UFC 124: St. Pierre vs. Koscheck II - Death of a Muppet

[Turd Ferguson]

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MAIN CARD

• Welterweight Championship: Georges St. Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck
• Heavyweight bout: Stefan Struve vs. Sean McCorkle
• Lightweight bout: Jim Miller vs. Charles Oliveira
• Lightweight bout: Joe Stevenson vs. Mac Danzig
• Welterweight bout: Thiago Alves vs. John Howard

Preliminary Card (Non-televised)

• Middleweight bout: Dan Miller vs. Joe Doerksen
• Lightweight bout: Mark Bocek vs. Dustin Hazelett
• Welterweight bout: TJ Grant vs. Ricardo Almeida
• Welterweight bout: Matt Riddle vs. Sean Pierson
• Middleweight bout: Jesse Bongfeldt vs. Rafael Natal
• Lightweight bout: Pat Audinwood vs. John Makdessi

The UFC is going to end the year with this card, and it should be an absolute fun night of fights. The main event is a fight I've been psyched for since it was first announced, and TUF has only made me look forward to it even more. I was very against the idea of GSP being held up for 8 months of his prime so that TUF could end, but this season has made it very much worth it. GSP needs to fight three times next year, and one of those fights needs to be against Anderson Silva, but that deserves its own thread.

Our main event is GSP defending his title against Josh Koscheck. The promotion is going to kick into overdrive in the next few weeks. Honestly though, I don't think Koscheck has anything for GSP in this one. We've already seen what happened in the first fight. GSP completely dominated Koscheck in every aspect. Let's not forget that Koscheck is a very credentialed wrestler... he's a four time All American and was even a champion. GSP took him down at will, and stuffed all of his takedown attempts.

If Koscheck wasn't such a personality, he wouldn't be in this position right now. Look at who Koscheck beat to get to this point... Frank Trigg, Anthony Johnson, and Paul Daley. Not exactly an impressive list of fighters. Bruce Buffer choked Frank Trigg out, Anthony Johnson is very one-dimensional, hasn't fought since the Koscheck loss, and he looks like he should be challenging Cain Velasquez for the Heavyweight title. He gained a lot of weight. Daley, like Johnson, is very one dimensional. It also took Koscheck to fake two injuries on phantom illegal hits to get through those fights.

GSP is a very complete fighter... his chin is the only part of his game that is suspect, but he's smart enough and has the movement to avoid the big hit from Koscheck. I see GSP dominating this from start to finish, both on the feet and on the ground. It will be a dominant decision victory, and he'll move onto Jake Shields in April.

It's definitely a strange move for Stefan Struve vs. Sean McCorkle to be the co-main event of this card. There is definitely a lot of appeal for the casual fan though in this fight. Heavyweights and freak show fights sell... both guys are very tall, with Struve being 6'11" and McCorkle being 6'7". McCorkle is also a really good trash talker (Google his "Top 10 Rumors" about Struve), and that would surely make him popular with the fans. We still don't know too much about McCorkle, besides the fact that he submitted Mark Hunt really easily in his UFC debut. Struve has always been one of my most favorite fighters as he's so much fun to watch on account of how tall he is, but he's growing into a damn good fighter. He's still developing... more importantly, his chin and his striking is improving. He showed a lot of heart at UFC 117 against Christian Morecraft, surviving a first round assault and putting him away quickly in the second. This is going to be a very fun fight... and I really hope Struve pulls it off.

Jim Miller vs. Charles Oliveira is going to be a great fight as well. I've always been a huge fan of the Miller brothers, and I'm quickly becoming a huge fan of Charles Oliveira... who I think is a future Lightweight Champion. He's only 20 years old, and he's displayed an A+ ground game and a damn good standup game as well. Jim Miller is going to be a very tough challenge for him. Miller only has two career losses, and those are to Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard. He's one of the most well-rounded fighters in the lightweight division, and has demonstrated a really decent standup game. His ground game is also really good, and has excellent wrestling. Miller has extremely good top control as well, but I really think that Oliveira's BJJ is enough to neutralize his wrestling. I wouldn't be surprised if this turned into a standup battle, and Oliveira demonstrated some explosive standup against Escudero. I think Oliveira has the intangibles like Jon Jones has, where he's so young, but is already among the elite in the division. I think Oliveira pulls off a very close decision.

Thiago Alves vs. John Howard should be a very fun slugfest and will be a great way to kick the card off. Howard is from Boston, and I'll certainly be pulling for him, but Alves is a top five welterweight still. This is a huge step up in competition for Howard that I don't think he's ready for. The UFC is looking to re-establish Alves, and Howard presents a fight where it will be a standup battle. I think it will be a very fun slugfest, but Alves will win by KO. Alves better hope he makes weight this time, as Dana said he'd force him to go up to 185 if he missed weight again.

