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Did GSP get into Matt Hughes head?

2K views 21 replies 19 participants last post by  asskicker 
#1 ·
According to Michael DiSanto of UFC.com, Matt Hughes has the edge on the mental game over St. Pierre.

(From UFC® : Ultimate Fighting Championship®) Mental

"St. Pierre is far from a mental midget, as he showed when refusing to quit in a gut-check win over Penn. But it is impossible to successfully argue that he has any sort of mental edge over Hughes heading into this fight for two simple, albeit related, reasons.

First, Hughes’ owns a definitive submission win over the French-Canadian. That has a huge impact on their respective pre-fight psyche, particularly since St. Pierre appeared to be controlling the action early. The net result is that a little devilish fellow called “doubt” will be sitting squarely on St. Pierre’s shoulder whispering in his ear as the action gets underway. Those whispers will become loud screams if Hughes is able to put St. Pierre on his back and pass his guard.

Second, St. Pierre’s actions in the trailing several months suggest that the fight has gotten under his skin. It is significant that he appeared tremendously uncomfortable in Hughes’ presence during the filming of “TUF 4: The Comeback.” In fact, he was so uncomfortable that he chose to leave the gym shortly after Hughes arrived. It was unclear at the time whether that was a bit of gamesmanship, a move strictly designed to hype the fight for the television audience or a display of nervousness. But St. Pierre’s odd decision to enter the Octagon and disrespect Hughes after the champion defeated Penn was completely out of character for a guy widely considered to be one of the nicest, most respectful gentlemen in the sport.

At the end of the day, it seems as if Hughes has gotten into St. Pierre’s head, or at least under his skin. Edge: Hughes."

Maybe all of this is true. But one thing gets me! If you have seen the previews of the Hughes/St. Pierre fight you see Matt Hughes saying he wants to punch and beat up St. Pierre up. Of course that is his job but from what I have seen in other previews for other Matt Hughes fights, I don't think I ever heard him talk like that. He sounded down right pi$$ed off when he said he wanted to beat up GSP. Maybe I am reading too much into it but what do you think? Did GSP get into Matt Hughes head instead of the other way around?
 
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#4 ·
:laugh: It's funny how UFC's website brings up GSP "uncharacteristically" going into the octagon and telling Matt he was not impressed. Haha, that shit was clearly scripted and who else would script it other than the UFC who is writing this report. Notice how they use it on their previews now? Also funny how the UFC acts like they don't know if GSP leaving the room during TUF4 was scripted or sportsmanship/nervousness. It's all a joke I think people take these prefight word battles a little too seriously. I wouldn't be surprised if all of it was scripted. Not directing this towards you Bonnar. But I understand what you mean by Hughes saying he wants to knock GSP out, that's the first thing I thought when I heard it...he's never talked like that before and he does sound kinda pissed. Oh well, scripted or not it still makes the fight more exciting.
 
#7 ·
Pogo the Clown said:
How can GSP words after the fight be scripted? For that to happen they would have had to have fixed the fight so that hughes would win and make so that he had a shitty performance during the fight before he got the win.


Pogo

Exactly.
 
#8 ·
It might be scripted but i dont think it was. I think GSP just was not impressed with Hughes's performance. And he was prob avoiding Hughes on TUF because he didnt want to start anything with Hughes whle he was there. While Hughes was trying to start something
I hope GSP kicks Hughes's cocky ass

p.s. Hughes did sound mad so i think GSP got under his skin
 
#9 ·
I don't think GSP saying he wasn't impressed was fully scripted but it did come off a little forced. It seems clear to me that he was just saying that in order to draw a better buyrate/increase the intensity heading into their fight and maybe that's what WouldLuv was trying to imply. I'm sure he was impressed with Hughes in his fight against Penn but what fun is it if the guy says, "He did an amazing job tonight and I'm now scared of him"?
 
#10 ·
AMPLine4Life said:
I don't think GSP saying he wasn't impressed was fully scripted but it did come off a little forced. It seems clear to me that he was just saying that in order to draw a better buyrate/increase the intensity heading into their fight and maybe that's what WouldLuv was trying to imply. I'm sure he was impressed with Hughes in his fight against Penn but what fun is it if the guy says, "He did an amazing job tonight and I'm now scared of him"?

I dont think it was forced at all.. I think he wanted to get up there and talk a little smack to him, maybe try to get in his head.
 
#11 ·
It didn't look to be forced or scripted at all. Maybe GSP was seriously just not impressed? But GSP seems to be a very nice and humble guy. I doubt he would mean to be so rude after Hughes' victory. He might just wanted to get under Hughes' skin a little. He punked him out on national television. What better way to upset someone :laugh:
 
#12 ·
I think one reason he avoided a training session w/ Hughes on TUF 4 was to avoid giving his techniques and such away. I also think that he felt uncomfortable around Hughes and that was probably the main reason he left the session. Understandibly, these guys have huge fight coming up. It's the biggest fight of GSP's career and if he wins, his life will change forever. Matt has got to be in his head a little bit; how could he not be? The advantage will be w/ Hughes b/c he's been there many more times - winning the title and defending it.
 
