Happy to be back: MMAmania.com exclusive chat with UFCs Josh Koscheck
UFC welterweight fighter Josh Koscheck recently signed a new multi-fight contract that ensures he will remain on the 170-pound roster for the near future.
It’s a deal more than three years in the making after the former NCAA wrestling champion recently satisfied his three-year, 10-fight contract following a stint on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 1 mixed martial arts reality series.
“I’m really happy to be with the UFC,” Koscheck recently told MMAmania.com. “It was an easy decision. There was no shopping around or anything like that. It was just a matter of getting a good deal that works out for me and for the organization.”
While fighting under his old contract, “Kos” compiled an impressive record (8-2) and could have earned serious consideration as a title challenger if he defeated Georges St. Pierre at UFC 74: “Respect” back in August 2007.
He didn’t, losing via unanimous decision to the Canadian. The defeat has now lit a fire under the Pennsylvania native and he’s eager to climb back up to the top of the ladder rung by rung.
“I feel I still have a lot to prove to the fans,” Koscheck said. “That’s my plan. I want to prove to everyone that I’m evolving as a fighter and work my way back up to that title shot.”
Dustin Hazelett was his first victim, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu player who Koscheck took out in an action-packed stand up fight that ended with his hand raised after two rounds at UFC 82: “Pride of a Champion” last month.
Next up is grizzled veteran Chris Lytle at UFC 86 in July — a very underrated and dangerous fighter who has 45 professional bouts to his credit.
“I’m happy to be back and I want that title shot, but there’s no way I’m looking past Chris Lytle,” Koscheck said. “He’s a very tough opponent and this is going to be a big test for both of us. It’s just that I’m set on being a world champion in 2008 and I have to go through Chris Lytle to achieve that goal.”
It’s an ambitious plan, considering that his good friend and training partner at American Kickboxing Academy (AKA), Jon Fitch, is perhaps next in line to fight the winner of the UFC 83 fight between Matt Serra and Georges St. Pierre later on this year.
And if that happens, and Fitch and Koscheck continue to win, would we ever see a fight between the two stable mates?
“This is a business and Jon and I both want the same thing — a world title,” said Koscheck. “If we’re the last men standing in the welterweight division then it’s possible we could fight. Anything can happen for the right amount of money. But there’s no need to worry about that right now.”
Pressed to elaborate on how that far-fetched (for now) match up might go down, Koscheck provided a potential scenario.
“I guess we flip a coin and he picks coaches and I pick coaches,” said Koscheck. “But knowing us — we’re competitors who love to compete — we’d more than likely train together right up until fight time. For us it would just be a competition and we’d still be the best of friends once the fight is over.”
For now Koscheck is just happy to be with the UFC because as he puts it, the Octagon is where he “belongs.”
He now has the opportunity to continue proving that to all the fans, critics and more importantly himself, thanks to his new fight deal.
Let’s see what he’s got, starting with Lytle. That’s a darn tough scrap.
Josh Koscheck, MMA News, UFC Fighter Interviews, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)