Josh Koscheck

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Josh Koscheck
Born Josh Koscheck
(1977-11-30) November 30, 1977 (age 46)
Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Other names Kos
Nationality American
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb)
Division Welterweight (170 lb)
Middleweight (185 lb)
Reach 73 in (185 cm)
Fighting out of Fresno, California, United States
Team Dethrone Base Camp
AKA (formerly)
Rank Black Belt in Guerilla Jiu-Jitsu[1]
Wrestling NCAA Division I Wrestling Champion
Years active 2004 – present
Mixed martial arts record
Total 27
Wins 17
By knockout 5
By submission 5
By decision 7
Losses 10
By knockout 3
By submission 3
By decision 4
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Josh D. Koscheck (born November 30, 1977) is an American mixed martial artist who fights at welterweight for Bellator MMA. Koscheck made his debut with the UFC on the first season of the reality television show, The Ultimate Fighter and has fought for the company 25 times from 2005-2015.

Background

Josh Koscheck began wrestling when he was five years old. He had been having a pause from sport since he was twelve but began it again when he became a teenager and became successful in collegiate wrestling, dating back to his years at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, where he attended the university on an athletic scholarship. In 2001, during his Junior season, Koscheck won all of his wrestling matches and went on to become the NCAA Division I Champion in the 174 lb weight class. In addition to being a four-time NCAA Division I All-American (placing 4th, 2nd, 1st and 3rd respectively), Koscheck is a three-time recipient of the PSAC Wrestler of the Year award and earned the Eastern Wrestling League Achievement Award twice. Koscheck earned a Bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Edinboro University. Koscheck spent a few months coaching at Erie Cathedral Prep and one and a half years as the assistant head wrestling coach at the University at Buffalo.

Mixed martial arts career

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Koscheck appeared on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter as a middleweight fighter. He defeated Chris Leben via unanimous decision to advance to the semifinals, where he was defeated by Diego Sanchez via split decision. Koscheck had his first official UFC fight on April 9, 2005, at The Ultimate Finale, where he defeated Chris Sanford with a first round KO. Koscheck followed this victory with another win at Ultimate Fight Night over UFC veteran Pete Spratt in Koscheck's debut at welterweight. Since then, Koscheck has amassed an additional three victories after experiencing his first career loss to Drew Fickett due to a rear naked choke. Koscheck then defeated Canadian welterweight standout Jonathan Goulet at UFC Fight Night 6 by submission due to strikes.

Since 2006, Koscheck has been training at the American Kickboxing Academy(AKA) in San Jose, California, to which he accredits his vastly improved kickboxing technique.

Koscheck's fight on December 13, 2006 was against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Jeff Joslin at UFC Fight Night 7 where he won by unanimous decision.

Koscheck was then scheduled to fight Diego Sanchez on April 7, 2007 at UFC 69. This was the second encounter between the two Welterweight fighters. The first fight – which did not count towards Koscheck's official record due to the bout being considered an exhibition match for The Ultimate Fighter television taping – resulted in a split decision win for Sanchez. At the weigh-ins for the event, Sanchez shoved Koscheck during the traditional post-weigh-in staredown. Although Sanchez continued to shout at Koscheck, no conflict ensued. In their fight, Koscheck defeated Sanchez by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27). Koscheck outstruck Sanchez throughout all three rounds and only shot in for a takedown once. During his post-fight interview, Koscheck repeatedly exclaimed, "Nineteen-and-one," in reference to Sanchez' first mixed martial arts defeat (including the two fights from The Ultimate Fighter show). UFC President Dana White announced a few weeks after the fight that Diego Sanchez had an undiagnosed illness before and during the fight which turned out to be a serious staph infection.[2]

On August 25, 2007, Koscheck was defeated by Georges St-Pierre at UFC 74 via unanimous decision (30–27, 29–28, 29–28). St-Pierre's wrestling skills were displayed during the match by outwrestling Koscheck, scoring takedowns, stuffing Koscheck's takedown attempts and maintaining top position throughout most of the fight. There was speculation before the fight that Koscheck would out-match St-Pierre on the ground due to his credentials, but St-Pierre was confident that he was a better wrestler and striker and was more well versed in submissions than Koscheck.[3]

Josh made his return at UFC 82, defeating Dustin Hazelett by TKO due to strikes at 1:24 of the 2nd round.