As far as the prelims go, I really hope Dan Miller beats Joe Doerksen. Miller is still one of the most talented middleweights around, and he belongs in the UFC. He got a win against John Salter at UFC 118 after dropping three straight to Sonnen, Maia, and Bisping. I still think he's in danger of getting cut if he loses to Doerksen though.

Dustin Hazelett needs a win badly in order to stay in the UFC, and he's dropping to lightweight. His first fight in this weightclass won't be easy as Bocek narrowly lost a decision to Jim Miller his last time out... and I think Bocek will take this fight.

Ricardo Almeida is getting completely buried on the prelims, and if he loses to TJ Grant, he might be in danger of getting cut. Almeida, unless he's completely lost it, should be able to get the win here pretty handedly.

 

[Fizzy]

Man I can't wait for this card specifically for the main event. GSP to me is the best fighter in the world. Everything he does he does it to perfection. His striking is crisp, accurate, and powerful. His wrestling is top notch, and his BJJ is high level. He is the most complete fighter in the world. I really see no chance for Kos to win. He hasn't improved enough for this fight to go any differently than the first one, and I can even see GSP finish it this time. Only way I see Kos winning is by an overhand right to the temple or behind the ear which is not likely because when Kos throws that punch it is so telegraphed, and you know it's coming.

Struve is a beast. Hes got the heart, and chin to be a top level fighter, and he has the height to really give people problems. Now only if he could fucking figure out how to use his reach properly. With his long limbs hes a nightmare on the ground, and if his striking develops like it should he has a very bright future. Hes fucking young.

I'm a huge fan of Oliveira after his last fight, and am happy to see him step up in competition. He is the Bones Jones of the LW division, and he is only getting better. Miller is a tough dude whos only loses are against elite level competition so this is a huge test for Oliveira. Can't wait to see what happens. The rest of the card is solid, and should prove to be a fantastic card to close the year out with. can't fucking wait.

 

[PsychoBlack]

Honestly, Koshcheck does not have a snowball's chance in hell. He might be the most overrated fighter in the UFC today. The man that he is facing is widely considered to be pound for pound the number one fighter in the world.

The under card looks great though as every fight that Alves is in ends up being exciting. While the rest of the under card matches have some nice up and coming guys still trying to make a name for themselves.

I am looking past the fight with Koshcheck for GSP and waiting for his match with Fitch if it ever happens. There styles will make for a good fight even if it is not the most entertaining.

 

[INDYjon22]

Honestly, Koshcheck does not have a snowball's chance in hell. He might be the most overrated fighter in the UFC today. The man that he is facing is widely considered to be pound for pound the number one fighter in the world.

The under card looks great though as every fight that Alves is in ends up being exciting. While the rest of the under card matches have some nice up and coming guys still trying to make a name for themselves.

I am looking past the fight with Koshcheck for GSP and waiting for his match with Fitch if it ever happens. There styles will make for a good fight even if it is not the most entertaining.

Well that is just a ridiculous thing to say. Is it likely that Koscheck will win? No. But is there no chance in hell? Fuck yes there is a chance. Anyone can beat anyone on any given night, we have seen it before. Must I bring up GSP's suspect chin? Matt Serra and his upset of GSP would certainly beg to differ in regards to GSP being unbeatable. All Koscheck has to do is land one big overhand right and there is no doubt in my mind GSP would go down, even if it is unlikely.

And yes, I may be the only person on here who thinks so, but I do believe Koscheck will defeat GSP. GSP is the better striker, better grappler, has more heart and yet I still firmly believe that Koscheck will shock the world and win a decision against GSP. Don't ask me any more details, because I couldn't honestly give you any. It is all a gut feeling.

 

[PsychoBlack]

Well that is just a ridiculous thing to say. Is it likely that Koscheck will win? No. But is there no chance in hell? Fuck yes there is a chance. Anyone can beat anyone on any given night, we have seen it before. Must I bring up GSP's suspect chin? Matt Serra and his upset of GSP would certainly beg to differ in regards to GSP being unbeatable. All Koscheck has to do is land one big overhand right and there is no doubt in my mind GSP would go down, even if it is unlikely.

