Exclusive: Josh Koscheck Talks UFC 95, Weighs In On GSP Greasing Allegations

("He was better than me that night," says Kos about his loss to GSP.)

Josh Koscheck knows he’s not your favorite UFC fighter.  But you know something?  He doesn’t really care.  The way he sees it, his job is to fight, and win, as often as possible.  After a highlight reel knockout of Yoshiyuki Yoshida at the UFC’s “Fight for the Troops,” he looks to continue he winning streak at UFC 95 next Saturday against Octagon newcomer and undefeated Brazilian fighter Paulo Thiago.

In our exclusive interview, Koscheck discusses his next fight, his career, and what he makes of the Georges St. Pierre greasing allegations.

CagePotato.com: Thanks for talking with me Josh.  What do you know about your opponent on the 21st, Paulo Thiago?

I really don’t know anything about him.  To be honest with you, I don’t even know what he looks like.  I’ve never seen video on him, nothing.  For me, it’s a fight.  I expect to go in there and fight and just do what I do, which is win.

Is the reason you haven’t seen any video on him because you can’t find any, or because you don’t care to look?

I just don’t even care to look.  I don’t care to watch it.  I don’t watch video on any of my opponents.  For me it’s just another fight.  I fight tough guys every single day at the gym.  I got a couple guys in the top ten in the weight class, like Jon Fitch and Mike Swick, plus the other guys from other weight classes at our gym.  I’m just looking for another good fight.  I’m sure he’s a tough opponent, but he hasn’t fought in the UFC yet.  This will be his first opportunity to fight somebody really tough.

Do you think it’s strange that after your big knockout of Yoshida, the UFC gives you an opponent most people have never heard of, who’s making his debut?

Not really.  Like I told the UFC, I’ll fight anybody at any time.  I don’t care who it is, where it’s at, if the fights are three weeks apart from each other.  I just want to fight as much as I can.

I’ve heard you say before that you want to fight more.  Is that because you want to keep in shape, or is it because you like the regular paycheck?

You know, ultimately, it’s about the paycheck.  The only way I make money is by fighting, just like the only way you make money is by writing stories.  In order for me to make money I’ve got to be in the cage fighting.  I’m in the gym pretty much year round anyway, so I might as well be fighting and making money rather than just training.

Do you ever find it hard to get right back in the gym after a fight?

I’m used to it.  I’ve been wrestling my whole life.  You compete in wrestling every week and maybe a couple of times on the weekend, so that’s what I’m used to.  I might take a week off from the gym here and there, just run or do shadowboxing or just mitt work, but after that I’m right back into the gym.

In your last fight it looked like your striking had really come along.  What have you been doing to improve that aspect of your game?

Well, when I got on “The Ultimate Fighter” I had no striking training.  I’d never even had someone hold pads for me.  Improving my striking was just a matter of putting time in with the right people at American Kickboxing Academy and focusing on becoming a striker, and dedicating a lot of time to it.

I’ve got to ask since you’re one of the few former opponents of Georges St. Pierre who hasn’t weighed in on the greasing issue, but did he feel like he was greased up when you fought him?

I don’t really care too much to talk about Georges St. Pierre because I’m not fighting him any time soon, unless I win this fight and maybe one or two more.  But with Georges, it is what it is.  I think there’s a lot of people in this sport that cheat.  A lot of people take Human Growth Hormone.  Some people take steroids.  People will try and cheat any way they can.  For a person to cheat and take away money from someone else that way I think is pathetic.  Do it the right way.  Get your ass in there and train right.  Do it the way normal people do it.  I think it’s bad for the sport and I think it’s selfish when people try to cheat in this sport.

Are you saying that you think GSP intentionally tried to cheat against B.J. Penn?

Well, I mean, you don’t just rub grease on somebody and think it’s okay to do that.  I think it’s bullshit.

A lot of former opponents of his, like Matt Hughes, have said he felt especially slippery to them.  Did you feel any grease on him when you fought him?

Oh, no.  I didn’t feel anything when I fought him.  That isn’t the reason I lost that fight.  The reason I lost the fight is because he was better than me that night.  

Is your ultimate goal to get back and rematch him for a title?

Right now I don’t really care.  February 21st I have a fight and then I’m going to be fighting again in May, so for me it will come when it comes, and when the UFC feels I’m ready for it.  I’m just focusing on winning every fight and on dominating my opponents to the best of my ability.

Even though you’ve been winning your fights, fans still haven’t warmed up to you for the most part.  Why do you think that it is, and does that bother you at all?  

Nope, don’t really care.  I don’t know why it is, and I don’t really care.  I can only focus on what my job is, and that’s winning fights.  

Thanks Josh.  Anything else to add?

Just thanks for the interview, and tell people they can check out Marclothing.com.

(BF)