Josh Koscheck talks TUF 12, GSP and “Dream Fight” with Tito Ortiz
Josh Koscheck versus Tito Ortiz would be an interesting matchup down the line. Koscheck would have some advantages like wrestling and possibily a striking edge in terms of power, but size-wise that’d be an issue. If they fought at a catchweight between 205 and 185 that might work to even things up size-wise, but I think Koscheck would fight this fight at any weight. I’d be quite the shit-talking duel leading up to the actual event.
But aside from hypothetical dream matches, Koscheck has to face reality in December, when he talks on UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre. Who might be able to give him a better fight than his fantasy opponent in Ortiz. This is going to be a good fight though in December, Koscheck has improved a lot since the first fight, and so has Pierre. Koscheck might have rounded out his game more and become a more dangerous striker, while St. Pierre has focussed less on striking in the Octagon and used his tremendous wrestling and ground fighting skills. Should be a very dyanamic fight and 5 rounds of action that really could end up anymore. Kos on top, GSP on top, GSP landing big shots on the feet, Koscheck attacking with devastating punches–all this is possible in this fight and throw in dangerous submission attacks from Pierre and we really have a fight that can end in several different ways and go in a multitude of directions even within one of the 5 rounds of action. Look forward to this tilt in late fall of this year after the two welterweights take on one another as coaches on TUF 12.
Josh Koscheck says UFC title bout with GSP set for December 11th
Forget press releases, screw media conferences, with Twitter the news just gets there from the source’s mouth. Josh Koscheck let everyone know the date of his battle with UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre will take place on December 11th. It’ll just be a week after they finish off their run on Spike TV as opposing coaches on The Ultimate Fighter reality series.
The battle between Koscheck and the Canadian champ will be a very exciting bout that really bout. They first squared off in August of 2007, and Pierre won the decision in that fight. In a game where you either evolve or die, in 3 years the two have improved a lot and gotten better in all aspects of the game.
These two fighters seem to be polar opposite personalities in their public image. Pierre is the clean cut nice gentleman who represents everything positive about the martial arts. He rarely has a negative thing to say about anything, and is a fighter who has garnered much larger corporate sponsorship from his spic and span image.
Koscheck has embraced being the fighter people love to hate. Going out of his way to annoy opponents and fans, he’s become the fighter fans love to see lose. However he rarely does.
Here are some factors to keep in mind as these two clash in the cage in December.
STRIKING
Koscheck has vastly improved his striking over the years. Since he first fought Pierre he’s scored 3 KOs and looked very solid in the striking department. He has knockout power and is unafraid to get into big exchanges with his opponents.
St. Pierre has basically abandoned his striking game from the point of view of using it to win fights. It’s absolutely a big part of his game in terms of setting up takedowns, but the real damage and points that he scores in fights is on the ground. That loss to Matt Serra in 2007 seemed to have turned St. Pierre into more of a pure wrestler who can use his amazing takedown ability to get his opponents to his back and ground and pound and outgrapple them.
On the feet it’s really anybody’s game. Pierre has standup skills, but rarely shows them these days. Koscheck has been more of a striker in his fights since the two first fought, but there’s not massive advantage for either fighter in this area. Power-wise Koscheck has the edge, but Pierre has a very quick style of striking and uses kicks and punches together more fluidly than his American opponent.
WRESTLING
Going into the first fight it wasn’t clear how good St. Pierre’s wrestling skills were. After the Canadian outwrestled a former NCAA Division 1 champion in Koscheck in their first fight, it became clear just how outstanding Pierre’s takedowns and takedown defense really is. Now this time around I think that it’s going to be a more closer matchup in the area of wrestling. The main reason for this is one of the biggest elements that can work in your first fight with an oponnent–the element of surprise. Koscheck must have been taken aback himself by how good Pierre was when they first fought, and prior to the fight he was most likely working more on his standup game than anything else, as his wrestling was arguably the top in the weight class due to his outstanding success in the amateur wrestling arena.
This time out Koscheck knows how good Pierre is and will be well prepared to handle what he brings to the cage. I still think Pierre will be too much in this area however. His takedowns are so swift and his defense just as solid. However the edge in this area will not be as pronounced as it has been against Pierre’s past opponents. Koscheck will actually be able to take down Pierre and stop some of his shots as well. We’re going to potentially see Pierre on his back again, something that is rarely ever witnessed in MMA.
GRAPPLING
GSP is so solid with BJJ and his ground work so tight that I can could see him gaining side control against Koscheck, and even working his way to mount. How long he can hold it and if he can tap him out is another question. I think it’s a real possibility to get a submission on Koscheck, as Pierre is so fast, so technical and so aggressive on the ground. 99% of fighters would have tapped to the kimura and armbars he threw on Dan Hardy in their bout, but Hardy was too mentally strong to exit from that fight. Koscheck himself is a very tough competitor and the kind of guy who is willing to be choked out rather than tapped out at at times. Case and point is when he was put to sleep earlier in his career by Drew Fickett, who got Koscheck in a rear naked choke but the Caliornian wouldn’t tap.
WHO WINS?
This could be closer than many people think. Koscheck has solid wrestling, good striking, KO power and is looking for revenge. As much as people hate him, you can’t deny his talent and ability to fight. He may put on theatrics like exaggerating injuries and things of that nature, but he finds ways to wins.
But in the end, Georges St. Pierre is still Georges St. Pierre. And GSP has been an unstoppable force whenever he fights. He might be slowed down at times in this fight, but the GSP train is just going to keep rolling to victory. He has incredible wrestling, grappling, good ground and pound and executes solid gameplans to perfection in his fights. He’s a very consistent performer and I expect another stellar performance against Koscheck, who will motivate Pierre even more through some massive trash-talking. Pierre isn’t the guy who will say anything, but he holds that stuff close to him and uses it as a motivation for training and in the fight. He’s calm and collected with a jovial grin all the time, but there’s a deep inferno burning inside that wins to win and topple his adversaries in the Octagon. He’ll do it again in December after 25 minutes of intense action.
GSP by decision.
GSP on TUF 12, Josh Koscheck, future and retirement talk
Growing up in my career, I always fix my goals very high. And every time I achieve one of my (goals) I fix another goal to reach. It’s important as a martial artist (to never be) satisfied because otherwise there is no point to keep doing what you’re doing.
Of course, the money’s there. The difference between me and a lot of fighters … a lot of fighters fight for the fame. They fight for the money.
Yeah, the money is there. It’s pleasant. The money is there. It’s good that I have this security. I have a lot of money now. It’s good. But there is a lot of things I can do outside of mixed martial arts … because of the name that I reached with MMA, that the UFC helped me to have.
The fame is the same thing. I didn’t have it in the beginning, and now I have it. But if one day I reach my goal of becoming the best pound-for-pound (fighter) of all-time, it will be time for me to retire. But I don’t know right now, at 29 years old, if I want to retire. So it’s better I have to stick around.
-GSP
Josh Koscheck talks GSP and TUF 12
I’m going out to knock him out. I’m not going out there just to win a boring fight. He may be the type of fighter that comes in with a good game plan fights conservatively and safe. I’m going out reckless abandon and I’m coming to knock him out.