GSP will not let Koscheck get the overhand right. Koshcheck has no impressive wins with his strikes. I'm not taking anything away from Frank Trigg and Dustin Hazlett, but they are no GSP. Josh has a chance as all fighters do but I HIGHLY doubt him winning a single round in this match

And yes, I may be the only person on here who thinks so, but I do believe Koscheck will defeat GSP. GSP is the better striker, better grappler, has more heart and yet I still firmly believe that Koscheck will shock the world and win a decision against GSP. Don't ask me any more details, because I couldn't honestly give you any. It is all a gut feeling.

Do you know something that the rest of us don't? Is there some sort of conspiracy going on here?

 

[INDYjon22]

GSP will not let Koscheck get the overhand right. Koshcheck has no impressive wins with his strikes. I'm not taking anything away from Frank Trigg and Dustin Hazlett, but they are no GSP. Josh has a chance as all fighters do but I HIGHLY doubt him winning a single round in this match

Do you know something that the rest of us don't? Is there some sort of conspiracy going on here?

I'm just a Koscheck fan who will most likely be eating his words after the fight but I don't give a fuck. By impressive you obviously mean he hasn't beat a top fighter with strikes. But to say his victories that have come by strikes were not impressive is ridiculous. His KO's of Trigg and Yoshida were things of beauty.

 

[PsychoBlack]

First and foremost that trailer was badass

I'm just a Koscheck fan who will most likely be eating his words after the fight but I don't give a fuck. By impressive you obviously mean he hasn't beat a top fighter with strikes. But to say his victories that have come by strikes were not impressive is ridiculous. His KO's of Trigg and Yoshida were things of beauty.

Yes that is what I meant, his caliber of opponents were not up to par.

GSP is my number two guy right now after Fitch. GSP has beaten countless great wrestlers and I dont see how Koscheck will be any different. I respect that you're a fan of his but Kos is not better than Hardy, Fitch, Penn, Alves, or Hughes. It's cool to root for your favorites though especially because I ate my words after the Fitch fight.

 

[INDYjon22]

First and foremost that trailer was badass




Yes that is what I meant, his caliber of opponents were not up to par.

GSP is my number two guy right now after Fitch. GSP has beaten countless great wrestlers and I dont see how Koscheck will be any different. I respect that you're a fan of his but Kos is not better than Hardy, Fitch, Penn, Alves, or Hughes. It's cool to root for your favorites though especially because I ate my words after the Fitch fight.

Dude, I know exactly where you're coming from. It isn't even funny. I am a massive Jon Fitch fan, same hometown, and I ate my words real hard after that fight. GSP is a different kind of animal. He is a beast from all perspectives of the fight game. As I said, he holds the advantage in just about every category, save promo cutting, but I do believe Kos can win this thing. He just needs to come in with great conditioning, continue to work on his wrestling and boxing, and not get cocky like he is prone to do. It is a long shot that he will win, I am at piece with that, but I do think he can.

Also, agreed about the trailer. That thing is magnificent.

 

[BB053187]

Well-I'm all for GSP in this. I like GSP, he's a great fighter and I definitely think he'll win but anything can happen in a fight. Sometimes the better fighter doesn't always win, anyone can have an off night...hell, an off year! but if I was a betting person, I'd put my money on GSP.

 

[ITurnGirlsGay]

I'm just a Koscheck fan who will most likely be eating his words after the fight but I don't give a fuck. By impressive you obviously mean he hasn't beat a top fighter with strikes. But to say his victories that have come by strikes were not impressive is ridiculous. His KO's of Trigg and Yoshida were things of beauty.

Correction, his KO of Yoshida was damn near the coolest thing EVER seen in MMA. He knocked Yoshida out TWICE in 7 seconds. You cannot top stuff like that. He hit him so hard he regained consciousness from his first knockout just to go right back to sleep.

I hate Koscheck. I think he's a loudmouthed ********, but he's an extremely talented fighter with an impressive skillset. I agree, Indy, to say that Koscheck has no chance of winning this fight is absolutely foolish. GSP may have become a great wrestler, but Koscheck was an amazing wrestler who became a great fighter.

I still think GSP wins, but counting someone like Koscheck out isn't something with which I would ever agree.

 

[MisterRob]

I don't care if you're a fan of Koscheck or not, he doesn't have a chance against GSP. Who the hell has Koscheck beat? They needed an opponent for GSP, Koscheck's a classic villain that they could use to promote the fight and make money off of (since people will pay money to see GSP beat the villain) and that's about it. They've tried to build Koscheck up as a credible challengers for months now, but he still doesn't have a chance against GSP.

It's going to be bitter sweet to see Koscheck get his ass handed to him.

