Anderson Silva vs. George St. Pierre possible?

[Mr. C]

These two fighters are clearly the best fighters in the UFC and could easily meet at middleweight for a fight sometime in 2010 for Silva’s title. I’d love to see it happen.

[Stickman]

I think everybody wants this fight to happen.

[The Mask]

me too but i doubt it will. silva is between LHW and MW and i don't think GSP has even fought at MW before.

mad abbreviations.

it'd be an interesting fight though, no doubt. totally different styles.

[Krimzon7]

Yo, The fight tonight was absolutely the last fight we'll see him at Middle weight. Call this a hunch, but I think it's a done deal that he's headed up a division.

[The Mask]

ufc is kinda fucked up. i think they need to spend more time having the 2nd to 5th place fighters fighting each other before a title shot. people are walking into fights not as good or rounded as they could be and it just makes the champions better and better while widening the gap something fierce.

[Crimson]

^^ I agree. But I think the reasoning is that the UFC doesn't always get their way. I mean they sometimes just try and cash in on a hot young name right away in fear said fighter will lose a fight before a title shot.

[Dave Youell]

I was having this exact dscussion with a mate on the weekend, weird.

Needless to say, I think every man and his dog would buy that PPV

[Dave Youell]

Whilst we are at it, Anderson Silva Vs Brock Lesnar :shifty:

[Brujesino]

Whilst we are at it, Anderson Silva Vs Brock Lesnar :shifty:

well silva does want to move up to heavyweight in the future

[Jura]

Silva looks more natural, I mean his body does, at LHW. He looks pretty lanky at MW. There's no one really at MW for him I think so he's probably gonna do a lot of LHW matches. It's more of a challenge with all those fighters. Let's see GSP move up to MW before we talk more about it.

[Anybody Thrilla]

ufc is kinda fucked up. i think they need to spend more time having the 2nd to 5th place fighters fighting each other before a title shot. people are walking into fights not as good or rounded as they could be and it just makes the champions better and better while widening the gap something fierce.

Agreed. Even though he's turning out to be a good champion, the fact that Brock Lesnar even got a title shot so quickly was a little wacky, I always thought.

[MoFo]

bump


Interview from Kampmann/Sanchez on Versus -


Is St Pierre having doubts about a super fight against Anderson Silva? It sounds like that may be the case in a recent interview after UFC on Versus 3 (transcription via Bloody Elbow):

"I don't know (about fighting Anderson Silva). I need to sit down with my entourage and see first where this fight will take place and what weight, and a bunch of stuff. Right now I'm focusing just on Jake Shields, I don't see further than Jake Shields. It would take a long time (to add the size). Anderson Silva is a huge guy; he's weighing around 230 pounds. He's very big. Even when he fights as a light heavyweight, he looks bigger than the other guys. I don't know if I'm going to go up (to) 185. I have no idea; it's a complete reorientation of my career. I have a lot to lose and I haven't thought about it, I haven't sat down to talk about it."

Interesting words coming from Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre as the highly anticipated superfight against Anderson Silva gets closer and closer to becoming a reality. If "Rush" gets past Jake Shields at UFC 129 on April 30, Dana White has made it clear the next step in the French-Canadian's quest to become the greatest of all time will be to defeat the promotion's middleweight kingpin. But from the sounds of it, "GSP" is having second thoughts of jumping up to 185-pounds.

[IC Champion]

Doesn't really sound any different from what he's been saying recently.

[Savio]

Agreed. Even though he's turning out to be a good champion, the fact that Brock Lesnar even got a title shot so quickly was a little wacky, I always thought.
Yeah a lot of people felt the same way who I talked too.

[The Mask]

it's not that wacky since he actually won.

[El Fangel]

Im not that into UFC, but was thinking if they loosened the weight rules slightly, it could be yo their advantage, as long as fighter's were within 10 pounds (or something) of each other. Of course i know know little of the rules, but was wondering if anyone else thought of something of the sort.

[The Mask]

well they have catchweight fights. i see GSP's point on this though cause anderson would be a nightmare for him stylistically, and to be giving away height, weight and reach on top of that makes silva odds on favourite.

[Sixx]

Yo, St. Piette would win, cause he's white.

