St. Pierre: Pressure on Koscheck in Montreal

Georges St. Pierre: Dave Mandel | Sherdog.com

At Thursday's pre-fight news conference, St. Pierre embraced fighting in his hometown, expressing excitement but also downplaying the significance it would have on the fight.

“This is a very special occasion. I’m fighting in front of fans in my hometown. I’m normally fighting [in] the States, so now my family and close friends can come and see the fight live,” said St. Pierre.“It's nice to have the fight in Montreal, but wherever [the] fight is, the Octagon is the same. The only thing that changes is my opponent. I’m at my best when under pressure, and I can't wait till Saturday night.”

That pressure sitting on the champion's shoulders stems not only from the fact that he's fighting in his hometown -- he's done that once before for the UFC and many times early in his career -- but also from fan and media criticism regarding a perceived lack of excitement in his bouts. In three of his last four fights, St. Pierre has cruised to unanimous decisions over stiff competition. When asked about the comments from those dissatisfied with his performances, St. Pierre didn't hold back.

“My style always depends on who I’m fighting. My fights with Jon Fitch and Thiago Alves were two of the most exciting fights of the year. I knocked Fitch down three times standing. People criticize me because of my last fight. If I would have finished the fight in the first round with that armbar, people would have said I was the greatest,” said the champion. “Sometimes the line is very tiny between a finish and a decision. I think [the criticism] is sort of disrespectful. The guys fighting me are best in world. Dan Hardy did a perfect armbar escape, you know? I think sometimes [the criticism comes from] a lack of knowledge of the sport.”

Another topic of discussion surrounding the Canadian has been his opponent's use of mind games leading up to the fight. St. Pierre opposed Koscheck as coach of the red squad on “The Ultimate Fighter 12.” Throughout the season, Koscheck talked trash and openly boasted about getting inside the champion's head. At last Saturday's “The Ultimate Fighter 12 Finale”, the champion stated that stress will also reside with his opponent. Today, St. Pierre elaborated on his comment, speaking candidly about the pressure that his opponent faces heading into the title bout.

“I’m doing this job because I want to be the best, not number two. I’ve always been like this in my life. I want to be the best of the best. I fought Josh Koscheck before, and now I’m fighting in Montreal. There's pressure [on me]; it's true,” he said.

“But when I beat him, it's going to be the end of it, and we're not going to fight again. If he has the same mindset as me, he has to win or consider another choice of career. If he loses, it's going to take him a long, long time to climb back up the ladder for another shot at the title. Or maybe he'll never get another one. After I beat him on Saturday, I’m going to start another chapter in my career, and I’m going to be very happy.”