Saturday night’s welterweight fight between Johny Hendricks and Josh Koscheck was about as close as they come in the UFC, perhaps just as close as where Hendricks currently finds himself in relation to Georges St-Pierre and a shot at the title.Bigg Rig…
Saturday night’s welterweight fight between Johny Hendricks and Josh Koscheck was about as close as they come in the UFC, perhaps just as close as where Hendricks currently finds himself in relation to Georges St-Pierre and a shot at the title.
Bigg Rigg edged Kos by split decision at UFC on Fox 3 at the IZOD Center in New Jersey to extend his record as a mixed-martial artist to 13-1 and position himself well within striking distance of those (i.e. Carlos Condit, Nick Diaz, Jake Ellenberger and Jake Shields) who would seek to unseat GSP.
Koscheck grabbed an early edge after the first round with a surprisingly effective bit of stand-up fighting, even though it was Hendricks who came in as the guy with the more furious fists.
Hendricks turned those particular tables back in his favor in the second, using an intermittent spray of uppercuts and jabs to climb back into the mix on the judges’ scorecards.
The split came in the third and final round.
Hendricks clocked Koscheck pretty handily over the first half before Kos took control on the mat over the final two minutes, giving the judges something to think about after the final bell.
Truth be told, the result could’ve gone either way without too much of a protest from either party, though Hendricks’ effort was certainly worthy of the win.
Now comes the hard part for Bigg Rigg: waiting—and hoping that he doesn’t drop down the pecking order of the welterweight division before a shot at the title presents itself.
St-Pierre has been plagued by injury for some time now and isn’t likely to return to the Octagon until November, against Carlos Condit.
Shields and Diaz will have to get back in line after losing to GSP and The Natural Born Killer, respectively.
That probably puts Hendricks in position to take on the winner of next month’s fight between Jake Ellenberger and Martin Kampmann, before he can truly lay any sort of claim to being the top contender.
With that said, Hendricks showed plenty in his victory over Koscheck—in terms of skill and competitive desire alike—to prove that he’s a rising force not only in the Welterweight division, but also in the UFC as a whole.
Tonight’s UFC on FOX event is looking to be one for the ages, Potato Nation. The alcohol-fueled spirit of Cinco De Mayo has overtaken most, if not all, of the U.S of A by this point, and I’m no exception, so lets skip the fancy introductions and get right to it.
Preliminary results
-Karlos Vemola def. Mike Massenzio by submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:07 of round two.
-Roland Delorme def. Nick Denis by submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:59 of round one.
-Dennis Bermudez def. Pablo Garzo by UD
-Danny Castillo def. John Cholsih by UD
-Louis Gaudinot def. John Lineker by submission (guillotine choke) at 4:54 of round 2
-John Hathaway def. Paskal Krauss by UD
-John Dodson def. Tim Elliot by UD
-Michael Johnson def. Tony Ferguson by UD
A couple musings from the prelims:
-Apparently some McDonald’s Happy Meals DO come with Jiu-Jitsu Blackbelts. Just ask Mike Massenzio.
-Nick Denis has a ridiculous rat tail, but it can’t match up with Roland Delorme’s iron chin. What an amazing round of action that was.
Tonight’s UFC on FOX event is looking to be one for the ages, Potato Nation. The alcohol-fueled spirit of Cinco De Mayo has overtaken most, if not all, of the U.S of A by this point, and I’m no exception, so lets skip the fancy introductions and get right to it.
Preliminary results
-Karlos Vemola def. Mike Massenzio by submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:07 of round two.
-Roland Delorme def. Nick Denis by submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:59 of round one.
-Dennis Bermudez def. Pablo Garzo by UD
-Danny Castillo def. John Cholsih by UD
-Louis Gaudinot def. John Lineker by submission (guillotine choke) at 4:54 of round 2
-John Hathaway def. Paskal Krauss by UD
-John Dodson def. Tim Elliot by UD
-Michael Johnson def. Tony Ferguson by UD
A couple musings from the prelims:
-Apparently some McDonald’s Happy Meals DO come with Jiu-Jitsu Blackbelts. Just ask Mike Massenzio.
