Much of the attention and hype around UFC 135 has been centered on the main-event fight between Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Jon “Bones” Jones and rightfully so.
That match is dripping with great story lines.
As the night progresses, though, it will be the Josh Koscheck vs. Matt Hughes fight that will steal the show.
This bout is far from being devoid of interesting stories to follow.
For starters, Koscheck has been recovering from an injury. In his rematch with Georges St-Pierre back in December of 2010, Koscheck suffered a broken orbital bone.
This will be his first fight since that painful injury and the ensuing surgery and rehab. I’m sure that Koscheck has been working hard from the moment the doctors cleared him to work out, but that type of rehab would throw off the preparation for even the best of fighters.
Hughes, on the other hand, is just trying to fend off retirement for a little bit longer. The 37-year-old fighter can still compete at the highest level, but at this stage of his career, retirement can’t be too far off.
He has fought 53 matches in his career and his body has taken a pounding.
Koscheck is a -550 favorite according to the bookmakers, but I’m not sure he should be favored by that much.
It has only been a little over 10 months since he has been in competition, but that wasn’t a normal 10 months. Much of that time was spent recovering from the orbital bone injury. There will certainly be some rust for him to knock off.
Hughes is in a position where he has very little to lose. He is close to being on his way out of the sport and many believe that he is all but done as a world-class fighter. He can simply go into the bout and leave everything in the Octagon knowing that the future for him in this sport isn’t a guarantee.
Those expecting Rampage vs. Jones to be a sight to behold won’t be disappointed, but it won’t be the Fight of the Night. That distinction will go to Koscheck vs. Hughes.
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