kos wants a piece of sanchez...again

duke09 · 11-24-2006, 01:25 PM

Rematches Abound, and Koscheck Wants a Piece of the Action

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By Michael DiSanto

Rematches, or even rubber matches, seem to be the dominant theme of recent Ultimate Fighting Championship events.

Just a few short nights ago, Georges St. Pierre stopped Matt Hughes to win the UFC Welterweight Championship. It was the second time the two warriors squared off in the Octagon, and it was also the second consecutive rematch for Hughes, who faced BJ Penn at UFC 63, avenging a 2004 loss to the Hawaiian at UFC 46.

And that is far from the only example.

UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Chuck Liddell has spent his entire (almost) 18-month title reign fighting nothing but rematches. In less than six weeks, for example, he faces Tito Ortiz, hoping to reaffirm his 2004 win over the “Huntington Beach Bad Boy.” What should be the biggest fight in UFC history also happens to be Liddell’s fifth straight rematch--Couture, Horn, Couture again, Sobral and Ortiz.

Of course, Tim Sylvia faced Andrei Arlovski three times in less than two years, and Ortiz faced Ken Shamrock three times over four years, including back-to-back fights against the UFC legend this year.

So with high-profile rematches seeming like the flavor of the year, fast-rising welterweight contender Josh Koscheck wouldn’t mind getting into the “let’s do it one more time” mix. Less than a month before facing tough Canadian Jeff Joslin at the Ultimate Fight Night on December 13, Kos, as his friends call him, sent a clear message when asked who he wanted to fight in 2007.

“Diego Sanchez,” he said without any hesitation. “I don’t like his attitude. He is too cocky. Plus, I think would be a big fight. Hey, I’d pay (UFC matchmaker) Joe Silva money to let me fight Diego Sanchez in my next fight.”

Although it doesn’t appear on either fighter’s official record, Koscheck and Sanchez (who faces Joe Riggs in the main event on that same December 13th card), battled it out in the privacy of the Ultimate Training Center during the inaugural season of “The Ultimate Fighter.”

“I still laugh about it,” Kos remembers of the six weeks he spent training and fighting on TUF. “It was a joke that I even thought I could compete in the UFC back then. I honestly didn’t know the first thing about fighting. I was a fan, just like anyone else. I thought I could compete because of my wrestling and nothing else, so I showed up for the reality show without ever having trained for a fight at all. I thought I was hot stuff because I was a national champion and a four-time All-American collegiate wrestler. I just assumed I’d kick everyone’s butt. It certainly was a learning process, opening my eyes to how complex the sport really is. Wrestling is great, but you can’t win with just one aspect of the game. You have to have it all.”

Regardless of his limited fighting skills at the time, Kos gave Sanchez, who remains undefeated to this day, all that he wanted and then some. But when the smoke cleared, “The Nightmare” won a razor-thin split decision, something that still leaves a bitter taste in his mouth.

“He should be embarrassed that he barely beat me when I didn’t know a damn thing [about fighting],” he proclaimed. “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.”

What makes Kos so confident that he would beat Sanchez in a rematch?

“His wrestling ability is a D- compared to mine. I’m an A+,” Kos quipped. “You can’t even put us in the same sentence when it comes to wrestling. Diego relies on his wrestling to gain advantage over his opponents. He can’t play that card against me. If we went to the ground, he would be fighting from his back, not from the top position, and he isn’t the same fighter in that scenario. Sure, he is the better submission grappler. But I’ll be dropping elbows on his face when we’re on the ground. We’ll see how good his submission grappling is at that point.”

Of course, Kos enjoyed that same wrestling advantage over Sanchez in their first bout. So what has changed?

“I’m not the same fighter that I was back then, but he hasn’t improved at all,” he continued. “I bring so many things to the table now. I train so hard in every area of the game. That is why I’m going to pass him in the sport. He is the same old fighter as he was back on the reality show. Trust me, if I get the chance to fight him next, I’ll be the one to put an end to his perfect record. I would knock him out. I have too much power for him. I’m too athletic, too explosive. I just don’t see how he could beat me now. Honestly, I think Diego would be an easy win.”

Predicting an easy win over Sanchez is a very bold statement indeed. But Koscheck’s confidence isn’t limited to just his former reality-show mate.

“I believe I’m in the top five in the welterweight division” he said. “In my opinion, the division stacks up as follows: Georges St. Pierre, Matt Hughes, BJ Penn, Diego Sanchez and then me. To hell with the top 10, I want to be in the top two in the next couple of fights. I’m not in this sport to pitter-patter around fighting B-level guys. I want to compete against the best. I want to test myself against the best.”

