Georges St-Pierre and the Biggest Play-It-Safe Fighters in the UFC

There are all sorts of fighters in the UFC. From street brawlers to technical submission artists, the eight divisions that comprise the biggest MMA promoter in the world offers an array of talent.

However, a handful of fighters tend to pick their shots and play it safer inside the Octagon compared to their counterparts. These tentative tendencies are for the most part beneficial, but sometimes it befuddles a fighter's true talents and abilities to finish fights.

With that said, here are the five biggest play-it-safe contenders in the UFC today.

Dominick Cruz

Dominick Cruz isn't necessarily overly safe, but his standup tendencies offer some sort of tentativeness.

As one of the bigger bantamweight fighters in the UFC, Cruz has been able to use his reach in order to safely pepper his opponents with jabs and lunging strikes. Cruz often uses those strikes as well as quick feet to stay outside of smaller bantamweight's sweet spots.

Call it strategic, call it playing it safe, it has limited damage nonetheless.

Remember, though, Cruz has only finished one fight early in his professional career and that was partially due to doctor stoppage.  If that doesn't scream playing it safe then I don't know what does.

Jake Shields

There's one major reason why Jake Shields should be considered one of the safest fighters in the UFC: He isn't that very good on his feet, albeit is world-class jiu-jitsu.

Nonetheless, Shields has shown in the past that he favors a strategic offense over slinging leather from bell to bell.  As a jiu-jitsu practitioner that makes a whole lot of sense, but on the same front, it makes him somewhat hesitant to score points outside of his ground game.

His recent loss to Jake Ellenberger via knockout may be perfect evidence as to what happens when Shields decides to fight outside of his safe zone.

Lyoto Machida

For what it's worth, Lyoto Machida is probably the best counter-striker in the UFC today. His karate skill set allows him to lunge in and out of strikes, often leaving his opponents wonder where they came from.

However, as a notorious counter-puncher, Machida has to be considered somewhat reserved on his feet, which also makes him somewhat safe. Don't get me wrong, Machida can strike with the best of them, but sometimes his karate background fails him when it comes to attacking first.

Kenny Florian

As far as Kenny Florian is concerned, he's probably the least safe fighter on this list.

From jiu-jitsu to dangerous elbows, Florian can literally do it all, which has been a testament to his borderline-Hall of Fame career.

You have to realize, however, that Florian is one of the smartest fighters around.  His game plans are always well thought out and he always listens to his corner. So when you consider that his Octagon experiences rarely reveal anything overly aggressive, you have to consider him a safe player in the lightweight division.

Fighting smart is nearly always the right move, but sometimes it's better to let the gloves fly free.

Georges St-Pierre

You really can't blame Georges St-Pierre for being a safe fighter, can you?

St-Pierre's "safe play" has led to seven straight title defenses and an overall popularity that could halt a locomotive.

For one of the greatest pound-for-pound mixed martial artists in the world, being known as a safe fighter shouldn't be a negative thing.  When you think about, St-Pierre shouldn't be a pace pusher. It should be up to any welterweight title contender that decides to step into the Octagon to face one of the greats of the sport.

At what point, though, do you consider St-Pierre's safety a product of being too good that your opponent refuses to initiate contact, similar to what Anderson Silva has experienced?

It depends. St-Pierre will always have the ability to smother other welterweights considering his size and athletic dominance, but for some reason his fights never seem to end in devastating fashion. 

Chalk it up to being the champ. Why would he want to make a harsh decision inside the cage and lose his spot on the throne?

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