Tag: Josh Koscheck

Matches to Make for Josh Koscheck in the Bellator MMA Welterweight Division

Despite losing five in a row, Josh Koscheck isn’t ready to call it quits on his MMA career.
On Friday, it was revealed that the former UFC welterweight title challenger had signed with Bellator MMA. Scott Coker, Bellator MMA President, announced the si…

Despite losing five in a row, Josh Koscheck isn’t ready to call it quits on his MMA career.

On Friday, it was revealed that the former UFC welterweight title challenger had signed with Bellator MMA. Scott Coker, Bellator MMA President, announced the signing via Twitter.

 

 

At 37 years old, Koscheck spent almost his entire career inside the Octagon. Following an appearance on The Ultimate Fighter 1, in which he was eliminated by Diego Sanchez, Koscheck made his official UFC debut opposite Chris Sanford in April 2005.

Koscheck went on to pick up 15 UFC victories, beating Matt Hughes, Sanchez, Frank Trigg, Anthony Johnson and others. With a May 2010 win over Paul Daley, Koscheck earned a shot at then-champion Georges St-Pierre, but he was jabbed into oblivion by the Canadian and failed to capture the belt.

The last time Koscheck had his hand raised was in a split decision against Mike Pierce at UFC 143 in February 2012. As he has slowly faded out of title contention since then, many figured Koscheck would soon retire as a UFC fighter. However, Bellator MMA has clearly made it worth Koscheck‘s while to continue competing outside the Octagon.

 

 

Most big-name welterweights are competing under the UFC banner these days, but there is one glaring potential matchup for Koscheck within the Bellator MMA roster. In typical Koscheck fashion, the UFC veteran didn’t waste any time making his desired opponent known via a post on his Instagram account.

Only thing I want to do next…is b—h slap Paul Daley one more time!! Remember the ass kickin‘ I gave you?!!

So, it’s pretty clear who the top option is to welcome Koscheck to Bellator MMA. However, there are a couple other choices that could make sense for Koscheck.

Here are the most likely potential bouts to be booked for Koscheck‘s first MMA appearance outside the Octagon since an April 2004 showing against Luke Cummo at Ring of Combat 6.

 

Paul Daley vs. Dennis Olson Winner

At UFC 113, Koscheck and Daley met in a clash between two of the more potent trash talkers in the 170-pound division.

Predictably, Koscheck used his wrestling to control Daley on the ground en route to a decision win. Frustrated with his inability to stand in the bout, Daley threw a punch at Koscheck well after the final horn had already sounded.

Following Daley’s regrettable decision, he was permanently banned from the UFC and has since competed for several promotions such as Strikeforce and Bellator MMA. Aside from an exciting bout with Nick Diaz in April 2011, though, Daley has really been flying under the radar.

Having a rematch with Koscheck would be an excellent way for Daley to get back into the spotlight and show that he has improved.

Before that can happen, though, Daley would probably need to beat upcoming opponent Dennis Olson. Daley and Olson are set to meet at Bellator 140 in July, and wouldn’t it be something for Koscheck to enter the cage after a Daley win?

 

Michael Page vs. Rudy Bears

It’s less likely, but Bellator MMA may also look to use Koscheck to build up its up-and-coming welterweights right away.

Should that be the case, there might not be a more highly regarded prospect under the Bellator MMA banner than Michael Page. Fellow welterweight Chris Honeycutt is also receiving a good amount of attention, but he’s unlikely to compete against Koscheck because they train together.

Also at Bellator 140, Page will meet Rudy Bears. If he wins in impressive fashion and Daley loses or runs into injury problems, there’s a chance Page could fall into a great opportunity to elevate his standing against Koscheck.

Personally, I am more intrigued by Koscheck‘s matchups with wrestlers and would have been ecstatic about his Bellator MMA signing had Ben Askren still been with the promotion. However, the 170-pound class in Bellator MMA is very much a striking division at the moment.

So, Koscheck may be forced to go back to his wrestling roots in either of the two most likely bouts he has waiting for him in his new organization.

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UFC Veteran Josh Koscheck Signs with Bellator MMA

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. Kosc…

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.

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.

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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Fight Night 62 Aftermath/Results: Maia Dominates LaFlare, Koscheck & Baszler Edge Closer to Retirement in Night of Thrilling Finishes


(Photo via Getty.)

Fight Night 62 was one of those cards that, while appearing just abysmal on paper, actually turned out to be a rather entertaining affair. I mean, sure, the main card broadcast dragged along at it’s typical sloth-like pace — something that the UFC desperately needs to change but sadly never will — and the main event wasn’t exactly the kind of barnburner we’ve come to expect from a Demian Maia fight (sarcasm), but Fight Night 62 more than made up for its lack of name power with exciting finishes. It was also a card that signaled the (competitive) end of at least two MMA careers and the possible resurgence of another, so join us after the jump for a full breakdown of what went down in Rio over the weekend.


