Nick Diaz vs. Georges St. Pierre at UFC 137 is one of the biggest fights left this year in a lot of fans minds. The meeting of the Strikeforce welterweight champ and the UFC welterweight champion will do big in pay-per-view draws.Two fighters who have …
Nick Diaz vs. Georges St. Pierre at UFC 137 is one of the biggest fights left this year in a lot of fans minds. The meeting of the Strikeforce welterweight champ and the UFC welterweight champion will do big in pay-per-view draws.
Two fighters who have seemingly cleared out their divisions, and one fighter who will push the other to finally open up and stop playing it safe.
Who will be left standing come UFC 137? Who has the edge in the separate departments? Here is an early head-to-toe breakdown of Strikeforce welterweight champion, Nick Diaz, and UFC welterweight champion, Georges St-Pierre.
When the news came out earlier this week that UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre would be fighting Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz at UFC 137, discussions immediately began about whether Nick Diaz is the man who can dethrone GSP.Wi…
When the news came out earlier this week that UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre would be fighting Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz at UFC 137, discussions immediately began about whether Nick Diaz is the man who can dethrone GSP.
With Diaz’s unique set of skills, many believe that St-Pierre is in for a rude awakening. But I’m here to say the exact opposite.
Georges St-Pierre is Nick Diaz’s worst nightmare.
Sure, Nick Diaz is different than any other opponent that St-Pierre has ever fought. He brings tremendous cardio along with unbelievable toughness; and that’s not even bringing up his actual fighting skills.
But St-Pierre is essentially a better version of the style that has stifled Diaz throughout his entire career. It has been such a problem for him, in fact, that Diaz has even publicly complained about the way that fighting inside a cage has negatively impacted the sport by giving an advantage to wrestlers.
Though he doesn’t have a college background in it, few would debate the point that Georges St-Pierre may actually be the best wrestler in mixed martial arts. It was years ago, but if Sean Sherk, Joe Riggs and Diego Sanchez could handle Diaz, just imagine what the top welterweight in the world can do.
It has been long perceived that Diaz’s biggest weakness is stopping wrestlers, so he will certainly be working on that as he prepares for the fight. But like many of St-Pierre’s opponents in the past, expect there to come a point in the fight, particularly in the fourth or fifth rounds if it comes to that, where GSP makes use of his 77-percent takedown offense and brings the fight to the canvas.
From there, we’ll have a chance to see just how good Diaz’s jiu-jitsu really is. No one doubts Diaz’s skills on the ground, but the biggest question may be if he will be able to find any openings to throw on a submission against perhaps the “safest” fighter in the sport today.
GSP uses an unbelievably controlling style to keep his opponents on the ground without ever really being in any trouble of being submitted from the bottom. In fact, one could make the case that the last time he was even in any trouble whatsoever if being submitted was all the way back in March of 2006 in his first encounter with BJ Penn. Penn was seemingly attempting a gogoplata, but St-Pierre broke free and landed a flurry of punches before winning the judges’ decision.
But it’s not just Diaz’s wrestling that could be a mismatch in this fight. While many fans and experts believe that he will be at a disadvantage in the standup game, Georges St-Pierre may just surprise us all again by taking it to his opponent on the feet.
Almost everyone expected his most recent fight against Josh Koscheck to be another St-Pierre wrestling clinic to avoid his opponent’s ever-improving standup game. But much to the contrary, GSP actually seemed very comfortable picking apart Kos on the feet. In fact, early in the fight, a broken orbital bone showed that St-Pierre may have more power in his hands than we give him credit for.
Then again, Diaz does have some of the best punching skills in the business as he showed against Paul Daley. While Daley’s powerful hands clobbered Diaz more than once, the kid from Stockton kept his composure and was able to unleash a series of body and head shots that eventually ended the fight in the first round.
But as was shown in the fight with Daley, Nick Diaz’s confidence can sometimes be his downfall. While he was unquestionably the better fighter on the ground, he insisted on standing with the Brit and exchanging blows. GSP doesn’t have the same kind of power that Daley does, but his quickness and technique are probably even better. If Diaz leaves his hands down again, he’s going to get absolutely picked apart.
The bottom line is that Georges St-Pierre is practically custom-built to beat a guy like Nick Diaz. All of Diaz’s usual advantages in jiu-jitsu, standup technique and cardio will be nullified in this fight due to St-Pierre’s efficient and smooth game-planning.
If he can avoid getting into a firefight, this is definitely GSP’s fight to lose. Don’t be surprised if it goes to another five round decision as Diaz has only been finished twice in his career, but look for another thorough, one-sided win from the world’s top 170-pound fighter.
The public’s attention has been directed at the UFC’s welterweight division over the past couple of weeks, especially after the organization officially announced a very intriguing title fight between champion Georges St-Pierre and contender…
The public’s attention has been directed at the UFC’s welterweight division over the past couple of weeks, especially after the organization officially announced a very intriguing title fight between champion Georges St-Pierre and contender/Strikeforce champion Nick Diaz.
What has made this particular division a hotbed of headlines has been the developments of key match-ups, injuries, replacements, talent depth and the future of some of its most notable and young competitors.
The UFC’s 170-pound stable is fresher than ever, stockpiled with legitimate contenders to challenge the champ, if he manages to get past Diaz.
Obviously, most eyeballs have been firmly locked on the division’s highly touted, pound-for-pound title holder and his surrounding possibilities—a natural obsession from fans that love or hate him for being so dominant.
GSP may be the eye of the welterweight hurricane, the center of gravity, but he is accompanied by a line of eager contenders aiming to continually change the landscape.