[El Capitano Gatisto]

Im not that into UFC, but was thinking if they loosened the weight rules slightly, it could be yo their advantage, as long as fighter's were within 10 pounds (or something) of each other. Of course i know know little of the rules, but was wondering if anyone else thought of something of the sort.

The fighter's weigh-in weight might be within 10 lbs. but their actual weight on the night of the fight could be another 10 lbs. different on top of that. There's no point trying to arrange physically unequal fights, it proves nothing unless the lighter guy somehow wins. It's not really realistic expecting a guy like Anderson Silva, who probably already comes down a fair bit in weight to fight at Middleweight, to drop much at this stage of his career and/or life, so GSP has to put the weight on. Trying to put the fighting weight on for him will take time, in fact it might mess up his whole style and his stamina, particularly for one fight. The more weight you put on a frame, the more power you gain but you lose speed and endurance.

GSP would need to probably move up towards Silva's fighting weight over the course of a year if this was to happen, with a couple of fights in between. What would it prove if they find some catchweight only for GSP to be physically dominated or for Anderson Silva to be completely gassed? People should want to see this sort of fight be decided on the basis of the skill of the two fighters. If it's not possible for it to happen naturally and fairly then it shouldn't happen.

[Reavant]

to be fair silva fought at 169 the fight before he came in and fought leban in the ufc

[El Capitano Gatisto]

Yeah but that was 5-6 years ago? The older you get, the heavier you get and the harder it is to shift the weight, just a fact of life. There's a big drop off from your mid/late-20s to mid-30s in terms of how quickly you can shift your weight.

Plus, you know better than anyone else that there's a difference between dropping your weight to make a weigh-in, and what you are walking around/training as and then what you walk into the fight as. If Anderson Silva wants to drop down to a catch-weight, it's potentially easier than GSP having to add true lean bulk to his body to be able to cope with the extra power and the effect added bulk would have on his style. I think GSP is completely right to want time for to get ready for this.

[The Naitch]

I knew it. GSP is a pussy.

[Funky Fly]

Catchweight bout would be best if it were to happen. Neither guy gains anything by moving to the other's weight class and taking the other belt except a more difficult training regimen. This isn't boxing where there are so many weight classes that going up and down is easy. 15 pounds is a hell of a difference for either guy.

[IC Champion]

Yeah but that was 5-6 years ago? The older you get, the heavier you get and the harder it is to shift the weight, just a fact of life. There's a big drop off from your mid/late-20s to mid-30s in terms of how quickly you can shift your weight.

Plus, you know better than anyone else that there's a difference between dropping your weight to make a weigh-in, and what you are walking around/training as and then what you walk into the fight as. If Anderson Silva wants to drop down to a catch-weight, it's potentially easier than GSP having to add true lean bulk to his body to be able to cope with the extra power and the effect added bulk would have on his style. I think GSP is completely right to want time for to get ready for this.

This. GSP has stated numerous times in the past that he would need time to move up, and properly add the weight, and that he was always weary of doing so for the very reasons stated above.

[Kris P Lettus]

I'll say it again, Silva will tear him apart on the feet.. His size and reach will be too much for him.. The only guy Silva had fought in the UFC that was physically bigger than him was Forrest Griffin and we all remember how that turned out.. GSP should fight at 185 while Silva should be at 205.. The only chance GSP has is to take Silva down, which I don't see happening easily for him.. Then he has to worry about Silvas BJJ..

All that being said, I will def buy this fight of/when it happens..

[The Mask]

tbh, assuming (and it's a big assumption) that jon jones wins the LHW belt, that's a superfight i'd much rather see, and seems like it'd be way easier to put together.

[IC Champion]

I'll say it again, Silva will tear him apart on the feet.. His size and reach will be too much for him.. The only guy Silva had fought in the UFC that was physically bigger than him was Forrest Griffin and we all remember how that turned out.. GSP should fight at 185 while Silva should be at 205.. The only chance GSP has is to take Silva down, which I don't see happening easily for him.. Then he has to worry about Silvas BJJ..

All that being said, I will def buy this fight of/when it happens..

