Anderson Silva vs. Jon Jones, Anderson Silva vs. Georges St. Pierre, and Randy Couture vs. Fedor Emiliananko, these are a few examples of “super fights” proposed by various people in the mixed martial arts world. The mere thought of these fights are known for creating a strong forum of discussion among fans and fighters alike.
Almost everyone expresses personal opinions on how these types of fights would go down ranging from, “Anderson would dominate Jones or GSP like he has almost everyone put in his path throughout his storied career,” to “GSP would wrestle him down and Jon Jones would be just too big and overpowering for Silva to control.” The real question that people seem to be forgetting, however, is would these fights actually be good for the UFC and the mixed martial arts community in general?
As a fan of mixed martial arts, I would be lying if I said I did not want to see these fights. Yet I’m not sure seeing one of my favorite fighters lose to another one of my favorite fighters is worth the few minutes of potential excitement. To me, the idea of the fight is so much better than the fight actually happening. I would much rather debate with my friends on who would win these fights. Every MMA fan has had a thought about this, but I am willing to bet, when asked, they would hesitate to watch that fight come to fruition.
Another way of looking at the issue is through analyzing super fights that have already happened in the past. Those “what if” fights that, when finally booked, fans were so excited they couldn’t wait to see it finally happen. B.J. Penn vs. Georges St. Pierre is a perfect example of this. The lightweight champion vs. the welterweight champion locked in the octagon together to prove who the better fighter was.
The fight was just too much to take in all at once. Yet after the dust settled, we simply witnessed GSP do what he does best and crush B.J. Penn for 3 rounds. Personally it was just a bit of a letdown, not only because B.J. is a hero of mine, but also because it didn’t prove anything. B.J. was simply fighting outside of his normal weight class. Sure he did become the welterweight champion by beating Matt Hughes, but everyone knows his true weight class is lightweight. That is where he was truly dominant and where he shined the most.
So basically, a super fight may seem like a good idea, but it may end up being more of a letdown in the end for the fans. Sure, Anderson could beat both Jon Jones and Georges St. Pierre, but he could also lose and tarnish his perfect UFC career by taking a fight that he essentially was never meant to take. I know the argument could be made that he already has taken fights in the light heavyweight division, even against a former champion, and won in his usual dominant fashion. One could point out he started his career in the welterweight division as well, but that does not mean he should be considering fighting champions who in some ways are just as dominant as he is.
The fans deserve fights where anything can happen, but they also want to see the formula that has helped this sport grow into what it is today; a contender rises in ranks, faces the champion, and either wins and becomes the new dominant force, or loses and the champion takes on the next competitor.
Watch the video below as Dana White answers questions about a potential super-fight between Anderson Silva and GSP.
Video courtesy of Fuel TV