-Nick Denis has a ridiculous rat tail, but it can’t match up with Roland Delorme’s iron chin. What an amazing round of action that was.
They give a shout-out to Adam Yauch, who unfortunately lost his battle to cancer at just 47. In his honor, I am starting off this liveblog with a Brass Monkey at my side. Cheers.
Lavar Johnson vs. Pat Barry
Bruce Buffer seemed waaay to enthusiastic when announcing Lavar Johnson’s nickname. Just sayin’.
Round 1: Barry opens with a left hook and a nice leg kick. Johnson clinches. Barry hits a head kick off the fence, then an uppercut. Leg kick Barry. Johnson clinches again. A couple knees to the head from Johnson, then a flurry of those patented uppercuts. Barry looks for a takedown, might be in trouble. Barry moves to mount! Then moves to side control…weird. Barry’s going for an Americana… weirder. Rogan comments on his incorrect technique, but Johnson is grimacing like a sumbitch, so maybe its working. “Big” gets free. The mount is wide open for the taking, but Barry opts to stay in side control. Both men back to their feet, and a leg kick by Barry. Big kick by Johnson spins Barry around, and Johnson is just UNLOADING on Barry against the fence. Is Barry playing possum? Nope, Johnson continues to tee off on Barry until he drops and it is all over. Wow.
Man, Barry must have seriously been rocked, because he was a sitting duck for that last exchange. In either case, a great win for Johnson in defeating the more technical striker. Johnson tries to make the case for KOTN, saying, “He just wants that check.”
My God. Paul Harris’ highlight reel looks like a Faces of Deathmovie trailer. Those poor souls.
Rousimar Palhares vs. Alan Belcher
Goldberg tries to introduce Dan Mirogliatta twice and fails miserably.
Round 1: Both men are tentative at the start. Belcher faints a few jabs, and Palhares dives on a leg. Uh-oh. Holy shit, Belcher is looking for a Twister after a hell of a scramble, and now a banana split. I MUST be drunk. Palhares looking for a kneebar. Belcher defending, but its like watching a car accident happen in slo-mo. Palhares now trying for a heel hook of death. Belcher escapes! HE MUST BE GREASING! Nice elbows by Belcher, who is laying down some serious GnP. IT IS OVER!
Alan Belcher def. Rousimar Palhares via TKO, round 1.
What a victory for Belcher. The man put his legs in the grinder and came out unscathed. What the hell is going on with the audio feed? Either Mike Goldberg is having an aneurysm or something is really up, because one-word spurts are repeating on loop. Anyway, Belcher sort of claims that he is the most dangerous 185er on the ground since he defeated Palhares, and I’m inclined to believe him.
Jesus Christ, is Joe Rogan seriously trying to pass off Mir/Dos Santos as a grudge match? Who cares, because they’re playing “Brass Monkey” in the background of his and Dana White’s little chat. DRINK UP!
Once again, I have to hear that Josh Koscheck does in fact own a motherfucking plane. Screw this, I’m turning off the sound on my TV and throwing on some Danzig.
Round 1: Koscheck comes out with a front kick. Then another. Well, its already gone longer than I’d like it to. Koscheck with a nice right hook on the counter. Hendricks may be hurt, as Koscheck just landed a nice combo on him. Now another. Hendricks is in trouble, and tries a takedown that is ridiculously far from landing. Hendricks lands a nice uppercut, then goes for the double leg. They clinch against the fence, and are separated by Kevin Mulhall. Hendricks with a left hand, then tries for another takedown. Koscheck with a nice combo against the fence. Hendricks is looking for a one-punch KO here. Koscheck tries a spinning LOLfist as the round ends, and he likely took it.
Round 2: Hendricks is throwing looping punches trying to close the distance, but Kos ain’t having it. Uppercut Hendricks. Koscheck looks for a guillotine on a Hendricks takedown attempt, then goes for Hendricks’ back. Hendricks goes for a double and gets Kos against the fence. Crowd getting restless, those animals. On the separation, Kos whiffs a big left, and gets countered with an uppercut. They clinch again, and Kos lands a nice elbow before pushing off. Kos tries a head kick that gets blocked. Hendricks swinging away, then lands a leg kick and clinches as the bell sounds. Close round, but I’d give it to Hendricks.
