UFC Quick Quote: Josh Koscheck getting back to basics for UFC 103

by Jesse Holland on Aug 17, 2009 11:32 AM EDT Comment 43 comments

"For the first time in my mixed martial arts career I hired a strength coach so I've been working a lot with him and got back to wrestling, just getting back to the daily grind of training. It's been going great and I'm in great shape right now and I can't wait to fight in September. I think I have five fights left on my contract and I just have to worry about one at a time. Frank Trigg is the next guy and I can't look past [him] because he's an old veteran, had a lot of tough opponents and a lot of fights so I have to focus on him first."

-- UFC welterweight standout Josh Koscheck talks to MMANews.com about getting back into the mix in the 170-pound division after his stunning knockout loss to Paulo Thiago at UFC 95 back in February. "Kos" was expected to rebound at UFC 98 before a toe injury forced him to withdraw from the event. Now the AKA product will tangle with MMA veteran Frank Trigg at UFC 103 on September 19 that will propel one man up the division ladder -- and likely send the other tumbling down it.

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I like Kos, and I don’t like Trigg at all, so I hope Kos beats the crap outta him, Robbie Lawler style. Haha, probably won’t happen like that, but I think Kos wins by some TKO.

by Synyster on Aug 17, 2009 11:34 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Hughes beat Trigg’s @SS the second time around; that fight is probably the only Matt Hughes fight that I really enjoy watching.

by O damn he got caught on Aug 17, 2009 11:37 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

what about hughes vs penn 2 and hughes vs gsp 2 they were pretty awesome fights

by ruan-fiy on Aug 17, 2009 11:41 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yea they weren’t bad, but Hughes vs Trigg 2 has to be his best fight ever.

by O damn he got caught on Aug 17, 2009 11:43 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Dana White says that’s his favorite fight of all time!

by griffinfan05 on Aug 17, 2009 11:56 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

only awesome because it was fun watching Hughes gettin his ass kicked

by newfie on Aug 17, 2009 11:56 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not gonna go that far; but it was a damn entertaining scrap for the short time it lasted.

by O damn he got caught on Aug 17, 2009 11:59 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Both Trigg fight were pretty sweet. Then there was the fight when Hughes was caught in the triangle and picked up the dude and slammed him into unconsciousness….who was that??

by Dave O on Aug 17, 2009 12:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

That was Carlos Newton. And if I remember correctly Hughes was out to when they hit the mat.

by Adam T. on Aug 17, 2009 1:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, Hughes somehow got the win, but it should have been a NC.

by PW on Aug 17, 2009 2:10 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah that was the Newton fight. Trigg is tan but not that tan.

by DSmith on Aug 17, 2009 2:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sounds good, too many wrestlers lately getting a tko/KO and falling in love with their stand up. I’m not sure who to go for in this one; leaning toward Kos, I like both fighters though; should be interesting.

by O damn he got caught on Aug 17, 2009 11:35 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I cant stand either guy, and I will be rooting for a double KO!

I will however probably bet money on koschek! I hate Kos so muh, that I root against him even when I bet money on him! lol

by john G on Aug 17, 2009 11:52 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

That way you can’t lose!

by griffinfan05 on Aug 17, 2009 11:57 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well, I’d be rooting for twinkle toes on this one. Can’t stand Kos…

by The Negation on Aug 17, 2009 7:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I know. You would figure that he would learn from Gurgel, who also thought he was a standup God. Both guys don’t look good at standup and should only use it to set up takedowns. I’m not a big fan of either, but Kos has to take this.

by Shadyone33 on Aug 17, 2009 3:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Trigg has great odds. Putting my savings on twinkle 4sure..

by johan-lofgren on Aug 17, 2009 7:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

while I’m not a fan of Kos, I respect him highly compared to a lot of fighters. He fights and wants to fight. None of this 2 fights a year, he, like Nick Diaz and a short list of others, want to fight every other month (as long as they are injury free).

by kevin on Aug 17, 2009 11:42 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Kos’ last five fights have been against: Paulo Thiago (UFC debut, still got KTFO), Yoshida (spare, not top 10), Alves (lots of credit for taking this one on short notice), Lytle (gatekeeper, not top 10) and Hazelett(up and coming stud, possibly on the fringes of top 10). Outside of Alves, none of the guys he’s fighting is doing anything for his career besides giving him a fat paycheck.

by PW on Aug 17, 2009 12:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

All tough as nails opponents and available when he’s available. What else do you want?

by DSmith on Aug 17, 2009 3:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

He’s a consensus top-5 WW. He should be fighting more than 1 out of 5 opponents in the top 10 at least, preferably top 5.

by PW on Aug 17, 2009 4:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Guys, his last fight was Paulo Thiago and he got KO’d. He got set back. his stock dropped.

