GSP Vacates Belt, Kinda-Sorta Retires

Bigger Stronger Leaner
1

Surprised nobody’s talking about this. Is it just not news, not a surprise, or is this forum just quiet?

From the conference call, it sounds like his heart, or his head, or both, just aren’t in the fight game anymore. I read somewhere that he’s taken more head shots (punches and kicks) in his last 3 fights than in his entire previous career combined, so I can understand that maybe being a factor. He kept saying it isn’t, but who knows.

I always thought he was a great representative. A real martial artist with a traditional training background and one who really emphasized the athleticism (probably an overused term in MMA) of the sport. I will admit, though, I do wish he had finished more fights.

In any case, it’s kinda interesting to see what happens in the division next. Not sure anyone really comes to mind as possibly being as dominant/defending the title as long.

2

Jon Bones Jones stuck up for GSP’s decision to walk away. Maybe he is just listening to his body. It is obviously sad to see a champ walk away from the sport but ultimately it is his decision.

3

If there was someone to beat GSP, they would’ve done it by now. I don’t see an issue with him walking away. He accomplished a lot, he carried himself and represented the sport and weight-class superbly. I think it’s a good decision and I wish him best of luck!

I get he wasn’t exciting or didn’t finish fights, but he won them, and to me, that is all that matters.

4

i rather see GSP walk away a champion than getting hurt. we have too many champions staying longer than they have to. just give the man his due respect.

5

He will be back…

6

Good for him. It’s rare you actually see a champion walk away on top. I would do the same thing. He’s been champ longer than anyone in UFC history and, he’s supposedly saved and invested his money wisely. What more does he have to prove? He may not have finished many of his fights by KO but, it’s hard to say he didn’t dominate almost all of them. He, more than anyone, has brought the UFC and MMA into the mainstream sports consciousness both by the way he fought and the way he carried himself. He almost single-handedly helped it shed its redneck image and marketed it to a whole new demographic. Dana White should be on his knees kissing his ass, not posturing about what his responsibility to the UFC is.

7

I agree, he hasn’t really seemed hungry lately and I think he realizes that he isn’t getting any younger. He has also been injured more lately, which speaks to his body perhaps not recovering like it once did. He did the smart thing IMO. He has nothing really left to prove, he fought and beat everyone who the UFC put in front of him (well, at least the judges named him the winner), never dodged anybody, was a true Mixed Martial Artist (character as well as fighting skill and athleticism) and representative for the sport. He’ll go down as one of the best, if not the best WW of all time. No shame in retiring, and he doesn’t owe the UFC, Dana White, or Hendricks anything.

8

It’s good for him to step away if he needs to and not come back if he doesn’t want to but he will be missed. The sport needs more guys like him who carry themselves as professionals with class because there are too many fighters with silly attitudes which they describe as “keeping it real.”

9

I had a trainer who met him at the young age of 13 at some tae kwon do comp, thought I would mention 6 degrees of separation lol., he definitely was a class act the whole way through. His fights were not only dominating they were strategic, each opponent he had different game plans. I think he’ll be back in a few years.

I always thought it would be cool if they had age group separations like a masters level so you can see the old guys beat each other up! Like lidell and couture in their later years it was still great to watch. He’s the best ever in my books I would have gave it to Silva but he got caught clowning around, something GSP never did in the octagon.

It seems that he listed personal reasons as to why he stopped it will be interesting to see in the next few years as to why, I’m sure he’ll elaborate in the future. Yeah he owes no one anything earned it all.

10

Guy was always pushing himself to the limit, looking to improve and get better every single day, incredible workethic, smart guy in the cage and outside and a true professional athlete from start to finish. I don’t have nothing but respect for GSP, definitely won me over as the greatest champ in the history of UFC (I know Silva had quite a bit more devastating run but his antics against Maia etc. really hurt him in my books, for what its worth anyways…).

He will definitely be missed, and I don’t really find 170 nearly as appealing with GSP gone. Hope Robbie will sleep Hendricks!

11

I at several points during the last week or so almost started this thread, combat is just maybe slower of late.

