GSP!

[ColinBollocks]

There are rumblings of an awakening with the great master stepping in for big money fights. Now McGregor has decided he's bigger than a few wee draining press conferences, it seems quite safe to speculate Dana White is currently trying his hardest to get the bloke from that Captain America back to save his new biggest show ever.

 

Interestingly enough, I just finished Rogan's latest podcast with Schaub and Schuab gave some inside gossip about what's going on. Schaub has heard GSP is pretty much ready to fight, but the hold up is (yep, you guessed right) Reebok. GSP has a sponsorship with Under Armour and it's causing a bit of an arse ache, although Schuab reckons GSP doesn't mind wearing Reebok, but either the UFC or Reebok have got to pay loss in coin from his UA deal.

 

Anyway, the whole point of this thread is to discuss who you'd like or think GSP will face, should he want to pimp a Bolivian fighter jersey with "Rudolph" Greg Saint Perry on it. Do you even want GSP back? Do you think he'll bother?

 

Personally, for ages I was of the opinion GSP should stay well away. I love GSP and he's maybe my favourite fighter, but he's done it all and MMA and time are like a cock and cheese grater, a combination that rarely ends well for ones legacy. However in recent months the heart has softened a little and I don't really mind seeing GSP getting smashed by a hulking 24 year old. In particular, wouldn't it be lovely if GSP comes back and saves 200, wins, then faces McGregor at the New York show; McGregor needs rid of this Diaz revenge plot, I have my doubts it will end well. Who GSP fights at 200 is interesting, GSP has recently said he only wants big names and not titles. Of course, the fight that makes most sense in that regard is a Nate Diaz war - there you have that wonderful Diaz brother backstory to work into the fight.

 

Thoughts?

Edited April 21, 2016 by ColinBollocks

[the_mole]

Nate is the obvious choice, him or Cerrone, top names but you probably don't want to put hi. In with a top 10 welterweight and both Diaz & Cerrone are both names and fighting at 170

[jimufctna24]

GSP is the best fighter ever in my opinion. Cleared out a competitive and ever-evolving division several times. Post-2007 - He was a really exciting fighter, probably the most explosive in the UFC during that period (check out how he took apart Sean Sherk and Frank Trigg)

 

In recent times, I've become tired of watching ageing fighters getting slapped about. It started with BJ Penn looking like a corpse against Edgar and Hendo being butchered by D.C. The worst case was watching Sakuraba getting mauled by Aoki on New Year's Eve. I really can't derive any pleasure from watching once great fighters get destroyed in mismatches. I love a novelty fight between legends, but not anything like the above examples.

 

GSP might still be able to be competitive. He probably keeps himself in good knick. But he's got nothing to prove, and little to gain. I liked that he retired young - and without him - the Welterweight division is more exciting than ever. The thought of him losing to a Hendricks or Nate Diaz (especially the former), isn't really something I want to see.

 

If he comes back, it will be quite an occasion. He was a massive draw, and even when he changed his style to become more calculated, you could still marvel at his ability (a bit like Mighty Mouse). But I'd still like GSP to pass on this one. He went out a Champion.

Edited April 21, 2016 by jimufctna24

[Fox Piss]

GSP had a slight set back with a injury but is currently having a practice camp to see if he can and wants to compete again. Man, GSP seems to have his head on and said it's hard to have the desire when you have health and wealth. I'm guessing a UFC 200 offer will spark some desire. 

[the_mole]

He said the 3 things that make him happy are Women, Dinosaurs and fighting in a cage.

 

Think he's currently a presenter of a show about dinosaurs but those things are usually only a few days ay most and the tech guys fill out the rest of it with CGI dinosaurs and bones or whatever.

[ColinBollocks]

Georges St-Pierre, a man widely considered to be the greatest welterweight to ever compete in mixed martial arts, is ready to give it one more good run. St-Pierre announced Monday on The MMA Hour that he has decided to end his nearly three-year hiatus and return to the Octagon, provided that his management and the UFC are able to come to terms on a deal.

 

"Exactly. That's what I'm saying," St-Pierre, 35, said when asked point blank if he was announcing his return. "I'm ready. I'm an emotional guy. My agents, even before I came on the show today, they briefed me. They said, ‘don't say this, don't say that.' They briefed me, they said, ‘we're in negotiations, remember, blah, blah, blah.' Like, yeah, yeah, yeah, don't worry, I'm not a kid. But I'm an emotional guy, and when I get emotional sometimes, I say things that are necessarily in the best of my interests, and I'm trying to not go overboard with that.

