GSP: I know Kos better than he knows himself
Joel Snape: You’ve fought Josh Koscheck before but he’s since said he didn’t do much wrestling training for your first fight….
Joel Snape: You’ve fought Josh Koscheck before but he’s since said he didn’t do much wrestling training for your first fight. Are you expecting him to try harder for the takedown in this fight?
Gerges St-Pierre: Yeah, I think he’s going to try to put me down. I also think he’s going to try to knock me out with his big right hand but I know him. I’ve been studying so much tape on him, I’ve got to the point where I know Josh Koscheck probably better than he even knows himself. My coaches have been studying him a lot. Being with him on the Ultimate Fighter for eight weeks was a way for me to know him a little bit better as a person and as a fighter.
JS: Did the way he acted on the show surprise you? He comes across as a bit of a bully at times.
GSP: I knew how he was before I got there. I think he was like that to get inside my head, and to keep the fans entertained. I don’t think he’s a bad person. In a way, I think that’s his way to motivate himself. He likes to be the bad guy.
JS: You’ve said before that not every fighter is a martial artist. What’s the difference?
GSP: A fighter trains only when he has a fight. He trains only when he’s fighting. Me, I train for a lifestyle. Even when I’m not getting ready for a fight, I’m always in shape, I’m always in training. I do it as a lifestyle. I studied in Kyokushin karate when I was young and that’s why I think I’m like that.
JS: Which other fighters do you regard as true martial artists?
GSP: Randy Couture, Lyoto Machida, Roger Gracie, these guys are great martial artists. All those guys that dedicate their lives to one martial art in particular and improving it – they’re true martial artists.
JS: Were you surprised by the result of the Carlos Condit/Dan Hardy fight?
GSP: Yes and no. I think Hardy made a mistake. He wanted to swing too hard, to make the crowd happy, you know? He came in very wild. When you stay in the middle and exchange, it’s like flipping a coin. Not many people realise that if the punch had been a split second later, it would have been the other way around, Hardy would have knocked out Condit. They both connected but one connected a little bit before the other. It’s risky to exchange in the middle like this – you need to cut angles and change levels. It’s about hitting and not getting hit.
JS: You didn’t wrestle in school or college, but now you’ve got some of the best takedowns in the UFC. What do you think UK fighters can learn from your success?
GSP: People think my takedowns come from wrestling but I’ve done karate for so long. You can use karate as a set up for punching people, to cover distance, or to put someone down. I use it to cover the distance and put people down, and I’m very good at it. A guy like Lyoto Machida does it too. So it’s more than just wrestling, it’s about fighting itself.
