Despite being the “most disliked fighter in MMA,” Josh Koscheck was once again able to get the better of another welterweight contender, one that not only called him out on a prominent internet radio show but was also very close to pulling off a win. Mike Pierce, his opponent at UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit, not only begged for this fight, he was positive that he had what it took to defeat the four-time wrestling All-American. As it turned out, despite being outstruck and outclassed on his feet for the better part of three rounds, Koscheck’s wrestling ability was enough to get Pierce to the mat in rounds 2 and 3, swaying the judges into a split decision victory in front of a capacity crowd that loudly cheered Pierce if only for the fact that they wanted to see Koscheck lose.
Pierce relied on a strong jab and frustrated Koscheck who had no answer, peppering the UFC elder statesman with a plethora of shots that prevented Kos from getting the takedown and wearing him out. Pierce was able to control the opening stanza on the fence, wearing Koscheck down, but not out. He was surely the more active of the fighters in the round and was given the round across the board – internet and otherwise.
Where Pierce failed was in the eyes of judges for rounds 2 and 3. Unable to load up a big shot in the first frame, Koscheck was back to eating jabs and even saw a warning from the referee for pawing with his left hand to create distance to strike. Instead, Koscheck was able to deliver with a takedown to close the round that, while Pierce got back to his feet quickly, was enough to steal the round for Koscheck in the eyes of many.
Knowing that the fight was close after the takedown at the end of the second, Pierce immediately attacked in the final round with a the single-leg, delivering a trip takedown. The slippery Koscheck was able to get back to his feet, but Pierce took advantage of a clinch on the escape to counter with some dirty boxing. After an accidental eye poke on Pierce, Koscheck secured another late driving double-leg takedown before the final bell, which was more than likely the determining factor in the fight.
Overall, Pierce proved tonight that he’s on the cusp of being a very good fighter, but after losses to Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck, one has to wonder where exactly he stands within an already stacked division. Tonight could have been a starmaking turn for Mike Pierce with a win over Koscheck, just like Johny Hendricks recent win over Jon Fitch. Now, he falls to the losers bracket in the UFC ranking system, needing a win against another top ten fighter to once again put his name at the welterweight division’s glass ceiling.
