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By: Kevin O'Haire, MMATorch Guest Contributor
This Guest Editorial was sent by MMATorch reader Kevin O'Haire. Have a response to an editorial or a news story on the site? Feel free to send us your own guest editorials and they may be posted on the main site. Send in responses to mmatorcheditor@gmail.com.
As I read more and more articles lamenting the performances of Georges St. Pierre, Jon Fitch, and less recently Jake Shields, I am left wondering what about Chael Sonnen? Was Chael's performance (which is consistant with his MO) over Nate "the Great" Marquardt only considered so exciting because Nate was thought to be the superior fighter, and Chael's ability to control the action came as a surprise? The previous two wins for Sonnen against lesser competition came in similar fashion, with no outcry (albeit hindsight) that he should have been able to finish those opponents.
Why is it then that fighters more masterful in this technique are despised for it? Is it because the utter domination removes that "punchers chance" from the equation? That seed of doubt the UFC works so dillegently to plant with fighters like Thiago Alves or rescently Dan Hardy?
In both instances it became quickly apparent that GSP was greater than the Hype and his control over these opponents was really nothing short of amazing. I suppose I am one of the few that was more impressed by GSP's dominance over Alves than the HUGE punch Henderson dropped Mike "(down for) the Count" Bisping with. The superiority demonstrated by such a performance is taken too lightly in my opinion.
I wish to propose a quick hypothetical scenario as a sort of conclusion. What if Jake Shields (huge "what if", I know) is able to hold his own in exchanges with Henderson, and control the action on the ground en route to a 5 round decision? Will it be considered boring, as this is the only way (of course, the punchers chance is a one way street right, its not something both fighters have) he could have beaten Hendo? Or would the suprise nature of Shields being able to do this against a superior opponent yield admiration?
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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