Well-known welterweights Josh Koscheck (10-2) and Chris Lytle (25-15) are set to battle it out for 170-pound supremacy at UFC 86 in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 5.
MMAmania.com confirmed this evening that the bout is in the works and will more than likely take place (although nothing is official at this time — Koscheck’s contract status is still up in the air).
Both fighters appeared on separate seasons of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) — “Kos” on the bebut show and “Lights Out” made it to the finals in the fourth installment.
Koscheck most recently defeated Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace, Dustin Hazelett, in a surprisingly action-packed bout that was going back-and-forth. The former NCAA wrestling champion weathered an early storm to stop Hazelett in the second round via technical knockout set up by a sweet head kick.
Lytle was recently on the losing end of a “Fight of the Night” at UFC 78: “Validation” back in November 2007 against Thiago Alves. The fireman and family man rebounded in his next bout at UFC 81: “Breaking Point,” introducing Kyle Bradley to the Octagon with an impressive first round stoppage because of strikes.
With Koscheck’s new emphasis on the stand up aspect of his game, it will be interesting to see if he goes toe-to-toe with a former professional boxer.
To check out the rapidly evolving UFC 86 fight card click here.
55 Comments »
Hope lytle pulls it off, its obviously going to be an upset for sure if he wins but hopefully koscheck tries to stand with “lights out” all night, it would most likely pay off for chris.
gotta go with lytle on this one… his BJJ is actualy pretty slick watch the topside triangle agains gilliam
The only time lytle’s being stopped is by a cut…twice. I also want to see lytle get a rematch with serra, in my opinion ALL split decision should be rematched within a year.
This sounds like a Koscheck decision win, which is just about the last thing I want to watch. LAY AND PRAY- LET THE BOOS BEGIN!
this has the making to be a sick match…go lytle!
Sweet. Would love to see Lytle win this fight.
Chris Lytle is a stud! Hope he pulls it off! He’s definitely one of my all time favorite fighters!
I don’t know if lytle can pull it off. remember, hughes handled him pretty easily, and KOS is a better wrestler and has better stand up then hughes imo..this could be a bad one for lytle..
This should be a good fight. Lytle has looked pretty impressive these past couple of fights. Kos has looked very good on his feet as well. I still have questions about Kos’s ground game when it comes to fighting good BJJ guys. Should be a good challenge for both guys.
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I REALLY DON’T LIKE THE GUY, but I do think Josh Koscheck will win this one, most likely in a unanimous decision.
if this happens and Koscheck does take the ‘W’, and Diego takes his ‘W’ in his fight, we definitely deserve a rematch. REMATCH!!!
GOOD match up. hope this fight happens. gotta go wit koscheck on this tho
interesting match up. i hope it happens, should be good to see
Oh sweet. I can’t wait for this one. even if Kos tries to go for the LnP, Chris has a pretty sound guard and good submissions.
KOS will go back to his wrestling roots and dominate lyttle
cant see him wanting to stand with someone who has such heavy hands
really good match up but i don’t see this fight as a co main event
[quote comment=”388040″]I don’t know if lytle can pull it off. remember, hughes handled him pretty easily, and KOS is a better wrestler and has better stand up then hughes imo..this could be a bad one for lytle..[/quote]
I wouldnt say he handled him easily, that was a really close fight
Here is an interesting stat on Lytle, 13 decision losses according to Sherdog. His overall record is 25-15.
lytle will cream Koschek…. His only chance is if he lay n prays like Hughes did, but somehow I have a feeling lytle won’t let that shit happen again. I Would of really loved to see Deigo fight Lytle, and Kos fight Faggrantini, but oh well.
DOn’t kno why everyone hates on KOS, hes one of my favorite fighters, this is a bad match up for him, but I have to root for him.
Lytle in the 3rd via K to tha motha fu*ken O
This is a crossroads for Kos. He was way outa his league against GSP and outside of his win against a staphed up Diego, he hasnt fought alot of really good guys. Now thats not to say he’s not a good fighter. He is and you can only fight who they give you. Lytle isnt the cream of the crop but he’s no joke either. I really dont know who’s gonna win. I will be rooting for Lytle but this really is a toss up. I think if Kos wins in a big way I think he has really arrived as a true contender, but if he loses… well… that ladder keeps getting longer and longer in the division. Lets just say if he loses, he’s lucky he was on TUF.
Lytle has sick hands, and great jujitsu… But Kos is very strong and pushes fights when he is confident. I like Lytle in this one…
Wow, that’s a really terrible match-up. Guess we should expect that by now.
[quote comment=”388169″]KOS will go back to his wrestling roots and dominate lyttle
cant see him wanting to stand with someone who has such heavy hands[/quote]
I don’t know, Kos looked happy to bang in his last fight even when at times he was being outstriked, just seemed to spur him on, hope he keeps it going because that the new Lytle will make a good fight.
Lytle 1st round tko
ahhh typo…^^^^^
hope he (Kos) keeps it going because that *plus* the new Lytle will make for a good fight..
KOS is getting better but outside of a decision I dont see him beating Lytle. Chris has pretty good strikes, showed renewed aggresion last time out, has never been KO’d as far as I know and has some pretty darn good ground work. Do not think KOS would get submitted but could see him catching one of thos hard rights and going out.
[quote comment=”388570″][quote comment=”388169″]KOS will go back to his wrestling roots and dominate lyttle
cant see him wanting to stand with someone who has such heavy hands[/quote]
I don’t know, Kos looked happy to bang in his last fight even when at times he was being outstriked, just seemed to spur him on, hope he keeps it going because that
the new Lytle will make a good fight.
Lytle 1st round tko[/quote]
I also think Koscheck is going to go to a takedown GNP style against Lytle. Koscheck had to improve his hands because his BJJ isn’t good enough so he had to learn to fight standing or risk getting submitted by these BJJ blackbelts. A lot of the fighters he’s face excluded GSP have been experts at BJJ.
That’s the difference between him and Melvin Guillard. Guillard never adjusted. As weak as he is against submissions, he still put himself in places where he would most likely be submittted. Koscheck hasn’t made that mistake.
Not taken anything away from Lytle’s ground game. He is very slick, but it’s not his base and Koscheck should be able to avoid his attempts because they won’t be methodical, it’ll be more like desperation.
Koscheck by decision
I dont think too highly of Koscheks skills. For the past year, all I hear is how much his stand up has improved…I think its still mediocre. He looked good against Dustin but other than that his stand up is not technically sound at all. Too many times, I see him swinging for the fences with that stupid, excessively-wild over hand right. He is constantly looking for the home run, and rarely puts together sharp and effective combos.
I think this would be a very tough fight for Koschek, that Lytle would have a great shot winning.
Before getting ahead of ourselves, lets see if Kos even re signs with the UFC. This is a great match up invoving Koschek.
Hazlett vs. Lytle down the line would be exciting as well.
I dont see where Kos would beat Lytle, Chris has a damn good jaw and avoids beaing hit pretty well, not to mention he has both technical striking and crazy looping power he could change it up if Kos decides to throw his haymakers, In the Jiu jitsu Lytle has some mad skills and could easily submitt Kos. I dont see Kos wanting to bang with him but I also dont see Kos taking Lytle down and just holding him it would be to dangerous. