Bisping on GSP: GSP is going to try to take me down and cuddle me

New York – UFC TONIGHT was hosted by Kenny Florian and Daniel Cormier live from New York City, with Karyn Bryant adding reports. The crew previewed the upcoming UFC 217: BISPING VS. GSP and interviewed Michael Bisping, Georges St-Pierre, Cody Garbrandt, T.J. Dillashaw and Joanna Jedrzejczyk.

UFC TONIGHT host Daniel Cormier on Georges St-Pierre’s return: “I’m so excited Georges St-Pierre is back. We had to wait four years. Only history could get that man off his couch in Canada.”

UFC TONIGHT Kenny Florian on Michael Bisping vs. Georges St-Pierre: “This is really a battle of offense vs. defense. Michael Bisping is the all-time leader with significant strikes in the UFC. GSP has the best defense in the UFC. He was ahead of everyone with his skills four years ago. I think he likes this style match-up. He’s fast and throws combinations, and he’s been very difficult to take down.”

Cormier on the keys to Bisping vs. GSP: “Bisping is on fire now, but GSP is the best at not taking damage. He’s very good at taking fights to where his opponents are weakest. He can do everything in the Octagon and it showed. But Bisping is hard to take down. Now he’s developed the power with Left Hook Larry and he says he’s going to knock GSP out. GSP will think about taking him down. People forget Bisping has great cardio and conditioning. He never gets tired in there.”

Florian on Rose Namajunas facing Joanna Jedrzejczyk: “I think for Rose, mentally, she wasn’t ready for the first title fight after THE UTLIMATE FIGHTER. But now she’s dominating her opponents. She’s fighting Joanna at the right time in her career. However, Joanna has the best striking in the UFC, and is a very nasty girl, with her striking and she now throws elbows in the pocket, which are devastating. Joanna just keeps improving. She’s a phenomenal striker and has improved her wrestling. She’s great at getting back to her feet. Rose isn’t a big girl, so it’ll be tough for her to get her down.”

Florian on picks Joanna Jedrzejczyk over Namajunas: “I’ve got to go with Joanna. I don’t see anyone in that division beating her.”

Florian picks Garbrandt over Dillashaw: “It’s a tough one to pick. I’ve got to go with Garbrandt. For T.J. to be effective, he has to get in the pocket, and that’s where Garbrandt is most effective.”

Florian picks GSP to pull the upset over Bisping: “I see it going the distance and it being a five-round war. It might be close and a controversial decision, but I think GSP is going to win.”

Michael Bisping on how this fight is bigger than others he’s had: “GSP is coming out of retirement. He’s one of the best to ever do it in the Octagon. I’m the middleweight champion, he was the welterweight champ for a long time. This sounds like a Hollywood movie. It’s a great dream, but unfortunately dreams don’t come true for GSP this time.”

Bisping on what’s next after this fight: “I’m going to beat Georges so bad we won’t see him again. Then, I’ll go down to Australia and whoop Robert Whittaker’s ass, who’s walking around with a fake belt.”

Bisping on having coach Jason Parillo, whose opponents faced GSP in the past, in his corner: “It’s a great advantage. Jason wants to make sure once in his career he beats Georges. I’m ready. I’ve been knocking out sparing partners in the gym. Here’s the thing. GSP is going to try to take me down and cuddle me to death. And we all know I’m not a good cuddle.”

Georges St-Pierre on what he’s changed to prepare for this fight: “I changed the structure of my training. All the things I don’t use, I got rid of those things. Now I train less, and have more time to recuperate.”

St-Pierre on what’s going through his mind going into the fight: “You’re always afraid because you don’t know the outcome. You always have doubt going into a fight. That helped me. The confidence comes from how you prepare yourself, but you’re not guaranteed. I control what I can control the best I can.”

St-Pierre on how he’ll hold down Bisping: “I’ve been studying tape and I see patterns on what he does when he tries to stand back up, and it exposes him. I’ll use that against him on Saturday night.”