 

[Tha Wolfpac]

I don't really see why Koscheck is being hated on so much. I hate as much as the next guy but this man has potential, drive and is not to be taken lightly. He is really motivated to prove himself that he can beat GSP, it will be a major factor. Like it or not you cannot completely take Koscheck out of the picture, Koscheck has shown on many occasions he is good but has he become good enough to beat GSP he looked good against Daley. On the other hand you have GSP.
He is arguably the most well rounded fighter in MMA but these are facts you already know, no matter what GSP is always the favourite which is really a showcase of how good he is. But I don't think anybody should completely understimate Josh.

 

[Buffalo Dave]

I don't care if you're a fan of Koscheck or not, he doesn't have a chance against GSP. Who the hell has Koscheck beat? They needed an opponent for GSP, Koscheck's a classic villain that they could use to promote the fight and make money off of (since people will pay money to see GSP beat the villain) and that's about it. They've tried to build Koscheck up as a credible challengers for months now, but he still doesn't have a chance against GSP.

It's going to be bitter sweet to see Koscheck get his ass handed to him.

As IndyJon had to tell Psycho Black, I'm going to have to tell you. Nobody gave Serra a chance and look what happened. Anyone can win in any fight, just got to land a few punches or get taking off your game plan. I still think GSP will win no doubt about it, but there's always a chance Kos could get lucky and win as much as it hurts to say it. I'll tell you who Koscheck beat, he beat Paul Daley in a number one contender fight to get a shot at GSP. Before that he beat a rising star in Anthony Johnson, and before that beat Frank Trigg to earn his title shot. You might be semi-right with saying using Kos as a villain to promote and make money off, but the real truth is, it really doesn't matter who GSP fights he is the biggest draw in the company not named Brock Lesnar.

 

[MisterRob]

As IndyJon had to tell Psycho Black, I'm going to have to tell you. Nobody gave Serra a chance and look what happened. Anyone can win in any fight, just got to land a few punches or get taking off your game plan.

The difference is everything between where GSP was back when he fought Serra and where he is now going into the Koscheck fight. GSP's said himself he's changed his mentality, his training, and basically everything since the Serra fight to correct himself. He took Serra lightly, he was an overconfident champion, and countless other reasons that have been well documented.. he's nothing but entirely focused as champion and focused on BEATING Koscheck, which means Koscheck has to have a miracle, like God HIMSELF stepping into the body of Koscheck and knocking out GSP to win this fight.

I still think GSP will win no doubt about it, but there's always a chance Kos could get lucky and win as much as it hurts to say it. I'll tell you who Koscheck beat, he beat Paul Daley in a number one contender fight to get a shot at GSP. Before that he beat a rising star in Anthony Johnson, and before that beat Frank Trigg to earn his title shot.

Frank Trigg's a wash up, that's not a secret. A win over Frank Trigg isn't exactly something to brag about. Anthony Johnson? Please. Paul Daley's a one dimensional fighter who can only punch, and when Koscheck out wrestled him he had nothing else to fall back on. He doesn't have a hope in hell of doing that with GSP. None of the people Koscheck's beaten are even remotely close to the level of those GSP's beaten lately or defended his title against. They sure as hell aren't on the level of GSP himself.

The reason they're focusing and hyping this fight up so much with the whole Good guy vs. Bad guy angle is because that's all there is to it. Koscheck is just another challenger for GSP to beat, so they'll be making money by promoting the "story" much more then the fight.

You might be semi-right with saying using Kos as a villain to promote and make money off, but the real truth is, it really doesn't matter who GSP fights he is the biggest draw in the company not named Brock Lesnar.

Exactly.

 

[jmt225]

I'm going to go ahead and pass this card up and watch Boxing on HBO tonight (Amir Khan and Vitor Ortiz are both fighting, and they're two of my current favorites in the sport). I just don't see the main event being competitive enough for me to shell out $60 for it.

Anyways, I agree with MisterRob big time... Koscheck's wins are not impressive, and he hasn't done ANYTHING to lead me to believe this fight will be any different than the first between Kos and GSP, other than there being two extra rounds. Of course Kos has a puncher's chance, but GSP isn't stupid... he won't take Kos' hands lightly. He'll look to take Kos to the ground time and time again, and control him throughout the fight. I'm hoping GSP can find a way to finish, and I do think it's possible for this fight to go much of the way GSP/BJ 2 went where Kos doesn't come out for the 5th Round, but if I were a betting man, I would bet that GSP wins this one with a unanimous 50-45 decision from all three judges.

Stefan Struve vs. Sean McCorkle... I really don't care for this fight, at all. Struve is overrated as shit at this point IMO, and McCorkle is simply a big mouth. Terrible co-main event, if you ask me.

