Couture: Thinks gabe is a very well rounded opponent. Feels as though he matches up better against strikers and usually takes them down to the ground but when he tries to take Gabe down he will not be out of the woods.


News & Notes From UFC 74 Media Conference Call

UFC 74 Conference Call

- GSP was asked if he wanted an easier opponent than Koscheck. He replied that he did not want an easier opponent and wanted to fight the best.

- Feels as though he is better than ever.

- Couture: Thinks gabe is a very well rounded opponent. Feels as though he matches up better against strikers and usually takes them down to the ground but when he tries to take Gabe down he will not be out of the woods.

- Gonzaga says he is ready for a 5 round fight.

- Randy says he loves to compete in the sport and it isn’t always about winning titles and loves going out to compete and have fun.

- Randy talks about his debut at UFC 13. talks about fighting 2 big boys at 300 and 290 and says when he first was walking into the cage he wanted to piss his pants

- Randy believes his career is still growing.

- Dana says that he believes that GSP is one of the best in the sport and asks “which GSP will show up for this fight”. Says he noticed mental holes in GSP game and he didn’t seem the same

-GSP says he does not want to make any excuses for the Serra fight. Says it was a life lesson and truly believes he is the best in the sport. He was beat far and square and hopes to have a rematch some day. Says that a brand new better version of GSP will be showing up for this fight.

- Dana says the UFC is talking with Wanderlei Silva but the deal is not done.

- Gonzaga was asked if he is comfortable being a star and he replied that he does not feel like a star and that he feels like a fighter.

- Couture says that Wanderlei came in to train on Monday and has trained with him a little. He has trained BJJ for 10 years now so he has been working on his game to be able to go to the ground with Gonazaga.

- GSP says when he won the title he forgot who he was and forgot what his number 1 priority was. He has never been so pumped up for a fight in his life and can not wait to fight with Kos .

- Being the underdog does not bother Couture at all and he feels he tends to operate better when he is the underdog. Loves to go out and prove everyone wrong.

- On being compared to Ken Shamrock and Dan Severn and Royce Gracie, couture says he stayed active and kept up with the new generation where the other guys had long gaps between fights.

- GSP says he knows what Koschecks strengths and weaknesses are and he will be ready to take him out.

- Koscheck does not think GSP is overrated as he has proven he has what it takes to be a champion but to be a champion again he has to go through him.

- Dana on goal for the next 5 years…does not think they have even scratched the surface of how big they can get. Wants to go global and fully intend on going global.

- Couture believes MMA being an Olympic sport is a possibility. Can not see why it wouldn’t eventually be.

- Koscheck says he does not prepare for a certain fighter but just prepares to fight. Says he has a new strategy for GSP and it will be something the UFC fans have never seen before.

- White says Vera coming back to the UFC is huge for the UFC HW division. Says that Vera never had contract issues with the UFC and the reason people thought that was because of Gary Shaw “shooting his big mouth off”

- Koscheck says this is just another day at the office for him and it being GSP’s return does not affect him mentally. Koschecks says he could give two craps about what people say about him and he is just training to become the best in the world

- Gonzaga was asked if Randys age bothers him going into the fight, he says the only thing he thinks about is that randy has more experience in fighting.

- GSP says he trains at a new place for boxing. A lot of things have changed in his entourage and his management. He had a lot of mental and physical issues but everything is fine right now.

- Koscheck says that nothing concerns him about GSP. Says he is glad everything is good in GSP’s life now because he wants the best GSP and not the GSP that fought Serra.

- White says he is not very happy about the Sherk situation but he will see what happens when Sherk goes before the commission.

- Dana White says that HBO will happen and it will most likely be in place for a winter show. Says the main problem with the deal has been him and he guarantees that he will have it done before the end of the year.

- When asked about Patrick Cote he says that he thinks this will be better than his last fight because Grove will help make him fight better.

- When asked about what impresses Couture him Gonazaga he says that his last fight impressed him because no one expected Gabe to kick CroCops head off.

- When Gabe was asked the same about Randy he says that Randy’s heart is was impresses him the most.

- Dana says the HBO shows will be as big as the other shows. He also says that he loves to give the fans free fights on SpikeTV.

- He also says that he “f***ed up” a lot of things with the last European PPV.

- Says that the UFC is bringing all the fighters in around Oct. to discuss things such as steroids.

- Says that fighters get tested way more than other sports and are tested by the government before the fights. Says that if the government showed up a Sundays and tested football players we wouldn’t see any football

- Koscheck says fans booing him doesn’t bother him at all. He has been booed since the Ultimate Fighter 1.

- Says that him and diego hated each other so much that he thinks that may be why they held back a bit because they both didn’t want to lose.

- Gonazaga says that he does not feel like the favorite and that it should be more 50/50 than him being the favorite. He also said he believes if anyone, randy should be the favorite.

- White says that Vera has a new contract and he sees a fight for the title in his future.

- White also says that Vera's first fight will be against Tim Sylvia.

- Fedor will fight for the title when he comes in.

- The lightweight title is in limbo right now until Sean Sherk goes before the commission.

- Randy says that he has been very fortunate through out his career to never suffer any major injuries.

- Dana says that Arlovski will be fighting soon.

- Think we will see a different Rich Franklin in the rematch with Anderson Silva.