UFC 106 Fight Week Previews: Anthony Johnson vs. Josh Koscheck

Quickly put together in the wake of Brock Lesnar's inability to headline UFC 106, this is a welterweight matchup many fans have been looking forward to since it was announced.

Anthony "Rumble" Johnson is widely considered one of the top prospects in the sport, an entertaining young striker who many feel is destined for greatness and championship gold.

Standing across the cage will be the always eager to fight Josh Koscheck, an Ultimate Fighter 1 alum who is never afraid to speak his mind or test himself against the best available opponents.

This fight may have been a reactionary move, but it's a good one and could certainly end up proving to be the most exciting fight of the night.

Anthony "Rumble" Johnson (8-2-0) vs. Josh Koscheck (13-4-0)

Without question, Koscheck takes the opening element of analysis - training team - as he is a part of the welterweight trio that works together with Dave Camarillo and "Crazy" Bob Cook at American Kickboxing Academy, while Johnson doesn't present any real team affiliation.

Along with Jon Fitch and Mike Swick, the three all reside inside the Top 10 in the division and work well together, preparing each other for their upcoming fights along with the rest of the AKA team.

Experience and strength of schedule certainly come out as wins for Koscheck as well, as the bleach-blond battler will be making his 16th appearance inside the Octagon, twice as many as his opponent.

While Johnson has certainly delivered some memorable finishes inside the cage, Koscheck has faced the far stiffer competition, having gone toe-to-toe with the likes of Frank Trigg, Thiago Alves and Dustin Hazelett, in addition to having spent 15 minutes fending off divisional kingpin Georges St-Pierre.

Johnson's most noteworthy win to date came in his last fight against the one opponent he shares with Koscheck, Yoshiyuki "Zenko" Yoshida.

As impressive as Johnson's striking was in the brief amount of time it took to knockout Yoshida, it was also a carbon copy of Koscheck's performance against the Japanese fighter at UFC Fight for the Troops last December. Johnson may have been a little quicker to the finish line, but this isn't a race.

Where Johnson earns his one edge in this matchup is in the style department.

Both are accomplished wrestlers, and while Koscheck certainly owns an advantage if the fight goes to the ground, he's shown a penchant for punching as of late and that could spell danger against a lightning-quick powerhouse like Johnson.

A lot of attention will be paid to this bout even before the step into the ring, as Friday's weigh-in will be under the microscope when it comes to Johnson.

Last time out, a knee injury and need weight-cutting routine left him an unacceptable six pounds overweight, leading many to wonder whether his future resides in the middleweight division.

While Johnson insists that he'll come in on weight without issue this time around, many are taking a wait-and-see approach.

If you're placing bets on which bout produces the "Knockout of the Night," this is the horse you want to be backing.




Continue reading...

Fight Week Previews: Josh Koscheck vs. Frank Trigg

As much as I wasn't overly interested in Frank Trigg's return to the UFC when the company began down the path of signing every household name imaginable, this fight actually intrigues the hell out of me.

Both guys need a strong showing; Koscheck to rebound from his loss to Paulo Thiago and Trigg to justify the UFC's decision to bring him back into the fold.

Normally, I'd say something about their styles, but after getting beatdown by TNA superstar A.J. Styles with a kendo stick, any mention of the word makes Trigg get all squirrelly.

Josh Koscheck (12-4-0) vs. Frank Trigg (19-6-0)

When it comes to training camps, both fighters are coming out of top-notch facilities, so you know they are going to be ready for war.

While Koscheck spends his days rolling with fellow welterweight contenders Jon Fitch and Mike Swick at American Kickboxing Academy, Trigg has spent this camp in Vegas working with the boys at Xtreme Couture, making the camp competition too close to call.

Georges St-Pierre is the only shared opponent between the two, and not surprisingly, both were defeated.

If we're grasping for every edge and angle imaginable, Koscheck went the distance with GSP in his first fight after losing the welterweight title, while Trigg tapped to a rear naked choke in the first round of their fight at UFC 54.

On strength of schedule, Trigg is the unquestioned winner. Over the years, "Twinkle Toes" has lined up opposite Matt Hughes twice, Carlos Condit, Robbie Lawler, Jason "Mayhem" Miller and Hayato "Mach" Sakurai.

Normally, Josh Koscheck's recent decision to use his striking far more than his wrestling is something I question, but in this fight, it might be the right approach.

Trigg is a solid wrestler in his own right and has been around the sport long enough to have seen everything Kos could throw at him in terms of takedowns and shoots. His defense is solid, as is his clinch game, and if Koscheck continually tries to take him to the ground, we could have a 15 minute hugging session on our hands.

On the other hand, Trigg hasn't knocked anyone out in quite some time, while Koscheck knocked Yoshiyuki Yoshida stiff just two fights back. While I don't think Trigg has the punching power to put Koscheck down for the count, how Kos adapts to the southpaw stance will help determine where this fight ends up.

Either way, this is just one of a number of tussles taking place this week that will clear up the muddied waters of the welterweight division.

If the speculation is true, expect Koscheck to be extra motivated, as a title shot might accompany a win.




Continue reading...