Im not sure if this belongs in the GD but as part of a personal project I’ll be taking a look at some older rivalries or notable fights and viewing them with a modern perspective. Maybe some newer fans get to check them out and give their opinion or some old fuckers like me get to relive the past or tell me how wrong I am

Starting off is the GSP vs Penn rivalry.

One interesting thing here is BJ is credited with a 73 inch reach in the tale of the tape of their first fight but only 70 in the champ vs champ rematch. I’m assuming it was self reported at first?

Also, after losing to Hughes the first time, Georges actually went back to TKO and defended and unified their 170 belts before going back to the UFC. Very curious as to how that was allowed to happen

Anyway,

GSP was known for his aggressive and excitable style, often engaging in wild exchanges. He was calllex “Rush” for a reason and during the time frame of the first Penn fight , he was very willing to take risks and push for finishes.

His approach was less strategic, heavily relying on pure talent and athleticism. I found this true particularly when breaking clinches when fighting against the fence and Georges was very happy to exchange wildly with the crisper boxer in Penn off the breaks and in the open mat.

While his striking was effective, it lacked the refined control that would later become a hallmark of his fighting style. Far less level changes, far less feints and did not double up the jab as frequently as he would later in his carrer . Penn showed really great defense, particularly his ability to parry incoming strikes and move his head and roll with Georges punches.

He showed glimpses of his future potential by chaining wrestling attempts and securing takedowns late in the third round, but his striking was more basic yet more dynamic , often relying on kicks without much setup (naked low ,high kicks and spin kicks) . The moments in the clinch where Georges is clearly the bigger and stronger fighter, were not so effective in the first fight. More on this later.

BJ Penn, despite being the smaller fighter, displayed exceptional takedown defense and landed effective strikes, making the fight closely contested and exposing areas where GSP needed improvement, particularly in his striking and overall strategy. I would go as far to say I thought Penn landed alot of the better shots, drawing the young GSP into some prolonged encounters in the pocket and landing some good uppercuts. He also was able to get reactions out of Georges to land his own jab

By the time of their rematch, GSP had matured and was significantly more seasoned and strategic. The rematch is (in my opinion) one of the best-executed game plans in a title fight and would be a feather in the cap for GSP and Tristar strategic brillance

Édit: it was actually Greg Jackson who was doing the game planning for GSP during this stage of his career. Not Tristar

From the opening round, GSP was focused and methodical, immediately clinching with Penn, using knees and elbows in close to wear him down , and avoiding the wild exchanges off the breaks and in the pocket that characterized their first encounter. His striking had evolved considerably, with a heavy reliance on his jab to control distance and set up other attacks. GSP was calm and calculated, effectively using his reach (which somehow increased 3 inches between fights) and mixing in level changes to keep Penn off balance.

His ground game had also improved markedly as shown in round 2 , as he effortlessly passed Penn's guard, dominated from top positions, and delivered punishing ground and pound. There was not much stalling happening during the grappling exchanges, Georges was so effective in using his striking to advance his position with smothering top control. Stacking BJ guard and landing heavy punches, the knees from side control and using his hands to create frames to land very hard elbows was all very great to see

My personal favorite sequence of the rematch happens at the beginning of round 4. GSP starts by scoring with a jab, followed by a level change, then another jab, which prompts BJ to jab back. This sets up Georges to slip under Penn’s jab and secure a perfectly timed takedown—just lovely stuff. St-Pierre immediately passes Penn's worn-down guard and lands very effective ground and pound from all top positions, eventually securing the crucifix that leads to the corner stoppage at the end of the 4th round.

The transformation between these two fights illustrates GSP's evolution from a talented but somewhat reckless fighter into a strategic mastermind with unparalleled control and versatility. In the first fight, he relied heavily on his natural athleticism and a willingness to engage, but by the second fight, which was just under 3 years later , he had refined his game planning and tactical precision, which would later define his illustrious career.

I do want to give BJ his flowers. The end of his career might have damped his legacy, but he was the stereotypical “your favorite fighters , favorite fighter”. A relatively small 155er by today standards, won the 170 belt against the then welterweight goat in Matt Hughes, then promptly fucked offed to Japan to fight Lyoto Machida in an open weight bout. Certainly one of the fighters whose record doesn’t tell the whole story. His run as 155 champ was brutal and violent and worth checking out if you are not familiar with his game.

Their second fight was 15 years ago. It’s very fair to say that the sport has evolved considerably since then, but even now, very few fighters are able to mix the arts as well as GSP did. There are very few (if any) welterweights in mma history I would favor against Georges on his best night.