UFC Quick Pick - Josh Koscheck (-160) vs. Thiago Alves (+120)

It's always difficult to come in on short notice and take a fight, and that is what Josh Koscheck is encountering here, as he takes on Alves in this UFC battle underneath the Anderson Silva-Patrick Cote main event. Koscheck is one of those UFC competitors who has come into the sport by way of the wrestling world, and it generally shows in the way he handles his opponents. He was an extraordinary grappler at Edinboro State, going undefeated in 42 bouts in one season, as he won NCAA national championship honors. As a professional mixed martial arts competitor, he holds a strong win over Diego Sanchez, who happens to be the fighter he is substituting for here. And when you can go the distance with Georges St. Pierre (one of the UFC's top pound-for-pound fighters), as he did at UFC 74, you know he has to have some toughness about him. We would expect that he would like to keep things on the ground.

And that is where Alves has to be careful. Riding a six-fight winning streak, Alves has ten knockouts on his record, and he loves to stand up and strike. But he also has a background in jiu-jitsu. He has been defeated a few different ways - by submission, choke-out and strikes - but he also has two signature wins on his record, coming against Karo Parisyan and Matt Hughes. That, in our opinion, gives him an edge in experience, because it gives him success against a much higher caliber of opposition. He like those fighters who have the ability to weaken their opponents in stand-up mode, and Alves fits the bill. With the jiu-jitsu background, that makes him a legitimate dual threat here. We don't think he'll have as easy a time as Anderson Silva might have with Patrick Cote, but Alves, we think, can be counted on beat Koscheck on a late TKO.

UFC Free Picks: Alves By KO Round Three