Now, the rest of the main card was almost enough for me to buy the event, because those are three great, unpredictable fights.

Jim Miller vs. Charles Oliveira is impossible to call. We've only seen Charles Oliveira a couple times, but man did he leave an exclamation point in each of those fights. He looked absolutely tremendous. And Jim Miller's becoming a true contender in the Lightweight Division. Both are great on the ground, and both are willing to bang on the feet. Like I said... this can go either way.

I'm a fan of Mac Danzig so my biasness leads me to think he stands a chance in this one, and honestly he does, but Stevenson has enough skill to take Danzig down and control him for all three rounds. However, if we see the Joe Daddy who thinks he's a boxer... then Danzig should eat him alive.

And Thiago Alves vs. John Howard should be a war. I expect Alves to chew the guy up with leg kicks, but man... all it takes is one punch from Howard and Alves lights will be out. This should end up being a very fun fight though, and we shall see if the Welterweight Division is truly where Thiago Alves belongs at this point in his career.

 

[hatehabsforever]

I don't really follow MMA/UFC as closely as many of the other guys on here, but I am really interested in the GSP/Koscheck bout. Personally, I hope GSP kicks his teeth in, and wins by a clean and decisive knockout. I'm not really sold on the Koscheck guy, runs his mouth too much for my tastes, not sure if it's just hype, ie., trying to bring a heel persona into the real world of MMA, or if he truly is an asshole. I'm actually starting to think it's the former. The way he was behaving in TUF, plus the way he's been taunting GSP and the fans in Montreal, seems to heelish to me to be legitimate.

GSP is a class act all the way and a consummate professional. He's a good fit for the UFC, and I hope he continues to do really well tonight and beyond.

 

[Reddannihilation]

Death by jab. Fantastic display of boxing technique by GSP. Too Koscheck's credit he showed incredibly heart continuing after swelling in his eye after the first round. He also displayed better wrestling than he did in the previous fight with GSP. Still GSP's got Freddie Roach endorsed hands now. He was wrecked in that fight, his leg was destroyed and his eye looks like a tumour. Bring on Jake Shields.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

My computer shit out on me so I had to order the card last night.

I definitely feel like I got my money's worth.

The destruction of Koscheck by GSP was amazing. I expected the fight to end in a decision, but I didn't think GSP would keep it standing the entire time. He picked Koscheck apart for five rounds, destroying his right eye, and completely breaking his will. Complete dick move by Koscheck to not touch gloves before the fight, and I'm glad that GSP made him pay for his complete disrespect towards him. GSP is the best fighter in the world, and anyone who criticizes GSP for not finishing fights after this performance is literally ******ed. He has no weaknesses whatsoever. He might be the most intelligent fighter in the sport, and after his amazing performance, I was glad to have paid to watch the fight.

Josh Koscheck deserves respect from the fans regardless how you feel about him. He stayed in the fight, despite his eye looking horrific and needing medical attention. He fought his heart out, knowing that even with one eye, he still had that "puncher's chance" to win the title.

Great fight, and I fully believe that if Jake Shields is indeed next for GSP, he's going to get obliterated. GSP proved last night that he still has extremely deadly stand-up, and that he's the most complete fighter in MMA today, perhaps in the history of the sport. The scary thing is that at 29 years old, he's just entering his prime now. The GSP vs. Anderson Silva fight NEEDS to happen, and that should be what's next for the April card in Toronto.

I am such a huge Stefan Struve fan, and with the heavyweight division in shambles, I'm glad that he's beginning to emerge. I fully believe that at some point in his career, he'll be UFC Heavyweight Champion. Remember, he's only 22 years old, and he keeps getting bigger with each fight. There's a lot of raw talent there. He found himself facing major adversity again last night, and he fought his way through it, pulling out the win. I think Struve will be part of some big fights next year. People are giving the UFC shit over his fight with McCorkle being a terrible co-main on paper. Given the position the UFC is in right now with the Heavyweight division, they need to build stars, quick. Showcasing Struve in the co-main event where a lot of casual fans would be watching was a great move... he's extremely marketable in the first place. McCorkle looked decent too, and he'll wind up carving out a niche in the middle of the pack in the division.

I thought Miller vs. Oliveira would have been a fight of the night candidate, with both fighters going back and forth, and the fight ending in a very close split decision on favor of Oliveira. That was until Oliveira came out as being EXTREMELY cocky, and my brother immediately made the observation that he was buying into his own hype. We knew at that moment that Miller would win, and he did so in extremely impressive fashion. What a brutal leglock... and he needs to be fighting Sotiropoulos to decide who #1 contender for the Lightweight Title after Henderson/Pettis is, and not fucking Dennis Siver.

