GSP, the new WW champ!

[MasterGrappler]

You talking about in ring after the fight?

Quoting GSP(audio transcription...I have to compensate for crowd noise and his Engleesh ):
"But I knew he was worried for my leg kick...I saw it...so I decide to fake a leg kick, I look down and I kick it at his head so...i practice a lot this move in...in training.

Look, I look down, he expect me to kick down, and boom I hit him on the head, and this is how he was out."

Sorry bud, but it looks like you're wrong on this one. Nothing about not expecting to connect with the kick. And I DVRd the PPV...good audio quality. If you have it recorded go ahead and replay it.

We know this already, but that tool J-Tard might need to hear it again. I can clarify: GSP had every intention to land the kick to knock out that moron Hughes. Can u undertstand now tool? Youre paper champ went down without a fight, didnt land one punch, one kick or one take down. O W N E D

[Paco]

Just saw a clip of the fight. GSP is the real deal (not that Hughes was that bad [in this fight, he was] ... but I wanted somebody from another country to beat him after he beat Royce).
GSP has the energy (Penn didn't), the defense (did you see how Hughes tried to to take him down and GSP's legs flailed in the air and he landed on his feet?) and the game plan (sweet set-up!).

[osopardo]

Highlights Vid

video is good - music is painfully bad; but man! that kick was so perfect! right on the side of the head (the neck, actually) with the shin (not the foot)! PERFECT!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AReiapUaDA

[J-Luck]

Well...he didn't lose to Penn in his last fight.

And yeah, losing to GSP does not make anyone a paper champ.

But this was a convincing victory for GSP. Let's be honest...he was imposing his will on Hughes, this fight was not even a contest. He even nearly had him in the first round.
If we go back to their first match, GSP was doing pretty well until the final seconds of the first round, and as is well known by now, at least one judge had that round scored in GSPs favor.

Going back to fight 2.
Hughes had no answer to the leg kicks. I'm fairly certain that getting his legs chopped(eventually he even got swept) had to hurt Hughes badly. If his standup has improved(and it's hard to tell by this fight), having his legs busted may explain why his footwork looked like crap...he almost looked flatfooted in that fight. It would also explain why he didnt' try to take GSP down...GSP controlled distance, and Hughes probably knew a crap shot on GSP would only mean an easy KO for GSP. Honestly, he was just TAKING those leg kicks...he might want to train defending those quite a bit. On the second "groin" shot, I'm pretty sure he just dropped from the pain of the leg kick, not a ding to the cup.
GSP is a high energy striker too, he was pretty much throwing everything at full speed, and was still hopping around like a meth freak. I don't think Hughes has fought any excellent strikers with that level of cardio and takedown defense before.

And honestly, I'd say you're overestimating Hughes standup. I would not say he was utilizing the jab effectively against Penn. And Royce Gracie isn't exactly someone to compare standup with. AND he's been on the (badly) losing sides of striking exchanges in both of this last two fights.

What I would give to Hughes in the rubber match is that he probably knows what he needs to "fix." GSP doesn't have his gameplan quite so clear. But GSP was just so much more dynamic in this fight, with more tools, that I can't really see Hughes taking it in the rematch. Plain and simple, Hughes has had a LONG time to improve his standup. He's also old. It's probably pretty much peaked. Some people just don't "get" it. Either that or he's such a good wrestler he never trained it seriously. Anyway, he's not going to come into the fight ready to trade with GSP OR Penn...both of them are younger and already better. He needs to find out how to takedown GSP...that's what's taken him to success...if he can't do that, he will not beat GSP.

I agree GSP was having his way with Hughes, Hughes needed the takedown, went for it, got kicked in the head.

Like I said, he's improved his boxing he really only throws shitty kicks. I agree, the leg kicks were doing damage... and I dont know why he didn't try to press it earlier for the takedown. I think the improved striking was having Hughes think he's better than GSP at it... which is wrong.

HE WAS utilizing the jab effectively against Penn, though Penn was getting the better of the standup no doubt. My point was it wasn't as one-sided as before and his improvements.

He wasn't getting badly beaten by Penn striking. Was he getting beaten? Yes. Badly... ehhh I don't think so. That's more of how you define it.

I agree. He needs to stick to his gameplan of takedowns then G&P or submission.

As I have stated, he's already gotten better boxing as of late. I think I would like to see him train it much more heavily than grappling(which he says he focuses on, obviously).

[J-Luck]

We know this already, but that tool J-Tard might need to hear it again. I can clarify: GSP had every intention to land the kick to knock out that moron Hughes. Can u undertstand now tool? Youre paper champ went down without a fight, didnt land one punch, one kick or one take down. O W N E D

Please stop dumbass, PLEASE! You're lucky I GRACE you with a response!

The name calling, my GOD it's getting old. J-Tard? Come on, are you that insecure? stupid? combination of both(alas, we find the solution!).

Multiple people have already went over how he's not a paper champ. Of course, you're one of those unintelligent(though you believe otherwise, there lies the problem), self righteous, insecure stupid asses who doesn't have a critical thought in your head. All rhetoric. No logic. Keep spitting back what your friends tell you. It'll work in every aspect of your life... thinking is for losers anyway... lol.

[bigred389]

J-Luck,

I definitely agree with you, Hughes is far from a paper champ...if anyone's going to be called that in the UFC it's Sylvia...and even he's not really a paper champ...just BORING.

However, I feel the reason Hughes decided to trade with GSP was because he had no choice.
GSP's striking style that fight was stick and move...Hughes had no easy opportunity for a takedown.
Hughes needed to stand and exchange to try to set up his takedowns...and in doing that GSP forced him to enter his world.

Basically, an excellent gameplan executed by GSP...I feel until Hughes can at least hold his own against GSP and learns how to properly defend against leg kicks, he will not be beating GSP any time soon.

[DickHardman]

i think matt's confidence was badly shaken after eating the first few combos. gsp was striking matt at will the entire time.

[jubaji]

If GSP now defends his title more than three times all the little rats here will start talking about how much they hate him.


Same ol' same ol'

[JkD187]

I dont know if any of you are up to it or not but i predicted months and months ago that GSP will RUN trough Hughes....im too lazy to find it though maybe one of you can.P.S Hughes was a great champion and still is a great fighter....just GSP is alot beter.

[bigred389]

I think a lot of people beleived GSP had the tools to win. The only question in most people's mind was if he was mentally ready to take on the champ. Hughes having ring experience was counting for a lot, just one serious mistake by GSP against a wily experienced fighter like Hughes could have cost him big time.

[J-Luck]

J-Luck,

I definitely agree with you, Hughes is far from a paper champ...if anyone's going to be called that in the UFC it's Sylvia...and even he's not really a paper champ...just BORING.

However, I feel the reason Hughes decided to trade with GSP was because he had no choice.
GSP's striking style that fight was stick and move...Hughes had no easy opportunity for a takedown.
Hughes needed to stand and exchange to try to set up his takedowns...and in doing that GSP forced him to enter his world.

Basically, an excellent gameplan executed by GSP...I feel until Hughes can at least hold his own against GSP and learns how to properly defend against leg kicks, he will not be beating GSP any time soon.

I agree with everything you're saying. And yea, Sylvia is getting pretty damn good(of course he was just PLAIN STUPID for calling out Fedor... I choked on a piece of ravioli when i read that lol), just boring.

[MasterGrappler]

Well Hughes does suck, and was exposed, again, as a paper champ. Hes a good fighter, but not champion quality in any sense GSP faught perfect to win the title, but he wont hold it for long either way, Hughes might get it back and Diego is coming for it, and it looks like Diego will be champ soon since neither one of them can stop him.