 

"But the only thing is, I love my sport and I still feel I'm at my best right now. The clock is running. I'm not getting any younger. I'm in the peak of my career and if there is a shot, there is another goal, another run, I better do it and do it quick, because it is time to do it now."

 

St-Pierre reigned over the UFC welterweight division from 2007 until 2013 as one of the most popular fighters in the sport. He defended his UFC title nine consecutive times -- a record for the division -- culminating in a hard-fought split decision over Johny Hendricks in Nov. 2013. Afterward, St-Pierre surprised many within the sport by vacating the belt and exiting the UFC on top, although he always hinted that a return could be in the cards for the right fight.

 

Rumblings of that return have reemerged every few months ever since, however only recently has St-Pierre appeared ready to make a commitment. He said on Monday that he recently underwent a full training camp to gauge whether or not he still felt fit to compete at the highest levels, and luckily for fans, he was extremely encouraged by the results.

 

"What I did is I did a training camp to see where I'm at," St-Pierre said. "I've been training, but being in shape and being in fighting shape is something different. I did a training to push myself and go back to the highest level of competition. I didn't fight, but I put myself through a training camp and I sparred and everything, and I did it successfully. Now I know for a fact that I could go back and fight, if my management and the UFC get to an agreement."

 

St-Pierre noted that his management is currently in negotiations with the UFC to hash out the details of his deal. Much has changed in the UFC since St-Pierre left, most prominently the nuking of the sponsorship landscape with the advent of the Reebok partnership.

 

St-Pierre didn't want to get too far ahead of himself in case talks with the UFC fell apart, but he also sounded like a man convinced on his decision, and he indicated that a middleweight title fight against Michael Bisping could be an option that would interest him for his first fight back.

 

"I have a lot to lose in this, because I finished on top," St-Pierre said. "I finished as champion, and that's the way everybody would like to leave the sport -- on top, healthy, and wealthy -- and I did it. If I go back and, it needs to be for something big. I think for my first fight, it needs to be for something big, and that'll give me the swing and the momentum to do it again and again and again for another run.

 

"So it depends on what it going to happen, but I have a lot to lose, but the thing is also, the reason why I've been thinking of coming back, is I don't want to end up at 80 years old and telling myself, ‘I should've done this, I should've done that.' Because all of the things I regret in my life the most, it's not the things that I have done. It's the things that I have not done, the things that I regret the most. So I don't want to end up where I'm too old and say, ‘aw, I should've done it. I was in great shape. My timing was impeccable, and I didn't do it,' so I would die with regret."

http://www.mmafighting.com/2016/6/20/11982548/georges-st-pierre-announces-he-is-ready-to-return-to-fighting

 

GSP at MSG then?

[Carbomb]

All I'd say to Lawler is: "Don't be zcared, 'omie."

 

Unless Wonderboy's champion by then (more likely), in which case, it'd be the Canadian version of "Adrieeeeen!"

Edited June 21, 2016 by Carbomb

[ElCece]

Im not particuarly sure he is scared of Lawler he might just see his 1 oppurtunity to grab a 2nd belt and wants to grab it. All the other guys who could dethrone Bisping are probably too big and too heavy handed to be worth the risk where as Bisping is absolutely perfect for him style wise.

 

Its hard to say with such a huge lay off but I think hes probably still a top 5 WW.

 

Im not sure his wrestling will be quite so much off a game changer as it used to be but the strength of it really was the timing.

 

Looking at the current top 5 at WW

Lawler- He would be very cautious in any stand up and I suspect would get caught over a 5 round fight but I could absolutely see him being able to ground Lawler if he frustrated him and got Lawler to push forward.

 

Stephen Thomson- Again chess match, Wonderboy would get the better of the exchange on the feet but I do think GSP could eventually drag him down. Regardless if I had to put my neck on the line I could see it playing out with GSP struggling and probably failing to close the gap

 

Woodley- Has power and is a good wrestler but GSP would really fancy himself to pick him apart.

 

Macdonald- I actually think this could be the most exciting fight altough because of there camp allegiances don't know if it would happen. If I had to hazard a guess I think GSP would do enough smothering him to take it.

 

Maia- Needless to say if Maia doesnt get him down he doesnt stand much of a chance and I dont think he would. If he does unless its consistently I think GSP could ride it out and I expect he would win this quite convincingly and I actually think St. Pierre would finish him in a 5 round fight

Edited June 21, 2016 by ElCece

[Carbomb]

I had to edit my post, because, like an idiot, I missed out the "be" there. It's edited now. I meant (jokingly) that Lawler would be scared of him - it was also a reference to a joke graphic wand put up years ago.