He won his next fight, against Chris Lytle at UFC 86, winning by unanimous decision after repeatedly taking Lytle down and cutting him badly with "ground and pound" elbows.[4]

Koscheck then agreed to step in and fight Thiago Alves at UFC 90 on just 2 weeks notice due to an injury suffered by Diego Sanchez. Koscheck lost the fight via unanimous decision. Alves landed powerful leg kicks and managed to drop Koscheck more than once during the fight.[5][6]

On December 10, 2008, Koscheck fought Yoshiyuki Yoshida in the main event at UFC: Fight for the Troops and won by KO in the first round by landing two devastating straight right punches to Yoshida's head. The Japanese fighter remained on the canvas, while being tended to by commission doctors and was removed from the Octagon on a stretcher as a precautionary measure. He was later treated and released from a local hospital for a concussion. Koscheck received $60,000 bonus from the UFC for Knockout of the Night.

Koscheck fought promotional newcomer Paulo Thiago at UFC 95.[7] Koscheck was defeated by the debuting Brazilian via first round KO. Thiago hit Koscheck squarely with a right uppercut and landed a left hook as Koscheck fell to the canvas in a stupor. After the bout was halted, Koscheck got up and argued that he was still alert and able to defend himself. Shortly after the stoppage, Koscheck was seen calmly offering his opinion of the stoppage to the referee: "Too early - just a little bit too early."

Koscheck was to fight Chris Wilson at UFC 98 but was forced to withdraw after suffering a foot injury in training. He returned at UFC 103 and defeated returning veteran Frank Trigg via TKO (punches) in the 1st round.

Koscheck was expected to face Mike Pierce on January 11, 2010, at UFC Fight Night 20,[8] but instead went on to face Anthony Johnson on November 21, 2009, at UFC 106.

On November 21, 2009, Koscheck defeated Anthony Johnson by rear naked choke at 4:47 in the 2nd round. In the first round, Koscheck blocked a knee aimed at his head while he had two knees on the ground. Koscheck went to the ground holding his face, prompting the ref to step in and deduct a point from Johnson. Commentators accused Koscheck of faking the impact of the knee, which seemed to miss Koscheck's face on the replays. Koscheck has said in multiple interviews that he was reacting to an eye poke, not the knee.[9] In round two, Koscheck poked Johnson in the eye twice leading to Johnson being given time to recover. Because of this, many fans think due to the controversy in both rounds between the fighters, it should've been declared a No Contest. In his post fight interview, he called out Dan Hardy, the #1 contender in the Welterweight Division.

Koscheck was scheduled to rematch Paulo Thiago at UFC 109, but was forced off the card with an injury and was replaced by AKA teammate Mike Swick.[10]

Welterweight contendership

Koscheck then signed to fight Paul Daley at UFC 113 in Montreal. Though he was accused of faking another illegal knee impact similar to the Johnson fight, Koscheck used his wrestling to earn a unanimous decision victory. After the final bell and the fighters had been separated by the referee, Daley threw a punch at Koscheck, hitting him in the face. In an interview at the conclusion of the event, Dana White announced that Daley would never fight in the UFC again. White was quoted as saying, "He will never come back, I do not care if he's the best 170-pounder in the world. He's never coming back here. There's no excuse for that. You never hit a guy like that after the bell." Via Twitter, Koscheck expressed a desire to face Tito Ortiz at a catchweight after his fight with Daley, in large part because Ortiz poked fun at Mark Coleman after he was defeated at UFC 109.[11]

In 2010, Koscheck was a coach on The Ultimate Fighter season 12. The season 12 finale aired on December 4, 2010 with the main event consisting of two fighters (Michael Johnson and Jonathan Brookins) from team Georges St-Pierre.[12]

Koscheck faced Georges St-Pierre at UFC 124 for the UFC Welterweight Championship. UFC 124 was heavily hyped due to Josh's well known animosity towards St-Pierre, stemming from his loss by decision in their fight at UFC 74. St Pierre utilized his left jab effectively in the bout, winning all rounds to defeat Koscheck 50-45 by unanimous decision.[13]

Koscheck suffered a broken orbital bone on the right side of his face during the fight with St-Pierre. Unable to fly because of air pockets that formed around Koscheck's right eye, the UFC arranged for him and his trainer to drive to Boston where Koscheck received the corrective surgery.[14]

Post-title shot

Koscheck defeated former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes on September 24, 2011 at UFC 135 via KO in the first round, replacing an injured Diego Sanchez.[15]

Koscheck was expected to face Carlos Condit on February 4, 2012 at UFC 143.[16] However, on December 7, 2011, it was revealed Georges St-Pierre had sustained ACL injury to his left knee and the injury would sideline him for around ten months, forcing him out of his scheduled bout with Nick Diaz.[17] Condit and Diaz faced each other at the event with the winner crowned interim UFC Welterweight Champion, while Koscheck faced Mike Pierce at the event.[18] He won the fight via split decision.

Koscheck then faced Johny Hendricks on May 5, 2012 at UFC on Fox 3.[19] He lost the fight via split decision.

