Why didn’t Georges St-Pierre attempt any leg locks against Michael Bisping when they fought at UFC 217?
He did, after all, just finish training with John Danaher, a BJJ instructor whose students are known for their ability to destroy even the most talented grapplers with leg attacks.
Furthermore, Georges is an incredibly good grappler who is widely known (and sadly criticized for) his wrestling skills in the cage.
So, why did Georges avoid the lower limbs?
Danaher gave two reasons:
1) Leg locks are beautiful — that is, when they’re done correctly. However, when they’re not, they can look terrible.
2) Because of GSP’s amazing takedown skills, he was often easily able to get the top position. Combined with St-Pierre’s ground-and-pound proficiency, it just wasn’t necessary for him to attack the legs.
Danaher also elaborated on why he encouraged Georges to fight for the Middleweight title rather than the Welterweight one. John told Joe Rogan that there were three criticisms of GSP’s career:
1) He never fought up in weight.
2) Though he was one of the best fighters, his fights were often dull.
3) He didn’t finish fights.
Because reigning Welterweight Champion Tyron Woodley has unfortunately been criticized for his unentertaining fighting style, fighting the Middleweight Champion was a way to kill two birds with one stone.
Danaher, however, claimed that they had planned on fighting Michael Bisping before The Count won the Middleweight Championship.
John Danaher’s interview with Joe Rogan is still happening now. Click the link below to hear what they’re talking about.
