikes twice and Hardy does a Serra.
His biggest weakness is TD defence and fighting off his back, this is where GSP is GOD and unfortunatley would probably win against Dan. Dan’s a warrior though so I won’t be counting him out.
He’ll also have a field day in the smacktalk against GSP…he’s sharp as a tack…!
by Shoguns Hairy Forearms. on Nov 15, 2009 4:24 PM EST reply actions
Athleticism
I love Hardy’s charisma, but against a guy like GSP, I don’t think his strength and speed are adequate just yet. Mentally though I think Hardy is one of the toughest and give this edge to him.
by WayofTheWarrior on Nov 15, 2009 4:40 PM EST up reply actions
who does the ufc get to face gsp
gsp has to fight someone soon, he is fresh and healthy.
although i love dan, as a person, (if not a cocky one at times(see bisping on tuf season whatever) as good as he is) gsp is too much too soon, but i said that aboot swick, go figure. Bisping v Mia next would be good
by freedomthrtyfve on Nov 15, 2009 4:39 PM EST reply actions
Hardy Vs. GSP
Seriously this is gonna b an easy win for GSP although I am a huge Dan Hardy fan and it would be nice 2 see an upset. GSP takes Hardy down at will and eventually GnPs Hardy to a second round TKO in my opinion.
But then who gets GSP at WW? The winner of Koscheck/Johnson? Maybe eventually Hazelett? I don’t think that Daley/Condit/Hyun Kim/ are there just yet and GSP has already crushed Parisyan, Fitch, Alves, Hughes, and any other good WWs for tht matter and I am not interested in any rematches. Another fight with Serra is pointless, Swick is coming off a loss, as well as Davis, so I say winner of Kos/Rumble fights winner of Hazelett/Parisyan for #1 contender after GSP vs. Hardy. Thoughts?
bisping and hardy isn`t from the good o`ll u.s.of a.
why do you hate them so? i don`t hate george bush, or shwartsanegger, or oj simpson, or dan quayle, or timothy mcveay, or ross out of friends, or man bear pig, or the washington sniper, or charles manson or richard nixon, and even east clintwood, chill out girlfriends
by freedomthrtyfve on Nov 15, 2009 4:52 PM EST reply actions
who is left?????????????????????????????????????
who is left to fight gsp? i could do it, but i`d have 2 cut 100lb of beer and kebabs 2 do it
by freedomthrtyfve on Nov 15, 2009 4:58 PM EST reply actions
Remaches
do all of you really have such tiny attention spans that you can’t watch the same fighters twice? the best fighter should be challenging for the title, period. right now, that man is alvez. one win for him to get back on track is all it should take for him to get the rematch. i love watching both these guys fight and would love to see gsp vs alvez 2. fitch and kos are right in there too, until someone proves otherwise. in many other sports, teams or individuals are constantly facing off against each other on a regular basis because they are the best. that’s the way it should be. not, we’ll bring in a lesser opponent just because he’s different. i think hardy is great but he is far from the best challenger in the mix, and this is far from being the best fight. think about it ants.
Agree and don't
I too believe the 2nd best and third best are Alve and Fitch. If their fight would of happened we would of had a clear #1 contender but the next best opponents that were able to fight for a contender was this fight. Hardy has some heavy hands and has a shot but I can’t see Hardy beating Fitch or Alves little alone GSP. Might be an exciting fight were GSP tries out a few different things but going from 3 to four is a huge jump in any division just ask Fedor who has no problem beating anyone ranked lower than five. A GSP and Hardy fight is not nearly as lopsided any of Fedors latest fights.
by BeaverRaider on Nov 15, 2009 8:11 PM EST up reply actions
Where are all the "Swick Parlay" guys at?
Prior to this event, I saw SOOO many people with big money riding on Swick. Where they at now?
He has to fight SOMEONE
GSP cant just sit around any longer. By the time he fights again 6 months will have passed ( i know he was injured). Is Hardy that impressive? No, but what should the UFC have Hardy do, fight Kos,Alves Hughes,Sera,Fitch..and if he loses to one of them then they will be stuck rematching aginst people GSP has dominated. I dont like Hardy but GSP needs a fight and Hardy,Semtex and Johnson are really the only other guys worth a damn that GSP hasnt beat. If Rumble wins then he should fight Semtex and that winner is next in line.
- what if Hardy wins aginst GSP and Semtex is the number one contender? Every Brit just got chills lol
Dan Hardy looked Good!
