SLOW WEEK IN QUOTES
“I’ve said in an interview before the fight, he’s gonna be done and we’re never going to fight each other again.” – Georges St. Pierre, who defeated Josh Koscheck to retain the welterweight title in a one-sided affair at UFC 124. (Cage Writer)
“He’s very tough and the performance he did tonight, he’s a top welterweight. Maybe I talk too fast. Maybe in a few years, maybe he’s going to come back.” – St. Pierre. C’mon Georges. You didn’t mess up his eye that bad.
“He tried really hard to knock him out but Koscheck is really tough.” – St. Pierre trainer Greg Jackson (Sherdog)
“Josh fought crappy.” – Koscheck trainer Javier Mendez, who performed his job as corner man admirably. (MMA Junkie)
“I think the doctors or his corner men should have stopped it because it’s very dangerous in this sport, he could lose an eye and also it could be a career-killing situation, but at the end of the day it was good for the fans.” – St. Pierre (Sports Radio Interviews)
“At the end of the night, it’s only a fight. I need Josh Koscheck to do what I do for a living. If Josh Koscheck would not have been there tonight. I would not be able to make money and you guys would not have a good night of entertaining. We need good guy, we need bad guy. It’s nothing personal at the end of the day, it’s a business.” – St. Pierre, on Koscheck’s trash talk hyping the fight.
“I’m 29 years old, I get better every time, I feel stronger every time, and I’ve changed a lot of things in my training and I try to keep it a secret. I keep it for me and it makes me better. I think I can get much, much better than I am right now.” – St. Pierre
IT’S NOT LIKE YOU WENT 8-1 IN THE UFC OR ANYTHING
“It’s a fact. The only guys that beat me, beat me by decision, and they’re number 1 and number 2.” – Jim Miller, who submitted Charles Oliveira with a kneebar at UFC 124. Miller has only been defeated by Gray Maynard and lightweight champ Frank Edgar. (MMA Weekly)
“So why are there five, six, seven guys people always say between me and those top two guys?” – Miller. Hey, buddy, when you beat Alex Karalexis, Shane Roller, and Ben Henderson, then we can talk about a title shot.
“Miller is one of these guys that- This kid gets so much [expletive] disrespect I can’t remember his name. Fitch! He’s like [Jon] Fitch, you know what I mean?” – UFC President Dana White. You mean a guy who is more deserving of a title shot than some dude that waltzed in from another promotion? Yeah, I agree. (MMA Torch)
OLD, WOMANIZING ATHLETE DEBATES RETIREMENT
“If [the UFC] offered me ‘Shogun’ or Machida, I’d take the fight. Otherwise, I think I’m done. [I’m] gonna focus on acting and the businesses.” – Randy Couture, and young women. (LA Times)
“There’s been no official announcement. There’s been no decision. Any announcements or decisions would be likely coordinated with the UFC.” – Couture’s manager Sam Spira (MMA Junkie)
IN SOVIET RUSSIA, FIGHT ANNOUNCES YOU
“We are really hoping that we can finalize things as soon as possible.” – M-1 Global Director of Operations Evgeni Kogan, on renegotiation between M-1 Global and the Strikeforce/Showtime team for Fedor Emelianenko’s return. Fedor has been rumored to fight Antonio Silva in late January or February. (MMA Junkie)
“We have been steadily working toward an agreement. And I think we are closer to it now than we have been in the past.” – Kogan. I really hope Coker and co. set up this rumored heavyweight grand prix tournament. I’m sure that won’t give M-1 Global any sort of additional leverage should Fedor advance!
WHITE NOISE
“[Anderson Silva] is a guy who’s wiped out the 185-pound division. He really has.” – UFC President Dana White. Silva, according to White, was still a couple fights away from cleaning out the division as recently as this summer. (MMA Fighting)
“I love Georges St. Pierre. … But he lost not too long ago to Matt Serra by knockout.” – White. If Serra knocked out GSP “not too long ago” then Ryo Chonan heel hooked Silva “just the other day.”
“He was going for that toe-lock that you catch Tank Abbott in, you know what I mean?” – White, on Jim Miller’s toe hold to kneebar against Charles Oliveira.
“Fitch wins all these fights but Fitch is just one of these guys that just never clicks. That’s how Miller is right now. Some guys have that ‘it’ factor that people just are attracted to first, and some people have to earn it.” – White. That “it” factor is called “finishing fights.”
PARTING SHOTS
“I saw [a kick like that] in Mortal Kombat once.” – Ben Henderson, on Anthony Pettis’s now infamous “ninja kick” at WEC 53. (MMA Junkie)
“I blinked and he caught me. That was a fatality.” – Charles Oliveira, who was fortunate Miller didn’t bite off his upper torso after transforming into a dragon. (Fighters Only)
“When my career ends, and I don’t fight in the UFC, the UFC will be sorry, not me.” – Fedor Emelianenko, humble, religious man. (Fight Hub TV)
“Honestly I’m ready for some new blood. I’ve cleaned out a lot of guys in the 155-pound division.” – Gilbert Melendez. Maybe you shouldn’t have re-upped with Strikeforce when most of the 155-pound talent is fighting for the UFC. (Bloody Elbow)