Tag: UFC 158

St-Pierre vs. Diaz: Biggest Takeaways from UFC 158 Main Event

The anticipation for the UFC 158 main event between Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz was so high that anything short of being the best fight in the history of the sport would not be able to match it. While it wasn’t the best fight in the history of…

The anticipation for the UFC 158 main event between Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz was so high that anything short of being the best fight in the history of the sport would not be able to match it. 

While it wasn’t the best fight in the history of mixed martial arts, it was just the latest showcase for the seemingly unstoppable force that is Georges St-Pierre. The welterweight champion has now tied Matt Hughes for the most wins in UFC history (18), and he did it with five fewer fights on his resume. 

As we start to look ahead for what St-Pierre and Diaz are going to do, here are our biggest takeaways from the UFC 158 main event. 

 

St-Pierre is the best all-around fighter in the sport

As great as Anderson Silva and Jon Jones are, they do have obvious weaknesses that can be exploited. Silva is so fast that he can hide his deficiencies; then, when he strikes, you are going to go down hard. Jones is the best pure athlete the sport of mixed martial arts has ever seen. 

What makes St-Pierre so dangerous, aside from his natural athletic talents, is the way he has made a point to evolve as a fighter. This sport is constantly changing, with new and inventive styles that change everything you have to do in order to be successful. 

St-Pierre has taken to all of them and now uses them to his advantage. He can take control a fight if he wants to, or, if his opponent is strong in one area, St-Pierre will take that away by using that to his advantage. 

Josh Koscheck wanted to box with St-Pierre in their second fight, so St-Pierre just jabbed Koscheck‘s eye until he broke it. Diaz wanted to work the fight on the ground, so St-Pierre went down there and dominated. 

Any way you try to defeat St-Pierre, he is going to figure it out and turn it into a strength for himself. No other fighter in the world can match his all-around skills. 

 

Nick Diaz isn’t in the elite category of welterweight fighters

Even though Diaz was brought on board to sell a big-money fight with St-Pierre and was able to do just that after two years of headaches he caused Dana White, it has been made abundantly clear that the welterweight division in UFC has passed him by. 

This isn’t all about Diaz losing to St-Pierre, because it’s not like he is the first person to lose to the champion in dominating fashion. But when you look at his performance here, combined with what he did against Carlos Condit last February, Diaz is in the tier below the top contenders. 

In fact, you look at Diaz‘s resume, and it is hard to come up with the last time he had a really great win. He defeated B.J. Penn in his return to UFC, but Penn is clearly not the fighter he once was. 

Going back to his time in Strikeforce, you would have to go back to October 2010, when Diaz defeated K.J. Noons, to find the last really good win on his resume. After that he defeated Cyborg Santos and Paul Daley before moving to UFC. 

It has become clear that St-Pierre, Condit and Johny Hendricks are far superior in talent to Diaz at this stage of their respective careers. 

 

Don’t try to sell a rematch

Dana White said that the winner of the Condit-Hendricks fight at UFC 158 would be the No. 1 contender for St-Pierre’s title. 

Hendricks wound up winning a terrific, exciting fight. White held true to his word, saying at the post-fight press conference (h/t UFC on Twitter) that Hendricks was getting the next title shot, no questions asked. 

However, at the same press conference, Diaz tried to say that the only way he was going to fight again would be if he got a fight against St-Pierre. 

From a financial standpoint, it is understandable why Diaz would want to fight St-Pierre again. You are going to make more money in the main event of a show headlined by the biggest drawing card the company has than against anyone else. 

But Diaz has done nothing to warrant another title shot for a long, long time. St-Pierre thoroughly beat him down over the course of five rounds. It wasn’t like the fight was so great that you need to see it happen again. 

UFC is smart enough to know that there is no money in a rematch, but even if Diaz were to win his next fight or two, putting him back in the title picture would be a big waste of time. It also doesn’t help that St-Pierre and Diaz were hugging and acting friendly after the match. 

