UFC 106 Fight of the Night - Josh Koscheck vs. Anthony Johnson

Punchfest Preview – Josh Koscheck vs. Anthony Johnson

As an answer to the sudden loss of the Lesnar-Carwin bout we were all jacked up to see, Dana White has given the fans an alternate fight in Koscheck-Johnson, and this one is going to be an exciting fight.

Koscheck is an all-world wrestler on the mat, but has proven in his last three fights that he’s a capable and deadly striker as well. If he chooses to stay on his feet, going toe-to-toe with the punchtastic Anthony Johnson is going to be a tough feat for Koscheck.

For a fighter deemed as a superior wrestler compared to his UFC brethren, Koscheck sure doesn’t seem to win fights that way. He’s only finished 4-of-14 fights by submission.

After a harrowing loss to Paulo Thiago and Thiago Alves, Koscheck worked on his punches and striking to become more dynamic. He’s won 4-of-14 fights by knockout and has just three losses in the UFC overall.

Yet across the octagon is one of the fastest strikers in the entire UFC. The blazing speed of Johnson has led to three knockout victories in his last three fights, and he has the winner of TUF Season 8 is 5-2 SU in his seven-fight career in the UFC.

At 6-foot-2, Johnson possesses a long range and has proven punching ability. This will be undoubtedly his biggest fight in his career, and Koscheck is on a level that Johnson hasn’t even come close to sniffing in his short UFC career.

If Koscheck has been angling a swerve tactic by standing up in his last few fights, this is the perfect fight for him. If he’s smart, Koscheck will acknowledge that his stand-up is only effective when he gets up close and personal and he’ll also recognize that Johnson is certainly the more prolific knockout specialist. That’s why shooting for his legs and forcing Johnson to wrestle him should be his only weapon of choice.

That, however, negates the fact that Koscheck is a dumb ass with an ego the size of Michael Jackson’s estate. He wants to prove that he can be an all-round fighter and challenging a fighter like Johnson on his feet is the one way he can prove it.

It’s not he best strategy considering the reach disparity and Johnson’s obvious panache for clipping people in the jaw, nose, eyes, mouth and skull.

I think Koscheck walks in to this fight desperately trying to prove he can strike with the best, and walks out realizing he’s an absolute idiot for not taking this fight to the mat.

Furious Free Pick: Johnson -120 OVER Koscheck -110