(Photo via Getty.)

Fight Night 62 was one of those cards that, while appearing just abysmal on paper, actually turned out to be a rather entertaining affair. I mean, sure, the main card broadcast dragged along at it’s typical sloth-like pace — something that the UFC desperately needs to change but sadly never will — and the main event wasn’t exactly the kind of barnburner we’ve come to expect from a Demian Maia fight (sarcasm), but Fight Night 62 more than made up for its lack of name power with exciting finishes. It was also a card that signaled the (competitive) end of at least two MMA careers and the possible resurgence of another, so join us after the jump for a full breakdown of what went down in Rio over the weekend.

Let’s start things off a little off the beaten path, by awarding our official GIF-Worthy Finish of the Night (GWFotN) to Fredy Serrano, who kicked off Fight Night 62 in style by absolutely starching Bentley Syler with an uppercut in the second round.

Really, the entire undercard was a veritable potpourri of violence and terrible reffing decisions, as we’ve come to expect more and more with each UFC card. Take for instance, the second fight of the night, in which Christos Giagos submitted Jorge de Oliveira with a rear-naked choke in the first round. Yet despite the fact that Oliveira CLEARLY tapped, I don’t know, 6 times? And despite the fact that referee Eduardo Hely was in no way obstructed from seeing this tap, he allowed Giagos to continue choking Oliveira for a few more completely unnecessary seconds. You can check out a gif of that absolute bullshit here.

Speaking of absolute bullshit and/or Eduardo Hely, I’m sure that you’ve already heard by now of the Drew Dober-Leandro Silva fight, which resulted in what might just be the worst stoppage in UFC history. I…I can’t even begin to explain what the Hell was going through Hely’s mind on this one, so let’s just watch the gif and angrily spit out leftover Chinese food on our computer monitors.

I swear to God, it’s like MMA refs are doing their damndest in recent weeks to make MMA judges look like the more competent of the two. For what it’s worth, Dober was given his win bonus that night, and Eduardo Hely will likely face no action of consequence for his horrendous night at bat.

Let’s move onto the main card, wherein Godofredo Pepey continued his improbable (and incredibly flashy) run of finishes with a slick flying triangle over the heavily-favored Andrey Fili. The Team Alpha Male stud was impressive early, peppering Pepey with quick shots and generally out moving him, but as soon as he entered the clinch game with the TUF Brazil runner-up, disaster struck. Pepey used the cage to leap into a flying triangle, which he then worked for next minute or so until Fili finally gave in. It marked the third straight highlight reel finish (and performance bonus) for Pepey, who is quickly rocketing up the featherweight rankings.

I suppose I could talk to you about Gilbert Burns’ hail mary armbar over late replacement opponent Alex Oliveira, or Leonardo Santos’ second round sub of Tony Martin, but really, I want to talk about two fighters who looked in need of a Joe Rogan Career Assessment: Josh Koscheck and Shayna Baszler.

The former faced a quick turnaround against Erick Silva on Saturday following his second round submission loss to Jake Ellenberger at UFC 184. For those hoping a fight against a young gun would light a fire under the longtime UFC veteran’s keester, you were right. For about 30 seconds. Though he came out aggressive early, Koscheck — as he did against Ellenberger — went into retreat mode once he felt the power of his opponent. After eating a couple shots along the fence, you could practically see the confidence start to drain from the veteran as Silva took him down and locked in a fight-ending guillotine choke. Koscheck has now lost his past 5 fights in a row, and retirement seems imminent.

Baszler, on the other hand, has looked less and less effective with each passing fight. She has secured exactly 1 victory since 2010, and had less to offer Amanda Nunes than she did Bethe Correia or Julianna Pena in her only other UFC appearances (one of which was on TUF 18, but you get what I’m saying) before succumbing to a leg kick TKO in the first round. A pioneer of WMMA she may be, but Baszler’s time as a top-level fighter has clearly passed her by, and we just hope that either she or the UFC are able to recognize this.

Which brings us to the main event of the evening. In what was similarly being billed as a passing of the guard fight from Demian Maia to Ryan LaFlare, the former utterly dominated the latter with takedowns and top control for four straight rounds. Most noticeable during the fight was the 37 year old Maia’s much-improved wrestling and sweep skills, which left LaFlare looking like an overmatched grappling partner desperate searching for a lifeline. It was a fight that was supposed to announce LaFlare’s arrival into the welterweight top 10, yet ended up being one that Demian Maia proved that he’s still got something left in the gas tank (metaphorically speaking of course, as Maia was absolutely torched by the fifth round). How much exactly remains to be seen.

Full results for Fight Night 62 are below.

