MMA Monsters – P4P

1) Georges St. Pierre

Regardless of whether you think he’s a safety 1st wrestler, the fact remains is that he always faces top opposition and always brings his best performance in the cage…every…single…time.  The complete fighter.

2) Anderson Silva

Has been reduced to strictly a counter striker.  He only excels when others come forward.  Against passive opponents, Silva has failed miserably.  He cannot push the action and his foolishness just illustrate his insecurities.  Looking to pick on smaller men like GSP is pathetic too.

3) Fedor Emelianenko

The only knock against “The Last Emperor” is the lack of activity.  If he fought more often he’d be #2.

4) Mauricio Rua

Because knocking out Lyoto Machida to win the light heavyweight championship should be enough to get you in anyone’s top 5.  Shogun was magnificent in both fights. He looks like the Shogun that tore through Pride and the UFC might finally have a dominant LHW champion on their hands.

5) Jose Aldo

Aldo may be the least known on the list, but he certainly deserves to be one of the most appreciated.  His fights look like an arcade game due to his stupendous skills.  After stomping Urijah Faber, the Aldo era has no apparent end in sight.

What We Learned @ UFC 111

Shane Carwin is a beast

For those of you who doubted Shane Carwin’s place among the best heavyweights, the joke’s on you.  Carwin’s ferocious serious of left uppercuts chopped down Frank Mir.  Along with the face crushing assault, Carwin blew open the doors for a match with Brock Lesnar that has twice been cancelled before.  Carwin is the most serious threat to Lesnar’s reign as champion.  Finally we have someone who will not be bullied by Lesnar and also someone who can put Lesnar’s questionable chin to the ultimate test.  Shane Carwin’s explosiveness is the fight-ending magic that people love and expect from a heavyweight. Carwin has arrived and that is not good news for Lesnar, but great news for the rest of us.

Brock Lesnar is….

Still a jerk for claiming that Shane Carwin won a “fake belt”.  Lesnar was impressed with Carwin’s win over Frank Mir, but he also showed signs of concerns with his childish comments.  Lesnar is worried about Carwin; as well he should be.

Dan Hardy knows what it means to tap

He obliged, but when caught in Georges St. Pierre’s kimura, Hardy’s right hand did posture up, even for a moment, ready to tap.  Luckily for Hardy, GSP’s compassion allowed Hardy to escape when GSP looked up at the referee for intervention.   He deserves all the credit in the world for not tapping but he does know what it means to tap otherwise his hand would have been ready to do so in the 1st place.

GSP’s victory still beautiful

It goes without saying that Georges St. Pierre is the most complete fighter in MMA.  As the world’s premiere mixed martial artist, GSP’s expectations of himself is what separates him from his peers.  GSP was both a technical misstep and a humane thought away from the “beautiful victory” he wanted so bad.  Both mental errors by  GSP denied everyone, most of all GSP himself, the stoppage that was so badly wanted.  By default, Hardy’s reputation spiked but by no means should GSP’s take a hit.  It was an masterful performance.  One in which showcased a clinic and overwhelmed yet another quality contender.  Furthering cleaning out your division is something every champion wants.  GSP gets everyone’s absolute best every time in therefore always making his victories great.

UFC 111 – Pick’Em

Finally a UFC card worth paying for.  It sucks that Thiago Alves will not get his chance to avenge his loss to Jon Fitch but the two title fights on this  card are enough for me to forgive Dana White for the garbage he’s been airing.

Interim Heavyweight Championship : Frank Mir vs. Shane Carwin

The best part of the interim heavyweight title fight is that we are guaranteed an exciting fight ending finish.  Whether it be a submission via Mir or another highlight reel Carwin KO, it’s safe to say this one is not going the distance.  With both guys’ track record it wouldn’t be a stretch to say the fight will not reach the 2nd frame.  Somebody’s going down and going down hard.  Gotta love it.

Frank Mir wiped his ass with Cheick Kongo his last time out and looked awesome in doing so.  Shane Carwin has been a beast each trip to the Octagon.  Mir has been TKO’d in all his professional losses.  Carwin has the most unforgiving power in the heavyweight division.  Carwin has never been faced with anyone as dangerous as UFC’s boa constrictor – Frank Mir.