I was completely apathetic to the Mac Danzig vs. Joe Stevenson fight. Not a fan of both fighters at all. Needless to say, Danzig finally became an interesting fighter with that brutal KO of Stevenson. Not much else to say, but a damn good performance by Danzig, who will live to fight another day.

Thiago Alves vs. John Howard was a great fight, and it was everything I thought it would be, with fifteen minutes of great back and forth action. Howard's good, but Alves is just way too much for him. I'm just glad Howard made it the full 15 minutes. He needs to find another gym and better trainers though. He trains at the goddamn Tapout Gym in Boston. Thiago Alves is probably looking at fighting the winner of Nate Diaz vs. Dong Hyun Kim.

Dan Miller vs. Joe Doerksen was alright. Glad Dan Miller got another win.

Mark Bocek's looked good in his last couple of fights now. He took Jim Miller to the limit in his last fight, and his submission of Dustin Hazelett was awesome. Hazelett's lost three in a row, and pretty much looked like shit in each loss, so he's gone.

Matt Riddle vs. Sean Pierson was a great and a hysterical fight. Riddle's Tai Bo punching was hysterical.

All in all, a definite card of the year contender. The main card had two excellent fights and three first round stoppages. Top to bottom, a damn good card where you're getting your money's worth.

 

[INDYjon22]

I only got a chance to see Koscheck vs. GSP and what a great fight. Not for both guys, but for GSP. He completely took Kos apart with those jabs. It was amazing to watch. Like Guy said, there should be no doubt that GSP is the best fighter in the world right now, and yes I mean he is better then Anderson. Give Koscheck his props. Love him or hate him, most of us would have quit after that first jab, but Kos continued on and even though he got his ass destroyed he didn't bow out. I also am glad he decided not to be a prick in his post fight interview. He easily could have acted like an ass, but he took the high road, was humble, and admitted defeat. Even the Canadians cheered him for that.

The fight was definitely worth the watch, even though my boy get hammered into oblivion. I don't know if I would say GSP has no holes in his game because he is still susceptible to takedowns by great wrestlers, but he can work around that. It will take a great wrestle, who also has superb striking and world class grappling to beat GSP at this point. He is so damn good. I really hope that GSP makes the move up to 185 soon, not exactly to fight Anderson but to see how he does against the bigger guys.

 

[Window Licker 101]

GSP out striking Koscheck shocked me. I knew he was the far more technical striker but I didn't expect him to destroy Koscheck with how ever many jabs he threw. Very impressive win for GSP. I was getting annoyed when within the first 20 seconds he had secured a takedown and believed he would just lie on top for the next four rounds. How very wrong I was. Brilliant stand up skills from GSP and at the same time I found it quite funny at the fact that Rogan and Goldberg were hyping up Koscheck's overhand right. The guy is no Liddell and he just throws wildly. However I give Kos credit for stopping several takedown attempts and being a man at the end of the fight with a great show of respect and praising the montreal fans.

Is there ever a boring Stefan Struve fight? Seriously this guy is phenomenal! I'm turning into a real big fan of his with his exciting fighting style. I was sweating when McCorkle slammed him down hard and fought for the Kimura for a good minute and a bit but Struve pulled off a beautiful sweep and ground and pound McCorkle out for the victory. I wanna see him get matched up with someone like Brendan Schaub another fast rising heavyweight. That would be a war.

I have to agree with GuyCompton. Charles Olivieria looked ridiculously over confident for his own good. From his entrance to the actual fight itself he looked like he believed all the hype surronding him...until Jim Miller killed it all. What has Jim Miller got to do to get people to talk about him? A very impressive kneebar by Miller which i thought Oliveira could have defended agaisnt a little bit better. Sixth straight win for Miller and he really is one of the top 5 lightweights in the UFC in my book. With everyone booked up until UFC 127, I say UFC pair him up with Sean Sherk for a title eliminater fight. I think it makes perfect sense with G-Sots out the picture and Frankie,Gray,Hendo and Pettis all in the title frame. For Oliveira he should be relegated back to the prelims.

Mac Danzig and Joe "Daddy" Stevenson are two fighters I don't really care for but I definitely sat up and took notice of Danzig, a jiu-jitsu based fighter, knocking Stevenson out cold in their fight. The fact he was moving away from Stevenson when he KO'd him made it that bit more impressive.

