GSP vs. Hendricks Rematch

If you think Hendricks will win the rematch, upvote me.

If you think GSP will win the rematch, downvote me.

Their first fight was vicious and epic.  I consider it GSP's greatest fight.  You may disagree.

All of GSP's fights have a special tingle in the air.  Seems like everyone is calling for a rematch as soon as GSP can recover and go again.  I would also like to see it, too.

The question is who will be more likely to win the rematch.  Both learned a massive amount about the other from their first fight.  Who is more likely to improve for the rematch?

I think GSP will use the information gained the most.  He knows how hard Johny hits.  He knows how strong he is.  He knows how hard it is to take him down, how hard to hold him down.

Johny learned how hard GSP hits, kicks, how fast he moves, and his likely game-plan.

Here is what I think is the crucial difference.  GSP fought Hendricks the first time with the belief he could take him down.  Now he realizes that might not be a sensible game-plan.  He had no Plan B.  So he stood in the pocket and traded.

Next time around, he will not stand and bang.  He will use guerilla warfare.  Hit and run, bob and weave, in and out, like Sugar Ray Leonard beat Marvelous Marvin Hagler.  He will fight Hendricks like Frankie Edgar fought BJ Penn.  He will conquer power with speed, agility and brains.

Firas Zahabi and Greg Jackson will never again allow GSP to fight such a dangerous striker like that again. Ever.  Why would they?  

It's possible Johny Hendricks could change up his game-plan, too.  But what sensible options would he have?  He could try more take-downs and ground and pound, but it seems he doesn't like that kind of fight.  He likes to stand and bang.  

In the 4th round, GSP slipped and Hendricks jumped on him.  But for inexplicable reason I'll never understand, Hendricks decided he didn't want to stay on top and attempt to finish with ground and pound.  And he stood up and let GSP up!!!!!  

Why a decorated wrestler would make such a fool-hardy decision is beyond my understanding.  He's a wrestler for Christ's sake!!!!  I suppose he believed you don't win fights with wrestling.  Or he had no confidence in his ground and pound skills.  So, I doubt he will opt for a wrestler's game-plan.

When Hendricks said he will only get better, he seemed to forget GSP also trains intensively to improve.

* Edited at 11.18.2013, 7:56 PM ET *

The thing I'm worried about in this one is GSP and his team are the master's of having a solid gameplan.  Every single one of GSP's gameplans have worked perfectly up until this fight.  Now, they have the experience of actually fighting him, and as much as I hate to say it I think the rematch would go differently than this one did.  
Johnny won the first fight clearly in my opinion, but I have a feeling if they fight again it will be a lot closer.

I would love to see Johnny take it but the odds of any one beating GSP twice in a row are slim. I dunno how GSP's mental state and personal problems will be by then or if they were weighing him down in any way on Saturday. But, assuming a similar GSP and a similar Johnny Hendricks come to the next fight I think Johnny should be able to do it. 

I think Hendricks was worried about pacing and tiring himself out, so he didn't over commit or go for the finish early when maybe he should have pushed a little harder. I think Johnny was the better fighter in the first fight but left it too close, if he had pushed a little harder or not let GSP up when he was on top working ground and pound he could have cemented his win and cut away the room for all of this close fight controversy. I rewatched the first half of the fight today and I still think Johnny won the first round, but yes it was close, however Johnny did some serious damage with elbows and I think hurting the other fighter should count in a close round like that. 

Wouldn't write off either man in a rematch, but I will be pulling for Johnny. Hope it happens sooner than later.

* Edited at 11.18.2013, 7:57 PM ET *

I am hoping that within 30 days, GSP will let us all know the rematch is on and an approximate window of dates.  He has usually done the right thing in the past and I see no reason to believe he will start to play games or turn into an irresponsible jerk.  

Let's all give the guy 30 days to clear his head and settle down.  He is an obsessive type and very emotional.  He will probably get a 60-day no-contact suspension, at the very least.

Johny knows he needs to finish GSP in the rematch and I think he just may be able to do that. I think GSP does not quite move as fast as he use too. Hendricks landed a lot of punches that prime GSP would have been able to avoid. But I think everyone agrees that GSP and his camp are masters at game planning and he may be able to stick and move just enough to out point Hendricks again. Hendricks does need to watch the choke on the take downs because that was pretty close in round 1. Now they have both felt each others power and I think Hendricks may just go berserk right away to get the finish.

Game-plans.

Hendricks - I think his best game-plan would be to go for the finish in the first.  Go all out to end it early.  He might also consider making some feints for the take-downs.  Not that he should go for them, but the feint is as effective as the act.  Keep that option active to give GSP something to worry about.

GSP - He must not fight the same way.  He must avoid the pocket and maintain range on the outside, circling away from Hendrick's left.  He must move in and out, using his mobility and speed to control the action.

When he moves in, he must, must, must see to it that he wins most of the exchanges.  He must kick a great deal to maintain range.

