I don't get it.
I know the broken orbital may have thrown a lot of strategy out the window, and I don't side with those asking why Kos didn't go for takedowns. I don't think Kos could take GSP down.
But why just hang out in George's range? No head movement, no circling, no use of angles. He just hung out at the perfect distance for GSP to keep peppering him.
Once he saw it wasn't working, I thought he would start closing the distance or circling, or anyhting different. Maybe the eye was bothering him that much.
thoughts?
I think he went out there thinking he could pull a Serra on GSP and score a big one punch KO. But by the end of the first round, he had been forced to realize that he was not in the same league as Georges. So he went into survival mode.
Good question. Only thing I could think of was that once Kos realised he was being out classed by GSP's standup, he needed to set up takedowns / clinch using his striking, but simply couldn't close the distance without being lit up.
I'll need to rewatch the fight though. Just kinda looked like plans A, B and C all went out the window with that right eye being hammered. Proverbial deer in the headlights.
Which, when you think about it. Is pretty crazy. Koscheck is legitimately the second best guy in the world at that weight. With the exception of possibly Fitch, I think KOS could destroy pretty much anybody else in the division on any given day. But then to see how far ahead of him GSP really is, was shocking. Georges completely out classed KOS from bell to bell. He really does stand alone as the best fighter in the world at his weight by a HUGE margin.
EvilMaster - I think he went out there thinking he could pull a Serra on GSP and score a big one punch KO. But by the end of the first round, he had been forced to realize that he was not in the same league as Georges. So he went into survival mode.
Yeah this.
He'd obviously trained to avoid being taken down and to get up quickly if taken down - and he did that well, right up until the end.
He thought he'd be able to out strike and bully GSP on the feet.
EvilMaster - Which, when you think about it. Is pretty crazy. Koscheck is legitimately the second best guy in the world at that weight. With the exception of possibly Fitch, I think KOS could destroy pretty much anybody else in the division on any given day. But then to see how far ahead of him GSP really is, was shocking. Georges completely out classed KOS from bell to bell. He really does stand alone as the best fighter in the world at his weight by a HUGE margin.
agreed. I kind of thought Josh was going to win. Man did Georges prove me wrong
He did everything correctly. He defended the take downs well. He even took GSP down himself. Then he got his eye busted, Things changed after that and he was fighting not to lose. He came up short by not going after it but GSP is a tricky fighter and can switch levels if you are not careful. Kos just got TOO careful and got jabbed to death.
I think this fight proved that GSP is a better version of KOS.
After rewatching the fight, I noticed that Koscheck was wincing and rubbing his eye after GSP's very first jab. I wonder if it was the first jab broke the orbital bone.
His strategy was to taunt GSP hoping he would over train and injure himself.
When he got into the ring he spent most of the fight picking his shorts out of his crotch.