THE CANADIAN PRESS
Being bad is just good business, says Josh Koscheck.
And so the UFC welterweight contender makes no bones about his abrasive approach to mixed martial arts.
"At the end of the day, it’s business," says Koscheck, who relishes riling opponents and fans. "And I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do to provide for myself and provide for the family and that’s what I’m willing to do.
"Most of these other guys would probably not want to be in my position, but if they saw where I lived and how I roll, they would probably think twice about being in my position."
The California-based fighter will add to his bank account on Dec. 11 when he challenges welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre in his native Montreal for the 170-pound title.
Between now and then, the two can be seen sparring as rival coaches on Season 12 of "The Ultimate Fighter."
Watch UFC Fight Night 22 Wednesday on Sportsnet East and Ontario live at 8 p.m. ET followed by the premiere of Season 12 of The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck at 10 p.m. ET. Sportsnet is the only place in Canada to watch them in high definition. Check local listings for Sportsnet West and Pacific times.
St-Pierre is no fan of trash-talking, saying his martial arts world is about respect and not name-calling.
Koscheck, in contrast, spends time thinking about his next verbal volley. And he says it works.
"I definitely know I got under Georges’ skin," he told a media conference call Tuesday. "He’s even admitted it in some of his interviews and I kind of like that. I like the fact that now Georges is pissed off, I like the fact that he’s training hard because when I whip his ass Sept. 11, then he’s not going to have any excuses."
St.-Pierre (20-2) won a unanimous decision over Koscheck when they first met at UFC 74 in August 2007. That bout marked the last time GSP lost a round in the UFC — St-Pierre has won six fights since.
The Canadian had just lost his title to Matt Serra at the time, winning it back two fights after the Koscheck bout.
Koscheck (17-4) says he respects St-Pierre’s fighting skills but says the popular champion is a "fake." And he said St-Pierre, since losing his title to Serra at UFC 69, "had become this guy who’s afraid to go out there and fight."
St-Pierre maintained his zen-like front on Tuesday’s conference call, although he did take the opportunity to list the "lies" he said Koscheck had served up during his answers.
He said one was that he wasn’t true to himself. The other was that Koscheck didn’t mind having to fight in the champion’s backyard.
St-Pierre agreed Koscheck had got into his head during filming "which is a good thing for me.
"Look at the guys that I have fought in the past that have been very arrogant with me (and) I did very well."
But when the two fighters weren’t objecting to each other’s style, they were calling each other professionals with a job to do.
"I don’t think Josh Koscheck is a bad person," said St-Pierre.
A sly Koscheck still couldn’t resist poking fun at the champion after that.
"Thank you Georges, I really appreciate that," he said. "You just made my day sticking up for me.
"I’ll send you a text message later and we’ll cuddle."
