St. Pierre vs. Serra

[javaguru]

Serra never got anything going. He fought defense the whole fight. It ended pretty much like I thought it would, via GnP tko, but a lot early than I thought it would. I thought the stoppage was premature although Serra wasn't doing too much other than hanging on.

I really liked the Bocek v. Danzig fight.

Lutter was disappointing. I hope gassing out doesn't become his modus operandi.

Bisping Looked really sharp.

Did anyone see the Damian Maia fight?

That's what happens when someone is just outclassed as a fighter. I know the "official" answer from GSP was "personal problems" but I have to wonder how much "champion syndrome" played into his losing the title. I think it was a wake up call and that he needs to take every fight seriously.

 

[Jacob Creutzfeldt]

That's what happens when someone is just outclassed as a fighter. I know the "official" answer from GSP was "personal problems" but I have to wonder how much "champion syndrome" played into his losing the title. I think it was a wake up call and that he needs to take every fight seriously.

The constant onslaught of punches from Serra in GSP v. Serra I was GSP's personal problem that night. If GSP didn't train properly for the first fight, he probably wouldn't have come in at a ripped 175 pounds.

 

[javaguru]

The constant onslaught of punches from Serra in GSP v. Serra I was GSP's personal problem that night. If GSP didn't train properly for the first fight, he probably wouldn't have come in at a ripped 175 pounds.

I wasn't saying training, I'm claiming mindset. He didn't take the fight as seriously as he should have mentally. I've played football and wrestled and IMO your mindset is as important as your physical preparation.

 

[the_alcatraz]

That's what happens when someone is just outclassed as a fighter. I know the "official" answer from GSP was "personal problems" but I have to wonder how much "champion syndrome" played into his losing the title. I think it was a wake up call and that he needs to take every fight seriously.

Agreed.

 

[Jacob Creutzfeldt]

I wasn't saying training, I'm claiming mindset. He didn't take the fight as seriously as he should have mentally. I've played football and wrestled and IMO your mindset is as important as your physical preparation.

Trained extremely hard and got in top shape for a guy he thought he would just tool? I don't buy that. I think generally a guy is going to fight like he trains. The slacking will come during the 12+ weeks of preparation, not during the fight. Once you are hit in a fight, the urge to play around with an opponent will most likely stop.

The difference in this fight is that St. Pierre didn't back up. When Serra came in clinching range instead of backing out, St. Pierre used his wrestling skills to take Serra down and pound him. I suppose one can speculate about mindsets, excuses, underestimating opponents, the effects of being in the hometown, etc., but in the end in this fight St. Pierre didn't back out of clinches and that's how he avoided what happened in the first fight. He took Serra down and pounded him when Serra got near (ala gjohnson5's predictions) St. Pierre fought a different fight. Underestimating an opponent doesn't mean you took it easy on him either. It means that he was better than you thought he was.

 

[the_alcatraz]

St. Pierre was ready to run the 100 mt dash from his stance at the begining of the fight. He attacked and he was absolutely relentless in his strikes. His knees to Serra's body and his strikes to Serra's head were relentless and damaging

 

[javaguru]

Trained extremely hard and got in top shape for a guy he thought he would just tool? I don't buy that. I think generally a guy is going to fight like he trains. The slacking will come during the 12+ weeks of preparation, not during the fight. Once you are hit in a fight, the urge to play around with an opponent will most likely stop.

The difference in this fight is that St. Pierre didn't back up. When Serra came in clinching range instead of backing out, St. Pierre used his wrestling skills to take Serra down and pound him. I suppose one can speculate about mindsets, excuses, underestimating opponents, the effects of being in the hometown, etc., but in the end in this fight St. Pierre didn't back out of clinches and that's how he avoided what happened in the first fight. He took Serra down and pounded him when Serra got near (ala gjohnson5's predictions) St. Pierre fought a different fight. Underestimating an opponent doesn't mean you took it easy on him either. It means that he was better than you thought he was.

I don't think I'm conveying my point. GSP should have dominated him in their first fight. What I learned in football and wrestling is that I/we beat people I/we shouldn't have and lost a couple I/we shouldn't based on skill and experience. It's the old saying, you "play" to your competition. I got surprised by some "wrestlers on a mission" that were lesser than me and I beat quite a few as a freshman in high school that assumed my skills were lesser.

 

[the_alcatraz]

I don't think I'm conveying my point. GSP should have dominated him in their first fight. What I learned in football and wrestling is that I/we beat people I/we shouldn't have and lost a couple I/we shouldn't based on skill and experience. It's the old saying, you "play" to your competition. I got surprised by some "wrestlers on a mission" that were lesser than me and I beat quite a few as a freshman in high school that assumed my skills were lesser.

St. Pierre should've definately dominated Serra the first fight.