What a great fight to open the show with Doomsday and Thiago Alves! Thiago was on fire in that fight. His leg kicks were absolutely textbook stuff, similar to Edson Barboza vs Mike Lullo. That deserved a FOTN accolade in my book. When Alves makes weight he is a handful for anybody.

I am very happy Dan Miller won. I am a fan of both Miller bros and the win of Doerkson was well needed and helps Dan build some much needed momentum in surge up the middleweight ladder.

The triangle choke Bocek pulled off on Hazelett was sick! Especially when he had it from the mount. I thought going into the fight Hazelett would be the better jiu-jitsu man but clearly he wasn't, allowing Bocek to capatilise on a mistake he made by securing a very elegant triangle choke which rightfully shared the Submission of the night bonus. I expect Hazelett to be cut if he hasn't already been.

Riddle/Pierson was the real fight of the night. Wow. That shit was incredible. Pierson's dominant first round followed up by Riddle controlling the second topped off with a slugfest in the third was awesome! That fight was value for money right there.

Overall I believe UFC 124 was a great show to end 2010 and I gave it 9/10

 

[Buffalo Dave]

Man what a fun card to watch last night, sucked the site crashed so we couldn't discuss this in the LD. The crowd was extremely hot all night, as always in Montreal.

Just an awesome, impressive performance by GSP. He did exactly what he said he was gonna do during TUF in, taking all of Kos's trash talking that he let bulid up and take it out on him in the cage. All I have to say about Koscheck's eye is DAMMMMMMMN *In A Smokey Voice* Like Joe Rogan said a numerous amount of times that was the most jabs we seen thrown by a fighter, I think the most Superman punches also. Besides in the clinch I think Kos landed maybe five strikes in the whole fight. Well we know whats next for GSP, he fights Jake Shields. As for Koscheck I'd say setup a fight with Dan Hardy or Matt Serra.

Struve vs. McCorkle went like I thought, ending in the first round. I thought McCorkle would be the one to win, just because Struve has a suspect chin. Man, those long limbs are such an advantage for Struve as he was basically able to get out of that Kimura with his arms behind his back. Get him a great Muay Thai coach to improve his striking all the more, and he will be able to go far. He already is solid on the ground, with a advanced striking game he will go far. I think a match up with Cro Cop should be next for Struve depending on what Mirko is doing. If not then maybe let him face the winner of the Mitrione/Hague fight. For McCorkle I say someone like Kongo should be his next opponent.

Jim Miller showed that he deserves that title shot last night be taking out Olivera rather quickly. Oilvera came out strong engaging first with strikes, but Miller took him down with ease. Olivera was working good off his back, but Miller reversed a leglock when Olivera went for Miller's leg ending it just in two minutes. I agree 100% with Guy, they need to scrap Siver as Sot's next opponent and let Miller fight Sot for a title shot after Bendo/Pettis.

When Knockout's happen with the person delivering them is moving backwards always look fucking awesome, and thats just what happened during the Stevenson/Danzig fight with Stevenson being on the losing end of it. That was the first time in 11 years that Stevenson was stopped by KO. If Wiman can get past Cole Miller, we should see a rematch with Danzig just don't let Yves Edwards ref the fight.

Thiago Alves put on a clinic much like GSP, dominating the whole fight. During the Prelims on ufc.com Dana made a funny comment right before the main card started saying that for the first time in a long time, Alves made weight. I give Howard some credit, he was rocked a few times but held in there. Sucks that Condit is fighting Lytle next, I would like to see Alves fight Condit.

 

[Tha Wolfpac]

Only got to watch St Pierre vs Koscheck but man what a fight.

GSP exhibited a striking masterclass, and really proved his dominance over Josh Koscheck and the whole welterweight division. Like it or not GSP looked unstoppable last night and really showed no flaws in his MMA game. GSP is the excellence of execution in MMA, everything he does is with intelligence and shear perfection. Every jab he threw had an effect on Koscheck, every superman punch was to great effect. Props to Koscheck for fighting the whole way even with that big eye. If these doesn't cement GSP as the greatest mixed martial artist today then i don't know what will. His footwork and combos were also amazing. Good fight GSP.

Just a sidenote, the Montreal fans were awesome, now i watched it on my laptop and felt i was there.

 

[Cookie]

Honestly? I wasn't too thrilled with the main event. It's not that St-Pierre wasn't great or that Koscheck wasn't tough (and I'm sure he deserved most of that beating) but it just felt unnecessary after awhile. Especially in the last two rounds, where Kos didn't really do anything except eat punches... it wasn't necessary to continue the fight and risk permanent injury to his eye. It was very clear that Georges was the dominant fighter from the very first round and that swelling looked really, really bad.