Koscheck was expected to face Jake Ellenberger on September 1, 2012 at UFC 151.[20] However, Koscheck pulled out of the bout citing a back injury.[21]

Koscheck faced returning veteran Robbie Lawler on February 23, 2013 at UFC 157.[22] Lawler defeated Koscheck via first round TKO.

Koscheck was expected to face Demian Maia on August 3, 2013 at UFC 163.[23] However, Koscheck was forced out of the bout with an injury and as a result, Maia was pulled from the card as well.[24]

Koscheck next faced Tyron Woodley at UFC 167 on November 16, 2013.[25] He lost the fight via knockout in the first round.

Koscheck was briefly linked to a bout with Neil Magny at UFC 184 on February 28, 2015.[26] However, the pairing was cancelled and Koscheck instead faced Jake Ellenberger at the event.[27] Koscheck lost the fight via submission in the second round.[28]

Just 21 days after his loss to Ellenberger, Koscheck replaced an injured Ben Saunders to face Erick Silva on March 21, 2015 at UFC Fight Night 62.[29] Koscheck lost the fight by submission in the first round.[30]

Bellator MMA

On June 26, 2015, it was announced that Koscheck signed a multi-year deal with Bellator MMA.[31]

Championships and awards

Collegiate wrestling

Mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts record

Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 17–10 Erick Silva Submission (guillotine choke) UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. LaFlare March 21, 2015 1 4:21 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Loss 17–9 Jake Ellenberger Submission (north-south choke) UFC 184 February 28, 2015 2 4:20 Los Angeles, California, United States
Loss 17–8 Tyron Woodley KO (punches) UFC 167 November 16, 2013 1 4:38 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Loss 17–7 Robbie Lawler TKO (punches) UFC 157 February 23, 2013 1 3:57 Anaheim, California, United States
Loss 17–6 Johny Hendricks Decision (split) UFC on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller May 5, 2012 3 5:00 East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States
Win 17–5 Mike Pierce Decision (split) UFC 143 February 4, 2012 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 16–5 Matt Hughes KO (punches) UFC 135 September 24, 2011 1 4:59 Denver, Colorado, United States Knockout of the Night.
Loss 15–5 Georges St-Pierre Decision (unanimous) UFC 124 December 11, 2010 5 5:00 Montreal, Quebec, Canada For the UFC Welterweight Championship. Fight of the Night.
Win 15–4 Paul Daley Decision (unanimous) UFC 113 May 8, 2010 3 5:00 Montreal, Quebec, Canada UFC Welterweight title eliminator.
Win 14–4 Anthony Johnson Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC 106 November 21, 2009 2 4:47 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Submission of the Night. Fight of the Night.
Win 13–4 Frank Trigg KO (punches) UFC 103 September 19, 2009 1 1:25 Dallas, Texas, United States
Loss 12–4 Paulo Thiago TKO (punches) UFC 95 February 21, 2009 1 3:29 London, England
Win 12–3 Yoshiyuki Yoshida KO (punch) UFC: Fight for the Troops December 10, 2008 1 2:15 Fayetteville, North Carolina, United States Knockout of the Night.
Loss 11–3 Thiago Alves Decision (unanimous) UFC 90 October 25, 2008 3 5:00 Rosemont, Illinois, United States
Win 11–2 Chris Lytle Decision (unanimous) UFC 86 July 5, 2008 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 10–2 Dustin Hazelett TKO (head kick and punches) UFC 82 March 1, 2008 2 1:24 Columbus, Ohio, United States
Loss 9–2 Georges St-Pierre Decision (unanimous) UFC 74 August 25, 2007 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 9–1 Diego Sanchez Decision (unanimous) UFC 69 April 7, 2007 3 5:00 Houston, Texas, United States
Win 8–1 Jeff Joslin Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Sanchez vs. Riggs December 13, 2006 3 5:00 San Diego, California, United States
Win 7–1 Jonathan Goulet Submission (punches) UFC Fight Night 6 August 17, 2006 1 4:10 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 6–1 Dave Menne Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night 5 June 28, 2006 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 5–1 Ansar Chalangov Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC Fight Night 4 April 6, 2006 1 3:29 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Loss 4–1 Drew Fickett Technical Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC Ultimate Fight Night 2 October 3, 2005 3 4:38 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 4–0 Pete Spratt Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC Fight Night August 6, 2005 1 1:53 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 3–0 Chris Sanford KO (punch) The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale April 9, 2005 1 4:21 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Middleweight bout.
Win 2–0 Luke Cummo Decision (unanimous) Ring of Combat 6 April 24, 2004 3 5:00 Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States
Win 1–0 Cruz Chacon Submission (neck crank) King of the Rockies January 3, 2004 3 2:57 Fort Collins, Colorado, United States

See also

References

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  8. ↑ [1][dead link]
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Gross, Josh, "Josh Koscheck has to wait week", ESPN, 14 December 2010.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 32.2 32.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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