UFC 129 [April 30 2011] St. Pierre vs Shields

[johnnybluenose]

A little late... a few days away... I thought I'd give us TTP'ers a place to banter.

Sadly i will be away upcountry on my buddies Stag (BTW: Who plans a stag out of town and away from a pub for a fishing trip during a major UFC event, nevermind Canucks playoff hockey!?!?!?!)

Has anyone take in any of the UFC Preamble hype shows that RSN has been airing? pretty cool stuff.

Shields has an excellent track record, but has never fought anyone as good and currently on top and in their prime as GSP.

Sherdog rates GSP as the WW No. 1 and PFP No. 1 while Shields is rated as WW. No 4 and PFP No. 6.

Matchups:
UFC Welterweight Championship
Georges St. Pierre (No. 1 WW, No. 1 PFP) vs. Jake Shields (No. 4 WW, No. 6 PFP)

UFC Featherweight Championship
Jose Aldo (No. 1 FW, No. 3 PFP) vs. Mark Hominick

Randy Couture vs. Lyoto Machida (No. 4 LHW)
Benson Henderson vs. Mark Bocek
Vladimir Matyushenko vs. Jason Brilz
Rory MacDonald vs. Nate Diaz
Kyle Watson vs. John Makdessi
Sean Pierson vs. Jake Ellenberger
Pablo Garza vs. Yves Jabouin
Ivan Menjivar vs. Charlie Valencia
Claude Patrick vs. Daniel Roberts
Jason MacDonald vs. Ryan Jensen

That's quite the treat of a card for the folks in T-Dot, the fights will be good on TV but I can't imagine the sight lines will be very good for most of the crowd, if anyone, at the Rogers Centre.

History making though. UFC has sold 55k+ tickets and is raking $11+ Million at the gate, add to that the expected record breaking PPV Numbers

Supposedly (we've never seen them fight yet) Shields has the better (perhaps only due to his BJJ) ground game, and GSP is a much better standing fighter. Take downs and take down defenses are GSP's bread and butter. He should be able to box the crap out of Shields. Really the only way I see this fight going Shields way is if GSP has a slip and Shields gets into an unexpected advantageous position on the ground. GSP's thinking and fitness always proves to be the best.

I'm taking GSP to win, he will jab the shiz out of Shields. I predict an overall boring fight. GSP will do what it takes to play it safe and remain champ. Like usual. If Shields gets rattled and starts taking chances GSP might finally finish a fight with a KO, which would be cool because his last 6 or 7 fights have been decisions or TKO's (Penn's corner throwing in the towel.)

Don't know enough about Aldo vs Hominck tbh...

Lyoto over Couture
Diaz should beat Rory.

 

[4thplacetrophy]

5 rounds of watching gsp do just enough to win, yeah it'll be worth the 60 bucks....
great fighter but so boring to watch.

 

[Tim Berners-Lee]

If you havent seen aldo fight you are in for a treat. Think anderson silva at 145 lbs. Machita will have no prob with couture, I would think that age will ko couture in this one fairly easily. Rory Macdonald will destroy diaz and get a huge fight next ( Penn, Alves, ect..)

Brilz is a good under the radar fighter and I thought beat little nog, I see him submitting The Janitor.

Henderson is a mile a minute fighter and should give bocek a good fight. Bocek has the best bjj in the div and will submit him


For the first time I could just care less about the GSP fight, He should have no trouble with shields. Gsp wins the fight everywhere it goes and convincingly. Shields had the worst standup in the ufc. Not sure if you have seen Mayhem Millers show Bully Beat down, but when Shields went on it the " Bully " won the stand up part lol. Maybe we will get that Stand up KO that everyone needs from this guy. All the top guys have great dynamic stand up and take chances and deliver exciting fights. I can not include gsp in this description and I think alot of his fans are starting to feel the same way. Its nice to have a Canadian champ to cheer for but if he needs to start using all his tools. The dominant wrestler with a jab wins the fights but its starting to make me not give a shite about his fights.

aldo gsp macdonald machita brilz bocek ellenberger jaboin patrick J. Mac menjivar makdesski

 

[johnnybluenose]

I hear what you are saying about GSP TBL, and Shields could very well get KO'ed by GSP...I'm just not sure that GSP will risk any sort of exposure by taking a swing... Shields face will look awful once he's done with it-but jabs have never ko'ed anyone AFAIK.