by ViolentMike on Aug 17, 2009 4:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

If he is serious about challenging for the title then every fight should be one that gets him closer to a title shot. And including this fight with Trigg, that makes 5 of his last 6 that don’t do much for him. And seeing how he is the only one to have even won a round from GSP since Serra beat him 2 1/2 years ago, he should be focused on fighting toward a title shot, not a paycheck, which is what a lot of his fights look like. He should be willing to kick Fitch’s ass too, if that’s what it takes.

by PW on Aug 17, 2009 5:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I used to hate this guy with a passion, but he’s kind of turned a corner with his attitude. Too bad he’ll never be champ.

by introvert on Aug 17, 2009 11:46 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

True that. But even though, Twinkle toes FTW!

by The Negation on Aug 17, 2009 7:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Kos seemed to be having the same thoughts as Sherk lately and being way over confident of his stand up, dont get me wrong he can hit hard but he should defo mix it up with some take-downs. Am not a big fan of Kos more so for his attitude rather than his skills, but i think he should win this one.

by Eagzy on Aug 17, 2009 11:47 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Doesn’t kos have a round won over gsp.
I can’t remember the fight very well but I think he did win 2nd rd.
Anyways I’m not a kos fan but his fights are pretty good and takes a beating well.
I wanna see fitch vs kos

by phenomenal angel on Aug 17, 2009 12:29 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Nope he got dominated by GSP and lost every round, pretty funny that GSP won by outwrestling Kos when Josh laughed off GSP’s claims that he was the better wrestler.

by David W-S on Aug 17, 2009 1:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Nevermind 2 judges gave him a round, strange to me I thought that he was outclassed. Typical dodgy MMA judging.

by David W-S on Aug 17, 2009 1:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

The only reason he was giving that round, too, is because he ended it on top.Even though it was only 45 seconds and despite GSP being all over him for the first four minutes of that round. Judges are retarded.

by pjj on Aug 17, 2009 4:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

LOL at this revisionist crap. Koscheck won the first round fair and square. He reversed GSP and took him down with 2 minutes and something on the clock. He didn’t get dominated. If he finished that takedown in the third round, he woudld’ve won the fight. Obviously he didn’t.

by Jono on Aug 17, 2009 6:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I remember watching it thinking that Kos was getting outclassed at his own game, not seen the fight since but at the time I gave it 30-27 to GSP so I’m not revising history just giving my perspective on the fight back in the day.

Since then GSP’s wrestling has improved further and Kos has decided that he wants to be a striker so in a rematch Kos would be humbled even more and GSP would win another comfortable decision.

by David W-S on Aug 17, 2009 7:10 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I hope trigg gets ktfo!! i cant stand that fag! i dont like kos either but trigs way the hell more anoying

by d*locc on Aug 17, 2009 12:57 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I doubt that KOS won a round against GSP, but I can’t be certain. All i remember is GSP pretty much having his way and taking down KOS at will…..Trigg is in for a rough night however, i think KOS will run right through him.

by kg on Aug 17, 2009 1:01 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Yea but I’m not sure what round
kos got a pretty good takedown and stalled out for a while, then gsp got out and took kos down but kos reversed him finishing strong after, so point wise I think gsp lost it.
Like I said I can’t remember very well that’s my guess ill look up video later

by phenomenal angel on Aug 17, 2009 1:14 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

It’s benn a while but my recollectin is:

Kos got owned by GSP in round 2 & 3. In round one, GSP secured top position but did little with it. With about a 1 minute and change, Kos reversed positions and had some good ground and pound as the round ended. I believe he won that round on 2 of the 3 judges scorecards.

by RedRavi7 on Aug 17, 2009 1:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

First, I am not a KOS fan, I am a GSP fan. That said if KOS gets back to using his 4x All-American wrestling more, he is the one guy who has a shot at beating GSP.

by Derek on Aug 17, 2009 2:00 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I second that, when they first fought I thought man kos is gonna hold gsp down 15 mins. But vice versa. Gsp wan be taken down and kos can do it, in boring fashion he possibly can win, only and only if.

by phenomenal angel on Aug 17, 2009 2:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

NO chance. Not even on his best day.

by Shadyone33 on Aug 17, 2009 3:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

The only way he could beat GSP is if GSP was drunk. St-Pierre has better everything and would take Kos off his rhythm, much like in their 1st fight.

by Gankaho on Aug 17, 2009 5:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

GSP has improved more since that last fight, plus he was coming off a loss when they fought. Koscheck has looked WORSE instead of improving. If they ever meet again GSP will crush him in brutal fashion.

by oskarbravo on Aug 18, 2009 3:46 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs