UFC welterweight contender Josh Koscheck (17-4) has continued to needle current champion Georges St. Pierre (20-2), questioning whether he’ll have the intestinal fortitude to stand and strike with the challenger or play the roll of a “boring Greg Jackson fighter” and look for takedowns and ground control.
However, Koscheck side-stepped comparisons to his UFC 113 win over formidable striker Paul Daley, a match where Koscheck used his wrestling to grind out a decision win.
During a UFC 124 conference call on Monday, Koscheck was asked about some of his recent comments, such as his criticism of the “boring” style of some of St. Pierre’s reality show team members, and how the strategy in those fights differed from his approach against Daley.
“I don’t know,” Koscheck said, adding that he purposefully tried to bring more entertainment to the TUF 12 show with his antics. His only other response was that people will have to see what happens at the UFC 124 main event on Dec. 11 in Montreal.
As for the fight itself, Koscheck said that he’s become more focused on developing his all-around MMA game than he did in their first fight three years ago, where St. Pierre earned a unanimous decision victory.
“My primary focus wasn’t on becoming a complete mixed martial artist,” Koscheck said of their previous match. Koscheck also said that he underestimated GSP’s to mix in wrestling with his other techniques.
“Three years ago I learned a valuable lesson,” Koscheck said.
Koscheck also didn’t sound too concerned about St. Pierre’s recent work with legendary boxing trainer Freddie Roach. Working with Roach is helpful but won’t help strengthen GSP’s chin, Koscheck said.
Roach recently predicted St. Pierre would win the fight via knockout. (https://prommanow.com/index.php/2010/12/01/freddie-roach-predicts-georges-st-pierre-will-knockout-josh-koscheck-at-ufc-124/) But Koscheck also has people calling for his victory.
“My mom predicted that I’d win by second round KO with a left hook,” he joked.