Comparatively, the most intriguing divisional possibilities in the UFC are at 170 pounds right now, regardless of the misconception that the division is on the brink of being cleaned out. That sentiment couldn’t be further from the truth.
Here are the top five welterweight puzzle pieces, who have made impressive strides within the last year and will be within arm’s reach of a shot at the prized belt soon, keeping the champion busy enough to bury ideas of moving up weight classes.
As much as the Ultimate Fighter has been known for giving unknown MMA fighters a chance to fight for a UFC contract, it has also been know for the teams coaches going at it. Some coaches are picked because of title implications…
As much as the Ultimate Fighter has been known for giving unknown MMA fighters a chance to fight for a UFC contract, it has also been know for the teams coaches going at it.
Some coaches are picked because of title implications. Others just make for good tv or have grudges with one another.
This season of TUF was a letdown for many. Some of the fighters and coaches alike lacked the personality and flare that past seasons have brought us.
Both Brock Lesnar and Junior dos Santos have been respectful to each other making for boring television.
This season’s relatively calmness could change next season when Michael Bisping coaches against Jason “Mayhem” Miller. Both guys are known for their personalities, and have the ability to work their opponents’ nerves.
Here are some other coaching match ups that people may want to see.
The simple definition of overrated is: To overestimate the merits of, rate too highly.
As easy as that sounds, I thought I would target the most notable competitors who always seem to linger at the top of the rankings. This list is ma…
The simple definition of overrated is: To overestimate the merits of, rate too highly.
As easy as that sounds, I thought I would target the most notable competitors who always seem to linger at the top of the rankings. This list is made up of fighters who are not affected by lack of competition, poor performances, questionable decision wins or flat-out losing.
I also want to state I think all the fighters on this list are exceptional, but I believe they are undeserving of where they are either ranked or positioned in their respective divisions.
After weeks of hoping and pleading, fans will finally get their wish on October 29 when UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre takes on Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz. The idea of champion versus champion is a rare and interesting occ…
After weeks of hoping and pleading, fans will finally get their wish on October 29 when UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre takes on Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz.
The idea of champion versus champion is a rare and interesting occurrence in combat sports.
The lines are no longer blurred by contracts and organizations, and fans are given the opportunity to watch two champions duke it out for undisputed supremacy.
Since leaving the UFC, Diaz has amassed an extensive résumé over notable opposition. His recent success has skyrocketed him to superstardom.
Despite major names like Fedor Emelianenko, Alistair Overeem, and Dan Henderson, it was Diaz that became the face of the Strikeforce promotion. Some have even threw out Tito Ortiz comparisons. Like Ortiz in his prime, fans care about watching Diaz fight, whether they love him or hate him.
The outspoken Stockton native has never been shy about expressing his feelings, and he has quickly become one of the most controversial figures in the sport. Still, fans always tune in to watch him fight.
Some watch in hopes that Diaz will finally get his mouth shut, and others love Diaz’s personality and hope for his continued climb up the MMA hierarchy.
At UFC 137, Diaz will get an opportunity to ascend all the way to the top of the welterweight division. St-Pierre has defended his UFC title six consecutive times, and he is widely considered as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world.
While he’s definitely a top-10 welterweight, Diaz hasn’t necessarily faced upper-echelon opposition. The only ranked welterweight he’s defeated in his run is Paul Daley, but history is far harsher on Diaz’s leap into UFC title contention.
During his earlier UFC run, Diaz struggled against strong grapplers with good submission defense. This led to a 2-4 stint, where Diaz incurred losses to Diego Sanchez, Sean Sherk, Karo Pariyan, and Joe Riggs.
Despite his world class Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) and improved striking, Diaz has never been known for his wrestling.
St-Pierre is arguably the best wrestler in the entire sport, and he possesses the BJJ chops to stay out of danger and muster up offense of his own.
It’s dangerous in this sport to purely look at things from a black and white perspective, but on paper, this is as bad as it gets for Diaz. Still, people are overly excited to see the guy that will finally “take the fight to St-Pierre.”
What is it about Diaz that makes him more worthy of a title shot than Jon Fitch, Carlos Condit, Diego Sanchez, or even Rick Story?
Some may laugh at the addition of Story, but he recently routed Thiago Alves, who was widely considered the number three welterweight in the world. Sanchez is coming off back to back wins over ranked opposition in Martin Kampmann and Paulo Thiago.
After losing a controversial decision to Kampmann, Condit rebounded with wins over Jake Ellenberger, Rory MacDonald, and Dan Hardy.
Fitch has defeated a plethora of upper-echelon talent, and outside of his loss to St-Pierre, he hasn’t been defeated since December 2002.
The champion versus champion bout is more aesthetically pleasing to fans. Like any other sport, the title serves as recognition for being the best in the world, but in MMA, all of the best fighters don’t compete under one umbrella. They are scattered throughout the world in various organizations.
The majority of the top fighters compete in the UFC, and Diaz hasn’t faced the best in the 170-pound division.
Does any of this even matter?
The UFC has prided itself on delivering the fights fans want to see, and UFC President Dana White has done a tremendous job in putting this fight together.
The majority don’t care about Diaz’s past UFC tenure or his struggles with world class wrestlers.
They see a superstar brandishing a golden strap and 10 straight victories. People also see a fresh opponent for the French-Canadian.
Diaz has been seeking a superfight with St-Pierre for over a year now. This is the chance he’s been waiting for to finally prove that he is the best fighter in the world, but as the saying goes, be careful what you wish for.
