GSP Named One Of 2011's 'Most Overhyped Athletes'

[No More Sorrow]

Georges St-Pierre the most popular Canadian athlete? Maybe not so much.

Canada Sports Net's Perry Lefko recently penned a column on 2011's most over-hyped athletes and, in addition to questioning UFC president Dana White's assertion that GSP is the most globally-known Canadian athlete, he also pegged the UFC welterweight champion as an overblown sensation.

Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White said in December 2011 that St-Pierre is still the most popular athlete in Canada in terms of his international recognition -- we're not so sure about that -- but the welterweight champion is sidelined indefinitely with damaged knee ligaments. And even before his injury, St-Pierre was taking verbal shots from the public, the media and fighters for his inability to put away opponents.

He grabbed the international spotlight in April for headlining the first UFC card in Toronto, producing GSP mania. A record UFC crowd of more than 55,000 packed the Rogers Centre to finally see the conquering Canadian hero and he went the full five rounds with Jake Shields in what was more of a clinic on how not to lose a fight than actually win it.

Yes, GSP had problems seeing out of one eye because of a shot in the fight, but we've seen fighters with far bigger issues turn it up a notch. It was boring at best and continued a pattern of St-Pierre going the full distance without delivering the knockout blow or submission. Heck, the fight before it on the card was way more entertaining than the main event.

Lefko points to what many have said over recent years, that, as dominant, athletic and skillful as he is, GSP just isn't delivering the goods. Once known as a potent finisher, St-Pierre has been more content recently to exploit whatever edge he has over an opponent while making sure not to open himself up in any way to suffer from his opponent's offense. While this approach has made him one of the most dominant and victorious fighters in the game, it has also cost him some fans and earned him some criticism.

It certainly doesn't help St-Pierre's case that the only fight people remember him in from this year was a ho-hum decision over an outmatched Jake Shields. However, he's expected to take on the winner of the impending Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz bout whenever he returns from his knee injury and it's hard to picture fights against either of those men being boring, no matter GSP's strategy.

 

[Dale]

Lefko points to what many have said over recent years, that, as dominant, athletic and skillful as he is, GSP just isn't delivering the goods. Once known as a potent finisher, St-Pierre has been more content recently to exploit whatever edge he has over an opponent while making sure not to open himself up in any way to suffer from his opponent's offense. While this approach has made him one of the most dominant and victorious fighters in the game, it has also cost him some fans and earned him some criticism.

Beautifully summed up and the reason why i'm not a GSP fan

 

[Slim]

I guess I'm in the minority cause I'ma remain a GSP fan cause to me it doesn't matter that he hasn't finished a fight in a while. He still dominates and shows that he is better than his opponent in whatever area they feel they are better at. GSP is such a dominant fighter he needs to be challenged. He is a guy that fights smart and because he fights smart his career can last a lot longer than someone that is going to leave themselves open to be hit and beaten.

 

[The Cork]

Well it happens in combat sports, when a guy gets KO'd badly he tends to change his style to a more timid, gunshy type.

Hence what's happened here, with GSP/Serra.

 

[Slim]

He isn't completely gunshy but he just isn't looking to get blown out.

 

[Warren Static]

Lefko points to what many have said over recent years, that, as dominant, athletic and skillful as he is, GSP just isn't delivering the goods. Once known as a potent finisher, St-Pierre has been more content recently to exploit whatever edge he has over an opponent while making sure not to open himself up in any way to suffer from his opponent's offense. While this approach has made him one of the most dominant and victorious fighters in the game, it has also cost him some fans and earned him some criticism.

So him not wanting to get punched in the face makes him a bad fighter?

 

[Slim]

So him not wanting to get punched in the face makes him a bad fighter?

That's what I'm gathering. I mean really why is it that people have to go looking to get hit to be favored? Yeah his style isn't the most exciting but so is Anderson Silva, so is Machida, so is Jon Jones. How often do they get hit? Machida was so elusive... he changed his style and he got KO'd by Shogun in their second fight. He went more aggressive and that is what happened. But I don't see the problem with an elusive fighter. I don't see the problem with a guy that isn't always finishing people. It isn't enough that a guy can't show that he is just superior? That he isn't just dominant? At least he isn't doing what Anderson did to Maia.

In that fight you had Anderson dominate for a round and a half. maybe 2. one of those. But the rest of the fight he did nothing but dance around and taunt. At least GSP is still fighting. And just because the opponent isn't getting finished doesn't mean he isn't trying.

Lets see... Thiago Alves... GSP tore his groin in that fight but he still finished. Expect him to finish him off that easily?

Dan hardy... lets see... before the GSP fight the last time he was finished was 2005. He had 22 fights inbetween the two. GSP dominated but couldn't finish a guy that has proven to be very durable.

Koscheck - Finished 2 times in his career total. Not only that but he has dynamite in his hands. GSP goes in for the finish and slips... boom it is lights out. Not to mention that Koscheck has proven he can take hits. Not gonna be easy to finish him off.

Jake Shields - Before his GSP fight he was finished ONCE in his career and that was in 2000. ONCE! And even then he's only lost 4 times up til that fight. Then also we can take into account he not only fought Hendo but survived being pummeled by him. Not even Henderson could finish Shields and Henderson is known for finishing guys.

I think people are just being ridiculous with this whole GSP hate cause he hasn't finished anybody since the Serra fight. Although he did finish Penn, it was stopped due to corner stoppage... it didn't go to decision. But I just wanna know what is wrong with GSP? Those were his last fights and not everyone could finish those guys. Yeah Hardy took on a slump after the GSP fight... Shields wound up getting finished but there were circumstances surrounding that fight with the passing of his father.

