@KeyboardWarrior
I'm not going to lie. Those statistics prove absolutely nothing. 3 of them GSP are in, all have to do with takedowns and wrestling, which Anderson obviously does not use on offense. The takedown defense doesn't matter either because the only person to really get him down was Chael Sonnen. The other times he's been destroying or dancing. GSP has landed the most significant strikes, and most strikes all together. Let me ask you, how many fights has he finished with those in the past 3 years? Anderson has the highest accuracy, and guess what, they all hurt, and normally finishes. Sure he had two bad fights with Maia, Cote and Leites, but they didn't belong in there in the first place. The significant strikes absorbed is dumb too. How many times has Anderson been hit? Other then the Chael fight, he's been almost untouchable. You could argue GSP is the best pound for pound, but using those stats to try and prove it is bogus.
Okay, I'm a bit confused here. They ONLY person to get him down was Chael Sonnen? I'm pretty sure Hendo and Lutter both took him down. Also, you keep saying "other than the Chael fight" as if it's irrelevant to the P4P argument.
That couldn't be further from the truth. The Chael fight, coupled with Lutter and Henderson's ability to use some ground and pound on Anderson is precisely WHY GSP is the better P4P king. You cannot dismiss it because you disagree with the stats.
Roll some of the ideas around in your head. Anderson has looked completely vulnerable on the ground and it's been long said, by fans and analysts alike, that the key to beating Anderson Silva is taking him down and pounding on him. It's pretty much a blue print for how to beat Anderson.
I sort of think of it as that final boss in video games that we used to play on hard; we have the blue print, the patterns are there, you just have to be able to do it. Anderson can pretty much be dominated on the ground. It's not secret that Chael Sonnen has NEVER learned how to defend against the triangle choke. If Chael had decided not to be greedy and go for the spectacular GnP finish, he would have walked out of there with the belt in, probably, the most lopsided beating a champion has received at the hands of a challenger. The post-fight suspension would have stripped him of the belt, but that's neither here nor there.
You cannot make this argument for GSP. He's fought top wrestlers, Fitch, Koscheck, Hughes, and Sherk. He's fought elite strikers, Penn (before you even say that Penn isn't an elite striker, he has some of the best boxing in MMA. For God's sake, Diego landed 8 fucking shots on him), Hardy, and Alves. He's fought BJJ experts like Serra, Fitch, and Penn.
Your argument is based on the fact that he hasn't "finished" them; what difference does that make? He, literally, picked apart some of the best strikers, wrestlers, and BJJ players in MMA and your complaint is that he hasn't knocked them out? I hate to break it to you, but he turned Fitches face in to hamburger meat without hardly taking a shot. He did the same thing to Josh Koscheck. GSP has more "finishes" than he does decisions.
Here comes the "he hasn't lately" argument. You're right, and Georges will tell you that he's also not trying to "finish" people. He's fighting safe and smart. Which is WAY more than anyone can say about Anderson Silva. The simple fact that he has gone over 2 hours in the octagon in his last FIVE fights without absorbing any real punishment or damage against a variety of opponents is absolutely absurd. That's, statistically, WAY more impressive than Anderson's fights.
I'll give you a pass on this statement because I know what you meant, but I'm going to expound upon it.
Sure he had two bad fights with Maia, Cote and Leites, but they didn't belong in there in the first place.
You're just making a stronger case for GSP and a weaker case for Anderson. Anderson is fighting a bunch of opponents in, arguably, the weakest division in MMA. Most of the people that he's been "untouchable" against have been complete jokes.
You cannot say this about GSP. Fitch, Koscheck, Penn, Hughes, and Alves were all "worthy" opponents who belonged in a title fight. About the only questionable name thrown in there lately is Hardy. Fitch and Koscheck are easily the numbers 2 and 2a Welterweight fighters in the world. They won't fight each other so who knows which one is actually better, but I'd put my money on Koscheck because he seems to have a more complete skillset. Alves can beat everyone in the WW division not named Fitch or GSP. Penn had previously been the Welterweight champion and earned a rematch at GSP by virtue of, at the time, being an untouchable champion himself. Hughes is just a legend and GSP beat him in his prime (Twice).
There's absolutely nobody on Anderson's list of UFC wins that compares to the level of competition that GSP has fought. Before you bring up Henderson, please keep in mind that all of Henderson's accomplishments were earlier on in his career in Pride or back at UFC 17. Henderson lost both of his Pride titles, ironically enough, to people that would have beaten him in Pride anyhow AND came from Pride.
Rich Franklin is good, but let's be real, Franklin was champion of the MW division by virtue of the fact that he, literally, fought Loiseau and Quarry before dropping the belt to Anderson. The only TOUGH fight Franklin had was against Tanner. Franklin has been finished by just about every big name opponent he's faced that's not 37+ and past their prime.
Higher accuracy does not necessarily mean anything. If I throw one punch and knock you out in one fight and in the next fight throw two punches, connect with only one, but it knocks you out, the result is still the same. I'm only 50% as accurate from Fight A to Fight B, however. All your statistic proved was exactly what you claimed, Anderson tries to finish fights and toys with people. GSP fights to be safe and absorb NO damage.
The point being here is that you're trying to twist statistics in to Andersons favor when they mean just as little. The real litmus test is the quality of opponents faced by both men. GSP has clearly walked out of his fights with less damage than Anderson and has looked much more unbeatable in the process.
