UFC 143 Results: Will Josh Koscheck Ever Be Anything More Than a Gatekeeper?

After a less than stellar performance against Mike Pierce at UFC 143, fans were left wondering what's next for Josh Koscheck.

Koscheck has beaten a who's who in the welterweight division but still hasn't captured the UFC title. Two failed attempts against Georges St-Pierre have proven that as long as GSP is champion, Kos won't be getting the belt around his waist.

Props go to Pierce for making the fight a lot closer than what many analysts and fans thought it would be (myself included), but Koscheck should've looked a lot better than he did.

With Koscheck clearly on the downslope of his career, it begs the question of whether or not he can rise above "gatekeeper" status.

His wrestling is certainly some of the best in MMA and he has decent striking to compliment his ground game. But taking a glance at his recent fights, Koscheck hasn't beaten an elite level welterweight in quite some time.

I'm not saying Koscheck is garbage or that he isn't a good fighter, because there's no doubt he can defeat almost anyone on any given night. He's just a victim of circumstance.

If GSP defeats Carlos Condit in their title unification match, Koshceck will be unable to secure another title shot. Like his teammate, Jon Fitch, St-Pierre has buried them in their fights with the champion.

But that seems to be fine with Koscheck, who on multiple occasions has stated that he's only interested in big money fights at this point in his career.

The connotative meaning of "gatekeeper" in many MMA fans' eyes is someone who's a mid-level fighter at best. Koscheck may be a new breed of gatekeeper that has been created by dominant champions like St-Pierre and Anderson Silva.

Instead of gatekeeping between established stars and young prospects, Koscheck will be inserted into the role of determining if a fighter is ready for a title shot. If a fighter can defeat Koscheck, one would assume they can at least put on an exciting bout with GSP or Condit.

Of course if Condit emerges victorious and Koscheck wins his next bout, Kos will likely be moved into title contention and will no longer be considered a "gatekeeper."

Like many fighters, Koscheck undoubtedly likes the ability to control his own destiny. Unfortunately for the former Division I wrestling champion, it's completely out of his hands at this point.