UFC welterweights Diego Sanchez and Josh Koscheck both took care of business last night in Miramar during their respective bouts, putting them on a collision course for a rematch sometime in 2007.
During season one of The Ultimate Fighter, "The Nightmare" sent "Kos" packing after the semifinal match, which Diego eked out via split decision.
It is a loss that still bothers Koscheck to this day.
Koscheck on Sanchez from UFC.com:
"He should be embarrassed that he barely beat me when I didn't know a damn thing [about fighting]. I lost to him by split decision on the show in a fight that could have gone either way. Everyday, I live with the fact that he is one up on me. He beat me fairly. But it won't happen again."
Both fighters looked sharp last night and are near the top of the 170-pound class, making a showdown between them a must real soon
The history and smack talk doesn't hurt, either.
Brief recap of UFC Fight Night at Miramar
Knockout of the Night:
Joe Riggs came into the fight with the edge standing up, but it was Diego Sanchez who scored the knockout.
Sanchez quickly put Joe Riggs – a very experienced and game opponent – to sleep with a knee at 1:45 of round one. It was the highlight of the evening and the first for "Diesel" inside the Octagon.
Diego bolsters his position as a top welterweight contender, while the future for Riggs in the UFC is not as certain.
Fight of the Night:
Drew Fickett wasn't supposed to be on Karo Parisyan's level, but he gave the Armenian all he could handle.
The first and third rounds were similar, with both fighters standing and trading. "The Heat" proved he is not just a Judo fighter with his solid strikes. And, Fickett proved that he has grit and heart, eating some nice punches from Karo throughout the three-round battle.
In the second round, the fight did go to the ground. Parisyan dominated the action, despite the fact that Fickett landed a short elbow from the bottom that opened up a serious cut under Karo's right eye.
Great fight to watch – this is probably the last time we will see Parisyan on free television. His fights are good.
Performance of the Night:
Canadian Jeff Joslin is a tough dude, but Josh Koscheck was able to neutralize him and make it look relatively easy.
Koscheck took Joslin – who boasts karate and jiu-jitsu blackbelts – to the canvas at will during their fight. Joslin did a great job of defending the ground and pound, but Koscheck still found a few holes to lump up "The Inferno."
Clearly, "the evolution of Josh Koscheck," as ringside announcer Joe Rogan loves to yap about, is in full swing. His takedowns are just incredible and so hard to defend.
Here are some other media headlines to chew on:
Canada.com -- Two Canadians go down to defeat at UFC Fight Night on U.S. military base
MMAWeekly.com -- A nightmare come true: Diego by KO at UFC fight night
Los Angeles Times -- Sanchez beats Riggs with early knockout
Long Beach Press-Telegram -- Sanchez remains perfect with KO
North County Times -- UFC's 'Fight Night' is a hit at Miramar
San Diego Tribune -- Local Marines ultimately enjoy a good fight
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