THE CANADIAN PRESS
Team Koscheck is finally on the board of Season 12 of "The Ultimate Fighter," with lightweight Nam Phan decisioning Spencer Paige on the reality TV show.
The Episode 5 win that aired Wednesday night cut coach Georges St-Pierre’s lead over rival Josh Koscheck to 3-1.
"About time," said Koscheck, whose post-fight comments prompted St-Pierre to call him a "bad winner."
Koscheck’s team also irritated as well as it pounded on the wall of the St-Pierre squad’s dressing room post-fight.
The show was titled "Disrespectful," with Koscheck playing the lead role throughout.
Paige started well in the fight, hurting Phan with kicks. But Phan caught a kick and put Paige down with 90 seconds remaining in the first round, hurting him with ground and pound.
Phan took control in the second round, with Paige saying after the fight that he broke his hand and damaged his legs by kicking so often.
"With no shins and no right hand, I was in a tough spot," he said.
In one of the more entertaining episodes of the season, Koscheck brought in fellow fighters Jon Fitch and Chuck (The Iceman) Liddell for cameos while St-Pierre unveiled French Muay Thai coach Jean Charles Skarbowsky.
Liddell’s visit was just days after he lost to Rich Franklin at UFC 115 in Vancouver.
Asked by Koscheck’s fighters for some advice, the 40-year-old light-heavyweight told them to have fun.
"Don’t forget this is a hell of a lot better than a real job," said Liddell, his eye blackened.
The former champion also spoke eloquently of how difficult it is to walk away from the sport he loves.
St-Pierre set up the Skarbowsky visit by urging his fighters to show the Frenchman respect — or else — when it came to sparring.
"This could be the best experience of your life or the worst," said assistant coach John Danaher.
The tattooed Frenchman proved to be beast in practice, albeit one who likes a few cocktails in advance.
"That guy is brutal," said fighter Cody McKenzie. "He beat us all up and he was drunk, so that guy can fight."
Koscheck clearly did not get the respect note, referring to Skarbowsky as "Jean something" and "the Frenchie."
"How was rehab? You went to rehab today?" Koscheck said to Skarbowsky, who refused to take the bait.
Koscheck also tried to get under St-Pierre’s skin at the weigh-in, offering to quit MMA if he got a kiss.
St-Pierre smiled and tried to ignore his rival.
"Inside I’m enraged," the UFC welterweight champion said later.
"But I want to stay faithful to who I am and being disrespectful, it’s not who I am," he added.
The two coaches will face off Dec. 11 at UFC 124 in the champion’s native Montreal.
The promo for next week’s episode promised two fights and showed a glimpse of St-Pierre being cut in training.