A lifelong competitive athlete, Koscheck speaks in earnest when he talks about wanting to be the best in the game. Whether that actually comes to fruition remains to be seen, but he certainly has the work ethic to take himself as far as his own abilities and athleticism will allow.

“I don’t like to take any time off after a fight,” he admitted. “I was right back in the gym two days after my last fight. That is how I improve. A lot of guys take a couple of weeks off after a fight. That is when I like to really focus on technique. I slow the game down to learn new things. I take a step back and focus on the fundamentals. That means taking classes with the beginners where I’m just another student trying to learn the game. That is what allows me to improve. I’m a big believer in learning the fundamentals.”

That is a refreshing way to approach to the sport, particularly for a guy who has experienced tremendous success so early in his career. Yet, he remains firmly committed to doing whatever it takes to continue his ascent toward an eventual title fight.

“My goal is to outwork everyone in the sport,” Kos said. “If I do that, I truly believe that I will be the best fighter in the UFC. I train hard at everything. I’m committed to learning every aspect of the game, which is why I keep improving. It is all about your coaches and training partners, and we have the best in the world at the American Kickboxing Academy. I’m in the game to test myself against the best and to prove to everyone that I’m going to be here for quite a while. Give me Sanchez next and I’ll make a believer out of anyone who doubts that statement.”

sorry it is so long. what you all think?
is this a fight you all want to see?
does anyone care?

PINOYPRIDE · 11-24-2006, 01:39 PM

I personally would like to see this fight but I think whoever wins the GSP vs. Serra fight, Sanchez should fight the winner. But again, UFC like stated above has alot of rematches/rubbermatch/trilogies etc?

So I guess, we just have to wait and see what happens.

Super Warrior · 11-24-2006, 01:40 PM

When they first fought in TUF1, Koscheck and Deigo were almost evenly matched, with diego barely coming out on top with a decision.

Today however, i don't see the match being anywhere near as close. Koscheck has not really improved all that much since his TUF1 days, where as diego has definitly gotten much BETTER.

Diego would surely take this one in my opinion.

BlingDogg · 11-24-2006, 01:48 PM

I think Koscheck would have a good chance of beating him in a rematch. The first fight on TUF was close.

I agree with Koscheck, that Diego didn't really improve much since the show. Diego's a tough, skilled fighter, but hasn't shown as much improvement as Koscheck. I think Koscheck was the one who showed he got better, not Diego.

Koscheck has great wrestling, and probably better boxing skills than Sanchez. Kos should beat him a bit standing up, and if he can't KO Sanchez, he'll take it to the ground and should be able to dominate. But I still don't see Kos being able to TKO or KO Diego.

If Kos can't KO him standing up, I predict a close split-decision win for Kos.

This fight better happen next, after they beat their opponents.

Super Warrior · 11-24-2006, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlingDogg

I agree with Koscheck, that Diego didn't really improve much since the show. Diego's a tough, skilled fighter, but hasn't shown as much improvement as Koscheck. I think Koscheck was the one who showed he got better, not Diego.

Diego's record of remaining undefeated since TUF1, and beating such opponents as nick diaz and karo, suggest otherwise.

Where as Koscheck, has been hit&miss since TUF1. Sometimes he wins, sometimes he does not, and the caliber of opponents he has faced are not on the level of those diego has both faced and DEFEATED.

Diego has been a MACHINE since TUF1, getting better, improving more, etc. Koscheck has only just recently climbed out of stagnation and begun to improve upon his abilitys.

If they had a match, diego would come out on top for sure.

Ring_Raider_07 · 11-24-2006, 02:23 PM

I would love to see that.

Gooner · 11-24-2006, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Super Warrior

When they first fought in TUF1, Koscheck and Deigo were almost evenly matched, with diego barely coming out on top with a decision.

Today however, i don't see the match being anywhere near as close. Koscheck has not really improved all that much since his TUF1 days, where as diego has definitly gotten much BETTER.

Diego would surely take this one in my opinion.

Huh???!!!!???!
Koscheck has not improved, but Diego has?

I'm 100% sure, that Koscheck has improved more than Diego since TUF1.
It would be a close fight. I'm not really a fan of either. I think Koscheck would be able to keep it standing, if he wanted, and would probably come out on top standing.
He might be able to take it to the ground too, but could be in trouble there.

subgenius · 11-24-2006, 02:32 PM

I agree that Diego would defeat Koscheck in a rematch. Kos mentioned that Diego would lose because Diego would have to fight from his back, but I do not agree with that. Diego fought a lot from his back against Diaz, and Diego came out the winner. I think Josh is underestimating Sánchez.

Super Warrior · 11-24-2006, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gooner

Huh???!!!!???!
Koscheck has not improved, but Diego has?