WOW I did not think Hardy would look that good. His chin is nice… Not saying he can beat GSP because GSP will just lay on him the entire fight but I think Hardy is top 5 in the class now….
GSP is weak
i don’t like either of these guys, but i DO wanna see gsp get his ass kicked. all he does is slam his opponents to outpoint them. might as well watch a WWE match. wanna be jeane claude van damme.
by PEELthisBANANA on Nov 15, 2009 10:05 PM EST reply actions
LOL 110% ignorance
GSP is weak? Do you understand MMA my friend? All he does is slam his opponent down PEEL if it was that easy why can’t anyone stop him? He is the best WW in the world today I think you should watch WWE it’s not as sophisticated Banana maybe more suited for you.
yes
GSP is weak. when you’re done sucking his nutts you can then realize that his fights consist of taking down an opponent and not following up with anything like a GnP or sub. he’ll hump them till they get back up and SLAM them again for another point. ever since he got knocked out by cera he hasn’t been able to stand up with anyone. if he tries he’ll just slam the opponent to avoid getting rocked again. his strategy is: “if this guy manages to keep up with your cardio for 25 mins, just out point him by slamming him…” he’ll get is ass KICKED if he decided to man up and venture into a heavier weight class.
by PEELthisBANANA on Nov 16, 2009 12:23 AM EST reply actions
HA
yeah he takes down people that are usually hard to take down..he passes the guard of people who are usually not passable..he out wrestles world class wrestlers..umm he is a ridiculously fit person..he is humble..sure , hardy may knock him out if he can get to him..every fighter has that chance..but what i saw was in hardy is a fighter who is no where near ready to deal with gsp..unless of course he has the punchers chance..but that is about it. and hey i was rooting for hardy to win and all..but i still think gsp will make quick work off him..
Banana Peel?
Think about what your saying Banana there is no facts behind anything you just said. Did you see Alves face after the fight? Alves is the most dangerous striker in the WW division and the biggest and GSP pounded him standing and on the ground he took Alves down almost every time Alves attempted a leg kick wich is the smart thing to do against leg strikes especially his too make him pay for having only one foot on the ground. Anyway he beat Alves standing and on the ground then lets go back another fight BJ Penn he dominated BJ with mainly ground tactics but he also had more strikes that connect standing against one of the best strikers period in MMA. Anyone of GSP’s opponents would tell you there were more fatigued and beat up after his fight than anyone else they fought getting KO it one thing and getting dominated on the ground and beat on over and over is another. Did you even watch any of his fights or do you not understand how the ground game works? Any MMA fighter will tell you the most fatigueing part of MMA is the grappling on the ground or standing and GSP will test his opponents endurance & heart to the max and is with no doubt one of the best pound for pound fighters in MMA today. I don’t know about beating Silva he would be Silva’s toughest challenge at 185 though and even Alves who is just as big as most of the MW could step up but beating Silva I don’t know if there is LHW or MW on the planet that can beat him I don’t expect a WW too do you?
by BeaverRaider on Nov 16, 2009 1:23 AM EST up reply actions
Banana Peel, Jimrod
Is it really hard, to go check if it’s true that GSP doesn’t strike with his opponents anymore? Here are the facts …
http://fightmetric.com/fights/GSP-Parisyan.html
http://fightmetric.com/fights/GSP-Miller.html
http://www.fightmetric.com/fights/GSP-Penn.html
http://fightmetric.com/fights/GSP-PennII.html
http://fightmetric.com/fights/GSP-Koscheck.html
Hardy is unfortunately one of the few options for GSP
Seriously, GSP has destroyed all the others – that’s why Alves, Fitch etc don’t make sense yet, I know they may be 2nd – 3rd in the division but GSP totally owned them. Have him fight Hardy or Rumble, they are the ONLY decent options at present as they may offer something different for him to cope with.
I think the sad thing about GSP is that the KO loss to Serra seems to have changed him – he used to be an awesome striker first and foremost but now he’s turned into Matt Hughes mkII, less keen to engage on the feet. He’s an awesome fighter but I think the KO killed some of his standing confidence. If him and Hardy throw down it could be a great fight, both have similar striking styles (Hardy’s TKD background gives him some flashy kicks he hasn’t done too much of recently either). Sadly I can’t see that happening, GSP is too intelligent to risk anything now and it will go to the mat pretty fast…
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