 

Your assessments are pretty much what I think, except I think that Maia stands a bit more of a chance than that - the Maia of before that was trying to mix it up would lose by getting caught and knocked out, but this current Maia, the human boa constrictor, should do better.

[lambyUK]

Personally I think it's bullshit if GSP walks into a title fight with Bisping. My main gripe isn't actually the possibility of him jumping the queue, more so that he's only asking for it because he think it's a winnable and less risky fight.

 

I don't for a second believe that if he does win, he would continue on to defend the title against the beasts of that division. If you put him in with Rockhold, Weidman, Romero or Jacare, he would be eaten alive.

If it's a title fight then it should only be against Lawler. 

[Dead Mike]

Imagine GSP campaigning for Bisping, getting it & losing? Bisping takes the record for most UFC wins & 2 recent ones being Anderson and GSP? Not too shabby.

[ColinBollocks]

Personally I think it's bullshit if GSP walks into a title fight with Bisping. My main gripe isn't actually the possibility of him jumping the queue, more so that he's only asking for it because he think it's a winnable and less risky fight.

 

I don't for a second believe that if he does win, he would continue on to defend the title against the beasts of that division. If you put him in with Rockhold, Weidman, Romero or Jacare, he would be eaten alive.

If it's a title fight then it should only be against Lawler. 

Why not? GSP was always a fighting champion. Forever taking on the hardest tests and usually always winning.

 

It's a huge match for Bisping and he's fucking tremendous at hyping fights, so I think it's a brilliant fit for everybody. Hopefully Bisping has PPV points, or UFC throw him some extra cash because their match will be massive.

 

I hope it happens now. I think it will be a bigger, better event than a Lawler fight, as much as I love Lawler.

[lambyUK]

 

Personally I think it's bullshit if GSP walks into a title fight with Bisping. My main gripe isn't actually the possibility of him jumping the queue, more so that he's only asking for it because he think it's a winnable and less risky fight.

 

I don't for a second believe that if he does win, he would continue on to defend the title against the beasts of that division. If you put him in with Rockhold, Weidman, Romero or Jacare, he would be eaten alive.

If it's a title fight then it should only be against Lawler. 

Why not? GSP was always a fighting champion. Forever taking on the hardest tests and usually always winning.

 

It's a huge match for Bisping and he's fucking tremendous at hyping fights, so I think it's a brilliant fit for everybody. Hopefully Bisping has PPV points, or UFC throw him some extra cash because their match will be massive.

 

I hope it happens now. I think it will be a bigger, better event than a Lawler fight, as much as I love Lawler.

 

 

Because he refused to move up in weight to fight Anderson Silva when Silva was champion. His reason was that Silva (and middleweights in general) would be far bigger than him come fight night.

 

Now he sees an easier fight and all of a sudden that weight class is an option? Perhaps he's packed on a bit more size in his absence, but GSP isn't a big welterweight.

 

The reasons for him requesting this fight are all wrong for me.

 

If there wasn't a title involved, my opinion would be completely different and I do agree that at this moment it completely benefits both him and Bisping. Bisping gets a huge pay day and GSP faces a less risky opponent.

[ColinBollocks]

At the time the Silva fight was on the cards GSP was becoming the greatest Welterweight champion in history. A reason he didn't want to move up was because he realised packing on weight for one fight, while also looking to defend his title could negatively impact his body and it wasn't worth it, in his quest for greatness. GSP didn't need the fight.

 

If he wins he doesn't have to try and get down a weight immediately after the fight. To repeat my initial point, GSP has proven he's a game champion, so saying he's suddenly Ric Flair and is looking to avoid defending his title doesn't add up. He's GSP, not some horrible wimp like me.

[jimufctna24]

GSP isn't daft. At one stage, he was considering a drop 155lbs, due to the competition at 170lbs growing in size. I think he'll avoid the 185lbs division like the plague, even if the Bisping fight is tempting. 

 

Lawler is the obvious fight. It's a match-up that has the same marquee value as the Bisping fight, and the match-up that he's naturally suited. Personally, I find it a fascinating match-up. If GSP wins, it will strengthen his claim as the greatest MMA fighter ever (he already is in my book). For Lawler, he gets the massive occasion that his career deserves, and an excellent chance of adding an all-time great to his resume. 

 

I'm not sure who would win. I'd lean toward GSP winning on points, but it's not hard to picture Lawler scoring a TKO.