I think he does owe it to Hendricks to come back for a rematch. He was audibly acting at the end of the fight as though a loss was a foregone conclusion, then ‘yes, I am the winner’, sort of thing after the judges got back from lunch and opened their eyes to write scores.

Still, if he needs time off, I agree with above possible justifications, I just think it was a robbery this past decision. Not like Serra doing something unpredictable, a total smashing.

As all time greatest, he is near the top, but Jon Jones maybe should be the current hill topper, or maybe Anderson Silva will figure out a plan for a second Weidman attempt. Wait, Weidman himself might prove in the next few years he is it. Cain Velasquez is also still in his early career and has cardio endurance that is over and above most fighters.

12

[quote]DeadKong wrote:
I at several points during the last week or so almost started this thread, combat is just maybe slower of late.

I think he does owe it to Hendricks to come back for a rematch. He was audibly acting at the end of the fight as though a loss was a foregone conclusion, then ‘yes, I am the winner’, sort of thing after the judges got back from lunch and opened their eyes to write scores.

Still, if he needs time off, I agree with above possible justifications, I just think it was a robbery this past decision. Not like Serra doing something unpredictable, a total smashing.

As all time greatest, he is near the top, but Jon Jones maybe should be the current hill topper, or maybe Anderson Silva will figure out a plan for a second Weidman attempt. Wait, Weidman himself might prove in the next few years he is it. Cain Velasquez is also still in his early career and has cardio endurance that is over and above most fighters.[/quote]

Robbery or not, GSP is as much at the mercy of the judges as anybody else and is hardly the first fighter or even champion to be on the good end of a questionable decision. You can’t blame him for “winning” that fight and as such doesn’t owe Hendricks anything. They both fought to their best ability and GSP wound up with his hand raised, through no error of his own.

I’m not saying that I think that GSP won that fight, I had Hendricks winning when I watched it (though apparently most of the scoring sites had GSP winning on points). What I am saying is that GSP (and all MMA fighters) is responsible for fighting/performing at his best, obeying the rules of the UFC while in the Octagon, and fulfilling his media and contractual obligations. He is not in any way responsible for the judges’ behavior or the faults in the judging system. To say that he somehow owes Hendricks a rematch because the judges messed up doesn’t make any sense IMO.

13

[quote]Fistiecuffs wrote:
Guy was always pushing himself to the limit, looking to improve and get better every single day, incredible workethic, smart guy in the cage and outside and a true professional athlete from start to finish. I don’t have nothing but respect for GSP, definitely won me over as the greatest champ in the history of UFC (I know Silva had quite a bit more devastating run but his antics against Maia etc. really hurt him in my books, for what its worth anyways…).

He will definitely be missed, and I don’t really find 170 nearly as appealing with GSP gone. Hope Robbie will sleep Hendricks![/quote]

I actually find it more interesting (I also wish Anderson would have retired after his loss to Weidman as MW is much more interesting without him there) with him gone. That division has a lot of up and coming talent and I actually like the idea of having a fairly even, deeply talented pool of fighters fighting for control of the belt than of having one perennial champ and everyone coming up to challenge him.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve greatly enjoyed following GSP’s career and watching him beat dangerous competitor after dangerous competitor, something he has done better than any other champ in MMA history IMO. But, he is getting older, slowing down, and his body is not able to bounce back like it once did, so it’s time for that era to end.

14

[quote]Sentoguy wrote:

[quote]DeadKong wrote:
I at several points during the last week or so almost started this thread, combat is just maybe slower of late.

I think he does owe it to Hendricks to come back for a rematch. He was audibly acting at the end of the fight as though a loss was a foregone conclusion, then ‘yes, I am the winner’, sort of thing after the judges got back from lunch and opened their eyes to write scores.

Still, if he needs time off, I agree with above possible justifications, I just think it was a robbery this past decision. Not like Serra doing something unpredictable, a total smashing.

