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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is giving Demian Maia another stiff test in his quest to challenge for the welterweight title, when the former middleweight number one contender returns home for the upcoming UFC 163: "Aldo vs. Pettis" pay-per-view (PPV) event on Aug. 3, 2013 in Brazil.
That's where Josh Koscheck will be waiting, as reported by Brazil's NEWS MMA.
"Kos" knows a thing or two about fighting for gold, having done the dance with reigning division champion Georges St. Pierre at UFC 124 back in late 2010. The former American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) product -- who jumped ship for Dethrone Base Camp -- came up short after five rounds of action.
And it's been a rough ride ever since.
Koscheck (17-7) is 2-2 in the four fights that followed, but is now riding consecutive losses for the first time in his career, one of which ended with a brutal technical knockout finish to the returning Robbie Lawler at UFC 157 last February in Anaheim.
He has a chance to get back on his feet -- and get a little vengeance in the process -- against the soft-spoken Brazilian.
That's because Maia (18-4) got Jon Fitch, Koscheck's buddy, kicked out of ZUFFA after defeating him by way of unanimous decision at UFC 156 earlier this year in Las Vegas. It was the jiu-jitsu wizard's third straight win since dropping to 170 pounds last July and it's hard not to imagine that a win over "Kos" doesn't get him into the discussion.
Or even into a number one contender's fight.
UFC 163 has not yet received an official venue, but is expected to be headlined by a UFC featherweight title fight pitting division champion Jose Aldo against lightweight import Anthony Pettis. For more news and notes on UFC 163 check out our complete "Aldo vs. Pettis" archive here.