Former UFC title contender Josh Koscheck is now a member of Bellator. The announcement was made by the promotion’s commentators on Friday night during the Bellator 139 broadcast and was then confirmed on social media.
The news comes as a surprise. Koscheck was one of the top stars in the UFC following his controversial stint on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter, where he frequently feuded with fellow castmate Chris Leben. He made his official promotional debut at the TUF1 Finale in 2005 and remained a steady presence in the UFC’s welterweight division for the next 10 years, competing a total of 25 times.
Welcome to the #BellatorMMA family @joshkoscheck! Can’t wait to see you in the cage!! pic.twitter.com/QqvoS4lHQj
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) June 27, 2015
While he has had a long, storied career, he has struggled mightily in recent years and is currently riding a five-fight losing streak (with his four most recent fights being stoppage losses). His last win came in February 2012 at UFC 143, where he defeated Mike Pierce via split decision.
The decision was widely criticized on social media, with many questioning Koscheck‘s health, age and ability to compete at a high level. That said, his ability to manufacture grudge matches and enduring name value make him a worthwhile commodity for Bellator, which has an incredibly talented, but decidedly unpopular, welterweight division.
Josh Koscheck to Bellator? Genuinely surprised and not in the good kind of way.
— Shaheen Al-Shatti (@shaunalshatti) June 27, 2015
Bellator has more than a few options for Koscheck‘s first opponent. A rematch with former rival Paul Daley—who was famously ejected from the UFC for nailing him with a post-fight sucker-punch at UFC 113—is the most obvious choice, but pitting him against hot up-and-comers in need of a high-profile win, like Neiman Gracie and Adam McDonough, also makes sense.
So what say you, fight fans? Are you pleased with the news? Who do you think he should face?
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