I'm obviously no doctor but I'm surprised that the fight wasn't stopped. Kos has a broken orbital bone and I'm sure that getting hit with jabs and superman punches over and over and over again didn't help matters. I hope that nothing really serious comes out of it and he recovers alright. Eye injuries are no joke. On the flipside, I get that he wanted to continue fighting, especially in a high stakes title fight that he had been working towards reaching for a long time.

I enjoyed the rest of the card. Alves looked awesome and I'm really interested in seeing who they pair him up with next. He's a beast. I also really enjoyed the prelim between Riddle and Pierson and I'm glad they showed it (wouldn't have gone out of my way to watch it), it was such a crazy fight and a lot of fun to watch.

 

[jmt225]

Koscheck got exactly what he wanted last night, and still got his ass kicked. I mean, this proves that the man is and has always been an overrated piece of shit. Sure, the kid has heart, but all he has to offer than that is a looping right that anyone can see coming from a mile away, and some wrestling. That's it. He's no Dan Henderson. That's who he tries to be, but he just doesn't have the skills to back it up.

GSP, great performance, though I was disappointed he wasn't able to finish. GSP just lacks that killer instinct. There was just no excuse for him not to put Kos away in the 4th or 5th Round. Regardless, like I said, it was still a great performance. That was easily the most beautiful I've seen someone use the jab since BJ Penn vs. Diego Sanchez. It's a pleasure watching GSP evolve. The only thing he's missing is that killer instinct, but if he ever gets that... then man, he very well could go down as the greatest fighter in history. Not just the greatest MMArtist, but the greatest fighter PERIOD.

Anyways, I skipped out on Stefan Struve vs. Sean McCorkle this morning when watching the fights, but I caught the rest of the main card.

I couldn't have been happier for Mac Danzig. I just knew that if Joe Stevenson came in looking to box that he was going to get a rude awakening, and alas... that was the case. Congrats to Danzig, and I hope this is the start to a nice little run for him in the Lightweight Division.

Jim Miller showed last night that he is indeed in the elite of the Lightweight Division. What a performance. I would really like to see him fight Florian next.

And Thiago Alves looked better than ever against Doomsday. Alves got leaner, while still maintaining that muscle. I really think that's going to go a long way for him in his future. He called out Jake Shields after the fight though, and hopefully he doesn't receive his wish, because A) Shields should be next in line for the WW Championship, B) Alves would get destroyed, and C) Alves vs. Chris Lytle 2 needs to happen immediately.

 

[Mekanik Kommandoh]

First time poster, long time reader. Be that as it may...

Great night of fights. I went with some buddies to watch the event at BDubs, and it was probably the most electric I've seen the place. The Columbia crowd was pretty evenly split between Koscheck and GSP, which surprised me. Most of the Koscheck fans (or maybe they were just anti-GSP) left before the end of the fifth round, but I'm sure the rather shitty weather contributed to that.

In any case, wow, what a performance from GSP. Like most, I totally expected him to try to go for the takedown and keep it on the ground. Not so, as once he realized Koscheck was stuffing his takedown attempts, he employed those rapier-like jabs. I guess that training with Roach paid off. It was really a thing of beauty. I told my friend, who was pro-Koscheck, that GSP was toying with him near the end of the first round - the writing was clearly on the wall by then. He didn't agree, but by the fourth round, he admitted that I was correct. GSP made Koscheck look totally helpless in there.

Like jmt, I'm a bit disappointed that GSP didn't go in for the kill, but it was thrilling to watch nonetheless. And I gained some respect for Koscheck for his toughness and humbleness after the fight. That eye injury is no joke. I hate him a little less now, which is something I guess.

Didn't really care about the Struve/McCorkle fight, but I think Struve has a lot of potential and he'll probably be a title contender someday.

I was happy to see that Jim Miller got the submission victory. Oliveria is a good fighter, but his overconfidence was absolutely ridiculous given who he was going up against. I hope he learns from the loss. I'm a Miller fan and he definitely needs to be in the running for the title.

What more is there to say about Danzig/Stevenson? Danzig knocked him the fuck out and it was mighty impressive. Didn't care about either man going in, but those types of endings are always fun.

Alves/Howard was the perfect opener and it got my crowd pumped for the rest of the night. It's good to see Alves making weight and looking so strong in there. Here's hoping this is a confidence booster for him, as I've always liked the guy.

I missed the prelim fights inserted into the main card, but heard they were pretty good. All in all, a great night and would have been well worth the money had I ordered it.