The Retort

Good vs. Evil in the UFC

October 22nd, 2010 by Joe Olivo Of The Retort Staff

The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s prominent “good guy,” Georges St. Pierre (GSP), will defend his welterweight championship December 11 against the welterweight, and maybe entire Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) world, villain Josh Koscheck. The fight will take place in GSP’s backyard of Montreal, Canada. To promote this fight further, GSP and Koscheck will coach against each other on this season of the Ultimate Fighter television show on Spike TV. Koscheck made a name for himself on the first season of the show, now entering its twelfth season. He became possibility the most hated character in the show’s history with his childish antics and excessive trash talk.

Koscheck has already started the mental attacks on GSP: “I can’t wait to go shock them all and put George on his ass and take his belt.” GSP has even admitted that the verbal jabs following six weeks of filming with Koscheck has gotten to him. “Yes, he definitely got to get in my head, which is a good thing for me,” St. Pierre said, “because it gives me more motivation to train harder.”

Koscheck has been known to get under the skin of many of his opponents. During his last fight in Montreal he continuously took down, and then verbally taunted, his opponent, Paul Daley. Daley was so frustrated he actually sucker punched Koscheck after the final bell. “I’m the villain. Georges is the squeaky-clean superman guy. And I’m the villain to come into Montreal and get the chance to walk out of there with an opportunity of fighting in Montreal and fighting for the world title,” Koscheck responded when asked about how he plays the villain role.

On the other side of the coin, GSP is known by many in the MMA world as the face of the sport. He is always respectful to opponents and fans alike. He is often praised for his professionalism in a sport that rarely sees such acts. However, this is a side that Koscheck claims to be a false public image. “Just from being around him, I really truly believe that he portrays himself to be this guy, and I think he’s definitely not,” Koscheck said. “So he comes across different than what he is in person. And that’s my opinion, and I’m entitled to state my opinion.” Whether that is true or not, it isn’t Koscheck’s words that will be the biggest challenge for GSP. Koscheck has been referred by many as the most talented athlete in the entire UFC. While wrestling in college Koscheck was a four-time All American and went undefeated his junior year.

This will be the second time that GSP and Koscheck will battle inside the octagon. In their first encounter, GSP won a decision victory by out-wrestling Koscheck; he later claimed that he had underestimated GSP’s wrestling ability and hadn’t practiced his wrestling at all while preparing for the fight. To win the rematch Koscheck will have to be the superior wrestler, something he is quite confident that he is. “If Georges comes out and tries to just wrestle like he has in the previous fights, then, wrestling is going to be the difference and I have to have my wrestling on, and I plan on having that.”

If Koscheck can defeat GSP he will end possibly the most dominant run in UFC welterweight championship history, winning seven straight matches, five of which were championship bouts.