GSP is the best. He's certainly never going to be accused of being the most entertaining... But I think people respect him, as he doesn't lose. He's no Ali(to put it in boxing terms) who was a great champion but his bean paid for all his entertaining fights... He will not risk losing the championship taking risks. It's just simply not his style... The only time he has "Stopped" a fight was his knee blows to Serra's body If memory serves.

I think GSP is exactly what this sport, and specifically the UFC needs, to shed the misconception by the people that "don't get it" and just think of it as a knuckledraggers "bloodsport" and still think of boxing as the "sweet science"

Flying knee, roundhouse kick, or superman punch KO's are sweet to watch, but ultimately do just as much damage to the sport to the folks that don't get it. GSP adds that credibility.

~not trying to defend GSP

 

[cascadesoccer]

GSP has finished more than just serra. TKO on matt hughes (twice), TKO (corner stoppage) Penn, TKO Sherk , Sub over Frank Trigg, TKO Jay Hieron. Just sayin, but I think he's in tough tomorrow night, but hopefully he pulls it out. GSP, Aldo, Machida, Henderson, The Janitor, Diaz (hate the prick tho, brother too)

 

[johnnybluenose]

Diaz' brother is Shields BFF no?

 

[cascadesoccer]

super bff's. closer than BC United and the Black Knights!

 

[elbowroom]

GSP will pummel Sheilds if the same fasion as Matt " douchebag " Hughes.
TKO in the 3rd.

 

[girth]

Couture will win this as he doesn't stop unless he gets caught.
GSP in the 3rd round...ref stoppage
Should be a great fight night

 

[Tim Berners-Lee]

6 outta 7 for the prelims

 

[Tim Berners-Lee]

Watch UFC 129 Online Free, UFC 129 Live Stream HD

 

[Tim Berners-Lee]

what did I tell you about rory macdonald.........suplex? damn

 

[cascadesoccer]

Is it me or do gsp fights get worse as he gets better as a "complete fighter"? Pretty good card overall though, awesome to see macdonald beat diaz, hate those little pukes. the aldo vs hominick fight was a good war, and the machida KO on randy, WOW. gsp title fights shouldnt be headliners anymore, they're boring. Hate to see it as a gsp fan, but its about as exciting as a nashville predifiles game.

 

[johnnybluenose]

GSP likely would have dialed up the intensity as the fight went on, except he got blinded in one eye.

KO of the night was the crane kick to Cooters face. Wow. Hopefully Randy doesn't fight anymore, he's too good a guy and valuable to the sport to become a vegetable.

Hominick is tough as nails, and my new favorite MMA Fighter. Had he 20-30 more seconds he would have won that scrap.

I certainly DON'T want to see a bigger slower GSP fight a skinny lethargic underweight Spider at a catch weight. i want someone to challenge GSP instead, at his rightful weight class.

 

[cascadesoccer]

GSP would get mangled by Silva. I would way rather see Bones Jones vs Silva thats for sure. Shields was supposed to be the "go to guy" and look what happened. GSP by all means can do everything, but he seems more interested in not losing than actually winning his fights. Dana says he's always facing the best guy in the world at that weightclass, but so is everyone else at their weightclass are they not? Valasquez, KO's everywhere, Jones (just the champ now) KO's everywhere. Edgar has had 3 decisions in a row but his fights have been fast paced. Aldo's decision a WAR! As big as I gsp fan as I am he may have the most decisions out of any fighter ive seen. GSP to change his name from "rush" to "the anesthesiologist" as he's putting everyone to sleep lately, and not in the entertaining way.

 

[Tim Berners-Lee]

gsp blows knee out in training.. fight vs condit is off

 

[girth]

seriously?

 

[4thplacetrophy]

gsp blows knee out in training.. fight vs condit is off

awee the shame. now we won't get to see someone out jab, or out wrestle someone for 5 rounds.

 

[girth]

Don't forget the odd superman punch with defence in mind so he doesn't get hit.