This was supposed to be a serious blood feud. But when you are saying nice things about each other after it is over, you have just told the world not to believe anything you might say about the other person moving forward. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

GSP vs Diaz Results: 5 Takeaways from the Main Event

UFC 158 is in the books, and we now have a clear indication of where some of the top fighters in the 170-pound division rank. That’s due to the fact that all three of the main feature bouts of UFC 158 were all contested at welterweight, and all had top…

UFC 158 is in the books, and we now have a clear indication of where some of the top fighters in the 170-pound division rank. That’s due to the fact that all three of the main feature bouts of UFC 158 were all contested at welterweight, and all had top guys competing in them.

None were bigger than the evening’s main event between Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz. The bad blood coming into this one was evident, and it’s clear Diaz came in with the strategy to bloody up St-Pierre’s face.

The champion would have none of it, however, as he controlled all five rounds en route to yet another dominant decision.

Despite the bout going down much the way fans anticipated, there are still a number of takeaways from this fight that can be used in analysis of either man’s future fights.

Begin Slideshow

UFC 158 Superlatives: Best and Worst from the Entire Fight Card

Georges St-Pierre performed as expected at UFC 158. Though he didn’t hand Nick Diaz a brutal beating, the welterweight champion was dominant for five rounds en route to victory.The Canadian has now won 10 consecutive UFC title fights and is moving clos…

Georges St-Pierre performed as expected at UFC 158. Though he didn’t hand Nick Diaz a brutal beating, the welterweight champion was dominant for five rounds en route to victory.

The Canadian has now won 10 consecutive UFC title fights and is moving closer to a superfight with middleweight champion Anderson Silva. However, for now, it appears another defense of his belt will be next against Johny Hendricks.

Hendricks also won on Saturday, beating former interim champion Carlos Condit in a Fight of the Night performance. On such an impressive run, Hendricks can no longer be denied a shot at the 170-pound championship.

From the main card to the Facebook prelims, UFC 158 was a big night for the welterweight division. 

Looking beyond the 170-pound class, though, let’s take a look at the best and worst from the entire event. 

Begin Slideshow

GSP vs. Diaz: What Went Wrong for Nick Diaz at UFC 158

Let’s be realistic here: nothing that went wrong for Nick Diaz at UFC 158 surprised people. He isn’t a better wrestler than Georges St-Pierre. He isn’t a better kickboxer than Georges St-Pierre. He isn’t better at winning fights in the current rule str…

Let’s be realistic here: nothing that went wrong for Nick Diaz at UFC 158 surprised people.

He isn’t a better wrestler than Georges St-Pierre.

He isn’t a better kickboxer than Georges St-Pierre.

He isn’t better at winning fights in the current rule structure of MMA than Georges St-Pierre.

So when all that stuff added up to a Diaz loss Saturday night in Montreal, it wasn’t really a shock. Nonetheless, it’s all stuff that went wrong for him.

Diaz struggled mightily with the takedowns of St-Pierre, something basically everyone who fights the champion can claim. He repeatedly gave up his back and tried to roll through to guard, but GSP’s control from the position was too much for the challenger.

On the feet, Diaz tried to stalk down the champion and put together combinations, but he couldn’t. St-Pierre controlled the distance and used his jab to keep him off balance, throwing in leg kicks to soften him up along the way.

The fact that St-Pierre didn’t seem keen on seeking a finish is largely irrelevant. He did everything that he’s good at, which happens to be everything Diaz is bad at, and he won the fight.

It was a wash from the outset. Stylistically, it was a nightmare for the challenger and everyone knew it. Physically he was outmatched as well, as when the two stood face-to-face it looked like St-Pierre was in another weight class.

Sure, now with some time to think it over, Diaz believes he could go back and beat the champion. It’s that born fighter, that inherent belief that he’s the best in the world and losses are simply the cause of a sport out to get him, that makes people love the guy. Or at least pay attention to everything he says and does. 

But the reality is that he can’t win that fight. Not at UFC 158, not in a year, not with a lifetime to get ready for it. Never.

It’s the worst matchup in MMA for him: the sport’s best wrestler, sharpest mind, and most disciplined tactician. It’s everything that Diaz himself isn’t, and it’s everything he’s repeatedly shown to have great trouble with.

