 Koscheck Finds New Motivation for Career-Making Fight
by Brady Crytzer
photo: Cozzone
April was a big month for Josh Koscheck. Not only had he become one of the UFC’s brightest young hopefuls, he also scored the biggest win of his career over fellow welterweight contender Diego “Nightmare” Sanchez. On Saturday, August 25th the former NCAA wrestling champion will now look to continue his meteoric rise to the top, when he takes on former champion Georges “Rush” St. Pierre at UFC 74: Respect live from the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.
“I’ve been training hard,” Koscheck said. “I have had a hard couple months of training. Its been a rough couple of weeks and now I just want to fight.”
An original cast member of the hit reality series The Ultimate Fighter, Koscheck quickly made a name for himself thanks to his natural affinity to the game of mixed martial arts. Though his athletic abilities made his future appear as a promising one, it was his heated in-house feud with fellow cast mate Chris “The Crippler” Leben that solidified his place in the hearts of UFC fans.
After dispatching of Leben scoring an uneventful unanimous decision, Koscheck was eliminated by eventual winner, Sanchez via a razor thin judges’ nod. Just over two years and seven wins later, Koscheck would have his chance at revenge when he battled Sanchez in the co-main event of UFC 69: Shootout in Houston, TX.
“I was asking for that fight for over a year,” Koscheck said. “When they (the UFC) approached me and offered it to me it was like winning the lottery. I really wanted to get that loss back for myself and for my fans.”
Billed as an all-action barnburner, Koscheck-Sanchez II heated up quickly as the two bulls exchanged words of various color in the weeks prior to the fight. If there was any doubt whether the bad blood was real all questions were answered at the pre-fight weigh in scuffle.
The result was a clear victory for Josh Koscheck. Overjoyed by the decision Koscheck put the UFC on notice that there was a new welterweight gunning for the 170 lb. champion of the world and nobody was safe.
“I showed that I was improving that night,” Koscheck said. “I showed that I could compete with the Matt Hughes and Georges St. Pierre type of fighters. I knew my wrestling was good enough to compete with them, but beating Diego Sanchez the way that I did really showed my improvement.
“I beat him on the feet.”
With the biggest win of his career under his belt Josh Koscheck now faces a man that many consider to be the most well rounded and dangerous fighters in the UFC. While Koscheck pulled the biggest underdog victory of his career on April 7th, UFC 69 was St. Pierre’s worst nightmare as he was shockingly upset by Matt Serra, losing his title in his first defense.
In a stark contrast to his last fight, Koscheck went from an exhausting war of words with Sanchez, to facing one of the most revered and respected fighters in the sport of MMA. Humble, gracious and admirable St. Pierre presents a different kind of drive for Josh Koscheck.
“My last fight was about getting that loss back,” Koscheck said. “This fight I am getting motivation financially. I know that if I beat Georges St. Pierre I stand to make a lot of money.”
“This is my last fight on my contract with the UFC. I have had nine fights and this is the last one. A win over St. Pierre gives a nice negotiating point to really improve my position financially.”
NEXT UFC EVENT:
UFC 74: RESPECT is LIVE on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, Bell ExpressVu, Shaw Communications and Viewerís Choice Canada. Tickets are $800, $500, $300, $200, $100 or $50 and available at any Mandalay Bay box office (702.632.7580) and all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (702.474.4000). Tickets also are available at www.ufc.com, www.mandalaybay.com or www.ticketmaster.com. Check out 74.UFC.com for more info. |