Main Card (on FOX Sports 1)
Demian Maia def. Ryan LaFlare by unanimous decision
Erick Silva def. Josh Koscheck by submission (guillotine choke) at 4:21, R1
Leonardo Santos def. Tony Martin by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:29, R2
Amanda Nunes def. Shayna Baszler by TKO (leg kicks) at 1:56, R1
Gilbert Burns def. Alex Oliveira by submission (arm bar) at 4:14, R3
Godofredo Pepey  def. Andre Fili by submission (triangle choke) at 3:14, R1

Preliminary Card
Francisco Trinaldo def. Akbarh Arreola by unanimous decision
Kevin Souza def. Katsunori Kikuno by KO at 1:31, R1
Leandro “Buscape” Silva def. Drew Dober by submission (guillotine choke) at 2:45, R2
Leonardo Mafra Teixeira def. Cain Carrizosa by unanimous decision
Christos Giagos def. Jorge de Oliveira by submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:12, R1
Fredy Serrano def. Bentley Syler by KO at 1:34, R3

Josh Koscheck Earns Respect with Decade of UFC Competition

Many words have been written about Josh Koscheck since Saturday’s loss to Erick Silva. Many more will be written in the coming days.
There is something about nostalgia that tugs at the heartstrings. Koscheck spent the better part of a decade being booe…

Many words have been written about Josh Koscheck since Saturday’s loss to Erick Silva. Many more will be written in the coming days.

There is something about nostalgia that tugs at the heartstrings. Koscheck spent the better part of a decade being booed by UFC fans. From the moment he appeared on The Ultimate Fighter, Koscheck was The Bad Guy. There was something about him that rubbed us the wrong way, even if we couldn’t figure out why, and even if we had no way of knowing if the Koscheck we saw on our television was the real thing.

But the thing about reality television is that it is not real at all.

Last year, I participated in the filming of a popular reality show here in Las Vegas. I was a massive fan of the show, and so I was ecstatic for the opportunity. But I was naive. There was almost no “reality” in the show, at all. It was scripted, with multiple takes and extras. The set wasn’t even real. After a day of filming, I went home disappointed.

And that experience makes me think about The Ultimate Fighter, and about Koscheck, and about how he was painted with villainous strokes by the producers of the show. Every TV show needs drama. Every TV show needs a bad guy and a good guy and a story line that viewers can get invested in.

And I think about how that first season of The Ultimate Fighter set the tone for Koscheck‘s career going forward. He was always the heel, always the bad guy.

It had to be discouraging. It probably isn’t a whole lot of fun being hated by people who don’t personally know you. But he embraced the role. He is a smart man, and he realized early on that he could probably make a boatload of money by pissing off the fans. They weren’t going to cheer him anyway, so he would egg them on.

He acknowledged as much to Sherdog.com prior to challenging Georges St-Pierre for the welterweight championship at UFC 124. 

“I’m a bad guy. What can I say? Apparently that’s what everyone believes, so I might as well go with it,” he said. “I’m here to win fights and make money. This is a business, and I’m doing my job by hyping the fight.. If I’ve got to piss off 23,000 people, I’m going to do it. I enjoy what I do.”

And so he never really stopped being the bad guy, at least publicly. His appearances at UFC events were always accompanied by a chorus of boos. He was cantankerous with the media, though that was hardly a trait he held the exclusive on. 

And he was booed Saturday night as he walked to the Octagon, but it felt different. It was like a pro wrestling event where the fans boo the heel because it’s what they’re supposed to do.

In reality, we couldn’t help but want the best for Koscheck, who was on the brink of five straight losses and heading into the final fight of his UFC contract. The fans booed, but they didn’t mean it, if that makes sense. Koscheck is one of two men from that first season of The Ultimate Fighter still competing. The other is Diego Sanchez.

The rest of the cast members have mostly slipped into retirement. Koscheck and Sanchez are the last men standing. Time is a brutal thing. But there was Koscheck, making good on his promise to bring a fight to Silva. He swung wildly. He kept coming forward. He was older and slower, and he has clearly never quite recovered from the broken right orbital bone he suffered against Johny Hendricks in 2012, in the loss that began his current losing streak.

But he stayed true to his word. He fought, and then he was submitted. It is perhaps an overused cliche, but he went out on his shield.

Afterwards, the boos were gone. There was only sympathy. He wasn’t given a chance for a post-fight interview, which seems like a shame. At the post-fight press conference, he was noncommittal about his future. White said he’d like for Koscheck to retire, but that he has the same soft spot for those Season 1 veterans as the rest of us. It is hard to push them out the door, because pushing them out the door means putting an end to a special era of mixed martial arts. 

It is hard to imagine Koscheck sticking around the UFC. Few fighters are afforded the opportunity to get to five consecutive losses, much less be handed a new contract after doing so.

