Josh Koscheck Offers to Replace Diego Sanchez and Face Matt Hughes at UFC 135

Only a little over an hour since UFC President Dana White tweeted that Diego Sanchez had to withdraw from his UFC 135 co-headlining bout with Matt Hughes, a credible replacement has already stepped up to the plate.

Koscheck tweeted: “:) got a fight in 21 days b*tches........,” which is interesting since the American Kickboxing Academy standout recently stated that he would be fighting at UFC 139 in San Jose, California.

Rumors swirled that Koscheck would be taking on Stephan Bonnar in a middleweight bout, but that was quickly squashed when it was announced that “The American Psycho” would be taking on Kyle Kingsbury at UFC 139. 

Kos then followed up with a tweet that read: “Oh ya 19 days then or something like that!!!! Either way it looks like I am in to fight matt Hughe [sic] if he takes it????”

A former Division I National Champion in collegiate wrestling, Koscheck is one of the few opponents at 170 pounds that would have the wrestling edge on Matt Hughes, a decorated high school and college wrestler in his own right. 

Koscheck was on a three-fight win streak before losing a title rematch with Georges St-Pierre at UFC 124 last December.

GSP broke Koscheck’s orbital bone in the fight, which is why Kos has been on the shelf for so long.

Meanwhile, Hughes was also on a three-fight win streak before he was knocked out by BJ Penn in the trilogy of their fight series at UFC 123. 

Hughes is 3-3 in his past six fights and appears to be in the twilight of his career. 

However, a winner over a consensus top 10 fighter like Koscheck would certainly put Hughes' name back into the title picture.