UFC 113: Josh Koscheck - “Now or Never”
Josh Koscheck takes on Paul Daley at UFC 113 on May 8th
> Don't miss our UFC 113 predictions and find the official UFC 113 fight results after the fights are complete here at Pro Fighting Fans!
It wasn’t that long ago that The Ultimate Fighter 1 veteran, Josh Koscheck, was considered a long shot for a possible title fight against welterweight kingpin George St. Pierre. After dropping a UFC 90 bout to Thiago Alves in late-2008 along with a UFC 95 bout four months later against Paulo Thiago, it seemed as if Koscheck would be buried deep within the 170-pound division. However, after some hard work, determination, and an eagerness to fight anybody at anytime, “Kos” is right back in the thick of things for a possible title fight. His next bout at UFC 113 on May 8th against Paul Daley will answer whether his time is now or never.
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His resurrection began last fall at UFC 103 against Frank Trigg. Koscheck looked quicker and stronger than the veteran fighter finishing him at the 1:25 mark of the 1st round by way of punches. He took his next step two months later at UFC 106 against Anthony “Rumble” Johnson. Koscheck needed two rounds in order to earn the hard-fought victory over Johnson submitting him via rear naked choke late in the 2nd round.
Koscheck is similar to Paul Daley as far as athleticism goes. Kos and Daley have good feet and are quick with all of their movements. Other than that, the comparisons end.
On their feet, Koscheck must find a way to buy time while avoiding Daley’s power. Daley has sufficient power in both hands and uses it as much as he can. If Koscheck can use good head movement and hit with some in-and-out striking, he should be just fine. I highly doubt that Koscheck will go into this fight with a brawler’s mentality and try to trade punches with Daley – that would be a mistake.
Koscheck’s best chance would be to get Daley on his back where he can utilize his world-class wrestling skills. Kos can also use a ground-and-pound strategy if he is on top of Daley to try and grind him out. Neither fighter is known for their ground work, Daley a purple belt in jiu-jitsu and Koscheck a brown belt, but that doesn’t mean that the fight won’t go to the canvas. Koscheck did finish Anthony Johnson, whose skills are similar to that of Daley, while on the ground in his most recent fight, so, he is not opposed to it at all.
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Both fighters are willing to move forward, and at any rate, always make for an entertaining bout. This co-main event is not, however, a regular bout, there is much more at stake. I look for Koscheck to be more cerebral than usual in his approach, although I still anticipate fireworks. It doesn’t get any better than two strikers slugging it out in a meaningful bout. It’s just one more reason to watch a loaded UFC 113 on May 8th.
> Don't miss our feature on Paul Daley entitled UFC 113: Paul Daley - Window of Opportunity.
By Nick Russell
ProFighting-fans.com Senior MMA Staff Writer