Nov-19-2009

‘Kos’ and Effect

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By Mike Russell

If confidence were currency, Josh Koscheck would be Donald Trump and if the 31-year-old’s worth is as high as he feels it is, he believes a win over highly-touted knockout artist Anthony “Rumble” Johnson at UFC 106 November 24 could very well outbid all potential UFC welterweight title shot claimants.

Despite indications that Dan Hardy, the winner of last weekend's UFC 105 showdown against Koscheck’s American Kickboxing Academy training partner Mike Swick, would be pegged as the number one contender to 170-pound kingpin Georges St-Pierre, 'Kos' remains optimistic of his chances of jumping the queue to face GSP.

“I’ve been told that I was going to fight for the title before and it never happened, so I don’t put too much stock in what people say about who is next in line. It’s hard to say who deserves it most; it’s a flip of a coin. I’ve definitely fought my share of really tough opponents in the UFC and I’ve shown that I’ll step up and fight whoever they put in front of me any time. I think that the caliber of guys I’m fighting is higher than a lot of other 170 [pound] guys – not to take anything away from anyone else in our weight class,” Koscheck says. “If Mike Swick was going to get the title shot next, then good for him. I would support him, train with him and get him ready and if I get it, he’ll do the same thing; either way I’m going to get the title shot eventually. I disagree with Hardy getting a title shot at this point in his career. He's only beaten one top guy and that’s Mike. To be the number one contender, you have to beat the other contenders and I think besides Swick, he’d have to beat me, [Thiago] Alves and [Jon] Fitch to be considered next in line at St-Pierre in my opinion.”

Building a strong case for himself comes naturally for Koscheck. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Edinboro University, where he attended on a wrestling scholarship. However, before any argument can be made about where he should be in the title picture, he first has to get past Johnson, which may prove a much more arduous task than his personal predictions foretell.

“I have the capability of winning this fight very easily. I’ve watched several of Anthony Johnson’s fights and I don’t think he ever goes into a fight in great shape. One of the advantages I think I’m going to have over him is my cardio and I’m confident that I’m going to push the pace of this fight. If I have to stand and bang to make this an exciting fight, I’m willing to do that. If I have to wrestle, I’ll wrestle. Whatever I have to do to push the pace and make him work, I’ll do. To make somebody work, you have to be in their face and that’s what I plan to do the entire fight,” Koscheck explains. “I’ve sparred with Anthony before. He was afraid to get punched and he got really aggressive and came back swinging whenever I got in his face and put any pressure on him. There’s a lot riding on this fight for me. A win will put me one step closer to my goal of becoming the UFC welterweight champion. When I whip this kid’s ass, I’m calling out Georges St-Pierre next.”

Originally scheduled to face Mike Pierce at UFC Fight Night 20 in January, Koscheck, who says he had already begun his training camp when he was offered the fight with Johnson on less than a month’s notice, maintains that he isn’t worried about his preparation for the rapidly approaching showdown with “Rumble”.

“I’m always training. I didn’t take much time off after my last fight anyway, so I figured I’d take this opportunity to win this fight and earn the right to fight for the title. If I’m in the gym training my ass off all year round and I’m in shape, why not fight and make some money? The plan is to get as many fights as I can. No disrespect to Mike Pierce, but I actually asked [UFC matchmaker] Joe Silva for a bigger name opponent. I told him I would fill in for anyone if they got hurt even if it was on short notice, which is why I was offered this fight,” Koscheck says. “It isn’t about fighting; it’s about making money so I can provide for myself. [Fighting] is my business and in order for me to make money, I have to fight.”

Besides the Benjamins and the hope that he will one day own UFC gold, Koscheck, who recently opened his own AKA affiliated gym in Fresno, Calif. says his teammates and coaches also motivate him to train and evolve as a fighter to improve his chances of success in the Octagon.

“Some people take a look at me and say ‘He’s just a cocky p***k and sometimes I am. That’s just my personality. People see me in interviews on TV and they think I’m this selfish, cocky guy. I’m selfish about my training and things like that, but at the end of the day I’m a team player and I help my teammates out as much as I can. Hooking up with AKA and getting in the gym and training is what made me a better fighter and I’m thankful for everything my coaches and teammates here have done for me. We’re all there every day training and sweating and bleeding on the mats in the gym together,” he says. “Me, Swick, and Fitch have been training together for nearly six years now. You can imagine the type of relationship competing and pushing each other one-on-one every day in the gym can build. We’re like brothers. It’s crazy how far we’ve come together. When Cain [Velasquez] wins or Swick wins or Fitch wins or I win, we all win.”

Shifting the spotlight again from himself to his training partners, Koscheck says that the biggest advantage his camp has over most other top tier MMA teams is the level of talent that walks through the door of the San Jose, Calif. gym on a regular basis, explaining that one can’t help but get better when being challenged day in and day out by some of the best fighters in the sport today.

“People don’t realize just how many good guys we train with every single day. One day last week we had myself, Swick, Fitch, Phil Baroni, Cain, Jake Shields and Josh Thomson all on the mats here at the gym. There were just so many MMA superstars it was amazing. I was like ‘Criminy, there’s a lot of talent in this room’,” Koscheck recalls. “Last Friday I watched Swick and Fitch go at it and it wasn’t just a sparring session, it was a freaking fight. Those two were banging; they were just scrappin’. I sparred with Jake Shields last week. He’s fighting at 185 now and I tell you, he’s a freaking beast. To go into a fight knowing you’ve faced guys like that in the gym who are the best guys in the world a hundred times before your fight, it makes the fight even easier, which makes you that much more confident that you’re going to win.”