Josh Koscheck vs. Paulo Thiago
In the opening bout of the night, Ultimate Fighter alum and top Welterweight contender Josh Koscheck is set to meet Brazilian Jiu Jitsu phenom and Jungle Fight veteran Paulo Thiago. Thiago, was has earned an unblemished 10-0 record thusfar in his young career, will be taking a huge step up in competition when he steps into the Octagon with the dangerous and well-rounded Koscheck.
Thiago, although new to the sport, is in many ways a throwback to MMA’s formative years. In this day of well-rounded, cross-trained athletes, Thiago is an anomaly in that he is almost a pure grappler. Many times, being a one trick pony is a recipe for disaster in this sport, but Thiago makes up for being one-dimensional by being deadly effective at his one dimension. His game plan is not difficult to predict: he will attempt to get the fight to the ground and make Koscheck tap. It’s a formula that has clearly worked for him in the past, and got him a shot in UFC, so expect him to stick to his guns in his Octagon debut.
Thiago will have his hands full, though, with Koscheck. One of the most improved fighters on UFC’s roster over the last few years, Koscheck has grown from an effective if boring lay and pray fighter to a dynamic, well-rounded, dangerous Mixed Martial Artist. His wrestling is still top notch, but as he proved spectacularly at Yoshiyuki Yoshida’s expense, his striking skills have improved by leaps and bounds. Stylistically, Koscheck is a nightmare for the young Brazilian. His combination of superior striking, world-class takedowns and defense, and smothering top control are going to be difficult for the relatively inexperienced Thiago to overcome. In all likelihood, this fight will not go to the ground unless that is where Koscheck wants it to go, and with Josh Koscheck on top of you, even the most proficient grappler very well might come up empty.
Thiago is no doubt a skilled fighter and worthy of a spot in UFC, but it is far too early in his development for him to hope to defeat an opponent of Koscheck’s calibre. While his ground game is clearly top notch, Thiago is going to find it beyond difficult to get the fight to the ground on good terms for him. Much more likely, Koscheck uses his amazing wrestling to keep this one standing, and bangs out the young Brazilian in short order.
Koscheck by TKO, round 2.