Frank Mir’s lungs have yet to be tested to see if they can supply enough oxygen to keep his new bulked up frame going.  Shane Carwin hasn’t seen the 2nd minute in any of his 11 wins therefore questioning his cardio in a 5 round championship fight.  Around and around we go.

Pick: Shane Carwin

Reason: Neither man is going to have much time to test their cardio in this fight as stated before.  It’s going to end early and I’m picking Shane Carwin to upset the former 2x UFC heavyweight champion.  Mir’s striking has improved leaps and bounds but standing with Carwin is suicide.  Mir’s best chance is on the ground but even there Carwin is Brock Lesnar’s long lost twin; therefore can mostly like control Mir and pound him into powder.  Carwin has the better chin and Mir’s experience will be nullified.  Mir’s career has been up and down.  This will be his latest set back to bounce back from.

Welterweight Championship : Georges St-Pierre vs. Dan Hardy

The Chosen One, Georges “Rush” St. Pierre, finally returns to the battlegrounds defend the most prized possession in MMA.  Standing in the way is the flamboyantly confident Brit Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy. Hardy is singing the same song as all the other would-be GSP detractors.  GSP has seen it all, heard it all and beaten them all before.  Hardy offers little to faze the pound-for-pound king.  Yet the Pride of Nottingham is in a good position because he has nothing to lose.

Hardy is looking to duplicate Matt Serra’s feat of April ’07. Hardy is uber confident he’s going to become the 1st British UFC champion even though he’s going to have to run the gauntlet at UFC 111.  Hardy has never faced a fighter as complete as GSP.  GSP has trumped better strikers, dominated world class wrestlers, thwarted superior submission artists all in becoming the absolute best mixed martial artist in the world.

Hardy has history on his side.  Massive underdogs have often turned the sports world upside down.  Buster Douglas.  Matt Serra.  The ’07 Giants.  Hardy has a lot going for him.  He is a crisp striker with razor sharp elbows.  He’s been the underdog in every fight and every time he’s come out on top.  GSP is in the same position as he was back in April 2007.  History often repeats itself and conventional wisdom is that it’s only a matter of time before lightning strikes again.

Pick: Georges St. Pierre

Reason:  Because it’s GSP!  Lightning doesn’t strike twice in GSP’s world.  Everyone uses the 1st Serra fight as their motivation against the champ,  but why are people still talking about the 1st Serra fight?  St. Pierre is light years past that, and by crushing Hardy Saturday night he’ll lay the ghost of Serra to rest.  St. Pierre’s stand up is vastly underrated and his ability to control distance is one of his best assets.  Hardy does his best work close up.  It doesn’t really matter much because whether he’s close or far away, nothing will stop GSP from bull rushing him and imposing his will on Hardy’s hard head.  Hardy’s new best friend will be the referee when he saves him from a classic George St. Pierre beating.

Hardy is Serra-ously Mistaken

There are three things I am looking forward to most this Spring:

3)  saying goodbye to a brutally cold winter

2) my upcoming family vacation

1) the Octagon return of Georges “Rush” St. Pierre at UFC 111

There are few things in my life that stir my grits like a GSP fight does.  What makes his 2010 debut even more enticing is GSP’s recent focus on becoming more explosive and finishing fights instead of grinding out shut out decision victories.  As MMA becomes more evolved, so does the world’s best fighter.  The moment a fighter stops adding more to his game is the moment the sport passes him by.  Georges St. Pierre knows this and never takes anything for granted.  He has been scary good since his entire career.  The thought of a more destructive GSP was enough for me to schedule my vacation around UFC 111.

His latest challenger, Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy, still thinks he’s going to pull a Matt Serra on the champ.  Is he serious?  Has he been following St. Pierre at all on his way to the front of the pecking order?  GSP learns from all his wins, and most of all, his losses.  He’s 3 years removed from the first Serra fight and since then has emerged an even more dominant fighter.  Much to the distress of the welterweight division.  Yet, since first making the bold prediction a few months ago and until now, the brash Brit is still day dreaming of a career-defining KO victory.

