Would St. Pierre Have Won UFC 1?

No, he doesn't have the guts and heart of Royce to fight 200lb+ men.

 

Well if Gracie excelled like he did at 170 pounds or whatnot, I see no reason why a better fighter at that weight wouldn't win it. It's scary to think of GSP up against 250+ pound guys, but then I remember that most of them back in the day were gigantic oafs who couldn't defend a takedown against a toddler. Then I also remember that they flounder on their backs like dead fish, and I could see GSP breaking a few arms.

 

Absolutely, if he knows that his opponents don't know basic ground fighting...

He beats Royce and Ken on his feet, everyone else on the ground.

 

Yes, easily.

 

Don't forget watch UFC 1-3 and Royce fought guys that didn't know what an armbar was...except Shamrock...and Kimo gave him a great fight...and then again Hackney also. royce was ahead of time...plain and simple but if you look at Royces record in the last few years he really isn't all that impressive.

 

Handily.

I can't think of any fighter at UFC 1 that was better at anything than GSP is right now.

 

I think Royce had(s) better jiu-jitsu.

 

Maybe in some sort of abstract knowledge of technique sense, but he would be just straight up bitched by GSP in live grappling so its a moot point to me.

Royce has undoubtedly gotten more technically skilled since UFC 1, and only mildly less athletic.

Given how utterly Hughes outclassed Royce and how utterly GSP outclassed Hughes, I can't see Royce even hanging around with GSP in actuall applied jiu jitsu.

 

Riiiiiiight.............that would be the 40 year old Royce that went against a prime Matt Hughes?
I'm talking about prime Royce not the old man version.

 

Royce was ahead of everybody else back then...nobody trained BJJ....now everybody trains it or at least submission training and sub defense training.

And that fight was at 175 with Hughes...and Hughes looked great....that's why I'm wonder if going to 185 is not a bad idea for him.I'm not sure what he walks around at but he would be a bull at 185.

 

Hughes would never get through Hendo or A.Silva, I'm not even sure he could get through Franklin. Hughes walks around at about 185 but all those 185 fighters walk around at 200lbs+

In America, weight cutting is so built into the mentality over there, its just something they do.
Forrest Griffin walks around at 240, nearly all Lightweights walk around at 170-175lbs.
What ever you nauturally walk around at you should then cut to the weight class lower than you, either that or face guys who come into fight night 15+20lbs heavier than you.

I think thats why alot of Pride guys might be losing in the UFC, those guys never did the ultra extensive cutting that American UFC guys did so they come into the weight class they used to fight in going up against guys significantly heavier than them.
I would recommend, Wanderlei and Shogun both cut to 185 and maybe Crocop to 205.

 

The thing is that 40 year old Royce is a better fighter than the prime Royce. He gains alot of experience and skill, and losses not much athletically because he never really had a ton to begin with.

 

No, I really don't think a 40 year old man is as good as a man in his mid 20's, he may physically looked the same but I seriously doubt he was, he was much slower for instance against Hughes.
Nothing really to be proud of, its like Fedor beating crippled old Coleman, Lindland or Choi Can.

 

Ken would be his toughest opponent, in fact I don't think anyone under 185 can beat the version of Ken who beat Johnston (right before he went to WWF).

But at UFC 1 Ken was still Green and I think GSP beats him and Royce.