As all time greatest, he is near the top, but Jon Jones maybe should be the current hill topper, or maybe Anderson Silva will figure out a plan for a second Weidman attempt. Wait, Weidman himself might prove in the next few years he is it. Cain Velasquez is also still in his early career and has cardio endurance that is over and above most fighters.[/quote]

Robbery or not, GSP is as much at the mercy of the judges as anybody else and is hardly the first fighter or even champion to be on the good end of a questionable decision. You can’t blame him for “winning” that fight and as such doesn’t owe Hendricks anything. They both fought to their best ability and GSP wound up with his hand raised, through no error of his own.

I’m not saying that I think that GSP won that fight, I had Hendricks winning when I watched it (though apparently most of the scoring sites had GSP winning on points). What I am saying is that GSP (and all MMA fighters) is responsible for fighting/performing at his best, obeying the rules of the UFC while in the Octagon, and fulfilling his media and contractual obligations. He is not in any way responsible for the judges’ behavior or the faults in the judging system. To say that he somehow owes Hendricks a rematch because the judges messed up doesn’t make any sense IMO.[/quote]
Agreed. It’s a truism in the fight game that judges will almost always score a close fight in the champion’s favour.

15

[quote]Sentoguy wrote:

[quote]Fistiecuffs wrote:
Guy was always pushing himself to the limit, looking to improve and get better every single day, incredible workethic, smart guy in the cage and outside and a true professional athlete from start to finish. I don’t have nothing but respect for GSP, definitely won me over as the greatest champ in the history of UFC (I know Silva had quite a bit more devastating run but his antics against Maia etc. really hurt him in my books, for what its worth anyways…).

He will definitely be missed, and I don’t really find 170 nearly as appealing with GSP gone. Hope Robbie will sleep Hendricks![/quote]

I actually find it more interesting (I also wish Anderson would have retired after his loss to Weidman as MW is much more interesting without him there) with him gone. That division has a lot of up and coming talent and I actually like the idea of having a fairly even, deeply talented pool of fighters fighting for control of the belt than of having one perennial champ and everyone coming up to challenge him.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve greatly enjoyed following GSP’s career and watching him beat dangerous competitor after dangerous competitor, something he has done better than any other champ in MMA history IMO. But, he is getting older, slowing down, and his body is not able to bounce back like it once did, so it’s time for that era to end.[/quote]
I definitely agree that a weightclass with deep and evenly matched talentpool is intresting, but still, considering GSP was levels above everyone else (guess everyone would’ve agreed of that before Hendricks fight) it still feels like the 170 takes quite a hit with him retiring. What I mean is, with GSP gone, the rest of the division is still only as good as they were before, now just the king is gone.

Compare that to the situation in 155 when Frankie bested BJ twice for the title and then ended up having a whole bunch of wars before losing the title, to me that made the division look much stronger and deeper, and I still find that 155 has much more intresting, talented guys than post-GSP 170.
With all that being said, I still think that if retirement is what GSP wants, then that is the only thing he should do.

He doesn’t owe anything to UFC, JH or the fans, he busted his ass to get to where he is and his body took a beating along the way. If he feels like he has reached his peak and there is nothing more for him to do in the sport and fighting at the top doesn’t have anything more to offer to him, then I have tremendous respect for his decision to walk away before going down tbe same road Fedor was forced. I’d much rather remember him as the dominant champ who he was, than a beat down old bum, and I think he deserves to be remembered as the former.

16

[quote]Sentoguy wrote:

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve greatly enjoyed following GSP’s career and watching him beat dangerous competitor after dangerous competitor, something he has done better than any other champ in MMA history IMO. But, he is getting older, slowing down, and his body is not able to bounce back like it once did, so it’s time for that era to end.[/quote]

it gives me chill to the spine hearing getting old at only 32, but it’s life.

I have the utmost respect for GSP, even though it wasn’t pleasurable for the masses his style and strategy after Matt Serra, it’s always good to see a champion leaving on his on terms. He sure does deserve it.

He almost reached Fedor level =)

17

[quote]Sentoguy wrote:

[quote]DeadKong wrote:
I at several points during the last week or so almost started this thread, combat is just maybe slower of late.