To put it simply, Nick Diaz had absolutely nothing for Georges St-Pierre. That’s what went wrong for him.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Georges St-Pierre vs. Johny Hendricks Head-to-Toe Breakdown

In the aftermath of UFC 158, the very two best welterweights in the world are on a crash course to meet sometime later this year.Long-time champion Georges St-Pierre and rising star Johny Hendricks make for a great matchup for one of the most prolific …

In the aftermath of UFC 158, the very two best welterweights in the world are on a crash course to meet sometime later this year.

Long-time champion Georges St-Pierre and rising star Johny Hendricks make for a great matchup for one of the most prolific titles in the sport.

For GSP, knocking off Hendricks will ultimately allow him to leave the division with no unfinished business and make a smooth transition to fight Anderson Silva in 2014.

For Hendricks, a guy who has literally blasted his way up the welterweight ladder, landing one of his infamous left hands could spell disaster for the sport’s most popular athlete.

Here’s how the initial head-to-toe breakdown pans out.  Enjoy.

Begin Slideshow

Georges St-Pierre: Judging His Legacy Post UFC 158

The legacy of UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre continued to grow on Saturday night at UFC 158 with yet another one-sided victory, this time over perhaps the biggest “villain” he has ever fought, Nick Diaz. Diaz’s pre-fight taunts were e…

The legacy of UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre continued to grow on Saturday night at UFC 158 with yet another one-sided victory, this time over perhaps the biggest “villain” he has ever fought, Nick Diaz. 

Diaz‘s pre-fight taunts were enough to force St-Pierre out of his comfort zone and into a small bit of trash talk—something which we almost never see from the cool, calm and collected Canadian. But Diaz‘s in-fight taunts and numerous late hit attempts were perhaps even worse than anything that happened coming into the fight.

In the end, though, it was GSP who grounded the former Strikeforce champion with nine takedowns, landing some ferocious ground-and-pound, particularly in the first round in the process. He earned a unanimous 50-45 decision on the judges’ scorecards, extending his incredible winning streak to 11 bouts, including eight title fights. He has won a unanimous decision in six straight contests.

In the process of defeating Diaz, St-Pierre also maintained his UFC record of best takedown percentage (according to FightMetric) while adding to his other records of total takedowns, total strikes landed and significant strikes landed during his UFC career.

With his 25-minute marathon against Diaz, the 170-pound champion also moved to second place all time in terms of most time spent in the Octagon. He surpassed both Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz on Saturday night and has now spent 5:03:12 inside the UFC cage. Only BJ Penn has had more time in the UFC, with a total of just 39 more seconds than St-Pierre.

After the fight, a victorious St-Pierre stood in the center of the Octagon and explained to Joe Rogan that his game plan was always to keep the fight at a kickboxing distance while not entering into Diaz‘s range. He did just that, out-striking Diaz in each and every round by utilizing his trademark jab.

Despite the statistics showing dominance across the board, not everyone is impressed by what GSP does in the cage. In fact, his opponent on Saturday night continued to trash talk even after the fight. In the post-fight press conference, Diaz couldn’t help but express his frustration with the way he lost.

“This guy has no punching power, no offense. You’re a wrestler,” Diaz said to St-Pierre.  “But he doesn’t have punching power.”

His style isn’t for everyone, but as the rules are, Georges St-Pierre is by far and away the greatest welterweight mixed martial artist that the world has ever seen. His wrestling and standup combine to make him not only a prototypical fighter for the judges’ scorecards, but also one that rarely puts himself in danger of being finished.

Not only that, but as an ambassador of the sport, it simply doesn’t get any better than “Rush.” His legacy is so prolific that, at this point, a loss wouldn’t even harm it. Only a failed drug test for performance-enhancing drugs would do anything to hurt his status as the best ever…and that doesn’t seem very likely.

“I’m for Olympic testing in my sport,” St-Pierre said in the post-fight press conference. “I’m not a cheater; never cheated in my sport. … I’m against TRT. I’m against all this. If you want my opinion, you can test me any time, no problem. I’m for the testing. I think it should be more regulated.”

With that said, St-Pierre’s legendary status remains cemented, and it doesn’t appear likely that he is going to be knocked off anytime soon. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com