UFC 124: An Utter Feeling Of Deja Vu Awaits Josh Koscheck

"Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

If that statement holds any truth, then welterweight contender Josh Koscheck might not want his rematch at UFC 124 to be reminiscent of his first encounter with Georges St-Pierre. Koscheck, a four-time NCAA Division 1 wrestler, was outclassed and completely dominated by St-Pierre at UFC 74.

Since then both fighters have taken different paths to get to their anticipated rematch. St-Pierre has dominated the welterweight division. Since reclaiming the welterweight title against Matt Serra at UFC 83, he has beaten Jon Fitch, BJ Penn, Dan Hardy and Thiago Alves.

Koscheck has become a more efficient striker and a well-rounded fighter. He's racked up three straight wins over Frank Trigg, Anthony Johnson and Paul Daley. While St-Pierre and Koscheck have evolved since their first bout, neither have forgotten their wrestling roots, something that has brought success to both of their careers. When all else fails, look for grappling to be a significant factor in their bout.

However wrestling will not be the only determinant; so will supremacy. The rematch will not only decide the rightful winner but, more importantly, the superior fighter.

Koscheck has made no shortage of making that claim, confidentially stating he'll beat the champion and silence the Montreal crowd. Koscheck continued his verbal sparring at St-Pierre as both men appeared as opposing coaches on The Ultimate Fighter. While Koscheck exercised his mouth, St-Pierre was the strong, silent type who prefers to let his fists do the talking at UFC 124.

If Koscheck realized that trash-talking only gets you so far. Past opponents,who have called out and insulted him, have been dispatched by St-Pierre; Matt Serra, BJ Penn and Matt Hughes certainly come to mind.

St-Pierre already holds a psychological advantage over his opponent, as he already has defeated Koscheck once. And St-Pierre also graced his presence in the Philippines to train on his boxing technique with Manny Pacquiao and renowned boxing coach Freddie Roach.

If anything, it's just something else for Koscheck to think about come Saturday night.

Looking at both competitors records, it's obvious to see St-Pierre has beaten the upper echelon of the UFC welterweight division. In fact, in his past four bouts St-Pierre has defeated three of top welterweights: Jon Fitch, BJ Penn and Thiago Alves.

In Koscheck's case, knocking out a 38-year-old Frank Trigg and submitting an inexperienced Anthony Johnson is more bottom-of-the-food-chain than upper echelon of the division.

While comparing both fighters' styles, it isn't hard to see why St-Pierre is the better fighter overall. St-Pierre holds an advantage over Koscheck in every aspect.

Realistically Koscheck has a puncher's chance of winning, but nonetheless a chance. However St-Pierre is a smart fighter and he will not stand with Koscheck longer than he needs to. And if Koscheck found it hard to defeat St-Pierre at UFC 74, then at UFC 124 he will struggle.

Let's face it, Josh Koscheck is a good fighter, but Georges St-Pierre is simply better.