It’s OK to dream, but everyone has to wake up sooner or later.  Sooner rather than later would be best for Hardy. There have been many fighters, far better than Dan Hardy, who have shared the same KO aspirations. Yet in return all they received was a humbling lesson:  if you’re going into the fight looking to knockout the pound-for-pound king, then you’re in for a long night.  Thwarting bruisers like Thiago Alves and Josh Koscheck is second nature to St. Pierre.  In the end GSP’s foes often look foolish for approaching the fight with a strategy like Hardy’s.  Hardy’s trainers should be telling him this but apparently they must be as clueless as he is.

Maybe the whole Dan Hardy camp forgot that 3 of Hardy’s 4 UFC wins have come by decision.  I’d like to understand the reasoning on how stopping Rory Markham 3 fights ago would suddenly make Hardy a knockout artist now…but I can’t.  Going for the knockout is going to make this fight more like GSP-Serra II than GSP-Serra I.  Apparently Hardy is not only outspoken, but dumb as well.  Otherwise he would have learned this ages ago like the rest of the world.

Hardy’s KO prediction didn’t send the fight world abuzz. He’s neither the first to be so arrogant about his chances against GSP, nor will he be the last.  I’m actually glad he’s not backing off of his claim.  I love watching Georges St. Pierre crush people.  Especially big mouth, over inflated jerks like Dan Hardy.  Of course it’s going to be well worth $50 unless you’re related to Dan Hardy.

2009 Fighter of the Year: Georges St. Pierre

No one had a resume in 2009 like Georges "Rush" St. Pierre

As we enter the last year of the decade, it’s time to look back at the best of 2009.  In combat sports, fighters only compete about twice a year.  For those few times a year where we are fortunate enough to witness the best at their craft, it becomes the rare opportunity to evaluate who is truly the very best.  In 2009, Georges “Rush” St. Pierre emerged as the man on top of the MMA mountain.

St. Pierre pummeled Penn to end a 3 year debate of who is better.

Naturally there will be a few detractors claiming Anderson Silva was the year’s best or even “The Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko.  It could not be further from the truth as neither man engaged in two mega matches like GSP did in 2009.  At UFC94, GSP faced an old and dangerous foe in “The Prodigy” BJ Penn.  Their 1^st encounter in 2006 resulted in a split decision in favor of GSP and the rematch was as highly anticipated as any rematch in recent memory.  GSP and Penn are MMA’s two most well rounded athletes who neutralize each other in many ways to make for a very compelling match up.  Unlike Anderson & Fedor’s foes in ’09, BJ Penn can be found on virtually every Pound for Pound list.  Georges St. Pierre smashed Penn from the opening frame until Penn’s corner mercifully stopped the beating at the end of Round 4. The victory further distanced GSP from the rest of his peers.

GSP bullied "The Pitbull" and established himself the best of 2009.

Not to rest on his laurels, at UFC’s centennial event St. Pierre would face #1 contender Thiago Alves.  The larger and hard-hitting Alves had many believing it would be the end of the GSP era in the welterweight division.  Georges St. Pierre would prove his doubters wrong again through five brutal rounds. He punished Alves with a perfect mixture of boxing, wrestling and a nice dose of ground and pound.  Alves was a bigger threat to GSP than any of Anderson or Fedor’s challengers were to their respective reigns.  Even the pulled groin muscle GSP suffered in the 3^rd round wasn’t enough to prevent him from steamrolling through Alves.  He took Alves’ best shots that lay to rest any concerns regarding his chin.  Immediately following the final bell, a bloodied and battered Alves raised St. Pierre’s hand paying homage to 2009’s king of MMA.

By trouncing a future Hall of Famer and the baddest welterweight other than himself, St. Pierre’s brilliance in 2009 has made him virtually peerless in MMA’s most talented division in the sport’s most competitive organization.  He continues to be a great ambassador for the sport and a model for MMA’s future.  It cannot be denied that he is, without doubt, the runaway choice for Best Fighter of 2009.