On Tuesday, The Ultimate Fighting Championship held a press conference at The Bell Centre in Montreal officially kicking off promotional efforts for their fourth stop in La Belle Province.
The event, entitled UFC 124: St-Pierre vs Koschek was hosted by president Dana White, UFC Canada director of operations, Tom Wright, as well as welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre, and challenger, Josh Koscheck.
The 25-minute press conference was highlighted by some interesting statements. (If you missed it, and would like to see the video in it's entirety, click here.)
White referred to GSP as the biggest athlete to come out of Canada, larger than even national icon Wayne Gretzky. To solidify his point, he reiterated St-Pierre's massive popularity whenever he leaves the Great White North, pointing to a recent promotional visit to the Philippines, where St-Pierre was treated, literally, like a rock star.
Having seen first hand, how GSP is welcomed in various cities across North America, the online videos of his visit to the Philippines, as well as the unbelievable fanatical support in countries like Brazil, Spain, France, Abu Dhabi, the U.K., etc, it makes one wonder if Dana is actually correct.
Can (or could have) Gretzky, or the likes of Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr, Steve Nash, Ben Johnson, Donovan Bailey, Jacques Villeneuve, Kurt Browning, Elvis Stojko, Brian Orser or Larry Walker's popularity transcended so many countries and cultures like GSP has?
Perhaps Nash, Johnson, Bailey and Villeneuve could have, as their sports were considered global, and not like, hockey, per say, which is popular mainly in countries with a colder climate. MMA is followed and understood in every climate and far more countries than hockey, football, etc.
Mixed Martial Arts, (and the UFC), continue to expand globally, with White reiterating that The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) is going global. For those that have missed it in the past, White has been saying this for quite some time but on Tuesday there was an interesting twist.
White stated there is a potential scenario, where the winners of each national version will compete against one another, in what seems to be an International TUF Grand Prix. This is great news and long overdue. Logistics have obviously played a huge role in preventing this from happening sooner, but once this ball gets rolling, it will seriously grow the depth of talent in every region that the UFC has a broadcast deal in. This will truly help the sport grow on so many levels, while creating more stars for the UFC's roster of talent.
When TUF Canada comes to fruition, rest assured that it will be one of Wright's highest priorities, but in the mean time, he provided some updates on the state of the UFC's union in Canada.
First off, was that the organization was planning on holding their first fan expo in Toronto, likely in mid-2011. He confirmed recent conversations with the powers that be in Vancouver - neither confirming or denying their next event at the Rogers Arena is June 11, 2011, (namely because I do not believe anyone asked for confirmation).
Another item to note, is that the city of Montreal will get their fifth UFC event next year, setting a record for the most UFC events held in an international city.
As for Toronto, regulatory issues and changes are ongoing, and while a source informed me that May 2011 was likely the new date (Mauricio Rua vs. Rashad Evans as the main event), it now looks more like it is going to be July. It's important to note that this date is fluid, so stay tuned, especially considering the health status of GSP; should he come out unscathed against Koscheck, he will likely be the organization's choice to headline a record-breaking show at the Rogers Centre, (after some much-needed and well-deserved rest).
As for the two fighters in attendance, here are the basics of what they said.
St-Pierre:
* Koscheck's' wrestling is some of the best in the game, but on Dec. 11, they are competing in MMA, not wrestling.
* His experience on as a coach on TUF 12 has made him a much better mixed martial artist.
* St-Pierre's glad that Koscheck is trying to get under his skin, as it keeps him sharp and motivated. He gave examples of other fighters that tried to do the same, and that he subsequently finished them off, specifically naming Matt Hughes, Matt Serra and BJ Penn.
* He has learned a lot since his last bout against Dan Hardy at UFC 111. GSP made it clear that he never makes the same mistake twice, and this time around, if the opportunity (submission) presents itself, he will finish the fight; whether by tap out, or by breaking his opponent's limb.
Note: GSP's best answer came when he described "why" he is the champion, something those with a keen knowledge of MMA strategies know, and have discussed at length. It was as if he was aiming his statements at those who criticized his recent performances.
To sum it up, he simply explained the importance, (and his personal success,) of taking the fight to where his opponent's weaknesses lie, and to not bother competing against their strength. This portion of the video is worth watching, to really get a sense of why he is considered one of the best on the planet, and why so many amazing, talented fighters, cannot reach, or stay, at the top of their divisional rankings, like he has.
Koscheck:
* Koscheck is "not a racist", after being questioned for comments he made during a recent episode of TUF 12, when he stated he doesn't want to lose to a "French" guy.
* Koscheck is simply saying things to hype up the fight (I personally hope he continues, as it makes for great fodder).
* His goal is to have fun doing what he's doing, (referring to the self-embraced role as the "bad guy", "heel", etc), and if it ever stops being fun, he'll start looking for a new career.
* When it comes to this fight, his goal is to "piss 20,000 people off", win the title, hit the airport and get out of Montreal as soon as possible.
Note: Koscheck's best answer came when stated that all the pressure in this rematch is on St-Pierre: GSP is the champion, fighting in front of his hometown fans versus a fighter who he's already defeated.
One final point, was that Dana White stated that should Jake Shields defeat Martin Kampmann next weekend at UFC 121, Shields "will likely" get the next title shot against the winner of GSP-Koscheck. Sounds to me as if Shields had better look good in his UFC debut.
