The Big Questions is a new series on The MMA Manifesto where we try to answer the burning questions heading into a major MMA pay-per-view. In our first edition, we team up with our Bloguin brother Sean Malone from Inside The Cage to ruminate on Saturday’s UFC 124.
1) Does Josh Koscheck have any more than a snowball’s chance in hell at beating Georges St-Pierre?
Jeff Fox: Not unless the hell we’re speaking of has really good air conditioning. Josh Koscheck’s only hope at winning is if GSP decides to brawl with him on their feet, which he is too smart of a fighter to do. Other than striking, GSP is far superior to Koscheck in every other aspect of the game (unless you consider trash-talking a MMA skill). But, all that being said, as this year as proven to us all, in MMA anyone can be beaten at any time. I just don’t see it happening in this match.
Sean Malone: You know, when this fight was first announced my immediate thought was that there is no way Koscheck could ever defeat GSP. I mean, look at their first fight. But, with that being said, I believe that the Koscheck we will see in the cage on Saturday will be a much more evolved fighter. It’s clear that Koscheck is supremely motivated for this showdown and I suspect his training at AKA will serve him well. However, having said all of that I just think GSP is at the top of his game and as such I see him getting the victory by unanimous decision.
2) If GSP wins, as expected, should Jake Shields be next in line for him?
Jeff Fox: Jon Fitch is probably more deserving considering he’s dominated the UFC welterweight division (save for GSP) for so long, but I have no quarrels with Jake Shields getting the title shot. I expect it to take place at the UFC’s big debut in Toronto at UFC 131 in April (plus, in our exclusive interview with Shields he said he expected the fight to take place in the spring, so this seems like the logical event to do it at). If St-Pierre gets by Koscheck and Shields, I hope he seriously considers moving up to middleweight, or at the very least be open for some “super fights”.
Sean Malone: Without a doubt. Sure, people will point to the fact that Shields looked horrible in his last fight, coincidentally his first in the UFC, but you have to give Shields the nod based on his total career achievements.
3) In just two short years Thiago Alves has gone from one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world to a serious question mark. What should we expect from The Pitbull at UFC 124?
Jeff Fox: While I don’t buy Thiago Alves as a legit title contender anymore, especially considering he has struggled three times to make weight, I do think this is a good bounce-back fight for him. I expect Alves to get by John Howard, however I don’t see him being able to beat the guys currently at the top of the division (GSP, Shields, Fitch)
Sean Malone: In Alves defense his last two opponents were against Jon Fitch and Georges St-Pierre. Not exactly easy assignments. Plus, you have to credit Alves struggles to make 170 as part of the reason we have seen a steep decline in his performances. But, with all that being said, I think we will see an extremely motivated Alves on Saturday night. He knows that his time being a viable title contender in running short and I believe he will do everything in his power to reestablish his name in the UFC.
4) Since joining the UFC, Jim Miller has gone 7-1, including winning his last five fights. Will a victory over Charles Oliveira finally put him in title contention?
Sean Malone: It’s hard to make an argument against inserting Miller’s name into contender status. Miller has beat some respectable fighters in the division. Maybe a fight with George Sotiropoulos could be used to determine who would be next in line for a shot at the title.
Jeff Fox: I agree with Sean here – if Jim Miller beats Charles Oliveira, he deserves to fight a “big name” guy next. If Sotiropolous gets by Dennis Siver at UFC 127, a Sotiropouls-Miller fight for number one contender status sounds good to me.
5) Will Stefan Struve ever be anything more than a middle-of-the-road heavyweight?
Sean Malone: I don’t think so. What is such a hard pill to swallow is that Struve’s physical gifts should make him a beast in the division. But, the proof is in the pudding as Struve always seems to struggle with upper echelon heavyweights. Saturday’s fight against Sean McCorkle may be his last shot at redemption. However, what I believe is that their fight will give us more of an idea on where to rank McCorkle in the division than anything else.
Jeff Fox: Hate to be a yes man, but I have to agree with Mr. Malone once again. Any time Stefan Struve takes a step up in the level of his opponent, he loses (Junior dos Santos, Roy Nelson). And while it is true he is only 24-years-old, he’s had 24 MMA fights already – he’s got a lot of wear on his tires – it’s now or never.
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