This would be a great fight. I would pick GSP to win 6 out of 10 if they fought but Sakuraba’s unorthodox style would give GSP some problems.
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Saku would destroy him while drunk.
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Any version of Georges would beat any version of Saku badly.
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Insanity.
That’s insane Barkley
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And smoking cigs like Mayorga
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GSP is going to challenge a guy that stepped in the ring with CroCop…?
Never!
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GSP is a .1 percenter of 1 percenters but Sakuraba has such warrior spirit I think it would be a difficult fight.
Especially in a ring even tho GSP didnt rely on the cage for takedowns.
Now… if we are doing Pride rules we gotta also allow that GSP would get side control and knees to the head of a controlled opponent is no joke.
The edge is obviously to Georges but it is entirely feasible that Sakuraba wins a couple out of ten.
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I love Sakuraba. He was a great part of the sport.
GSP would pick him apart and never let him get into any advantageous position.
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Put GSP against Saku’s opponents.
Crocop
Igor
Rampage
Wand
Arona
Akiyama
Vitor
Lil Nog
Randleman
All loses
Weight classes matter fellas
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….Sakuraba lost most of those fights….
I don’t think you’re making the point you’re trying to make.
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He was taking punches from legit heavyweights - GSP was smashed silly by Matt Serra.
Enough already with this revisionist fantasy.
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Sak had a tricky style less based on physical attributes that would give him a better chance vs larger men. Vs GSP he gets taken down and controlled.
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Ring or cage…
Come on, man. You’re playing some serious mental gymnastics here.
“Sak fought these guys! They would all beat GSP!”
“They all beat Sak.”
“Yeah, well GSP lost to Matt Serra!”
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Easy there…I’m not the asshoe who said “any version of GSP beats any version of Saku”…
He was literally KO’d by a 155’er whereas Saku was a 185’er fighting heavyweights.
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A Saku who can submit Conan, Renzo, Randleman, Rampage, Minowa and Carlos Newton is a man who could potentially submit GSP as well.
I do think GSP is the favorite but I don’t see either man winning more than 7/10 if they fought ten times in their prime.
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He was also armbarred by Matt Hughes.
He was a 185’er losing to those heavyweights. He was also losing to guys like Mayhem Miller (who GSP crushed) and Akiyama (who lost to guys GSP crushed like Shields and Bisping).
GSP lost twice and decisively avenged both defeats. GSP never fought a man he didn’t beat. If your sole argument (which you’ve brought up twice) is that “GSP lost to Serra!”, I strongly encourage you to take an objective look at Sakuraba’s record.
Saying Sak lost to a lot of heavyweights doesn’t =/= a win over GSP lol.
Any version of GSP beats any version of Sak. And Sakuraba is my favorite fighter.
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Sak was more of a modern WW than a true MW. You can’t compare him losing to Miller later in his career… that version of Saku was nothing compared to prime healthier Saku.
GSP lost twice and avenged the defeats but never left his weight class while active and in his prime and he retired at 32. Saku was fighting Wanderlei and Rampage when he was the age GSP retired.
Do you know how old Saku was when he fought Miller, he was 41 years old? GSP was like 28 when he fought him. There is no comparing GSP and Saku using their Miller fights. It makes no sense at all.
GSP was afraid of losing and hurting his legacy so he did not fight MW’s, LHW’s and HW’s like Saku did and he retired at 32.
Sak was 42 when he stopped fighting before he came back for one more, GSP was 32 when he did that.
Saku took 10,000x the risks GSP took in his career, no too shocking he does not have the same amount of loses.
I think prime GSP is the favorite over prime Saku but you can’t compare their wins and loses as raw data without providing context.
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