I think he does owe it to Hendricks to come back for a rematch. He was audibly acting at the end of the fight as though a loss was a foregone conclusion, then ‘yes, I am the winner’, sort of thing after the judges got back from lunch and opened their eyes to write scores.

Still, if he needs time off, I agree with above possible justifications, I just think it was a robbery this past decision. Not like Serra doing something unpredictable, a total smashing.

As all time greatest, he is near the top, but Jon Jones maybe should be the current hill topper, or maybe Anderson Silva will figure out a plan for a second Weidman attempt. Wait, Weidman himself might prove in the next few years he is it. Cain Velasquez is also still in his early career and has cardio endurance that is over and above most fighters.[/quote]

Robbery or not, GSP is as much at the mercy of the judges as anybody else and is hardly the first fighter or even champion to be on the good end of a questionable decision. You can’t blame him for “winning” that fight and as such doesn’t owe Hendricks anything. They both fought to their best ability and GSP wound up with his hand raised, through no error of his own.

I’m not saying that I think that GSP won that fight, I had Hendricks winning when I watched it (though apparently most of the scoring sites had GSP winning on points). What I am saying is that GSP (and all MMA fighters) is responsible for fighting/performing at his best, obeying the rules of the UFC while in the Octagon, and fulfilling his media and contractual obligations. He is not in any way responsible for the judges’ behavior or the faults in the judging system. To say that he somehow owes Hendricks a rematch because the judges messed up doesn’t make any sense IMO.[/quote]

i think most MMA fighters and sites (Fightmetric as well) had GSP losing…

regardless, i can’t blame GSP for a bad judging decision, although he clearly acted like he had been beaten. an honorable man can admit defeat… but anyway…

i genuinely believe that GSP and Anderson are gonna fight in a year. when they both held belts, it never made sense for them to fight… but now that neither does, and GSP has time to gain weight, it kind of lines up.

18

He’s been suffering some sort of stress related disorder for a while, I’m surprised it hasn’t been talked about more openly in the media.

On the joe rogan show he talked about having spells where he would just blank out and couldn’t remember where he had been or what he had done for the last hour.

Rogan joked about it of course, what with GSP’s fear of aliens, but I immediately thought that sounded exactly like several stress related disorders.

And its evident in the ring, the dude is getting hit with stuff he never would’ve previously got hit with. I don’t think its an age factor, as pretty boy floyd demonstrates, athletes living a healthy life these days seem to age much slower in reflexes than the older generations did.

He needs to step away for a while, and just get far away from any “responsibility” and “pressure” (like dana white trying to climb up your asshole), go bang a lot of quiff and then decide if he wants to make one last run, or just quit while its good.

19

Good posts all round, I agree with sentoguy, that the ufc tends to not award the victory to the challenger unless it is a clear and decisive win. Dana white was out of line for the original comments when it is his organization that abides by these ideals, which I think is fair because to be better or to beat the champ it should be a clear cut victory.

He is a good hype guy and promoter he is great at that, plus he made the sport mainstream, in some circles I hear people believe that it was bad the style he wanted in the cage but for the most part it grew the sport and athletes 1000x faster than if it remained underground. So kudos to him for that.

20

[quote]Aussie Davo wrote:
He’s been suffering some sort of stress related disorder for a while, I’m surprised it hasn’t been talked about more openly in the media.

On the joe rogan show he talked about having spells where he would just blank out and couldn’t remember where he had been or what he had done for the last hour.

Rogan joked about it of course, what with GSP’s fear of aliens, but I immediately thought that sounded exactly like several stress related disorders.

And its evident in the ring, the dude is getting hit with stuff he never would’ve previously got hit with. I don’t think its an age factor, as pretty boy floyd demonstrates, athletes living a healthy life these days seem to age much slower in reflexes than the older generations did.

He needs to step away for a while, and just get far away from any “responsibility” and “pressure” (like dana white trying to climb up your asshole), go bang a lot of quiff and then decide if he wants to make one last run, or just quit while its good.[/quote]

that memory stuff sounds a lot like TBI or “boxer’s dementia”…