St-Pierre on if Bisping’s trash talk is affecting him: “No. It’s never personal. He’s trying to do mental warfare. I think he’s afraid that I’ll wrestle him. He’s begging me to stand and bang with him. I’ll take my opponent where he’s the weakest. I’m going to fight the way I’m supposed to fight and I’m going to beat him up.”

St-Pierre on how he’ll beat Bisping: “I need to be the best I can be. I’m better than him, I’m faster than him, I’m stronger than him, and I have a higher fighting IQ than him. I’m more adaptable and that’s why I’m going to win.”

VIDEO: Georges St-Pierre stops by UFC TONIGHT to talk UFC 217

Florian on Garbrandt’s technique: “T.J. has high fight IQ, but Garbrandt doesn’t get credit for his high IQ. When Garbrandt goes backward, he baits opponents in, and goes to the body, then uses the big left hook up high. Or he goes right down the middle with that devastating right hand. He has skills for days.”

Cody Garbrandt on representing Team Alpha Male against its old fighter Dillashaw: “It means everything to me. Just like the Dominick Cruz fight and the rivalry with our team. The ball is in my court. I feel comfortable. I need these fights and adversaries to bring out the best in me.”

Garbrandt on what it was like training with Dillashaw: “He brought me supreme confidence when he was champion, to stay focused by training with him.”

Garbrandt on if Dillashaw has improved since they trained: “I’m very excited to get back in there. I’ve been off 11 months. But I was in the lab, working, rebuilding myself. I’m a better fighter and athlete. TJ has gotten better, but he hasn’t made the strides I’ve made.”

Garbrandt on fighting Demetrious Johnson in the future: “I can make 125 pounds this weekend. I told the UFC I wanted to beat T.J. in July, then fight Demetrious here this weekend. That didn’t work out. But after I beat T.J., I’ll go down to 125 and beat Demetrious. He’s a great fighter and a great champion, and the pound-for-pound champ, but I want to go down as a two-weight champion.”

T.J. Dillashaw on the feud with Garbrandt: “I’ve got nothing invested in it. I put a smile on my face every day, then we get in the cage and get to end the feud. At first, with guys I knew well, it was tough, but it’s really just mental warfare. They need me to do it to help fuel them, because they know I’m the better fighter.”

Dillashaw on how to beat Garbrandt: “He’s got a lot of holes in his game. He’s talented, quick and powerful, but one dimensional and I’m going to take advantage of him.”

Dillashaw on how it will feel beating Garbrandt: “It’ll be great to get my belt back. I still have a bad taste about losing that belt. Nothing beats winning it.”

Dillashaw on fighting Demetrious Johnson: “He’s the pound-for-pound kingpin. That’s someone I know I can beat. He knows it’s a tough fight for him. I’d love to prove it. I can make it down to 125 pounds.”

Joanna Jedrzejczyk on being back defending her title at MSG: “It feels so amazing, it feels great to be here. It’s my city. I think next year I’ll fight in Dallas in May and then again in New York again in November.”

Jedrzejczyk on potentially breaking the most title defenses for a woman this weekend: “I will break the record. It means a lot. I care about Saturday. Rose is my challenge. More than that, I want to stay undefeated and retire undefeated. It’s more important than this record.”

Jedrzejczyk on attacking Namajunas for her family’s mental illness: “I didn’t know about her father. I wasn’t talking about her mental illness. I was talking about her mental game. Before fights, she says she doesn’t want to fight. She didn’t want to do media. I’m enjoying this. This is part of my job. We must deal with it. She wants to be a champion, but she doesn’t want to do the work outside of the Octagon. I would never talk about someone with mental illness. It was wrong. But what I said was she doesn’t have a chance in this fight. I know Michael Bisping and Georges St-Pierre are the main fight, but Joanna is taking over the Garden on Saturday night.”

Jedrzejczyk on what drives her: “There’s no easy fights. I was a challenger one day. I know what it means. I stay humble, I work hard and I’m as hungry now as I was 2 ½ years ago.”

VIDEO: Joanna Jedrzejczyk joins UFC TONIGHT to discuss her UFC 217 fight