UFC 163: Demian Maia vs. Josh Koscheck Reportedly Targeted for Main Card

Demian Maia is continuing to climb the welterweight ladder, and his next stop on the way to a title shot goes through Josh Koscheck at UFC 163.

MMA Fighting reports that sources close to them have confirmed the fight, with the UFC yet to make the bout official.

Maia, a fourth-degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, has torn a path right through the UFC's 170-pound division ever since dropping from middleweight. He has racked up three straight wins against Dong Hyun Kim, Rick Story and Jon Fitch.

Maia is also a one-time title contender from middleweight, having dropped a surprisingly competitive, yet strangely paced match against Anderson Silva.

Although Koscheck (No. 10) holds a lower rank than Maia (No. 5) in the official UFC rankings, defeating the one-time title contender and 22-fight UFC veteran would arguably set up Maia for a future title shot against Georges St-Pierre—assuming that he still holds the belt by that time.

GSP is slated to face current No. 1 contender Johny Hendricks at a future event.

Despite spending his career as a perennial "Top 10" welterweight, Koscheck has seen his stock dip in recent fights, having dropped back-to-back losses for the first time in his career against Hendricks and Strikeforce import Robbie Lawler.

Lawler's return to the UFC against Koscheck was extremely emphatic, with "Ruthless" putting away "Kos" via technical knockout in one round at UFC 157.

Assuming that the Maia vs. Koscheck bout takes place, the home-field advantage will belong to Maia.

UFC 163 is set to have a featherweight title fight starring Jose Aldo vs. Anthony Pettis, currently rumored to be taking place in Brazil at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro.