Those who tuned in to watch UFC 129 likely didn’t find themselves wanting. The card delivered devastating knockouts, highly competitive decision fights, flashy submissions, as well as feats of will and determination that one couldn’t help but admire, all this until the main event that is. The card was literally stacked with excitement but was punctuated with a lackluster and seemingly uninspired 25 minute performance from its two highest profile stars. I am not a fighter, and I will be the first one to admit that. I am not here to pass judgment on fighters per say but I know what I like in the sport and I know what I saw. What I like and what I saw are two totally different things and I am not alone. GSP may not have any problem doing what it takes to win and it is hard to blame him, but every decision has consequences.
It is ironic in a way that my least favorite fight of the night will be the fight I dedicate an entire post to. However such is life when it comes to GSP, one of the most popular stars in all of the sport. For many he is the face of MMA, the one guy that casual fans will go out of their way to see fight. As Randy Couture was once MMA’s proud ambassador, GSP has filled the role. Unfortunately, some fans that tune in occasionally even seem to be scratching their heads asking the same questions that many MMA enthusiasts have pondered in their entirely-too-much spare time: why doesn’t GSP finish more fights? Ok – we get that not all fights are going to be finishes. There are bound to be decisions but it sure looks like there is something different when it comes to GSP. He is clearly the superior fighter in the majority of his fights but takes the idea of “fighting safe” to a whole new level, content and perhaps even self-satisfied with the idea of demonstrating a new and/or superior skill set for 25 minutes.
This is an issue on two levels. First, most fans, even well educated fans want to see fighters push the pace and try to finish fights. Whether you just like knockouts, have methodological objections to judging, admire fighters that strive to entertain, or are a submission enthusiast, almost no one prefers when fights go to a decision. GSP has every right to fight whatever style he pleases but fans have every right to cheer, boo, or criticize that style. It is this completely legitimate desire to see fighters in the least attempt finishes that Greg Jackson misses when called fans that criticized GSP ignorant and he is 100% right but he is missing the point. He and his camp are notoriously defensive when it comes to criticism of their fighters but they miss the mark too often when it comes to why fans criticize. Granted, the reasons they criticize should not interest a coach in the least, at least not as far as preparation and execution of a game plan. Your job is to win the fight but realize that the fan paying their money (excessive amounts of money at that) to watch a fight doesn’t pay to watch people play it safe and that is not unreasonable. Sports fandom is one of the most arbitrary associations and identifications we make today and any sports fan can like or dislike a fighter for whatever reason they want. GSP need not worry about lose in revenue, fans aren’t ready to talk with their wallets just yet, but the criticism remains valid as it demonstrates the desire of MMA culture, a desire that GSP speaks to but doesn’t seem as interested in acting with as of late.
This brings us the second level of critique, that of GSP’s persona. MMA fans know the mediated version of GSP, however close to or far from the “real GSP” that may be is irrelevant. What is relevant is that it is growingly inconsistent. GSP is squeaky clean, the perfect representative of the sport. However, he plays a dangerous game with his brand. One of the most frustrating things for me, and is a sentiment I have heard echoed by others, is the consistency with which GSP drives home his desire to finish the fight before the fight only to carry out what appears to be a safe game plan during the fight. Of course every fighter is going to say that they want to finish their next fight when you stick a microphone in their face but not every fighter consistently finds themselves across from opponents who are visibly outmatched and can seemingly do little to stop him from imposing his will. Thus is the world of GSP. From my perspective, Jake Shields had no business getting to third round with GSP, let alone going the distance. Of course somewhere in the second or third round GSP’s vision became the scapegoat for his game plan but I failed to notice much difference between the action in the first round and the action in the fifth. We are getting to the point where people don’t believe “pre-fight” GSP or the reasons given post-fight. Just the other day a relatively casual fan asked me if GSP was going to actually fight in this fight. I assured him GSP would likely finish Jake Shields as I thought it was a good match-up for him and he should be able to tire Shields out once the fight goes to deep water. After the fire department came to remove my foot from my mouth I realized I bought into the same tired lines that GSP sells before every fight. GSP has chosen to be a safe fighter. And while I do not expect him to start proclaiming this on UFC Primetime episodes before his next fight, I do believe the dissonance between what he says and does rubs people the wrong way. We all think GSP is one of the greatest fighters ever to grace the cage; we just want to see him demonstrate just how good he is. He is taxiing his brand new jet around the runway giving hand signals out the window. Take off man! Show us what this thing can do.
I would be a bit remiss if I didn’t at least turn my attention somewhat to Jake Shields. After all, it takes two to tango, if by tango you mean be content with your fate that became clear in the first 5 minutes. Just when I hitch my wagon to the Jake Shields hype, begrudgingly though I have done it, he does the opposite of everything he said he would do. Jake Shields pushed the pace at times and worked to get the fight where he wanted it but there was no sense of urgency in him at any point in the fight. GSP had outclassed him on the feet and proved too difficult to take down. In that, I realize it is hard to even imagine what he might do differently, but this seems like too big an opportunity to not put it all the line – pull guard, rush forward, do something! Even Shields has conceded that he “hopes” to get one more shot at the title before he retires. That is not something you hear every day from fighters, a breed prone to hyperbole and unmitigated egotism. It seemed that Shields and the UFC were always trying to convince someone that Shields belonged in fight, which assumes that someone believed he didn’t. Then when fight time came around the only person who acted as if Shields didn’t belong was Shields, looking content to not get finished.
This all seems a bit unfair. GSP actually looked as if he had been in a fight, Shields’ striking looked better than it ever has. Shields actually won two rounds on two judges’ cards (for the life of me I can not figure out what two rounds he won) – so I have to give him some credit. It is just that viewed against the backdrop of what we were told to expect from this fight and what we had already seen on the card, this fight came up short and neither fighter smelled like roses when it was said and done. Fights like this bite the same criticisms that people wage against high profile boxing matches, a criticism ironically well waged against both sports this month.
GSP is still one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world and Jake Shields is still a solid welterweight fighter. These are things that did not change. However MMA doesn’t take too kindly to safe. If GSP wants to be remembered as the greatest of all time, as he says, then it is time for him to start proving it. He is a better fighter than almost anyone in the world but that is all for not if he isn’t willing to demonstrate how good he really is.
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