#14 · (Edited)
Pogo the Clown said:
How can GSP words after the fight be scripted? For that to happen they would have had to have fixed the fight so that hughes would win and make so that he had a shitty performance during the fight before he got the win.


Pogo

Well if you watch the fight, you see someone tell GSP something and he shakes his head "yea" and smiles and then starts to walk up to the octagon. It doesn't have to be fixed for it to be scripted, it was either a last minute command from someone, or they told him "IF Hughes wins, go up there and say this". He doesn't even sound sincere at all when he's saying it, just sounds like he is reading it straight off a teleprompter. It was obvious it was scripted and it the fight didn't have to be fixed. I bet they told him no matter who wins, go up there and say you're not impressed (or something similar depending on how the fight actually went) so we can use it for the countdown. The main reason I strongly feel it was scripted is because the camera man cut to GSP a little too early and like I said you could see him talking to someone and says "yea" (like "ok") and then walks up there. If you have it taped or something watch it you will see what I am talking about,
 
#15 ·
im sure him coming to the ring in sort of a challenging way was something that was gonna happen (like when wandi called out chuck and chuck was right there to get in his face then walked away smileing). and hughes gave him somethin to talk about when he was being unimpressive.
 
#16 ·
ye it sounded like gsp was reading the performance comment of a peice of paper. i wonder if hughes knew that gsp would say that and they were all in on it together. lol then no one is getting under anybodys skin, except maybe hughes because he beat gsp before and when he called him out on tuf 4.
 
#17 ·
1) I think it's pretty hard for a fighter at this level to be faked out by mind games.

2) I don't think it's a stretch to think that GSP was told before the fight that they'd call him into the ring to say something to Hughes after the fight.

3) About the 'forced'-sounding comments: GSP is French Canadian with a pretty strong accent. His English doesn't have the same cadence and inflection of someone who speaks English as their first language.

3a.) GSP's a fighter, not an orator.

4) I don't think GSP is in Hughes' head, either, but it seems every time someone (that is, anyone who is not Chuck Liddell) says "I'm going to beat him up and knock him out", they come in over-aggressive and lose.
 
#18 ·
I think both will be apprehensive to a certain degree both are excellent fighters, Matt Hughes begins with a typical Jock attitude gving the impression he truly believes he is unbeatable etc but once in the ring he does seem to switch into an incredible focus before the bell. GSP is a completely different man in the ring appears humble outside but inside a person that knows he has the abilities to beat his opponent, the fight if a battle of wills may go in Hughes favour because he truly believes in himself the question is can GSP match that?
 
#19 ·
WouldLuv2FightU said:
Well if you watch the fight, you see someone tell GSP something and he shakes his head "yea" and smiles and then starts to walk up to the octagon. It doesn't have to be fixed for it to be scripted, it was either a last minute command from someone, or they told him "IF Hughes wins, go up there and say this". He doesn't even sound sincere at all when he's saying it, just sounds like he is reading it straight off a teleprompter. It was obvious it was scripted and it the fight didn't have to be fixed. I bet they told him no matter who wins, go up there and say you're not impressed (or something similar depending on how the fight actually went) so we can use it for the countdown. The main reason I strongly feel it was scripted is because the camera man cut to GSP a little too early and like I said you could see him talking to someone and says "yea" (like "ok") and then walks up there. If you have it taped or something watch it you will see what I am talking about,
Maybe to someone from Ohio, a French-Canadian accent sounds that way. But I'm in Canada, spent the first 11 years old my life in Montreal, and have met GSP, and trust me, he always sounds that way. His English is poor, plain and simple.

I think the whole talk of it being scripted for the sake of making preview videos is rediculous.
 
#21 ·
thevarsmolta said:
Maybe to someone from Ohio, a French-Canadian accent sounds that way. But I'm in Canada, spent the first 11 years old my life in Montreal, and have met GSP, and trust me, he always sounds that way. His English is poor, plain and simple.

I think the whole talk of it being scripted for the sake of making preview videos is rediculous.
I agree 100% - the accent and the fact that english is not GSP's first language made it sound stiff.
You have to think that if he said what he wanted to say in french it would have come out much more articulate but the point would have been the same - Huges had a less than stellar performance and GSP wanted to let him know he saw that!

GO Georges - Matt is ready for a loss and you are the one to give it to him!
 
#22 ·
I think GSP did this on his own. I dont think it sounded right because one his accent and two he's not good at talking shit because hes too nice and was trying to sell the fight that way and it just isnt his thing. If the UFC scripted it GSP wouldnt have beeen saying "Im just trying to sell fights, dont you want to sell fight" or something like that, after he said it.
 
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