UFC 124: St-Pierre vs Koscheck is official; both fighters eager to battle
UFC confirmed that the rematch between Georges St. Pierre and Josh Koscheck will take place on December 11. The highly anticipated clash of the two rivals will be on the champion's turf, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.
The humble French-Canadian and the brash American can be seen on the latest season of "The Ultimate Fighter" which currently airs on Spike TV. St. Pierre and Koscheck are coaches of opposing teams and it seems that the UFC welterweight champion is in his winning
ways again. Team GSP is up 3-0 in the preliminary round.
If this is foreboding of Koscheck's upcoming match, he is in a heap of trouble. But it is certain, that he doesn't really care that much. A win or a loss in TUF 12 as coach means nothing to him. All that he truly wants is to snatch that welterweight belt away
from the person who had been holding it for a very long time.
Georges St. Pierre, on the other hand, promised to shut his rival's mouth come fight night.
"I'm so happy that I get to fight Josh Koscheck in front of my home crowd," St. Pierre said. "He was very disrespectful during the filming of The Ultimate Fighter and I didn't say a word.
All the taunting in the reality show was from Koscheck, and GSP, with his Zen-like demeanor, just brushed away his challenger's verbal attacks. The champion is obviously happy to get his chance to fight back in the way he knows best — with his fists and takedowns.
"Now on December 11, I get to answer back with my fists," St. Pierre said. "Last time I fought in Montreal, it was so loud the Octagon was shaking. I know the crowd will be even louder for this fight."
Their first battle and what they want to prove in their next fight
St. Pierre and Koscheck's first encounter was on UFC 74 in 2007. That time, St. Pierre just came from a loss against Matt Serra. Their first fight was a three-round match with St. Pierre winning by unanimous decision. This coming UFC 124, the match will be
a five-rounder which will play well for the champ.
Since their first meeting, St. Pierre has never lost a round making him the most dominant fighter of MMA today. However, fans are not exactly pleased with GSP's way of winning fights by decision. His tried-and-true method has been criticized as boring and extremely
safe. For Koscheck, this is not left unnoticed as he often criticizes St. Pierre for his "lay-and-pray" style.
Judging from St. Pierre's last fight against Dan Hardy, the Canadian is also sick and tired of winning on scorecards. His relentless submission attempts on Hardy were proof enough. Lately, St. Pierre was reported to have done some training under boxing's number
one coach, Freddie Roach. Apparently, he aims to sharpen his striking with hopes of ending fights standing.
Koscheck climbed up the ranks the traditional way. He earned the shot at the title after defeating Paul Daley. Now, he is thrilled and determined to redeem himself.
"I'm excited about the fight. It's a big rematch for me and in life, you don't get second chances that often so I plan on taking advantage of this second chance," he said. "I am training every aspect of the game and can't wait to go fight in December and bring
that belt back to the States. I will put on a show like I always do."
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