Music: {allcanada} Team GSP keeps control on TUF, just barely

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

{allcanada} Team GSP keeps control on TUF, just barely

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Michael Johnson survived his first fight on Season 12 of "The Ultimate Fighter" but left it late before showing why coach Georges St-Pierre made him his first pick.

Johnson called it "a good starter fight." Instead he was given all he could handle by England's Aaron Wilkinson in Episode 3 -- titled "Unleash Hell" -- of the reality TV show which aired Wednesday night.

"English, they underestimate you," coach Josh Koscheck told the lanky lightweight from Manchester before the fight. "They underestimate you big time."

He was right.

Johnson led 3-2 in takedowns but the Brit kept getting back up. And when he took down Johnson, he did more damage. In doing so, the Brit exposed Johnson's deficiencies on his back.

The entertaining fight was close enough that a third round was required -- TUF preliminary bouts are two rounds with a third if needed in case of a tie.

"Who wants it more," UFC president Dana White yelled from his cageside seat.

Johnson, who spent several years trying to get onto the show, came out in the third like a man possessed after some timely GSP advice.

"This guy cannot fight when he is going backward," the coach said. "I want you to put pressure (on him)."

Johnson went straight at the Brit, crumpling him at the fence and pounding away before taking his back and locking in a choke.

Koscheck thought his fighter should have won, having taken the first two rounds in his book.

The Johnson-Wilkinson fight was chosen by the St-Pierre camp, which has control of the matchup after Alex (Bruce Leroy) Caceres won the first bout in the previous week's episode.

The latest episode featured visits to the GSP side from former heavyweight champion boxer Mike Tyson and former Canadian Olympic wrestling medallist Gia Sissaouri.

A mild-mannered Tyson visited Johnson in his dressing room, where GSP confessed he used to play him in the "Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!" video game.

Koscheck, meanwhile, tore a strip off his team for lacklustre training.

"Get your mind right," he told his fighters.

Koscheck's attempt to get in GSP's head -- the two coaches face off Dec. 11 in Montreal -- remained in low gear during the episode.

The Koscheck team boxed St-Pierre's car in on either side in the parking lot, forcing the champion to slide in the passenger side.

GSP was hardly fazed. "It's not my first rodeo . . . A lot of people, they take my kindness for weakness."

"Everything that he does, I'll keep it inside. I'll let it come out at the right moment," he added.

Said Koscheck: "If he's thinking more about me, and more about fighting me and wanting to kick my ass because I can be a peckerhead, that's good. That means it takes away from his guys (team)."

GSP's team is 2-0 after the Johnson win.

Teasers for Episode 4 continue to build the theme of Caceres as a mouthy irritant to some in the fighters' house.

Koscheck is also shown in the promo talking to his team, dissing St-Pierre.

"I don't like losing to nobody, OK? Especially a French guy."