I see a lot of fighters working on their conditioning to not get tired. That's good, but that's only half of the equation. I don't see many fighters using it as an offensive weapon.
Just like no runner can sprint forever, no fighter can maintain a high pace without eventually tiring. So if you're in great shape, and you know your opponent isn't, push the pace! A well-conditioned fighter not pushing the pace is like Cro Cop never throwing a hich kick; a wasted weapon. Constantly force your opponent into situations where both of you have to expend energy. He will tire before you, and then it's time to clean up.
GSP is the perfect example of your point.
WAAAAAY back when (before he got huge in the UFC) I remember rolling with him. I said it then, and I'll say it now:
It wasn't his strength that impressed me, but the way he could shift gears so quickly.
You'd be rolling with him at a comfortable 50%, looking for openings, looking to set something up, when all of a sudden, he'd ramp it to 95% and pass. By the time you registered the fact that he'd shifted gears, he'd already accomplished what he was trying to do -- pass, shift to a better position, escape, transition, whatever.
The only way to keep up was to keep it at 80% the whole time. 80% gets tiring REAL quick, especially when GSP is working 30% to 90% from one second to the next.
So I'm working 80% on my shallow gas tank, and he's working 30% on his deep tank. Who do you think is going to win?
No one can 'andle 'is riddum
Check out some info on Dan Gable. Wrestling Tough is a great read.
Depends on your style a bit I would think. If you're not a pressure fighter to begin with, you can't really make cardio a weapon.
What is the difference between Liddell at 80% and Lidell at 30%? His whole style is based on counter strikes.
Extra cardio would help him in the later rounds, but I don't think he could make it a weapon per se.