Round 3: Koschecks eye is starting to resemble the GSP fight, and he bull rushes Hendricks into the fence. Mulhall separates, and the two swing away in a nice exchange. Hendricks lands a nice left hook that seems to hurt Kos, but then Kos fires back. Some really nice dirty boxing by Hendricks, ala Randy Couture. I think Koscheck’s eye may be in some trouble here, as Hendricks lands another knee. Takedown Kos, who briefly attempts an arm-triangle. Koscheck on top, working for mount, but Hendricks gets back to half-guard. Koscheck spends the remainder of the round on top and may take it.
Scratch that.
Johny Hendricks def. Josh Koscheck by split decision.
They’re desperately trying to push this season’s The Ultimate Fighter, but nothing, including Ronda Rousey, is going to make people want to stay in on a Friday night. Just ask….that show Fridays.
It’s main event time…
Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller
Brian Stann just reeled off a good four or five sentences when assessing this fight without saying the word “uh” once. Take that, Jon Jones. I forget who, but someone disagreed with my assessment that Diaz’s victory over Cerrone was “dominant” the other day. Joe Rogan just agreed with me, so SUCK IT WHOEVER YOU WERE.
Per usual, Miller comes out to “Bad Moon Rising,” which only reinforces my belief that he is the coolest thing to come out of Jersey in the history of ever.
Round 1: Diaz doesn’t touch gloves, go figure. Nice leg kick by Miller to start. Diaz clinches after a combination misses, but Miller pushes him into the fence. The crowd is already booing, WTF?! Nice knee by Miller, who tries an elbow over the top to follow. Leg kick Miller, then another. Right hook Diaz, then a nice body shot. Inside leg kick Diaz. Miller clinches Diaz against the fence, trying for a single. Diaz turns things around and lands a nice knee. Body kick Miller. Diaz drops Miller with a straight left! Miller dives for a takedown with 30 seconds left. Nice scramble, and Miller gets Diaz to the mat. Nate sweeps Miller as the round ends.
Round 2: Both men start the round with a left hand. Leg kick Miller, who follows it up with a right hand. Diaz pushes Miller into the fence and lands a few shots to the body. Nice elbow on the break by Miller. Diaz clinches again, looking for the trip, but is unsuccessful. Miller with a left over the top. Diaz tries a flying knee, and the taunting begins. They clinch and Diaz lands a nice knee that causes Miller to drop to a hand. Diaz with a nice elbow, and Miller dives for a takedown. Diaz tries a on-armed guillotine, and gets it! DAMN! Diaz becomes the first man to stop Jim Miller! Great finish!
Nate Diaz def. Jim Miller via submission (guillotine), round 2.
Holy shit. On the replay, Joe Rogan informs us that Miller’s mouthpiece fell out in the scramble, and he was nearly biting his own tongue off before he tapped.
Well, that’s all for me tonight. It looks like we have our next two challengers at lightweight and welterweight lined up. Thanks for stopping by, Potato Nation, and I’ll catch you all next week.
Nate Diaz and Jim Miller have been staples of a fully loaded 155-lb. lightweight division for a while now, but never before have either been in a position to actually contend for the UFC lightweight title or face each other in the heat of battle.This S…
Nate Diaz and Jim Miller have been staples of a fully loaded 155-lb. lightweight division for a while now, but never before have either been in a position to actually contend for the UFC lightweight title or face each other in the heat of battle.
This Saturday night, both men get to do just that in East Rutherford, New Jersey’s IZOD Center for UFC on Fox 3. While there’s still a question of what a win might mean for Diaz, fans will tune in to this fight with the knowledge of what this fight means for Miller before it ever starts.
With the way in which both men scrap in their fights, one can guarantee that those in attendance will not leave the IZOD Center in disappointment when all is said and done.
