This Saturday night, in the co-main event of UFC on FOX 3, decorated wrestlers-turned-KO-artists Josh Koscheck and Johny Hendricks will square off.
Hendricks is coming off of a scintillating KO of longtime contender Jon Fitch that shot his stock through the roof. Mixing no words, Hendricks told the world that he is looking for a shot at the UFC welterweight championship. Back-to-back wins over Fitch and Koscheck is certainly a fast track to achieve that goal.
Maybe Hendricks will do it again and win with only one punch, but the chances aren’t great. If Hendricks hopes to find success this weekend, he will need to follow these keys to success.
Pepper Koscheck with Jabs
In his fight with GSP, Koscheck spent five rounds eating jabs, and it did major damage to his eye. When Matt Hughes targeted the eye with jabs in their September contest, it made Koscheck very uncomfortable.
Koscheck is going to go into this fight expecting power shots. If Hendricks starts the bout feeding Kos a healthy diet of jabs, it will take the 34-year-old slightly off his game, and leave him open for my next key.
Land the Overhand Left
If Koscheck is trying to find a way to counter that jab, he may find himself susceptible for the power strikes that are coming.
After seeing his friend and teammate knocked out by Hendricks in only 12 seconds, Koscheck is very aware of the power his opponent possesses. For Hendricks to pull off a second signature win, he’ll need to show it off once again.
Protect Your Eyes
Josh Koscheck probably lands more eye pokes than anyone in the history of the UFC. Kos ignored several warnings from Herb Dean at UFC 142 and went unpunished on the scorecards when an errant finger poked Mike Pierce.
Koscheck is a tough fighter to beat even with perfect vision. An eye poke can disorient Hendricks for several minutes, which is more than enough time for a dangerous fighter like Kos to take advantage.
For more on this, check out this article from Bleacher Report’s own Andrew Dodds.
Take Him Down
A lot of fighters who score a big knockout sometimes decide that they really like the recognition they get for the finish. Hendricks needs to make sure that he doesn’t forget that his wrestling is what brought him to the show in the first place.
If Hendricks wants to stand and bang, that’s fine, but Koscheck is aware of the wrestling pedigree that his opponent possesses. If Hendricks can score an early takedown, it will stay in the back of Kos’ mind for the remainder of the bout.
Stay Off of Your Back
Koscheck has a smothering top game that can be frustrating for any fighter. Hendricks will need to use his defensive wrestling to the best of his abilities if he wants this fight to go in his favor. After all, you can’t throw knockout punches from your back.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com