UFC 135 Fight Card: Breaking Down Josh Koscheck vs. Matt Hughes

As UFC 135 gets underway tonight, almost all the hype surrounds Jon Jones and Rampage Jackson. Rightfully so. But the welterweight co-main event between Josh Koscheck and Matt Hughes carries plenty of intrigue of its own.

Most of the drama is tied to Hughes, all 37 years of him. No one is expecting the longtime welterweight champ to make another run at the strap. The real question is whether Hughes, who in his last outing lost to B.J. Penn by knockout in 21 seconds, is still a viable competitor in the UFC.

The knockout showed just how far Hughes has fallen, how prone he is to big shots from younger, quicker fists. The fact that his fight with Penn happened 10 months ago (Koscheck is the only opponent he'll face in 2011) indicates he may be slower to recover these days, less eager to compete, have other things beside fighting on his agenda or all of the above.

For his part, Koscheck is trying to get back into the title contender mix after an extended layoff of his own. He took the fight on short notice, replacing an injured Diego Sanchez. But it might not make much difference. After all, power is power, and Koscheck has it to burn.

That's why it seems likely that the stronger, faster Koscheck will try to keep the fight upright and headhunt on the slower Hughes. Though a very good wrestler, Koscheck now seems more and more interested in letting his fists dictate the action. Here's an opponent for whom that desire is a perfect fit.

On the other hand (no pun intended), Hughes surely knows that, and will probably try to get Koscheck to the ground. Whether he can actually do that will be the X-factor in this fight. But even if successful, Hughes will have far from a decisive advantage in that phase, though it will certainly be a more even match than a striking war would be.

Bottom line: Hughes needs to either fight a perfect fight or just plain get lucky to earn a win. He can do it, but it will be a challenge. If he comes up short, there's a chance this could be Hughes' swan song in the cage. That, maybe even more than what happens in the other half of the main event, could be what makes UFC 135 memorable.

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