I acknowledge that Shields is a huge threat to GSP, but I just think right now is the wrong time to fight him. A couple years ago, I'd be really concerned, but at this point, he's ever evolving and getting exponentially better (which is scary). I see GSP as being able to keep the fight on the feet by stuffing his take down attempts (via being miles ahead of him athletically) and making it a really bad night for Shields.
GSP via 3rd round TKO.
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Last edited by batdude123 on Apr 27th, 2011 at 04:49 AM
Ha. There is a lot wrong about this thread. At the time i was a bit.....confused....even the poll was too much to figure out. Anyway. What about this whole 'jake is a better grappler' thing? I honestly don't think that true, and if it is, they're not that far apart. Of course he's technically superior, but not practically superior. Technically Kos, hughes and fitch are far, far superior Grapplers. But in use, not so much. BUT the more i watch shields the more I worry about the canadian.
I don't think Koscheck, Fitch, and Hughes are superior grapplers to GSP.
Jake's grappling is really in a league of its own. He is so good at grappling, that he wins despite sucking at literally every other aspect of martial arts. You could make the argument that the UFC welterweights are just better than the competition Shield's has faced before, but time will tell.
GSP will still win of course, but it's because GSP is one of the most versatile guys ever in MMA. Heck, GSP is a freak; it wouldn't surprise me if he busted out an even more godlike ground game on Jake.
I think long pig meant "wrestlers," not "grapplers."
Also, in terms of technique vs. practical usage, I understand what he's trying to say. Shogun is technically superior to Jones on the ground, but Jones' athleticism and raw, explosive power really made the difference. Georges is a much better athlete than Jake, and it really wouldn't surprise me if he was able to neutralize Jake's ground game if it ended up there.
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Ok. That seems more reasonable then. There is a slight difference between wrestling and the submission fighting that people usually mean when they say "grappling."
When it comes to metahumans like GSP, it all gets relative. In a typical fight, 10% chances at victory are horrible. Against GSP, it's as good as you're going to get. Shields causes such a stir because he is the one fighter that actually brings something to the table. When you take guys like Fitch/Alves/Koscheck, there is literally no area where you can say "yeah, GSP will definitely be in trouble if the fight goes here." GSP just outclasses them. Jake is the only guy where you can point out a specific area in which he might threaten GSP.
When Serra beat GSP, Matt Hughes put it perfectly. GSP should take Serra(in this case Shields) 9/10 times. Serra's(possibly Shields's) victory is just that 1/10 coming through.
Last edited by StyleTime on Apr 28th, 2011 at 10:43 PM
That was the only way i could phrase it. What I mean is Jake, just like every other grappler he's faced, has tons of credentials and titles and GSP has none. KOS was a D1 wrestling champ, but got out wrestled by a guy who's wrestled for what.....less than ten years? Same with Fitch. Hughs too. They are all more skilled at actual wrestling, but GSP is able to apply it better. I'm sure a lot of it is due to superior athleticism, but whatever. He's going to out wrestle jake, and whatever he lacks in bjj, if anything, he'll make up with superior execution. Isn't he a gracie black belt, too? Under Henzo i think. Maybe not. I hope jake wins though. It'd be a great upset to witness.