Tristar Gym Rumor: GSP could retire if knee surgery doesn't go well

Heard it from Matthew Roth over at BloodyElbow. What do you guys think about GSP's legacy if he was to retire?

i dont think he has built a legacy worthy of something like greatest welterweight or anything like that. he could go down in the hall of fame (not my choice) but it would really be a travesty if he left the sport now.

Don't get my hopes up!

If GSP were to retire today, I'd say he goes out with a good legacy. Avenged all of his losses in dominating fashion, and defended his title fairly easily until the end. Plus, it appears he has been making stacks upon stacks of chip, so he's doing good. Plus endorsements, other BS... I am sure money wouldn't be a problem.

It would be a true going out on top story. Of course, that will set the standard really high for every other welterweight in the UFC, because no one will have won the title from the champion. The comparisons to GSP will be unavoidable unless a new champion takes the belt from him.

Great fighter.....but......won't lose any sleep over it.

I'm ready for Condit to step up as the new WW Champ

Damn he really is scared, homie

Tristar Gym Rumor: GSP could get hit by a bus if he doesn't look both ways!

I knew it was a matter of time before these stupid ass rumors started up.

The knee surgery is gonna go fine. GSP is a freak of nature & will probably heal up in 5 hours Wolverine style. The operation is probably already done since up here we aren't afraid to get our healthcare for free

---

Posted by shaneTpain

Tristar Gym Rumor: GSP could get hit by a bus if he doesn't look both ways!

I knew it was a matter of time before these stupid ass rumors started up.

The knee surgery is gonna go fine. GSP is a freak of nature & will probably heal up in 5 hours Wolverine style. The operation is probably already done since up here we aren't afraid to get our healthcare for free

---

ACL injury isn't something to take lightly. It's ended many athletes careers early.

ACL can change you
He may not be the same fighter. He may lose some speed and those explosive takedowns.

I hope the recovery goes well for him

I don't know how you could argue he isn't the greatest WW in history.

Only other one that comes close is Hughes and I think GSP has surpassed him.

Hey, maybe after the surgery, GSP will be on par with the rest of the fighters...

The MMA gods decided GSP was to dominant so they injured him.
All jokes.

He'll be back.

---

Posted by prozacnation1978

ACL can change you
He may not be the same fighter. He may lose some speed and those explosive takedowns.

I hope the recovery goes well for him

---

I have a friend who went through some classes and stuff to be a doctor, but changed to pharmaceuticals shortly thereafter, so he has at least a base knowledge on the human body and its inner workings that is probably at least a little above that of the average person that I actually talked to recently about acl injuries in regards to Jamaal Charles since he injured his and happens to play for my favorite football team. I asked him about whether or not it would be possible to recover fully from that and come back at 100%, and my buddy said that even with all the resources that athletes have at their disposal, 99.9% of the time, regardless of their resources, athletes will never come back with the same speed or explosiveness. It's just so difficult to recover from an injury like that and come back the same. That said, I doubt his career is over, and him being the cerebral fighter that he is, GSP will likely find some way of compensating for it by the next time he fights. That said though, it seems like any time you get injured around the area of your acl, mcl, and the other one I can't remember the name of, it seems to be an injury that will come back up at a later date. Willis McGahee has had how many ACL injuries? Terrell Davis hurt his more than once if I recall correctly, and I believe that ACL injuries were what cut so many of Ken Griffey Jr.'s short while he was with the Reds if I recall correctly. Or maybe that was hamstring injuries. I don't remember for sure, and I'm too lazy to take ten seconds out of my time to look it up.

basically, i think that short term, it won't cut GSP's career short in the immediate future, but it may cause him to decline or have to call it quits sooner than he otherwise would have in the long term.

---

Posted by bjj1605

I don't know how you could argue he isn't the greatest WW in history.

Only other one that comes close is Hughes and I think GSP has surpassed him.

---

History of MMA?
Yeah, he probably is. For now.
But the "history" of MMA (the form in which GSP competed) is only about 20 years or so, right?

I think it's a punkout if he doesnt return. He has the skill to still reign on top. Without his explosiveness he still has the best setups and follow throughs in MMA takedowns.

Sorry if you cant dryhump people to the extent you did before GSP but trust me, you can still dryhump them with jabs like you did with Kos and Shields.

He'll be the #1 WW. But he'll also have many insinuations about being scared, homie. And i think they'll be deserved at that point.

But he won't retire. He won't retire while still only being the #2 in the sport.

---

Posted by State_Champ

---

Posted by bjj1605

I don't know how you could argue he isn't the greatest WW in history.

Only other one that comes close is Hughes and I think GSP has surpassed him.

---

History of MMA?
Yeah, he probably is. For now.
But the "history" of MMA (the form in which GSP competed) is only about 20 years or so, right?

---

I was responding to tcunningham who said

---

i dont think he has built a legacy worthy of something like greatest welterweight or anything like that

---

I agree that being the most dominant anything in MMA isn't that impressive. Its a young sport and there's plenty of time ahead in the future for someone to take over the title of most dominant WW.

WW is also a young division that was ruled by one man (Hughes) for most of its existence before GSP came along.

---

Posted by Pookie

He'll be the #1 WW. But he'll also have many insinuations about being scared, homie. And i think they'll be deserved at that point.

But he won't retire. He won't retire while still only being the #2 in the sport.

---

I agree.

He won't fight Silva.

Starting to look like he might end up not fighting Diaz.

He's spent most of his championship career playing it safe.

Its certainly an easy criticism to make.

Honestly though, unless Silva destroys his legacy by doing something stupid or unless GSP fights him and beats him, GSP will always be #2. I think anyone who says differently just doesn't like Anderson and wants to deny his legacy.

---

Posted by Pookie

He'll be the #1 WW. But he'll also have many insinuations about being scared, homie. And i think they'll be deserved at that point.

But he won't retire. He won't retire while still only being the #2 in the sport.

---

they are clearly not deserved.. its due to him Diaz even got the chance to come back to the UFC, its bc of him that Diaz got a second shot after not fulfilling obligations first time around, and he was going to try and fight with an injury both times. His camp reported injury and had him checked out and he was subsequently not cleared to fight. I think we'll hear people claiming he's scared, but GSP is not scared of mean mugging Nick.

Personally i think Diaz would win the fight, but I don't detract from GSP at all