The most widely anticipated superfight in modern MMA. Two of the very best pound for pound fighters in UFC. Two reigning MMA World Champions. Two dominant fighters from different places with diversed fighting techniques. Georges "Rush" St. Pierre vs. Anderson "The Spider" Silva. A fight that will spell the name of the greatest fighter in the face of MMA. Should there be one or should there be none?
This match has been around the corners with uncertainty as to when this should happen or if this should happen in the first place. After Anderson Silva defeated Vitor Belfort at UFC 126, one more integer is needed to close the equation and this is if GSP secures a win over Jake Shields at UFC 129. If for some strange reasons GSP loses, will it still happen or will it lose its merit to put in reality?
Firstly, GSP has to win his fight with Jake Shields to keep the raw basis of this superfight. It will likely not make sense otherwise if GSP goes up for a title shot against Silva and aims to win the Middleweight Championship coming from a title lost of his own. 2nd is his weight - it has been in talks that GSP will probably leave his title behind (if he wins at UFC 129) and go up to 185 lb and stay there. From 170 to 185 - what could be the upshots of this transition as far as his performance is concerned?
St. Pierre is 5' 10" while Silva is 4 inches taller and leading just an inch of a reach advantage. Skill and performance wise, GSP is absolutely in accord and putting a 10-15 lbs extra muscle would not harm his speed and his superb fighting ability. He is a relentless fighter with superior skills, facing a taller opponent is probably not something that will matter to him at all. Like it's the first time we'll see a physical mis-match in a fight, we've already seen Randy Couture won the Heavyweight championship against a bigger and taller Tim Sylvia, Cain Velasquez defeated a heavier Brock Lesnar, a smaller Mark Hominick knocked down a longer George Roop or a small Manny Pacquiao beating everybody from Flyweight to Junior Middleweight division.
Anderson Silva in contrast, doesn't play using his advantage but using his skills alone though his physical attributes are in extremes. His long limbs are lethal and his skills are also exceptional. He fights on a certain range of physical and mental discipline, his knock outs seemed effortless and his attention is focused only on winning from the minute the fight starts up to the end whether he's on top or behind. He always leaves mixed impressions of astonishment, disbelief, and a little bit of displeasure because he beats his opponents just-like-that. These make him very dangerous and the chances of St. Pierre to outmanuever a fighter like Silva are still open-ended. But knowing St. Pierre, he will definitely continue proving himself and push it to the edge not because he wants fame and fortune but because this is what he loves to do.
This is probably why it's called a superfight in the first place and frankly, there is actually not one reason why this should not come about. The fight per se will not be the point of debate, if it should fall out or not. The big question would be - what's next for these two warriors after this fight? It's a question that is really difficult to answer perhaps. Because it's a superfight of two of the greatest, two world champions, two most dominating, and two accomplished fighters, the outcome will likely give a one sided benefit only to the winner. It will definitely be a great deal for St. Pierre if he wins and what happens to Anderson? He might work on a rematch or probably make an attempt to go at 205 and challenge fighters in the Light Heavyweight yard. And what happens to GSP incase he loses? Would he take his words, shift gears and go back down fighting at 170? Or attempt for a rematch? and if he loses again? we'll never know.
This is without a doubt, a tremendous superfight every MMA fan will die to see but at the back of it, it leaves some intriguing questions in our minds too hot not to lay a hand on.
This match has been around the corners with uncertainty as to when this should happen or if this should happen in the first place. After Anderson Silva defeated Vitor Belfort at UFC 126, one more integer is needed to close the equation and this is if GSP secures a win over Jake Shields at UFC 129. If for some strange reasons GSP loses, will it still happen or will it lose its merit to put in reality?
Firstly, GSP has to win his fight with Jake Shields to keep the raw basis of this superfight. It will likely not make sense otherwise if GSP goes up for a title shot against Silva and aims to win the Middleweight Championship coming from a title lost of his own. 2nd is his weight - it has been in talks that GSP will probably leave his title behind (if he wins at UFC 129) and go up to 185 lb and stay there. From 170 to 185 - what could be the upshots of this transition as far as his performance is concerned?
St. Pierre is 5' 10" while Silva is 4 inches taller and leading just an inch of a reach advantage. Skill and performance wise, GSP is absolutely in accord and putting a 10-15 lbs extra muscle would not harm his speed and his superb fighting ability. He is a relentless fighter with superior skills, facing a taller opponent is probably not something that will matter to him at all. Like it's the first time we'll see a physical mis-match in a fight, we've already seen Randy Couture won the Heavyweight championship against a bigger and taller Tim Sylvia, Cain Velasquez defeated a heavier Brock Lesnar, a smaller Mark Hominick knocked down a longer George Roop or a small Manny Pacquiao beating everybody from Flyweight to Junior Middleweight division.
Anderson Silva in contrast, doesn't play using his advantage but using his skills alone though his physical attributes are in extremes. His long limbs are lethal and his skills are also exceptional. He fights on a certain range of physical and mental discipline, his knock outs seemed effortless and his attention is focused only on winning from the minute the fight starts up to the end whether he's on top or behind. He always leaves mixed impressions of astonishment, disbelief, and a little bit of displeasure because he beats his opponents just-like-that. These make him very dangerous and the chances of St. Pierre to outmanuever a fighter like Silva are still open-ended. But knowing St. Pierre, he will definitely continue proving himself and push it to the edge not because he wants fame and fortune but because this is what he loves to do.
This is probably why it's called a superfight in the first place and frankly, there is actually not one reason why this should not come about. The fight per se will not be the point of debate, if it should fall out or not. The big question would be - what's next for these two warriors after this fight? It's a question that is really difficult to answer perhaps. Because it's a superfight of two of the greatest, two world champions, two most dominating, and two accomplished fighters, the outcome will likely give a one sided benefit only to the winner. It will definitely be a great deal for St. Pierre if he wins and what happens to Anderson? He might work on a rematch or probably make an attempt to go at 205 and challenge fighters in the Light Heavyweight yard. And what happens to GSP incase he loses? Would he take his words, shift gears and go back down fighting at 170? Or attempt for a rematch? and if he loses again? we'll never know.
This is without a doubt, a tremendous superfight every MMA fan will die to see but at the back of it, it leaves some intriguing questions in our minds too hot not to lay a hand on.
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