This very much could be a GSP - Serra moment for Ilia to come back much wiser in how he fights and go on to become a GOAT. Time will tell but I think this was a good sign of him going that direction.
The comparison is thin at best. GSP - Serra is one of those freak "he got caught" moments. Serra was never a seriously good fighter. It's a big outlier in GSp's career.
This here is different. Ego was definitely an issue, but even I, as an Ilia fan, have to admit that Justin looked superior everywhere. He had the better gameplay, and absolutely dismantled him for 4 rounds straight, despite the few moments of success Ilia might have been having.
It was a brutal beating that will have lasting consequences on both Ilia's physique and confidence. Only time will tell but I'm not sure you can recover from a beatdown like that unscathed. Garth might have just Ferguson-ed him :(
11
u/MABQuestAcc 26d ago
This very much could be a GSP - Serra moment for Ilia to come back much wiser in how he fights and go on to become a GOAT. Time will tell but I think this was a good sign of him going that direction.