Also, Johny Hendricks and Josh Koscheck take co-headlining status in a bout with similar implications, as a win could do big things for Hendricks.
Finally, Rousimar Palhares and Lavar Johnson have established themselves as names to focus on in their respective divisions, and on this night, they will hope that a win will put them one step closer towards being “in the mix” in their divisions.
However, for the heel-hooking machine Palhares, a step towards the UFC Middleweight title means contending with the always-ruthless striking and underrated ground competence of Alan Belcher, who insists that he will combat the task of Palhares’ Jiu-Jitsu head-on.
As for Johnson, he is a bit further away from talking about either Frank Mir or Junior Dos Santos than Palhares is from talking about Anderson Silva, Chael Sonnen, Brian Stann or Hector Lombard. Johnson could find himself much further away from that holy grail if he falls to Pat Barry, but Barry is as easy a task to overcome for Johnson’s fistic firepower as Johnson is to overcome for Barry’s powerful technical striking.
Who will prevail when the smoke clears?
You will find out tonight, as Bleacher Report MMA welcomes you to UFC on Fox 3: Diaz vs. Miller!
The classic old vs. new matchup will be center stage when Johny Hendricks faces off against Josh Koscheck at the UFC on Fox 3 event. Koscheck has been around the UFC since the original Ultimate Fighter and has become the ultimate villain to many UFC fa…
The classic old vs. new matchup will be center stage when Johny Hendricks faces off against Josh Koscheck at the UFC on Fox 3 event.
Koscheck has been around the UFC since the original Ultimate Fighter and has become the ultimate villain to many UFC fans. Kos entered the UFC as a one-dimensional wrestler but has since transformed his game into a well balanced machine.
Hendricks entered the UFC much in the same way as his opponent. He’s one of the most accomplished collegiate wrestlers to enter MMA and has used the dynamite in his hands to defeat his foes. His last bout was one of the biggest shocks in MMA in 2011 as he defeated Jon Fitch with a single punch.
Although Kos has become well rounded, he’s seemingly forgot what brought him to the dance. Abandoning his wrestling skills, Koscheck has chosen now to focus on his striking. Other than neglecting his best skill set, Koscheck also relies too much on his power strikes. He does have power but unfortunately doesn’t set his strikes up to land them.
We’ve also seen holes in his striking defense as Matt Hughes and Mike Pierce were both able to get through Kos’ defense. I’ll give Kos a pass with the Hughes bout as it was his first time back from eye surgery and he was likely nervous to take a punch from a four-oz glove. But he looked rather lethargic in his bout with Pierce.
While Koscheck has looked slower and slower each time he comes out, Hendricks continues to build momentum. The Fitch win set him up for great things moving forward if he can get past Koscheck. UFC President Dana White recently let it be known that if Hendricks wins, a UFC title shot will be in the Oklahoma State grad’s future.
The way I see this fight playing out is Koscheck attempting to work his more diverse strikes with Hendricks looking to land a heavy counter. Near the end of round one, look for either man to shoot for a takedown in order to secure the round on points.
I don’t see Koscheck being able to take Hendricks down as Hendricks’ wrestling skills are likely better at this point in Kos’ career. Hendricks has the better wrestling skills and has more power in his hands but will need to set up his power punches.
It’s nice to knock a guy out with a single punch, but let’s hope Hendricks hasn’t gotten punch-happy and wings power shots without setting them up. If Georges St-Pierre can beat Koscheck for five rounds with just a jab, I’ve got to believe Hendricks can at the very least wobble Kos with his power.
Look for Koscheck to get rocked and Hendricks to swarm him for another great finish for the rising welterweight star.
Tomorrow night, the UFC on Fox 3 brings us some big matchups. There are two title-shots on the line as well as intriguing battles in the middleweight and heavyweight divisions. Let’s take a look at the fighters who can’t afford to lose.Alan Belcher is …
Tomorrow night, the UFC on Fox 3 brings us some big matchups. There are two title-shots on the line as well as intriguing battles in the middleweight and heavyweight divisions. Let’s take a look at the fighters who can’t afford to lose.
