STEROID
02-05-2012, 02:17 PM
Josh Koscheck edges 'stepping stone' Mike Pierce via split decision
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After Mike Pierce called him out on MMAjunkie.com Radio and ultimately got the fight he wanted, opponent Josh Koscheck labeled him a stepping stone and promised to send him back to the welterweight division's middle of the pack.
Koscheck earned a close decision win, but Pierce's stock will suffer little.
The main-card bout was part of UFC 143 and aired on pay-per-view from Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Events Center. Prelims aired on FX and streamed on Facebook.
While not the upset that a roar of boos might have suggested, Koscheck knows he dodged a bullet.
Pierce shot for an early takedown and kept the fight bunched up and against the cage for the first two minutes of the fight. Koscheck then attempted the same but reset after he was warned about grabbing his opponent's shorts. The fighters traded jabs, and both staggered the other with straight rights during a subsequent exchange. Pierce shot for a takedown, but a close first round ended with both fighters upright.
Pierce again shot for a takedown at the start of the second round, and though Koscheck again fended it off and opened a cut on the top of Pierce's with an accidental head butt, he ate a combination on the break. Stiff jabs also landed for Pierce. Koscheck tried to measure up his punches (and was warned to close his fist by the ref), but Pierce kept the slight edge from distance and striking in the clinch. With a minute remaining, Koscheck scored the fight's first takedown, but he could do little with the position, and Pierce returned to his feet before another close round ended.
In what both fighters knew was the deciding finale round, Pierce fired off jabs before grabbing a single leg and scoring a trip takedown. Koscheck, though, quickly got to his feet, clinched with Pierce against the cage, and broke away with a solid elbow. Koscheck followed with a few nice combos, but Pierce answered with dirty boxing, a knee to the body and an uppercut on the next break. Koscheck shot for a single-leg takedown, but Pierce fought it off and prompted the ref to restart them. However, Koscheck connected on an accidental finger to the eye, which prompted a timeout but no point deduction. After the restart, a bit of dirty boxing followed, and Koscheck scored a late double-leg takedown before the fight ended. It may have been the difference-maker.
It was an extremely close fight, and MMAjunkie.com scored it 29-28 for Koscheck after giving him rounds two and three. Two of the three judges concurred, and Koscheck earned the split-decision nod via 28-29, 29-28 and 29-28 scores.
"You guys boo me all the time, and I'm the most hated man in MMA," Koscheck said. "But guess what. I keep winning. Deal with it."
Koscheck (17-5 MMA, 15-5 UFC) picks up UFC win No. 15 in his 20th appearance inside the octagon, and he's now 5-1 over his past six fights. Pierce (13-5 MMA, 5-3 UFC), meanwhile, falls to 1-2 in his past three fights.
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After Mike Pierce called him out on MMAjunkie.com Radio and ultimately got the fight he wanted, opponent Josh Koscheck labeled him a stepping stone and promised to send him back to the welterweight division's middle of the pack.
Koscheck earned a close decision win, but Pierce's stock will suffer little.
The main-card bout was part of UFC 143 and aired on pay-per-view from Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Events Center. Prelims aired on FX and streamed on Facebook.
While not the upset that a roar of boos might have suggested, Koscheck knows he dodged a bullet.
Pierce shot for an early takedown and kept the fight bunched up and against the cage for the first two minutes of the fight. Koscheck then attempted the same but reset after he was warned about grabbing his opponent's shorts. The fighters traded jabs, and both staggered the other with straight rights during a subsequent exchange. Pierce shot for a takedown, but a close first round ended with both fighters upright.
Pierce again shot for a takedown at the start of the second round, and though Koscheck again fended it off and opened a cut on the top of Pierce's with an accidental head butt, he ate a combination on the break. Stiff jabs also landed for Pierce. Koscheck tried to measure up his punches (and was warned to close his fist by the ref), but Pierce kept the slight edge from distance and striking in the clinch. With a minute remaining, Koscheck scored the fight's first takedown, but he could do little with the position, and Pierce returned to his feet before another close round ended.
In what both fighters knew was the deciding finale round, Pierce fired off jabs before grabbing a single leg and scoring a trip takedown. Koscheck, though, quickly got to his feet, clinched with Pierce against the cage, and broke away with a solid elbow. Koscheck followed with a few nice combos, but Pierce answered with dirty boxing, a knee to the body and an uppercut on the next break. Koscheck shot for a single-leg takedown, but Pierce fought it off and prompted the ref to restart them. However, Koscheck connected on an accidental finger to the eye, which prompted a timeout but no point deduction. After the restart, a bit of dirty boxing followed, and Koscheck scored a late double-leg takedown before the fight ended. It may have been the difference-maker.
It was an extremely close fight, and MMAjunkie.com scored it 29-28 for Koscheck after giving him rounds two and three. Two of the three judges concurred, and Koscheck earned the split-decision nod via 28-29, 29-28 and 29-28 scores.
"You guys boo me all the time, and I'm the most hated man in MMA," Koscheck said. "But guess what. I keep winning. Deal with it."
Koscheck (17-5 MMA, 15-5 UFC) picks up UFC win No. 15 in his 20th appearance inside the octagon, and he's now 5-1 over his past six fights. Pierce (13-5 MMA, 5-3 UFC), meanwhile, falls to 1-2 in his past three fights.