To me, he just hasn't earned enough humility to be champion. I liked him when he used to come on to Junkie radio and shoot the breeze, but now, he's just a bit too arrogant in my eyes.
First of all, belts don't change hands because someone new deserves to hold it. You don't become champion because someone new deserves the title. You take the belt because you leave no doubts about taking it. Before the 4th round last night, Hendricks was singing to himself right before the bell. In the middle of the fight! Head bobbing and probably singing some arrogant wrestler song, probably absolutely confident he had done enough to win the fight.
But he never broke St. Pierre. And showing who had the true heart of a champion, St. Pierre NEVER STOPPED FIGHTING, while Hendricks was content to bob and cruise to the 5th.
Hendricks hung himself post fight with the typical arrogant remark that he was only swinging 70%, to which Dana White supplied the noose and said maybe next time if you want the win, go 100%.
Great champions undergo some early stress and humility. Wanderlei got KO'd by Vitor Belfort as his intro to the UFC, Chuck got choked out by Jeremy Horn. And GSP had to get on his knees and beg for a title shot. Johnny Hendricks showed he definitely is of champion caliber, but last night was his moment to be humbled.
Bold print doesn't make your argument any stronger.
Some people a so stupid. GSP didn't win that fight. Damage and control wins fights. GSP didn't do enough of either to win rounds 1 or 5. GSP fought like a warrior for 5 rounds but he didn't win that fight last night. I am a proud Canadian and a big GSP fan, but I also know what I saw, and that was Hendricks dominating the majority of that fight.
This isn't amateur boxing. Criteria are 'effective' striking and control. Effective implies damage and GSP wasn't doing nearly the same kind of damage. Anyone with half a brain knows if you aren't doing damage you aren't out-striking anyone. Hendricks out-muscled and controlled him. He landed the more meaningful blows. Any time GSP got a takedown he couldn't do anything with it. Hendricks immediately got back up and proceeded beating him up. GSP wasn't effective with his wrestling and he wasn't effective in inflicting damage.
the fisherman - Bold print doesn't make your argument any stronger.
Some people a so stupid. GSP didn't win that fight. Damage and control wins fights. GSP didn't do enough of either to win rounds 1 or 5. GSP fought like a warrior for 5 rounds but he didn't win that fight last night. I am a proud Canadian and a big GSP fan, but I also know what I saw, and that was Hendricks dominating the majority of that fight.
This isn't amateur boxing. Criteria are 'effective' striking and control. Effective implies damage and GSP wasn't doing nearly the same kind of damage. Anyone with half a brain knows if you aren't doing damage you aren't out-striking anyone. Hendricks out-muscled and controlled him. He landed the more meaningful blows. Any time GSP got a takedown he couldn't do anything with it. Hendricks immediately got back up and proceeded beating him up. GSP wasn't effective with his wrestling and he wasn't effective in inflicting damage.
I tried to read the first post but then the letters got big and started spinning around and then I don't know what happened but my watch has stopped and I've lost 45 minutes and my bottom hurts and I want my mum.
Damage is criteria to only forum nut huggers. If damage was the criteria, no submission would win.
When I say Hendricks didn't deserve the win, I didn't mean in a technical sense, I mean a karmic sense. Just like they were saying before the Jones/Gustafson fight, Gustafson would win because Jon Jones had never faced a fighter as tall as he before. Nonsense!
Hendricks went on and on prefight about how much he deserved to be champ and that is was time for new blood. Then went out there in the 4th and 5th rounds, and basically dialed it in, when GSP was still fighting his heart out.
Cry all you want, all the arrogant fighters lost last night:
Jos Koscheck. Rory Macdonald, Chael Sonnen, the most overrated fighter in UFC history, and yes Johnny Hendricks.
Let me explain to the HS dropouts: championship respect is earned, not given. You fight thru the round of contenders and then decisively take the belt from the champ. In a championship bout where the champ is not finished, and where there are winners in different rounds, if it comes to a decision, HISTORICALLY IT IS GIVEN TO THE CHAMP!!!
Like it or not, that is the tradition. Hendricks is far too cocky to be deserving of championship. A true champ represents not only his fans but all of fighting and is an ambassador of the sport. Quintessential GSP.
Johnny Hendricks got a loooooong way to go to reach that level, and obviously it wasn't last night.
Even if he had been given the decision, he might have won the fight, but would he have deserved to be called Champ?
