In a battle of hard-punching wrestlers, Josh Koscheck will meet Mike Pierce at the Feb. 4 event, which emanates from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, top bantamweight talents also collide at the show, as Scott Jorgensen squares off with Renan "Barao" Pegado.
Originally slated to be headlined by a welterweight title bout between Georges St. Pierre and Nick Diaz, UFC 143 will now be highlighted by an interim title fight between Diaz and Carlos Condit after St. Pierre withdrew from the event due to a torn ACL.
The change left Koscheck without an opponent, as the American Kickboxing Academy standout was initially scheduled to face Condit. Pierce seized the opportunity, calling out Koscheck publicly before being granted his wish to lock horns with the four-time NCAA Division I All-American wrestler.
Pierce, 31, has won four of his last five fights. Since joining the UFC in 2009, the Oregonian has lost only twice, dropping hard-fought decisions to contenders Jon Fitch and Johny Hendricks. Most recently, Pierce earned a split decision victory over Paul Bradley on Nov. 12 at UFC on Fox 1.
Three years the elder of his opponent, Koscheck is an alumnus of the original “Ultimate Fighter.” The 19-time UFC veteran has fought all but two of his career contests inside the Octagon, most notably challenging for St. Pierre's title one year ago at UFC 124. “Kos” was last seen on Sept. 24, knocking out UFC hall of famer Matt Hughes at UFC 135.
Jorgensen has won back-to-back fights since failing to capture Dominick Cruz's bantamweight championship at WEC 53. Since joining the UFC, “Young Guns” has posted a perfect 2-0 record, brutally finishing Ken Stone in June before edging Jeff Curran on Oct. 29.
"Barao" has not tasted defeat since his professional debut in 2005, racking up 27 consecutive wins to date. The 24-year-old has dazzled since coming under the Zuffa umbrella, earning a pair of finishes in the WEC before outpointing Cole Escovedo in his UFC debut. Most recently, the Nova Uniao product submitted Brad Pickett at UFC 138, stunning the Brit with a punch combination before taking his back and securing a rear-naked choke.
via:Sherdog
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