Post UFC 111: What's Lacking In GSP's Game

UFC 111 had Georges St. Pierre facing Dan Hardy, a great striker with a less-than-effective ground game. Hardy went into this fight being the unconditional underdog, and fans watched the fight knowing that it would either be the most predictable, one-sided fight the UFC has had in a while, or the most unexpected, shocking victory in UFC history.

The result of the fight was completely expected. GSP won the match, but it’s how he won it that was very unsettling. As expected, GSP outwrestled Hardy in every round. He successfully landed all six takedown attempts, gained side control eight times, mounted Hardy twice, took Hardy’s back five times and sank in three Kimuras, two arm bars and one ankle lock. All this, and the fight still went to a decision. Why?

The answer has little to do with Hardy’s apparent flexibility but everything to do with GSP’s technical ability to finish fights. There is no excuse for a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt holder to gain such advantageous, dominant positions against a fighter who is primarily a striker and not end the fight in a submission. Hardy’s flexibility challenged GSP as it showed that GSP’s technical grasp of submissions needs work—even if only slightly.  

GSP probably has the best takedowns in the world of MMA. There is no doubt he is a great athlete, but the fact that he couldn’t finish the fight with Hardy is embarrassing. It is disgraceful for one of the world’s best grapplers to not be able to finish the fight after consistently having the back of a fighter who has relatively no ground game. There is no denying that GSP absolutely man-handled Hardy on the ground, but after such a dominating performance, how can a fighter who failed to submit a striker with no ground game be considered one of the best fighters in the world?

The case is not that GSP is incapable of finishing fights. He finished the fights he had against fighters such as BJ Penn, Matt Hughes and Sean Sherk, and it’s understandable that his fights against Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck, both excellent wresters, were decision victories since GSP’s wrestling skills were tested more than if he had faced the typical striker. However, against strikers like Thiago Alves and Dan Hardy, GSP has not exactly played it safe; he simply hasn’t delivered.

GSP cannot be blamed for learning how to most effectively win a fight in the UFC. He has faced very dangerous strikers and wrestlers and has overcome each of them. However, lately he seems to be more focused on winning points than on finishing the match, which should be noted. Nobody should blame GSP for using his great athleticism to win. Then again, how can we consider him to be one of the world’s best fighters when he is unable to finish matches against severe underdogs like Hardy?