GSP=LNP? WTF? A rebuttal by Matthew Wheeler

GSP = LNP? WTF!
BY MATTHEW WHEELER

This article has been written in response to James Rowe’s article at this link:http://www.thefightnerd.com/gsp-lnp//

Let me start this off with a little history on Georges st. Pierre to get everyone a little more into where I am coming from. GSP started Kyokushin karate at the age of seven, with his father and another master, later on in his life he picked up wrestling, B.J.J., and boxing. He earned his brown belt from Renzo Gracie and his black belt from Bruno Fernandes in Brazilian jiu jitsu. Entering the fight world he knew little about ground game and won his first amateur and pro fight by KO / TKO. Four of his first seven fights, and eight of his twenty one pro fights have been won and stopped by his striking. He has went to decision six times in 21 fights all six resulting in a win.

        Lay and pray, in my eyes is sitting in guard or half guard with no attempts to improve position, submit, or cause severe damage by ground and pound to opponents. Every single time I watch GSP these days, he is working for mount, side control, or a submission once he works his takedowns. A good example of the striker based GSP is his fight against Jon Fitch, how many times was Fitch dropped by GSP? Lets take a look at GSP compared to other fighters now. BJ Penn has had 20 fights six have gone to decision, 3 of them he has lost, GSP won all six. So we have 21 -6 and 20-6 for BJ Penn and GSP and BJ has the right to call GSP a boring Decision fighter that Lay’s and prays the whole time? GSP comes into every fight with a game plan, He came in there and finished BJ Penn with his striking, Matt Hughes is the only other to do this. Did he lay in pray that fight? GSP was not a wrestling pedigree, but look at the wrestlers he has beat. Sean Sherk, has had over 400 wrestling matches in his life, beaten by GSP. Koscheck was a D-1 wrestling champion, and was beaten by GSP. Matt Hughes “All American Wrestler” beaten by strikes, and by a wicked arm bar. Alves had a fight with submission attempts resulting in GSP being in bottom position, GSP pulled a muscle in his groin, he still conquered with ground control, not lay and pray, and left Alves battered and beaten after the fight. Fitch received worse, especially considering GSP knocked down Fitch around eight times with his strikes. It’s funny to say he is a lay and pray artist and boring fighter, yet all these guys have split faces or lost the fight to complete domination. I guess  that praying somehow battered all these guys up?

        No other fighter has takedown timing like St. Pierre. GSP has thrown effective knees to the mid section from side control. He has thrown punches and elbows to end fights. He has also used submissions on the ground to end fights. It’s not like he has won 19 fights by a boring decision, he has won 6 by decision, 8 by KO/TKO, and 5 by submission. He has avenged his only two professional loses against Matt Hughes, and Matt Serra. He also went back and avenged a close decision win to BJ Penn by raining down vicious ground and pound threw GnP almost the whole fight, forcing the towel to be thrown in, by a guy who said he was going to fight to the death. I didn’t see where his laying on BJ Penn resulted in him quitting.

GSP comes into every fight with a great game plan, and he is in my opinion the best in combining grappling with striking. Watch his fights with Matt Hughes He puts on a Striking, footwork, and takedown defense show. He is the complete package, beating fighters at what they are good at. Koscheck and Penn are my best examples of this he beat a great wrestler and took down Mr. takedown defense. He also has incredible heart to go back into a fight, with a serious injury, and land a takedown and continue to try and end the fight. Ground control and takedowns is what GSP is a master of, it is not an easy thing to do, even against better wrestlers but he seems to pull it off it great fashion. Of course to the casual MMA fan he will be called boring, and a lay and prayer, but in my eyes he is a Master and the best all around fighter that combines grappling with striking.