MONTREAL — Georges St-Pierre made weight Friday, promising “the bully will get bullied” at UFC 124.
The 29-year-old welterweight champion from Montreal, who weighed in at 170 pounds, was referring to brash challenger Josh Koscheck.
The 33-year-old from Fresno, Calif., was greeted by a resounding chorus of boos when he emerged from behind a curtain at one end of the Bell Centre.
Koscheck (17-4) smiled and saluted the crowd as he made his way to the scales, where he weighed 169 in advance of Saturday’s mixed martial arts showdown.
Then came St-Pierre, who bounded up the stairs to loud cheers.
The Canadian wasted little time on the scales, moving immediately over to the side of the stage to pose with Koscheck. St-Pierre stuck one fist in Koscheck’s face, while the challenger raised both hands in a traditionally fighting stance.
Words were exchanged privately between the two.
“It is crazy,” St-Pierre said afterwards on stage of the reception. “And tomorrow I guarantee you the bully will get bullied.”
That drew a huge roar.
St-Pierre, who rarely lets his cool public facade drop, was uncharacteristically blunt on his bad intentions at UFC 124.
“(I’m) motivated but I’m going to fight smart,” he added. “He tried to put me off track. That’s what he wants, I’m not going to do it and I’m going to kick his (butt) tomorrow. I look for the knockout.”
St-Pierre has talked of being bullied growing up, so his choice of words seemed to indicate his powerful motivation for the fight.
Koscheck seemed unfazed by the reception.
“Thanks for the great welcome,” he said afterwards. “I plan on putting on a hell of a show tomorrow night.
“The talk is over . . . Thanks for coming out, thanks for the boos, we’ll see you tomorrow night when I put Georges St-Pierre to sleep,” he added.
Heavyweight Sean (Big Sexy) McCorkle added some colour to the weigh-in by arriving in a red wig, which the six-foot-seven American removed before getting on the scales. Toronto welterweight Sean Pierson opted for wraparound sunglasses.
All the fighters made weight, with six-foot-one Dustin Hazelett looking a gaunt 155 pounds for his debut at lightweight.