Georges St. Pierre: Henderson vs Rua is not the greatest fight in MMA history
Posted on November 27, 2011, 09:57 PM by Trent Reinsmith
The moment the main event at UFC 139 went final, fans and pundits began proclaiming the fight between Dan Henderson and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua was one of the best fights in the history of the UFC.
UFC President Dana White was among those that were impressed with the five round scrap, putting it on his list of the top three UFC fights of all time. If any fans thought the gushing over the fight was a bit too much, well, they have something in common with UFC Welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre.
St. Pierre had the following to say about the fight between Henderson and Rua, “No, for me, it was not the greatest fight. It was a fight that displayed a lot of determination and heart, but I believe on the technical points, especially at the end of the fight, the guys were too tired to be able to make a display of technique. But it was an interesting fight for a lot of the fans because ... it showed a lot of heart and courage.” – for more see SlamSports.ca
What do you think LowKick’ers, looking back on the fight, was Henderson vs. Rua one of the best UFC fights ever?
Further Reading: Georges St. Pierre talks Nick Diaz and "the always improving" Jake Ellenberger
Photo: Georges St-Pierre at a post-fight press conference at UFC 100 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on July 11, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Francis Specker
Comments
I was not impressed by your performance!
your gas tank goes to shit when you fight hard and for the finish for 5 rounds, and instead of playing it safe round after round.
Your gas tank may cost you a fight and a cerebral concussion if you go for the finish. When you go safe you risk less injuries and you simply dominate. Choose your option bro.
Didn't seem to hurt him against Fitch. For that matter, have you ever seen GSP gas?
WHERE YOU AT GEORGE. WHERE YOU AT?!?!?!?! HAAAAAAAAAHAAHAHAHA
get off gsps nuts do you seriously have to answer to everything they say about your pimp GSP?
I was tempted to go with that headline, but I resisted!
He is a technical fighter. He values the technical aspects. For him, the fight got sloppy because they were so tired at the end. I don't think he is judging anything but simply saying how HE felt about it. I'm okay with that. Nobody who loved it, thought it was great because of the technical nature. It was because of the heart they showed. He got that and appreciated that.
They were both pretty sloppy throughout since they both were static in the pocket. rua especially should have known he had to stay mobile against Dans power and that was what cost him the fight in the end.
PS: They were not 'sloppy' for the entire fight, both demonstrated good aggressive fighting but at times the defense was sloppy.
I guess GSP puts technicality and aesthetics above heart and courage. This is the essential flaw in GSP and will cost him dearly... After genuinely putting it all out there for 5 rounds there is no other way of ending a War, George. This confirms to me that most of GSP's criticisms are justified.
It cost him when it comes to judgement. So in other words, it doesn't cost him where it matters, in the octagon.
Honestly, I thought the fight being thought one of the best ever confirmed for me that most fans are butthurt that because of everyone being more technically sound nowadays, we'll never get to see this again: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdVZV1h3Gd8
GSP is right. An entertaining scrap for sure, but not one of the best of all time.
Are you serious? I remember watching an interview with Dana saying Gsp is the the #1 pay per view buys by far. I've never heard any say the switch channels watching him fight and I guarenteed you didn't either.
Gsp is the pay-per-view kingpin. Not even Brock Lesnar sells as much ppv as he does. If you pay 50 or 60 $ to watch the #1 or 2 best p4p fighter of the sport and you swtich channels you are not a smart dude.
Im guessing Griffen vs Bonner & Liddell vs Silva aint on his greatest fights list either...
I don't remember anyone asking his opinion about those. You do know what that means right, while it's talking shit when YOU give your opinion, because you know you're just some assjack giving an answer to a question you weren't asked, when he, a fighter, gives his opinion, it means more than what you think.
not enough lay and pray. too much trying to finish a fight....
let me correct you:
Not enough skills display. Too much bad fighting techniques.
Because, yes, if you didn't know it, trying to finish a fight is actually very dumb. It's a risk in which you may get injured.
Gsp is simply too intelligent for you.
GSP has no heart or determination? Do any of you watch his fights, or just rip on him based on what other people say on the interweb?
He fought Jake Shields for 3 rounds with one eye. It was damaged enough that he was given a 60 day medical suspension, but still won the fight.
He fought Pitbull Alves with a torn abductor in his groin for 2 rounds! If you don't think that shows heart and determination, you better buy a new dictionary.
But feel free to keep making things up to back up your uninformed opinions.
I don't think it was the greatest fight either. I was kind of surprised that everyone was saying that it was. The last 2 Edgar Maynard wars were 2 recent fights that I thought were better. Don't get me wrong, it was a great fight but definitely not the best of all time.
No, not the greatest. An interesting fight, yes, but I do not understand all the hype. It is the UFC trying to sell their events. Every 2-3 events there is a candidate for the best fight ever, if we are to believe Rogan.
Comment got lost guys...
was nowhere near edgar-maynard levels of excitement to me, too big and too slow to compare to the energy the little guys can put into a show
the only difference is their names, they're legends thats why they get so much praise.
why would he talk shit? none of the fights he's ever been in were a quarter as exciting as that fight was .
