Josh Koscheck Says Beating Matt Hughes at UFC 135 "Means Something" to Him

Josh Koscheck's last performance against Georges St. Pierre at UFC 124 resulted in one of the most lopsided bouts in UFC history.

While it might have been slim pickings for the UFC welterweight champion, Koscheck said he didn't perform under his expectations, and he's looking to make up for it against Matt Hughes at UFC 135. 

"I've been on the shelf since December and, I'm honest, my last fight sucked," Koscheck wrote in his blog on Sportsnet.ca.

"I don't care if they boo me or cheer me, but they pay to see me fight and on that night I didn't fulfill my side of the deal because it wasn't a great fight."

Obviously, the underachieving performance has left a bad taste in the mouth of Koscheck, but the American Kickboxing Academy fighter has found a chance to win the fans back with an upcoming bout against Hughes—a former two-time UFC welterweight champion and a UFC hall of famer. 

But Hughes' career has seen better days, and while he might have declined in recent years, Koscheck sees more than that. 

"Matt Hughes used to be one of the best. Used to be," he wrote.

"But he's still got that name and is a two-time champion, and beating a name like that in my comeback fight means something."

Koscheck's bout against Hughes is something to look forward to, but it's more about searching for forgiveness from fans than a win. Certainly the victory will be a morale boost for Koscheck, but to him, it's more about owing it to the fans.

"I owe it to the fans and myself to come back and give them a fight they can get excited about, and a lot of people are excited to see me against Matt Hughes next weekend," he wrote.