Exclusive GSP Interview - Click here to purchase this issue

Here is the exclusive interview with GSP in issue 8 of MMA Sports Magazine.

MMA: Congratulations on your big win at UFC 74 over Josh GSP: Koscheck, how did you feel about the fight?
It was the fight that I was the most well-prepared for and I'm glad that I'm back for a title shot.

MMA: You had fire in your eyes, something we didn't see against Matt Serra, what was different this time?
GSP: I changed a lot of things in my training & also in my personal life and it paid off.

MMA: Koscheck said you couldn't take him down, you did easily within 30 seconds of the fight, was that something you were looking for?
GSP: My strategy was to put him out of his comfort zone and I knew he was not very acclimated to fight from his back.

MMA: Do you think he was surprised at how easily you were taking him down?
GSP: I think he probably underestimated my wrestling, but that's his mistake and during the fight I tried to focus on what I was doing to him, not on what he was doing to me.

MMA: You were trying for a Kimura in the second round and looked like you almost had it, how close were you?
GSP: I made a little technical mistake. Greg Jackson showed me what I did wrong after the fight; and if I'm in the same position next time I'll be able to finish him.

MMA: You looked so comfortable in this fight, tell us about your training for this fight?
GSP: I train with the best guys in every discipline - boxing, wrestling, jiu-jitsu and muay thai, and I have a sports psychologist, Brian Cain, who helped me to get through a lot
of stuff in my life.

MMA: In your interview after the fight, you said your loss was the best thing that ever happened to you for your career, what did you mean?
GSP: When things go well in your career, you don't fix something that's not broken. Even though I knew I was doing a lot of things wrong, I didn't fix them. This taught me a big life lesson and allowed me to fix a lot of those things.

MMA: So what have you been doing since the fight?
GSP: I went to France to see some old friends and some vacation in the South of France.

MMA: What do you think went wrong against Matt Serra?
GSP: I took my eyes off the goal, forgot my #1 priority and forgot who I was.

MMA: What did it feel like after that fight?
GSP: It was a humiliation - after the fight I thought it was the worst moment of my career. And then after a couple of weeks, I realized it was the best thing that ever happened to me for my career.

MMA: How did you recover mentally?
GSP: I didn't only recover - this loss made me a way stronger & better fighter. By beating me, Matt Serra made me stronger. In the school of life, what doesn't kill us, makes us stronger.

MMA: Obviously you'd want a rematch; everyone would love to see that, what would you do differently this time?
GSP: I would change a lot of things - the way I approach the fight, both physically & mentally.

MMA: What are your predictions on a rematch against Matt Serra?
GSP: A win, of course. I'm going to show everybody that I'm better than what I showed last time.

MMA: Matt Hughes will be fighting Matt Serra in December, what are your predictions on that fight?
GSP: Well, on paper, I think Matt Hughes is the better fighter than Matt Serra, but it's not always the better fighter that wins the fight, but the fighter who fights the best that night.

MMA: Either way who wins, what would you like to say to the person you face that
holds the title?
GSP: Be at his best because I will be at my best as well and we'll put on a good fight
for the fans.

MMA: Is there anyone else you want to fight in the UFC?
GSP: I want to fight every fighter who's on top and who deserves to have a title shot.
Because to be the best, you have to beat the best.

MMA: So when do you fight next and when do you think you will get a title
fight?
GSP: They've told me my next fight is a title fight, and it's the winner of the Matt Hughes/Matt Serra fight.

MMA: You've changed a lot of things since your Matt Serra fight, tell us about that?
GSP: I've changed my manager, a lot of stuff in my training and in my personal life, and started working on my mental game as well as my physical abilities.

MMA: How did you get the nickname “Rush”?
GSP: When I was fighting in Canada, I finished all my opponents in the first round, so my manager at the time thought it was very appropriate.

MMA: Thank you very much for the interview, anything else you'd like to say?
GSP: Thank you to my manager, Shari Spencer, all my training partners, trainers, my sponsors and my fans who stuck with me even through the difficult time that I just got through. Also, I'm launching a new website, gspfightclub.com - come check it out.