He's giving an opinion on the fight. You know, what you're doing now by talking about his fight, that's called giving his opinion. And I find it the opposite of comical that you feel you have more of a right to give your opinion on a fight than an actual fighter. The nerve of him, thinking he's an expert just because he does it too.
Ok you have never watched any of gsp's fight before he won the title a second time.
this fight is way more exciting than the edgar maynard battles. IMO
Well, seeing as GSP only does what he had to do in order to win competitions and hasn't put himself in a real fight in quite some time, who cares what he thinks.
He hasn't put himself in a real fight? Ok now just go back under your rock and we'll call you later.
Po-tae-to, po-tah-to...
I hope the writer of the Fashionbe spam above logs back on and sees that the LAST thing any of us will EVER do is go to that site.
GSP is ducking Condit, Diaz and Silva.
Yes he ducked diaz by not showing up to 2 press conferences causing that fight to get dropped...oh right that was diaz. And then he ducked diaz again by asking for a fight with diaz after the diaz penn fight...
1. Gsp doesn't give a damn about Silva.
2. Gsp had a knee injury before the Condit fight.
3. Diaz ducked gsp. diaz was scared, he missed the PC because he did not want to fight gsp.
SMH, none of GSP's fights are top 10 even at WW.
Excuse me, but he has 5 fights in the Dvd pack called The Ultimate 100 greatest fights. 5 out of what... 16? Not bad uh?
GSP is scared! DONT BE SCARED HOMIE!
The day he fights like Hendo or Rua is the day he can make such claims as this untill then keep fighting safe bud. ELLENBERGER IS COMING FOR YOU!!!!
Happy monday everyone
If gsp is scared I wonder how scared you are cause that wouldn't look good. The day he will fight like Shogun/Hendo he won't have any more brain after one fight. Ellenberger? alright that's fair and possible
The day he starts fighting like that he will start finishing fights looking like a train wreck, just like Rua did.
HENDO ALL DAY
lol ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh gsp. thts funny your saying that considering you havent had an interesting fight since fitch. they showed alot of technique but when they try to do this weird thing called "finishing the fight" it tends to take alot outa u when u constantly hit a guy n they dont go out instead of laying on them or jabbing at them for 5 rounds.
So, you believe this fight was the greatest fight in ufc history? Since when are you a mma fan, last year maybe? This fight isn't top 3 in my opinion.
Ask Matt Hughes and Dan Hardy's arms how they feel about that statement. Or Matt Serra's ribs. Or Thiago Alves' face. Or BJ Penn's everything.
lots of People hating on GSP because he has technique and doesnt swing for the fences every fight. GSP has had 4 decisions sure but they were all dominant performences. And for all you saying all he does is lay and pray, that is the stupidest thing i've ever heard. he controls on the ground and he goes out there to win because thats his job, it isnt to go out there and injure himself by getting into a 5 round slug fest. and besides he was just giving his opinion on the fight and he's right it was not the best in way of technique it was a great show of heart. but in my opinion it was not better than bonnar vs griffin 1 or either of the last 2 edgar maynard fights or sanchez vs guida. it was a good three rounds but then if you want an example of lay and pray look at the last 2 rounds of hendo vs shogun prime example the only better example was of shields against kampman
While Shogun vs Hendo was entertaining that is also all it was, imo.
I think he's right, personally I don't think it was the best fight this year even, I'd give that to Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard 3. People have a lot of nastalgia about this fight because the number of knockdowns, I don't put that much stock in that, just some good hits. It was good, maybe even great (even by my standard) but not best of all time.
The first 3 and a half rounds were great..The end of round 4 and round 5 was just watching Dan trying to survive until the horn..Griffin/Bonnar still number 1 in my opinion...also Franklin/Silva and Liddell/Silva...
comming from a guy thats had sum of the most boring championship fights in history.
you forgot to mention that he's also top 2, best p4p in the world.
Heart, heart, ....
I agree with GSP No diversification of technique ... They were hitting each other like a Zombies
Chandler vs Alvarez on Bellator - that was even more interesting :)
On guys you need to shut your trap... GSP doesn't say this fight was pure shit he just said it was not the best fight in ufc history. Who disagrees with him is a pure dumbass who should go to hell he is right I watched this fight twice and my opinion is still the same; it was exciting because there was a lot of action but skillwise this fight should've been on the prelims...
haters gonna hate weak my comment I don't care
Both Hendo & Shogun could knock George the **** out!!! anyplace, anytime, anywhere
seriously george is just jealous because he could never be as tough and take as much damage as those two
hendo would literally kill gsp if he hit him with a h-bomb
And Mighty Mouse might beat up Superman.
We will get to see just how big GSP's gas tank is when he fights Diaz in Febuary. How technical is he gonna be after four hard rounds with Diaz blasting combos to his head and body; pushing the pace from the first second on. He will be tested by Diaz; just as Diaz will be tested by GSP and what he brings to the table.