People are just being unrealistic.

 

[Dale]

I guess I'm in the minority cause I'ma remain a GSP fan cause to me it doesn't matter that he hasn't finished a fight in a while. He still dominates and shows that he is better than his opponent in whatever area they feel they are better at. GSP is such a dominant fighter he needs to be challenged. He is a guy that fights smart and because he fights smart his career can last a lot longer than someone that is going to leave themselves open to be hit and beaten.

It's not the fact that he hasn't finished that bothers me really, it's the fact it comes across as though he doesn't actually want to finish it and is more than happy to go to the judges. If him not being able to finish fights was his actual achilles heel in the same sort of way that Bisping gets criticised for being unable to KO people, then I would be totally fine with the situation.

 

[The Cork]

That's what I'm gathering. I mean really why is it that people have to go looking to get hit to be favored? Yeah his style isn't the most exciting but so is Anderson Silva, so is Machida, so is Jon Jones. How often do they get hit? Machida was so elusive... he changed his style and he got KO'd by Shogun in their second fight. He went more aggressive and that is what happened. But I don't see the problem with an elusive fighter. I don't see the problem with a guy that isn't always finishing people. It isn't enough that a guy can't show that he is just superior? That he isn't just dominant? At least he isn't doing what Anderson did to Maia.

In that fight you had Anderson dominate for a round and a half. maybe 2. one of those. But the rest of the fight he did nothing but dance around and taunt. At least GSP is still fighting. And just because the opponent isn't getting finished doesn't mean he isn't trying.

Lets see... Thiago Alves... GSP tore his groin in that fight but he still finished. Expect him to finish him off that easily?

Dan hardy... lets see... before the GSP fight the last time he was finished was 2005. He had 22 fights inbetween the two. GSP dominated but couldn't finish a guy that has proven to be very durable.

Koscheck - Finished 2 times in his career total. Not only that but he has dynamite in his hands. GSP goes in for the finish and slips... boom it is lights out. Not to mention that Koscheck has proven he can take hits. Not gonna be easy to finish him off.

Jake Shields - Before his GSP fight he was finished ONCE in his career and that was in 2000. ONCE! And even then he's only lost 4 times up til that fight. Then also we can take into account he not only fought Hendo but survived being pummeled by him. Not even Henderson could finish Shields and Henderson is known for finishing guys.

I think people are just being ridiculous with this whole GSP hate cause he hasn't finished anybody since the Serra fight. Although he did finish Penn, it was stopped due to corner stoppage... it didn't go to decision. But I just wanna know what is wrong with GSP? Those were his last fights and not everyone could finish those guys. Yeah Hardy took on a slump after the GSP fight... Shields wound up getting finished but there were circumstances surrounding that fight with the passing of his father.

People are just being unrealistic.

Nobody's said hes a BAD fighter, theyve said hes a BORING fighter.

Cant really compare him to Anderson, Jones and the like considering how unorthodox their striking is, and how often they pull something special out the bag ie; last min choke on Sonnen and crane kick on Belfort. Silva got dogged way worse than this after the Maia and Okami fights too, so not sure what you're getting at there.

Hes an effective, dominant MMA fighter with a great brain, hence why he plays to his strengths even if its not crowd pleasing at all.

 

[Ben]

GSP is still a damn good fighter, like already said the fact that he's goes out there and plays it safe is why so many people jumped off his dick. Bottom line though the guy is still one of the top 3 P4P fighters in the world, he's just boring as fuck right now.

Think he's really concerned with cementing his legacy as this dominant fighter, and he just doesn't want to get in a Serra situation again. Think after he comes back though we'll see him go out there and maybe destroy someone like he used to.

 

[Slim]

Nobody's said hes a BAD fighter, theyve said hes a BORING fighter.

Cant really compare him to Anderson, Jones and the like considering how unorthodox their striking is, and how often they pull something special out the bag ie; last min choke on Sonnen and crane kick on Belfort. Silva got dogged way worse than this after the Maia and Okami fights too, so not sure what you're getting at there.

Hes an effective, dominant MMA fighter with a great brain, hence why he plays to his strengths even if its not crowd pleasing at all.

That's my point. How is a dominant fighter boring? How can he be boring? The only thing that I see people hating on him for is that he doesn't finish guys and those were the last 3 fights he had.

The Anderson Silva comparison wasn't to fighting styles... it was to how Anderson did not finish Maia even though he could have easily. Whereas those 3 guys GSP fought are not exactly guys that get finished yet people bitch cause he didn't finish them.

 

[The Cork]

It's subjective tbh, I can understand people thinking hes boring.

A lot of people watch MMA predominantly for the stand-up aspect of it, for guys like Diego Sanchez, Leben, Akiyama, guys like that, which is all well and good, but not really seeing the full picture. Ground work can be exciting too, like in the Mir/Big Nog fight on the last card, or Shogun/Barnett from PRIDE. But GSP rarely does that, he doesnt go for subs or GN'P that often and is just contempt with laying on a guy till hes stood up. Hence why a lot of non-fans see MMA as "two naked guys laying on each other omg gay"

 

[Troy]

It does frustrate me that GSP doesn't go for the finish anymore and it does look like he just tries to get the decision and that is it. The Shields fight was annoying since he dominated but then went into his shell after he got that cut which surprised me since I didn't expect someone with his experience to get so worked up and so thrown off by a cut. He is still one of the best fighters around because people just can't beat him.