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Originally Posted by ooheadsoo /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I don't see GSP as having outmuscled Hughes.
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Really? Hughes had the double underhooks and GSP did a mid-air sprawl and just shoved Matt off. I haven't seen anyone else accomplish that against Hughes. In their first fight (which Hughes pulled off one of the best transitions to an armbar I've ever seen), immediately following the match GSP stated that he had made a crucial error, but that he wasn't at all impressed with Hughes' reputed strength. He said something like, "This is supposed to be the strongest guy in the division?" And I think he proved that he is the strongest physically in the rematch. I think Matt was overwhelmed by GSP's strength, which is why he was discouraged to attempt more takedowns. He was at a total loss. In between rounds, he had to tell his corner "talk to me, guys" because they were all out of ideas. GSP is such a big strong 170 pounder. He could easily fight at middleweight.
I think BJ displayed his excellent flexibility and balance in avoiding a takedown in most of his fight with Hughes, but it wasn't really sheer power keeping him on his feet. Matt had a single leg most of the time and BJ was basically doing the splits to stay up. That can only work for so long. With Matt's persistence and superior strength, he is going to get you on the ground. And I don't think it was any mystery to why BJ gassed. He is not a cardio machine like Hughes or Tito. Plus, he injured his own rib trying to secure the triangle at the end of the round. He was done after that.
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| Serra doesn't always submit his opponents precisely because he does have some semblance of a striking game, something Hughes doesn't. |
I knew that Serra had fairly heavy hands before, but I didn't think much of his stand-up until this fight with Georges. And his boxing trainer basically said that if GSP never injured himself, which granted them those extra couple weeks of striking coaching, that Serra likely would have lost the fight. He even said in the center of the octagon that Serra's striking in that fight was the best he'd ever seen from him.
I know it seems kind of stupid to count Serra out again, but I still have to go with Hughes. I mean, the only guys that have stopped Hughes due to strikes are GSP and Pele. Serra is not at the same level as those guys in stand-up and I don't think he ever will be. Hell, I don't even think he "beat" Chris Lytle at the TUF4 finale. I think that fight with Georges was just one of those things where everything came together for Serra, and it will probably never happen again. If he were to defend today against Diego, Kos, BJ, and Karo again, I'd pick each one of those guys to beat him. And of course I'd pick Georges to win in a rematch. And I like Serra, I think he's a cool guy.
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| In any case, I have no doubt that Serra has better strikes than Hughes on their feet, and Hughes having better strikes on the ground. But Serra has better subs and probably lots more experience working from his back, which is why I think the fight would be interesting. GNP can be neutralized, even if your name is Fedor Emelianenko. Crocop did it, (though he clearly was not the winner.) Hey, just hold those arms for dear life. Which is why I forsee a lot of booing. |
Agreed. But I think Hughes would just do his combo of LnP and GnP to a boring decision at worst, TKO (GnP strikes) stoppage at best. Hughes, despite no longer being the champ, is still a world-class fighter that hardly ever makes a mistaKe. I don't think I can say the same for Serra. Not enough evidence to make that claim for him, at least not yet.
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| I don't see evidence of GSP as being clearly stronger than Serra. I seem to recall that their reach difference was not nearly as dramatic as their height difference since Serra has rather disproportionately long arms. What draws you to that conclusion? If you watch some of the post fight locker room footage, it shows GSP rewatching the rabbit punch, so to speak, to find out what happened, and one of his teammates has to explain to him that he had been hit on the back of the head. I don't think he didn't pull guard because he respected Serra's ground game. Pulling guard is probably not something he falls back on very much in training, regardless of the opponent. |
Well, I think Serra is a tweener between light and welterweights, while Georges is a tweener for welter and middleweights. Obviously, a judgment of their strengths is pure conjecture by me, but I stand by it. It does seem like Serra has long arms, but Georges is no T.Rex. I think if Georges would have picked his strike attempts more wisely, he would've never gotten hit a la Anderson Silva vs. Chris Leben. I think you're right about not pulling guard in his training because of his excellent stand-up, but you've got to be prepared for when s#!t happens. One thing is for sure, Georges needs to do the
Fedor dizzy dance exercise in training from now on. This is what saved Fedor in his fight with Fujita. Fedor comes prepared for everything his opponent could possibly bring to the fight.
Good talk!
