Ufc rbr

Right, might as well post my bull**** before I **** off to play Mortal Kombat.

The fight was an obvious disappointment, but both men were hit with the wrong gameplans and a form of respect ruined their ability to fight. First of all, I'll talk about Shields, because I believe he was hard done in this fight.

Shields, as we all know, is a spectacular wrestler and a master of getting it to the ground and making it his fight. Some would argue he does it better than GSP, he makes it his fight. GSP, controls it from the get-go, Shields can turn a fight that looks in his opponents favour to his quite quickly. For example, Henderson can put people away quite easily, but he managed to make it his fight for another 4 rounds. Shields is a grappler, pure and simple, but he was given an absolutely horrible gameplan, and I have no question that that was the reason he was unable to do anything. From what I gather from the corner, they planned to clinch GSP and go from there, I expect this because if they wanted Shields to simply stand with GSP as he was, it would've been as fruitless as displayed. However, Shields showed his jab and that while his striking is not on the level that is required to stand with the elite in MMA, he has weapons, albeit not enough to outweigh his weaknesses in this department.

While I admit, GSP getting in a clinch is an interesting strategy, I have to blame Shields in this department, as he couldn't get close enough to GSP to do anything, but this is not his position. His position was simple from the get go, get GSP down. Get him into unknown territory, and when I say unknown territory, I don't mean questions the media aren't asking. Nobody asked how GSP was in the clinch, its all about how is he on the back, that doesn't mean you do a swerve and try to clinch GSP, especially as a wrestler, because as we all know a wrestler's clinch leads to a takedown anyway. It's a formality, you don't try to get him in a clinch unless you're a muay thai specialist, and even if you do get him in, it's a setup to the grand scheme of things.

Jake Shields should not've been handed the plan to stand with GSP and if he had, he should've gotten closer to actually take him down. And either way, at the end of his day, you find out about the fighter when they think for themself. And he did this on several occasions. GSP managed to rock Shields and he decided to try and take it to the ground, in which GSP effortlessly shook him off, which makes me believe GSP was simply too hard for Shields to take down anyway, but he fought it with the wrong gameplan, but still managed to do enough damage to cause concern for my main focus; GSP.

There's a lot of focus on GSP, how could they not be? And while I say most of the blame can fall on Shields tacticians and some of the blame goes on him for not trying it out, I can say its the opposites for the other corner. Some of the blame can go for Greg Jackson's plan but most of the blame can go for GSP. GSP was respectful to Shields, he knew not to take it to the ground in any part, he took his chances, and I respect that, but you've got to keep it within reason. I will first, however, take away the injury he recieved. Jake Shields was underestimated and caught GSP and injured him, with a similar injury that Koscheck recieved, in something that could be ironic but isn't really. GSP can say that threw him off the gameplan in general, but that's not the issue. 3 times he's done it from my recollection. He failed to finish Hardy when he had the opportunity. Hardy is not rubberlimbed, as much as people might like to think, me includeed who is currenetly wearing an Outlaw shirt. If you get the guy in the position, you can finish him. If you're good enough, you can settle it, be a guy who's never been finished or submitted, nobody is impervious to it.

GSP did not finish that fight. The same goes for Koscheck, which I believe is a lesser circumstance considering Koscheck is a warrior and not to be taken lightly on his feet. However, if we're going to compare GSP to the great Anderson Silva, this guy can not let guys like Hardy build his name on rubber limbs and Koscheck on the damage he can take. He needs to finish the fights, and he himself realised that. All through that fight he knew he wanted to put on a show but couldn't. Whatever it is in him, I don't know if it's inner fear of peer pressure or what, but he will not step on it and thats what stops him from stepping up in class and taking on Anderson Silva. Silva will throttle him, and GSP is unable to step away from the gameplan and make his own mark, like Shields did and made his own impact. GSP needs to make a choice. He can play his corners game and keep challengers off until the cows come home, but its a losing game. At the end of the day, its a business, and GSP will be urged and pressured until again, the cows come home, to do something else instead of playing it safe. Unlike boxing, GSP doesn't have the ability to build his own promotion nor does he have ties with anyone other than the UFC, so he can only do what is recommended and such.

So this means GSP can't keep defending the Welterweight title forever, and he knows this. I see it inside him and most people do, he doesn't want to bore the fans, but he doesn't want to lose the title either. For whatever reason, be it him or management, he wants to keep it, and if he ever ventures to Middleweight, its not the management that will keep him in the ranks, but his own ability and mind. If he plans to stick to a gameplan, then Anderson Silva will punish him, because this is a man that is not limited to honouring his opponent or being scared of a finish, he will go all out. GSP does not want to face a man like this with his current state of mind.

tl;dr: I would smash GG.