GSP takes down Nate Marquart and Rashad Evans in training. I just don't see GSP having that big a problem getting Silva down. And please stop bringing up Forrest Griffin as an example, you realize GSP is 10 times the athlete and much quicker and much more agile? It's apples and oranges.

[Reavant]

those two have a completely different style than silva.

It has nothing to do with gsp's or anyone elses physical prowess, it has to do with the style of fighting each has and again sparring in practice is completely different that an actual match.

[IC Champion]

those two have a completely different style than silva.

It has nothing to do with gsp's or anyone elses physical prowess, it has to do with the style of fighting each has and again sparring in practice is completely different that an actual match.

I completly agree. It's why a Forrest comparison or example is absurd. My point was more that Silvas been taken done before, and GSP is a very accomplished MMA wrestler. Travis Lutter, Dan Henderson and even Belfort was able to breifly take Silva down. I'm not over looking Silvas stand up, and deadly striking, I just don't believe GSP will have as hard a time getting Silva down as some believe.

[IC Champion]

Really, ignoring wrestling and striking for a minute, it comes down to how well GSP is able to deal with Silvas size and reach. I believe GSP will be able to get the fight to the ground, but then it becomes a question of Silva able to get back to his feet, and how well can GSP control Silva on top. Silva didn't really look for alot of sweeps or escapes against Chael, in the earlier rounds he made some attemps, but he was put right back down almost instantly.

[Reavant]

I completly agree. It's why a Forrest comparison or example is absurd. My point was more that Silvas been taken done before, and GSP is a very accomplished MMA wrestler. Travis Lutter, Dan Henderson and even Belfort was able to breifly take Silva down. I'm not over looking Silvas stand up, and deadly striking, I just don't believe GSP will have as hard a time getting Silva down as some believe.

again look how those guys got silva to the ground and look how gsp gets people to the ground.

[Kris P Lettus]

Tight clinch to throw compared to diving shots..

[Kris P Lettus]

Silva is an outside fighter which is why guys like Hendo are able to take him down.. GSP is also an outside fighter, but prefers ground work to striking..

I wasn't comparing Griffin to GSP but merely using him as an example of Silvas striking power against much larger fighters than GSP.. You are the one who is comparing apples and oranges, IC..

[Reavant]

ok no... see your not getting it either

gsp doesnt take diving shots at all. SONNEN DOES. And henderson was only able to take andersone down once and really did nothing with it.

diving into his legs has been shown as pretty much the way to go but you have to be as tough as sonnen is to take the shots coming in to get the takedown.

Gsp never dives in. He waits for you to come to him or get aggressive with the striking and he cuts under you. Not seeing how that will be effective against silve

[Kris P Lettus]

All I know is GSP will get ko'ed..

[Stickman]

I actually see this fight being horrible as neither will engage for 2 rounds. I love both guys but I don't see them going balls out. Silva doesn't fight like that and GSP would be tentative.

[Next Big Thing]

I agree with Stickman. GSP is not a finisher, which is o.k. because what he did to Koscheck with his jab was a work of art, BUT Silva is not Koscheck and won't stand and trade if he's getting tagged and if GSP does get the fight to the ground he's not going to TKO him or submit him. So it will just be 5 rounds of Canadian on Brazilian man sex if GSP gets control like that.

Anderson has also shown that he will not put himself in harms way if he doesn't have to and will have no problem staring at GSP until he makes a move. So there will also be a lot of eye contact in this graphic caged sex scene.

I see GSP either getting TKOd or winning via an incredibly boring decision.

[Stickman]

I can see GSP gnp to victory. But it will be incredibly dangerous to go for the take down.

[Mr. JL]

http://www.mmamania.com/2011/3/13/2049216/the-411-on-pound-for-pound

I'm not entirely certain this is a real picture or just the two fighters copied and pasted side by side, but I think the picture tells a lot.

[Pete Cash]

Gsp never dives in. He waits for you to come to him or get aggressive with the striking and he cuts under you. Not seeing how that will be effective against silve

Thats exactly the point with the fight. Anderson will happily just dance away from GSP the entire fight using his reach to outpoint him. He will happily win a five round dance off which forces GSP to shoot in where he will eat shots.

GSP is an amazing Mixed Martial Artist but is he prepared to have the crowd booing him while he waits for Anderson to commit