Koscheck vs. Daley
The co-main event of UFC 113: Machida vs. Shogun 2 is a No.1 contender’s match for the UFC Welterweight Championship when Josh Koscheck faces Paul Daley.
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Koscheck enters the fight as the favorite with a betting line of -250 with Daley given a line of +195 according to online sports book BroburySports.com. Here is a closer look at both fighters heading into this bout, which will take place from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, beginning at 10PM ET live on pay-per-view.
Josh Koscheck (14-4):
Strengths: Koscheck is a tremendous wrestler that uses that ability to keep fights on his feet where he throws very strong punches. His power in his hands have knocked out more than a few opponents, but his ability to take the fight to the ground when needed have also allowed him big wins over guys like Anthony Johnson.
Weaknesses: While he is a powerful striker, Koscheck is not great with technique. He swings wildly with his punches, always looking for the knockout blow, which leaves him open to counter punches. Along with his poor technique, Koscheck also has a questionable chin, as Thiago Alves and Paulo Thiago were both able to clearly rock him in past fights. In this fight, Koscheck is up against a superior striker in Daley and a guy that packs a lot of power in his punches.
Last Five Fights:
Second round submission win over Anthony Johnson at UFC 106 on Nov. 21, 2009
First round TKO win over Frank Trigg at UFC 103 on Sept. 19, 2009
First round TKO loss to Paulo Thiago at UFC 95 on Feb. 21, 2009
First round KO win over Yoshiyuki Yoshida at UFC Fight For the Troops on Dec. 10, 2008
Unanimous decision loss to Thiago Alves at UFC 90 on Oct. 25, 2008
Paul Daley (23-8-2):
Strengths: Daley is a solid striker with crisp, technical punching that also pack a lot of power. Daley hasn’t really met his match on his feet in his career, as he has never been knocked out in 33 career fights. Daley is burly for the weight class as well, which can make him tough to get down. His last four fights have been knockout wins over respectable opponents like Dustin Hazelett and Martin Kampmann.
Weaknesses: Daley doesn’t focus much on fighting off his back, which caused him to lose to Jake Shields years ago. If Daley was more of a complete fighter, he may be unstoppable. Daley has struggled with grapplers for this very reason and in this fight, he is going up against a strong wrestler in Koscheck. Daley also lacks a major victory in his MMA career, as each time he gets close to a championship, his obvious ground issues get exposed.
Last Five Fights:
First round KO win over Dustin Hazelett at UFC 108 on Jan. 2, 2010
First round TKO win over Martin Kampmann at UFC 103 on Sept. 19, 2009
First round TKO win over Junior Barata at WFC 8 on April 18, 2009
First round KO win over Aurelijus Kerpe at Ultimate Gladiators on March 29, 2009
Unanimous decision loss to Nick Thompson at MFC 20 on Feb. 20, 2009
Who will win: This fight is going to be a lot about ego for Koscheck. Will he let his emotions get the best of him and try to have a stand-up war with Daley, or will he fight the smart fight and take things to the ground. Koscheck’s mindset will determine the outcome as he will either win by submission or lose by KO. We expect Koscheck to understand the importance of this fight and play it smart. Look for him to score a second round submission win.
Additional Line: Over/Under 8 minutes for fight length. Over (+110) Under (-150).
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Posted: 5/7/10 3:25PM ET