The Flog!

The Ultimate Fighter Season 12 TUF 12 Episode 3 showed a significant difference in the training styles of Georges St-Pierre as compared to Josh Koscheck. GSP wanted his team members to have fun playing around, to have the goal not to win, but to become better MMA artists. Koscheck lectured his team in what he called “mindless training”.

GSP brought Olympic wrestler Gia Sissaouri to work with his guys, giving them the opportunity to train with a world class athlete.

The fight this episode was between Michael Jordan and Aaron Wilkinson. As an aside, what’s with the sub-titles whenever Wilkinson is speaking? He is English with, granted, a thick accent, but he is speaking English. GSP is speaking English with a thick French-Canadian accent, but still understandable. There are no sub-titles for GSP.

GSP said that Jordan was very focussed. Jordan was not to circle to the right, to Wilkinson’s power hand. GSP maintained that Jordan would utilize boxing and be put on his back and would win after ground and pound. Jordan considered himself a better boxer and better wrestler than Wilkinson.

Wilkinson stated that Koscheck’s team had the same work ethic as his team in England. Koscheck wanted Wilkinson to keep his feet moving. Wilkinson thought that Johnson underestimated him, believing him to have no wrestling ability. He planned to stand and strike and then take Johnson down.

Dana White thought the fight could go either way. During the episode, he received a call GSP requesting Mike Tyson be allowed to come to meet his team. Johnson thought having Tyson there was added incentive for him to win.

Round 1 had both men succeeding with take downs, although Wilkinson had more control over Johnson. Near the end of the round, Wilkinson was in Johnson’s half guard and applied elbows; Johnson did little to stop the onslaught.

During the break, GSP told Johnson that he wanted him to press Wilkinson and not the other way ’round. Johnson started Round 2 with a big shot to Wilkinson’s face, pressed him against the fence and then took him down, ending on Wilkinson’s back.  Wilkinson retaliated by a take down of his own and, in Johnson’s half guard, did some ground and pound.  Johnson got up and took Wilkinson down again, using G & P at the fence.

During the next break, GSP told Johnson that Wilkinson could not fight while going backward. Johnson began the third round by pushing Wilkinson right away. He struck Wilkinson, causing him to hit the floor. Johnson did some G & P and then ended the match with a rear naked choke.

The Ultimate Fighter Season 12 TUF12 is on Spike at 10:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday.

ayjay

October 8, 2010