2011-11-08 19:30:39 +0000 #1
I'd like to know who thinks Nick Diaz will come out of his bout with GSP as the new UFC WW Champ? For several reasons, I personally think that GSP wins this fight 9 times out of 10.
Firstly, Nick has never been particularly good at avoiding being taken down. Even when he's faced opponents with average wrestling, a large percentage of takedowns against him were successful. Being one of the best wrestlers in the WW division, GSP should be able to take Diaz down almost at will. Being able to control where the fight takes place affords GSP a considerable advantage.
Secondly, while some would disagree, I am of the opinion that Nicks biggest strength as an fighter is his conditioning. His route to victory almost always involves maintaining a pace that his opponents can't sustain. While I concede that Diaz probably has the "better" conditioning of the two, GSP is so well conditioned that Diaz's advantage is almost negligible.
Thirdly, while Nick certainly has excellent submissions, several fighters with strong submission defence (sherk, sanchez, parisian) have managed to beat him by decision. I feel that Nick's most likely path to victory in this fight is to win by submission off his back, but I think there is little chance of it happening. GSP is a fantastic grappler who has only been submitted once in 24 fights.
Finally, while I am very impressed with Diaz's hands, GSP's striking is (in my opinion) equally impressive. In his bouts with Alvez and Hardy, he landed more standing strikes than either of his opponents. If Diaz is able to get the better of GSP on the feet, GSP can simply choose not to stand with him, and take him down.
I'm not saying that everyone or anyone should take my word on how this fight will play out. I just wanted to express the fact that I see GSP as a very heavy favorite in this fight.
For those of you who are picking Diaz: Why do you think he will win, and by which method? What part of GSP's skill set is over/under rated.
Firstly, Nick has never been particularly good at avoiding being taken down. Even when he's faced opponents with average wrestling, a large percentage of takedowns against him were successful. Being one of the best wrestlers in the WW division, GSP should be able to take Diaz down almost at will. Being able to control where the fight takes place affords GSP a considerable advantage.
Secondly, while some would disagree, I am of the opinion that Nicks biggest strength as an fighter is his conditioning. His route to victory almost always involves maintaining a pace that his opponents can't sustain. While I concede that Diaz probably has the "better" conditioning of the two, GSP is so well conditioned that Diaz's advantage is almost negligible.
Thirdly, while Nick certainly has excellent submissions, several fighters with strong submission defence (sherk, sanchez, parisian) have managed to beat him by decision. I feel that Nick's most likely path to victory in this fight is to win by submission off his back, but I think there is little chance of it happening. GSP is a fantastic grappler who has only been submitted once in 24 fights.
Finally, while I am very impressed with Diaz's hands, GSP's striking is (in my opinion) equally impressive. In his bouts with Alvez and Hardy, he landed more standing strikes than either of his opponents. If Diaz is able to get the better of GSP on the feet, GSP can simply choose not to stand with him, and take him down.
I'm not saying that everyone or anyone should take my word on how this fight will play out. I just wanted to express the fact that I see GSP as a very heavy favorite in this fight.
For those of you who are picking Diaz: Why do you think he will win, and by which method? What part of GSP's skill set is over/under rated.