UFC 143 Complete Collection: A Full Breakdown on Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce

And so the third day of “UFC 143 Complete Collection” postings comes to a close right on the cusp of double digits.

Tomorrow will be the fourth and final day of the UFC 143 Complete Collection, covering both the co-main and main event fights.

But for now, it’s time to focus on a major welterweight matchup between the No. 1 welterweight who recently kinda-sorta retired Matt Hughes, and another fast-rising welterweight star who has won four out of his last five fights.

It’s Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce, and this is the ninth installment of “UFC 143 Complete Collection”.

Since debuting in the UFC in 2009, Pierce has competed seven times inside the world’s greatest MMA promotion.  Pierce made his UFC debut by defeating former WEC standout Brock Larson.

Pierce was immediately given a shot at top-division status and put against Jon Fitch, a fighter who would end up beating Pierce by unanimous decision.

Pierce rebounded from that loss by winning three straight fights with two stoppage wins. 

He then lost a close split decision to rising star Johnny Hendricks, who recently gained a ton of fame when he became the first fighter to knock out Fitch in the UFC. 

In his most recent fight, Pierce defeated Paul Bradley by split decision.

Fans of “The Ultimate Fighter” and UFC fans in general are very familiar with Koscheck. 

Way back on the landmark first season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Koscheck set the archetype of the TUF bad boy.  Controversial, skilled, and with a mouth bigger than almost everybody else in his division, Koscheck has been one of the UFC’s top welterweights for several years now.

In his time, he’s become one of the most recognizable faces in the UFC for a variety of reasons: He derailed Anthony Johnson’s hype train, beat Paul Daley so badly that Daley threw an illegal punch after the fight, viciously knocked out Yoshiyuki Yoshida and even fought for the UFC welterweight championship.

In his most recent fight, Koscheck fought UFC legend and Hall of Famer Hughes, knocking him out with one second left in the first round. 

While recent rumblings point to a supposed return, and while Hughes himself would only say that he wanted to be “put on the shelf” in his post-fight interview, it was believed for months after their September 2011 fight that Koscheck had retired Hughes.

In considering who will win this fight, I think it all comes down to one simple factor.  Look at the fighters Pierce has lost to and you’ll begin to see a pattern. 

Koscheck fits in perfectly with that pattern.

To Pierce’s credit, he’s only been defeated twice in the UFC, and the two men who defeated him are both top competition.  Fitch was top competition at the time and Hendricks is pretty much top competition right now.

Therein lies the rub: Pierce has shown a penchant for losing to top competition and Koscheck is top competition.  I just don’t think Pierce is ready for Koscheck.

Recently, a lot of people have been debating what’s left for Koscheck in the welterweight division, but I think that’s a debate for another day. 

What’s not up for debate is this: Koscheck is a top five welterweight regardless of all other factors. 

That’s why I’m pretty confident in predicting that Koscheck will win this fight and maybe even finish Pierce.

Oliver Saenz, also known as PdW2kX, is a freelance journalist, opinion columnist, hardcore MMA fan, and lifelong video game nerd. For more news, views, previews, and reviews on all things Mixed Martial Arts as well as video games, be sure to visit FightGamesBlog.net.