UFC 167 ‘St. Pierre vs. Hendricks’ Preview

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Welterweights

Josh Koscheck (17-7, 15-7 UFC) vs. Tyron Woodley (11-2, 1-1 UFC)

The Matchup: With 22 of his 24 professional fights having taken place in the Octagon, Koscheck is one of the most experienced fighters in the UFC today. It has been a difficult stretch of late for “The Ultimate Fighter 1” alum. In 2012, he parted ways with his longtime camp, the American Kickboxing Academy, and he battled a bulging disc in his back toward the end of the year.

His return to action did not go as planned, as he was knocked out for only the second time in his career by Robbie Lawler at UFC 157 in February. Koscheck is nearly three years removed from challenging Georges St. Pierre for the welterweight crown, and one has to wonder if the back issues have robbed the 35-year-old of some of his athleticism.

Woodley had a spectacular promotional debut, showcasing technique, power and aggression in a 36-second knockout of Jay Hieron at UFC 156. It was the type of performance that would seem to forecast big things for the American Top Team product, even though he produced his share of lukewarm efforts while competing under the Strikeforce banner. However, Woodley’s sophomore outing did not go as well. Despite being the superior wrestler -- he went 18-for-18 on defending takedown attempts -- and the more accurate striker, Woodley was outworked by Jake Shields in the clinch en route to a split decision loss at UFC 161.

Woodley needs to focus on staying busier against Koscheck, an opponent capable of shutting down his top game. Koscheck contended for four national titles, winning one and garnering a quartet of All-American honors while wrestling at Edinboro University. As a two-time NCAA All-American at the University of Missouri, Woodley is no slouch in this department, but “Kos” has the superior credentials. Does he still have the necessary explosion to put them to work? Koscheck has relied on his shot for years, but against a fast and powerful 170-pounder who has not dealt with the same injury issues, he might find it difficult to drag the fight to the mat.

Woodley and Koscheck are somewhat similar in their standup approach, with a powerful overhand right being the weapon of choice for both men. Woodley is generally more accurate with his strikes, while Koscheck is more likely to fire off one power punch at a time. Couple that with the fact that Koscheck needs plenty of room to unload his knockout strike and his chances of connecting are slim at best against someone with Woodley’s speed.

The Pick: Woodley wins by decision or TKO.

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