Alan Belcher is a battle-tested middleweight who should currently be riding a six fight winning streak, were it not for an incorrect decision against Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 100. Belcher has an inspiring tale of courage, as a detached retina nearly cost him his vision and his career back in August 2010. His bout with Rousimar Palhares is his second Octagon trip since returning from the injury. A loss will blow him off of the comeback trail.
Belcher may lose more than the fight if his opponent secures one of his signature leg locks. Palhares has failed to release a submission in the past, and if he repeats the offense tomorrow night, Belcher could lose the use of his leg.
And how about former title contender Josh Koscheck? Kos was thoroughly dominated by champion Georges St. Pierre in such a way, that he likely won’t get another shot at the title without an incredible string of wins. At 34 years old, a loss for Koscheck will send him plummeting out of the rankings and cause him to start from scratch. If winning a championship is his career goal, failure tomorrow could signify the end of his chase.
Another fighter who has a lot to lose is Ultimate Fighter winner Nate Diaz. After last year’s back-to-back wins over legendary Takanori Gomi and the white-hot Donald Cerrone, tomorrow night’s contest against Jim Miller is an important test against a dangerous submission specialist.
Dana Whitestated that a win for Diaz will secure him a shot at the UFC lightweight championship. When you consider that Jim Miller and George Sotiropoulos secured seven consecutive wins without getting their shot at gold, the fact that Diaz can earn a “cut the line” pass with only three consecutive wins is an amazing opportunity. If he comes up short tomorrow night, his last two impressive performances will have been for naught.
The fighter with the most to lose, though, has got to be Johny Hendricks. Coming off of a 12 second KO win over perennial contender Jon Fitch, Hendricks is fighting for two things tomorrow night: a title shot, and to prove that he is not a fluke.
A loss tomorrow to former title-contender Josh Koscheck will send Hendricks out of contention, and likely convince fans of revisionist history that he was never a threat in the first place. With tremendous wrestling credentials and one-punch KO power, that certainly isn’t the case, but it’s not a mentality that he can afford for fight fans to adopt.
All of these fighters are featured on the main card of UFC on FOX 3, which airs tomorrow night at 8pm.
Don’t forget to check out this story’s companion article:
The UFC returns to Fox this Saturday with a stacked four-fight main card featuring some of the sport’s most exciting and best fighters. In the main event, lightweights Nate Diaz and Jim Miller will fight for a chance to get a shot at the title. Miller …
The UFC returns to Fox this Saturday with a stacked four-fight main card featuring some of the sport’s most exciting and best fighters.
In the main event, lightweights Nate Diaz and Jim Miller will fight for a chance to get a shot at the title. Miller was last seen submitting Melvin Guillard while Diaz defeated Takanori Gomi and Donald Cerrone to put him in the No. 1 contender’s bout.
Many expect it to be closely contested throughout the scheduled five rounds. Being a fight between two of the division’s toughest fighters, fans should expect nothing but a memorable fight for however long it lasts.
In the co-main event, Josh Koscheck and Johny Hendricks will fight in a matchup of two of the best wrestlers in the welterweight division. Hendricks knocked out the former No. 2 welterweight Jon Fitch at UFC 141 to get the biggest win of his career. A win in this fight could launch him into a title fight.
Koscheck defeated Mike Pierce in a closely contested bout from UFC 143. He’s also coming off of a victory over Matt Hughes.
Also on the main card, submission ace Rousimar Palhares returns to take on Alan Belcher. Palhares is coming off a heel hook victory over Mike Massenzio while Belcher is on a three-fight winning streak—the longest of his UFC career.
Heavyweights Pat Barry and Lavar Johnson will open the main card, which airs at 8 p.m. ET.
Other bouts on Fuel TV include Tony Ferguson vs. Michael Johnson, John Dodson vs. Tim Elliot and John Hathaway vs. Pascal Krauss
Saturday night’s welterweight fight between Johny Hendricks and Josh Koscheck was about as close as they come in the UFC, perhaps just as close as where Hendricks currently finds himself in relation to Georges St-Pierre and a shot at the title.