The normal remedy for great power has always been speed.  Speed and agility have been used forever to conquer speed.

Dempsey vs. Tunney
Ali vs. Liston
Ali vs. Foreman
Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Marvin Hagler
Frank Edgar vs. BJ Penn (twice)

One last time.  Power is trumped by speed and technique.  MMA is the triumph of technique over power.

wow bill asking to get down voted never thought i would see that since he always complains and leaves the site for weeks when he does get down voted lol .

Personally disagree with that being GSP greatest fight. I did not think he looked all that great. In fact I don't think he looked great since Condit. He just does not seem as motivated. I feel like he lost a sparkle that he had. I personally want him to retire unless he still really wants this. last thing I want is for the UFC to convince him to fight again because they offer him boat load of money. Think especially in the Welter Weight division you really need to want it, I just don't think GSP is that motivated anymore. I think the fact he still one of if not the best even while not having the motivation he uses to is testament to just how dam good he is. I am not trying to take anything away from Johny, but I don't think GSP has the same motivation he uses to. Also did not think he looked like himself in the Nick Diaz fight either.

GSP's been hit approximately 850 times in his career and 400 of those times have been in his fights with Condit, Diaz and Hendricks.

Wanna know what else the Condit, Diaz and Hendricks fights have in common?

They all came right after GSP's ACL surgery. I'm surprised that no one's brought that up yet but maybe GSP's decline is because of that knee injury he sustained going into UFC 137.

I disagree with that notion. I think to this day the best GSP ever was Condit. He looked bigger and stronger then I have ever seen him. He did injury himself again prior to Nick and looked to have issue cutting weight. He was gassing in that fight with nick and personally thought he look bad for him. I would be more willing to believe it was the injury prior to the Nick fight then his ACL injury before the condit fight. I thought GSP looked great in the Condit fight. He look better then I have ever seen him. I thought he looked down right beastly.

* Edited at 11.18.2013, 10:29 PM ET *

GSP lost a round from getting his head kicked in. GSP has been so dominant in his career that even losing a single round is a sign of decline for him.

I completely disagree. I think it because Condit is a beast and is going to end up ruling this division when GSP leaves.

I agree with that, in terms of fighters I have not seen one with a more warrior-spirit/style/attitude than my man Carlos Condit.

However, I still think that he had many more impressive showings. The Jon Fitch fight, the horrid second Josh Koscheck fight, the injured fight against Thiago Alves are just a few examples of GSP at fine form.

I agree GSP looked great in those fights, but personally think he looked better in the Condit fight. I thought he looked stronger and bigger then he did in any of those fights. I think the difference was that Condit is just much better then Alves, Kos and Fitch. Also think the GSP in the Condit fight would of had an easier time with Alves, he looked bigger and stronger then he had before. I think he would of had much easier time holding Alves down.

I agree those fights where more impressive overall because he dominated more thoroughly but I think that was more due to those fighters not being as good as Condit, more so then GSP being better then he was in the Condit fight.

* Edited at 11.18.2013, 10:46 PM ET *

That is definitely a hypothesis that I am willing to consider.

The problem is that we're dealing with a purely hypothetical situation so we can never know. What you're saying does make a lot of sense though.

The other problem is that we can only go by what we know and what we know is that GSP had a significantly more impressive performance against those three guys than against Carlos Condit.

* Edited at 11.18.2013, 10:53 PM ET *

On the one hand I would like to be given the fight, but then again I would not like. As MMA's fan I would love to see another show between these two fighters to clarify things between them.

But on the other hand hate the behavior that Dana White with his employees. I think Dana missed about one of the wrestlers who else has done for the company. GSP is a legend of MMA and is a fighter who has brought many followers behind that have some greats attendance for UFC.

Dana White can has his opinion about the fight, but not treat the matter as he has done.

But dana is the star of the show~

@Nomad  

The stars of the show are the fighters. 

Franklin and Anik both make valuable points in that convo. 

I've said before that the GSP who fought Condit was the best one we've seen, but he did look like a beast against Fitch and Alves. 

I saw that Hendricks might be out for 6 months due to knee injury is that true? Because if it is it kinda sucks i was looking foward for a rematch early next year

If and when the GSP / Hendricks rematch happens, it will rival the Silva / Weidman bout for interest and fan motivation.  It will be an absolutely ginormous, massive, huge event.

Everyone is demanding this rematch.  But I felt the same for the Jones / Gustafsson rematch.  And guess what?  For some unexplainable reason, Jones was able to get out of it simply by asking out!  

But GSP won't have that option that Jones did.  Why?  Is Jones so much more entitled than GSP?  
There is not a doubt in my mind that GSP will give Hendricks a rematch, for the right reason.  It's the right thing to do.  But it pisses me off that it will appear that he's caving in to Dana White and Hendricks' crybaby BS.

The rematch will and should happen, but Dana White and Hendricks made it more difficult with their ******* ****.

* Edited at 11.19.2013, 12:59 AM ET *