Well, the knockout did not come and the left hook was not the punch that did the most damage, but everything else that Roach said, well, that rang true.
St. Pierre set the tone of the fight from the first seconds landing a hard left jab. After a failed takedown attempt, St. Pierre decided to go back to the jab and he rode that punch the entire round. By the end of the first, Koscheck’s right eye was a swollen mess and well on its way to closing.
The second round was more of the same, St. Pierre landing the left at will and throwing in some leg kicks for good measure. Koscheck had no answer for any of St. Pierre’s offense and early on it was locking bleak for the challenger.
The third round began with Koscheck’s eye almost completely swollen shut and well, jab, kick, jab, jab, kick from GSP and again, no answer to any of it from Koscheck.
The fourth and fifth rounds went the same way as the first three, so to recap them in detail would be redundant. Suffice it to say that it was all St. Pierre, so when the decision came down 50-45 on all cards in favor of the champion, it was no surprise.
This fight showcased that St. Pierre is a champion that is not content to rest on his laurels. Before this fight he looked for a way to become an even better mixed martial arts fighter and he accomplished that with his work with Roach, devastating Koscheck with an attack that was totally unexpected.
Koscheck had no answer for anything that St. Pierre threw his way; he dominated the fight start to finish.
Both fighters showed class at the end of the bout. St. Pierre implored the crowd to give Koscheck props for his effort. He acknowledged that Koscheck was a great at hyping the fight.
For his part Koscheck turned his mouth off after the fight and seemed actually likable when he thanked the crowd and apologized for his performance. He also stated something that anyone that saw the fight cannot doubt; “He (St. Pierre) is the number one pound for pound fighter in the world.”
So, what’s next for Georges St. Pierre? Is there anyone in the welterweight division that can offer him a fight? Is Jake Shields next? What will he bring to challenge the champion?
If Anderson Silva defeats Vitor Belfort in February, I would not be surprised to see St. Pierre move up to middleweight and challenge him for the title. The time seems right, for it seems as if St. Pierre has exhausted all challenges in the welterweight division.
