10 MMA Fighters That Would Make Better Poker Players Than GSP

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George St. Pierre recently entered the world of poker, signing a sponsorship deal with 888.com and promising all the proceeds to his anti-bullying charity.

Now George may be the most recognisable face in MMA, making him a compelling signing for 888, but if they wanted a fighter able to make serious bank, they'd be better served looking elsewhere.

Here's a list of 10 fighters who would be better poker players than GSP.

 

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Fedor Emelianenko

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Is there a single fighter in MMA who possesses a better poker face than Fedor? Just look at his eyes man, unwavering, emotionless, unreadable.

Does he have a flush? A straight? Two pairs? Why did he raise? Why did he pass? You can stare at “The Last Emperor” all you want, but his expression will never give away his game. Just a disarming, unassuming smile, beguiling you into a false sense of security.

Roy Nelson

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The only fighter with the physique (ahem) of a poker player, together with the non-ironic mullet, Roy “Big Country” Nelson would make a far superior poker player to GSP.

He can also “bluff” better than any other fighter out there. Take for example his promise to drop to light heavyweight if he could get enough followers on Facebook. Tens of thousands signed up, but there’s no sign of him dropping weight classes.

He is also resilient, a crucial quality of any poker player who needs to accept losses as part of the game before hitting the big “knockout” win. Roy can roll with the punches and come back fighting everytime.

Alistair Overeem

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Speaking of bluffing, Alistair Overeem’s standout performance in front of the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) should mark him out instantly as a star poker player in the making.

It’s not only the last six years of denying that he ever injected himself with steroids in order to add that eye-watering muscle mass. He also coolly and calmly paraded around with a “drugs free” t-shirt, and sat quite charmingly in front of the NSAC, telling them that it was the big bad doctor who made him take that testosterone. Riiiight.

Chael Sonnen

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If poker is a game of psychological warfare, no one can play that game better or with higher stakes than Chael Sonnen. He possesses Overeem’s ability to explain an elevated T:E ratio with a stony face, and go further by manipulating the situation to his own advantage.

After all, he’s quickly talked his way back to a title shot against Anderson Silva after failing a drug test in their first match—a situation which would put any ordinary fighter back to the bottom of the list.

He’s also a gambler who likes to play a high stakes game. After his victory over Brian Stann last year, he took the microphone and offered the ultimate challenge to Silva—if Chael wins a fight against “The Spider”, Anderson must leave the division; if he loses, then Chael would retire from the sport, forever.

The ruse didn’t work as he was forced to fight Michael Bisping in between, but the offer proves his gambling credentials.

Anderson Silva

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Anderson Silva is the only Brazilian on the list, and for good reason. He’s perfected the art of gamesmanship vital to any poker player.

In his matches against Damian Maia and Thales Leites, he taunted and danced around his opponents then picked them apart after goading them into his game. Many would say those performances were his worst as a fighter. But that’s what makes them his best as a poker player. Why gamble more than you have to? Why risk it all when you can coast to victory without even breaking a sweat?

However, Silva’s true poker performance came against Chael Sonnen. For five rounds he allowed himself to get beaten and brutalised by a seemingly unstoppable Sonnen. The match was over, everybody thought. But then, just like a true poker player, after having lured his opponent into a false sense of security, Silva fastened the triangle around Chael's neck and got the win.

Cheick Kongo

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Cheick Kongo's an unusual entry to the list, but I have one solid reason – his fight against Pat Barry. Did you see the way he pretended to get knocked out, causing Barry to over-commit, only to rise from the dead and knock Barry out instead? Pretending to be dead... a ruse worthy of a poker playing genius.

Donald Cerrone

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He wears a cowboy hat... a frickin' cowboy hat.

Josh Koscheck

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Any poker player worth his name needs to perform under extreme pressure. And no fighter is as adept at heaping that pressure on himself like Josh Koscheck.

Not only does his trash talking raise the stakes of any fight, but his deliberate alienation of the crowd at UFC events almost always guarantees Kosh is performing under an extremely hostile environment. Yet he brings out his A-game regardless. If he can bring that to the table against GSP, he could take all the Candian's money, rather than suffer nerve damage on one side of his face.

Ian McCall

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Not only does the pint-sized Ian McCall have the best nickname in the UFC, “Uncle Creepy” also has a diabolical moustache which could only mask the face of an evil genius.

Rashad Evans

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Another fighter who suffers a popularity deficit in the UFC, Rashad Evans’ poise and savoir-faire makes him a perfect poker player. He certainly dresses the part, supporting poker-shades at press conferences and media events, getting his opponents emotionally involved, and therefore careless in all his fights.

He also has a ruthless streak after challenging one-time teammate Jon Jones to fight after he won the light heavyweight belt.

He may claim that it was Jonny “Bones” Jones who challenged him, but that’s what he wants you to think. He saw Jones with a title, knew the kid would hold it a long time, and the only way he would get the gold back, would be to fight him. There are no friends in poker, and there are no friends in MMA.