My favorite fighter on the planet is Randy Couture. I could make the exact statement for him just substitute big huge heavyweights that he'd get torched by and you'd think I have something against him. I deal in reality. GSP is a fantastic 170 pounder. Probobly the best of all time. But we're talking about 185 and at 185, he is merely a very good fighter. The guys I selected for this discussion against him are all very very good 185 ers.
Wanderlei may be past his prime, but he still brings it and we saw that Matt Serra is capable of making GSP tap to strikes. Serra wasn't over the hill himself when he did that to GSP? That was a long time ago? Well that's why I'm introducing Wanderlei into the discussion. I'm not trying to upset you, I'm just throwing the idea out there and seeing what everyone thinks about it.
Palhares is extremely dangerous. If Saturday night is the first time you've ever seen him compete and all you know of him is the heel hook, look him up and watch some video on him. The guy is very dangerous and is down right nasty. There's no reason what so ever to believe that GSP would beat him. So Palhares lost to Hendo and went to a decision with Horn. GSP lost to Serra and went to a decision with lets see: Hardy, Alves, Fitch, Koscheck, Penn, Miller, Parysian...
Belfort stopped Rich Franklin and Matt Lindland in his last 2 outings. They were brutal knockouts. He's also coming down from 205. He has a lot of size on GSP and he is one of the best strikers in MMA.
Marquart and Sonnen, another couple of very interesting match ups. Both guys are much bigger than St. Pierre and have good wrestling back grounds, Something Hardy didn't have. They force GSP to change it up and perhaps he can, perhaps he wins, but I'd like to see it. I'd prefer that over the mismatches that GSP has left at 170, (excluding Koscheck).
But the point isn't that they would all beat GSP, the point is that since GSP is the smaller man and these are accomplished guys in the next weight class up, it stands to reason that they would pose significant danger to GSP. But here they are being dismissed like if GSP would simply run through them with a 5-0 record and it would all be a waste of time. The reasons given remind me of what was said of Matt Serra, only these guys aren't over weight 155 pounders, these guys are big 185 pounders coming down from significantly higher.
As for Anderson Silva, I mean no disrespect to GSP, but the reality is that the spider would take GSPs manhood and likely his life. I have no interest in seeing that fight and that's not trolling, that's being honest and having compassion for a great champion.