Koscheck might retire and run his gyms and fly his planes and drive his cars. Or—and this is a very real possibility—he could go to Bellator, where star power is valued much more than things like wins and losses and age.

But whatever Koscheck does, he’ll do with a sort of respect from mixed martial arts fans that did not exist until he began feeling the ravages of time. We love our heroes. We love booing our villains.

But there usually comes a time when we find it difficult to cheer against those who have been the target of our ire for the better part of their careers. It is a mixture of sympathy and respect, and Koscheck has earned it, no matter what comes next.

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5 Rounds with Jonathan Snowden: Best and Worst from UFC Fight Night 62

Not much of consequence happened at UFC Fight Night 62 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Not much of consequence could have.
It’s become tradition for the UFC to travel to Brazil, find the cupboard bare of fighters with even a semblance of name recognition an…

Not much of consequence happened at UFC Fight Night 62 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Not much of consequence could have.

It’s become tradition for the UFC to travel to Brazil, find the cupboard bare of fighters with even a semblance of name recognition and simply toss together a collection of random parts and hope for the best. Sometimes it’s a good time, with spectacular finishes making fans forget they are watching fighters they’ve never heard of. Sometimes, it’s a dreadful, never-ending morass.

Sometimes, it’s both.

In a new post-fight series, we’ll look at the card as a whole and choose the five best and worst moments—the handful of things worth talking about on Twitter or at the water cooler if you are reading this from 1962.

Want to extend the bout from five rounds into infinity? That’s what the comments are for. Make your voice heard.

Begin Slideshow

Josh Koscheck vs. Erick Silva: What We Learned from the UFC Fight Night 62 Tilt

Erick Silva and Josh Koscheck got after it in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 62.
Both fighters threw a variety of haymakers early and often. Both Koscheck and Silva failed to connect, but it was clear their intent was to put on a show and end the…

Erick Silva and Josh Koscheck got after it in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 62.

Both fighters threw a variety of haymakers early and often. Both Koscheck and Silva failed to connect, but it was clear their intent was to put on a show and end the fight early. The fight did not make it past the first round. Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Snowden noted Koscheck’s contribution to the sport of MMA:

Koscheck went for a desperation takedown, and Silva got a guillotine sunk in. He dropped down with the choke, and Koscheck was forced to tap. It was a big win for Silva and a closing of a chapter on Koscheck’s UFC career.

This is what we learned from the UFC Fight Night 62 co-main event.

 

What We’ll Remember About This Fight

The guillotine was not all that memorable, but the wild overhand rights by both were. We will remember the wind those two generated by throwing the heavy strikes.

If either man had landed flush, it would have been a big KO of the Night bonus-check winner. Unfortunately for the fans, but fortunately for their health, they didn’t land. Other than that, it was not a particularly memorable fight.

They went out to put on a show. They accomplished that even with missing the bombs they threw.

 

What We Learned About Erick Silva

FightMetric’s Michael Carroll highlights a key stat that Silva achieved with this win which ironically ties him with Koscheck in the history books:

He still fought a bit wild, but this looked to be a more tame Silva. We learned Silva is ready for another serious test in the division.

He exploded on the scene, but he quickly fizzled out. He shows all the tools to be a major threat in the division, but he needs to fight smarter. Saturday he fought smart. He got a bit wild, but he got wild at the same time Koshceck did. He didn’t risk position.

Silva defended the takedown well and finished the fight. It was a solid performance from a fighter who could have big things in his future.

 

What We Learned About Josh Koscheck

We learned he is finish being a top welterweight.

He spent a lot of time away from the cage, and when he returned a lot of eyes were focused on how good he could be. Two submission losses in quick order prove that his time is done. Father Time waits for no man, and while Koscheck made big strides in his MMA career, he cannot make a final push up the ladder at 170 pounds.

 

What’s Next For Erick Silva

How about Jake Ellenberger?

The UFC cannot treat Silva like a 20-year-old prospect at this point, and with two exciting fights against Matt Brown and Koscheck, he has earned another name in the division. A fight against Ellenberger sets the winner up for a big fight in the division.

Ellenberger and Silva both submitted Koscheck. This fight makes sense. It would make for a good co-main event for a future Fight Night event.

 

What’s Next For Josh Koscheck

UFC president Dana White discussed his respect of the Season 1 participants on The Ultimate Fighter, which includes Koscheck:

The UFC Hall of Fame.

His active fighting career is most likely over, and he has nothing left to prove. The sport is passing him by, but he should be inducted into the organization’s Hall of Fame. He helped solidify the organization as a member of the first season of The Ultimate Fighter and was one of the shining examples of how the show can develop talent.

He was a top-tier welterweight for many years. He was involved in numerous exciting contests. He deserves that honor.

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