Travicity
12-16-2010, 05:18 AM
Source: MMAJunkie
American Kickboxing Academy welterweight standout Josh Koscheck lost for the second time to Georges St. Pierre (in his first title fight) this past weekend at UFC 124. Koscheck was dominated over five rounds, suffering a broken orbital in the process. Though he fought on like a warrior, he was never able to mount any significant offense against St. Pierre.
AKA trainer Javier Mendez recently spoke with MMAJunkie.com and offered his take on the fight and on Koscheck's trash-talk heavy promotional gambit.
"That's part of the game," Mendez said of Koscheck's defeat. "Somebody wins, and somebody loses. Greg Jackson got to their guy; we didn't."
Koscheck and St. Pierre served as opposing coaches on the most recent season of The Ultimate Fighter and Koscheck did his best to play the heel at every turn. Though he made quite a few enemies in the process, the former NCAA Division-1 wrestler drew a considerable amount of attention to the fight, which Mendez believes is indicative of Koscheck's marketing savvy.
"Josh basically does what he does to drum up interest for fights," he said. "He's a marketing genius. Whether he does it or not in the future, I don't know. But Josh knows how to create interest."
Mendez did not mince words when it came to assessing his pupil's performance, telling MMAJunkie that Koscheck simply fought a bad fight and ignored the advice of his coaches.
"Josh fought crappy," said Mendez. "He knows it. If we told him he fought great, we'd be lying. He didn't do anything what he was supposed to do, and at the same time, Georges did. Josh is similar to what I was like. I never did what my coaches wanted to do; I did what I wanted to do. Some people like to guide themselves, and others like people guiding them. Let's not discount the fact that GSP is a great fighter."
Though Koscheck's most recent defeat sends him tumbling back down the crowded welterweight ranks, Mendez assured that the brash fighter will come back better than ever.
"He'll be back," he said. "He's got a champion's heart."
American Kickboxing Academy welterweight standout Josh Koscheck lost for the second time to Georges St. Pierre (in his first title fight) this past weekend at UFC 124. Koscheck was dominated over five rounds, suffering a broken orbital in the process. Though he fought on like a warrior, he was never able to mount any significant offense against St. Pierre.
AKA trainer Javier Mendez recently spoke with MMAJunkie.com and offered his take on the fight and on Koscheck's trash-talk heavy promotional gambit.
"That's part of the game," Mendez said of Koscheck's defeat. "Somebody wins, and somebody loses. Greg Jackson got to their guy; we didn't."
Koscheck and St. Pierre served as opposing coaches on the most recent season of The Ultimate Fighter and Koscheck did his best to play the heel at every turn. Though he made quite a few enemies in the process, the former NCAA Division-1 wrestler drew a considerable amount of attention to the fight, which Mendez believes is indicative of Koscheck's marketing savvy.
"Josh basically does what he does to drum up interest for fights," he said. "He's a marketing genius. Whether he does it or not in the future, I don't know. But Josh knows how to create interest."
Mendez did not mince words when it came to assessing his pupil's performance, telling MMAJunkie that Koscheck simply fought a bad fight and ignored the advice of his coaches.
"Josh fought crappy," said Mendez. "He knows it. If we told him he fought great, we'd be lying. He didn't do anything what he was supposed to do, and at the same time, Georges did. Josh is similar to what I was like. I never did what my coaches wanted to do; I did what I wanted to do. Some people like to guide themselves, and others like people guiding them. Let's not discount the fact that GSP is a great fighter."
Though Koscheck's most recent defeat sends him tumbling back down the crowded welterweight ranks, Mendez assured that the brash fighter will come back better than ever.
"He'll be back," he said. "He's got a champion's heart."