Monday, July 6, 2009

UFC 100 (pt. 2)

UFC 100: THE WELTERWEIGHTS

GUERRILLAFIGHT - 7.06.09

The co-main event of the evening pits Jackson Submission fighter Georges St. Pierre (Champion) against the #3 ranked Thiago "Pit Bull" Alves from American Top Team. GSP has dominated this division and recently dismantled the current gritty #2 Jon Fitch (also on the card). Considered by many at the top of the pound for pound best argument alongside Anderson Silva and Fedor Emelianenko, it is no surprise that GSP is an overwhelming -300 to retain the belt.
Alves is an aptly nicknamed voracious competitor who has 4 quality wins over Koscheck, Parisyan, Hughes, and Lytle. He also battled Fitch valiantly yet was vanquished by a brutal up kick during a scramble. He blazes around the cage with a torrent pace that would even make Clay Guida take notice. This brings to mind a quote from GSP prior to facing an over matched Frank Trigg , "He can't andle my riddum" (sic). Alves most certainly can and thrives on tempo.
This is a fascinating matchup as I have learned in this sport that just when you start to consider a fighter virtually unbeatable it becomes time to re-size the belt. Sure GSP is well-rounded, exquisitely trained, and confident but I submit that the line in this fight is too high. 3-1 is tough to lay down against a young fireball who fights with conviction and the aforementioned pace. I do know a very savvy MMA virtuoso who is a sorcerer with underdogs who has taken Alves in this battle.
I think an extremely important factor in this fight is the height differential as GSP is a large Welterweight while Alves is rather short and compact. I'm obviously tempted to take the challenger in this bout but my final pick is going to be GSP as I wouldn't lay the wood but do think he simply has more ways to win. GSP late in the bout after being pressed by a game "Pit Bull"......

1 comment:

  1. Seijas takes the easy way out in this one. Of course GSP is the easy pick, but remember how he went down like a bumbling fool against Serra. The image of GSP flailing for something, anything, as his senses left him should never be far from your mind when you see him going up against a monster like Alves. Alves is reported to walk around near 200 pounds, making weight at 170 only because he trains with the anti-gravity crew at ATT. He has more than enough power to knock GSP back to Canada. Unfortunately for Georgie, the second time he gets knocked out will be a lot harder to avenge and forget than the first time was. Alves- Round 1 KO. Not TKO- KO.

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