I'm 100% sure, that Koscheck has improved more than Diego since TUF1.

Ofcoarse Koscheck has improved after TUF1, however Diego has improved MORE since then.

LB4LB · 11-24-2006, 02:50 PM

Sanchez by sub.

Koscheck thinks way to highly of himself. Just because a wrestler can get you on your back, it dosn't mean it's all over. Sanchez has good sweeps and has competed at the highest level of grappling. So Koscheck should really give his head a shack and wake up, come back to reality. Sanchez has faced way better competition.

BlingDogg · 11-24-2006, 03:05 PM

Koscheck only lost one fight since TUF1. That was to Drew Fickett. He was totally winning that fight, you can't deny that, until he made a stupid mistake and got caught in the rear-naked choke. That was a mistake, but I think he learned from that. We know he shoulda won that fight. Fighters make mistakes sometimes. Besides that fight, Kos won all his others.

He hasn't faced as tough opponents as Sanchez has, but that doesn't really make a difference. We just haven't seen Kos fight someone like Karo or Diaz yet, but it doesn't mean he can't beat them. They both improved, and I still think kos improved more. He showed great striking and finishing abilities in his last fight. I know Goulet isn't the best fighter around, but Kos still showed he's good.

Kos and Diego were pretty much even on TUF. Since then, Diego won all his fights, and Kos won all except one. The UFC threw tougher opponents to Sanchez, but it doesn't mean Kos didn't deserve to fight them either. I think Kos would have a tough fight against Sanchez, and his greatest advantage would be on his feet.

Not much else to say about this, until it happens. We can't really prove who improved more, and we'll each have our opinions. We'll just have to wait for now.

Bomber · 11-24-2006, 03:13 PM

There's no reason for Kos to be calling out Diego. He hasn't earned a match on that level. Koscheck is going to have to show he's more deserving than the guys who are on his level right now, like Fitch, Diaz, Burkman etc, before he can call out one of the top guys and have it mean anything. Fickett beat Koscheck, and now Fickett gets a shot at Karo.

Right now Kos had better be worried about Joslin, not Sanchez. Joslin is no can.

subgenius · 11-24-2006, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bomber

There's no reason for Kos to be calling out Diego. He hasn't earned a match on that level. Koscheck is going to have to show he's more deserving than the guys who are on his level right now, like Fitch, Diaz, Burkman etc, before he can call out one of the top guys and have it mean anything. Fickett beat Koscheck, and now Fickett gets a shot at Karo.

Right now Kos had better be worried about Joslin, not Sanchez. Joslin is no can.

I would love a Karo-Kos match or a Diaz-Kos fight. I think Koscheck would lose those fights, but I bet that they would be awesome matches.

Super Warrior · 11-24-2006, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bomber

There's no reason for Kos to be calling out Diego. He hasn't earned a match on that level. Koscheck is going to have to show he's more deserving than the guys who are on his level right now, like Fitch, Diaz, Burkman etc, before he can call out one of the top guys and have it mean anything. Fickett beat Koscheck, and now Fickett gets a shot at Karo.

Right now Kos had better be worried about Joslin, not Sanchez. Joslin is no can.

Koscheck would be a big step down for diego too, more so than joe riggs.

Status-wise, he has not earned the right to face diego again.

KRONOS · 11-24-2006, 03:33 PM

I go for Diego.

If Diego gets on top of Kos he'll drop elbows and win by ref. stoppage.

Bomber · 11-24-2006, 03:38 PM

I'm looking forward to seeing Kos and Joslin, but I would rather have seen Kos vs. Fitch.

Have you seen this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-iU6X3BUts

BlingDogg · 11-24-2006, 03:46 PM

I think that Kos deserves to face tougher opponents by now. He needs the chance to gain experience fighting top opponents, but I stand by my opinion.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bomber

I'm looking forward to seeing Kos and Joslin, but I would rather have seen Kos vs. Fitch.

Have you seen this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-iU6X3BUts

LOL @ that video. That was a messed up match. Very crazy and ridiculous.

Aynways, the fight with Joslin should be a good one.

Gooner · 11-24-2006, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bomber

I'm looking forward to seeing Kos and Joslin, but I would rather have seen Kos vs. Fitch.

Have you seen this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-iU6X3BUts

What the hell was that?

Who won the fight? I hope Joslin did.

Bomber · 11-24-2006, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gooner

What the hell was that?

Who won the fight? I hope Joslin did.

Joslin lost by split decision. He was robbed by horrible reffing and bad judging.

subgenius · 11-24-2006, 04:23 PM

I would LOVE to know what Tito Ortiz said to that referee. That referee should be FIRED and disallowed from ever being the referee in any MMA matches. That is really bad officiating.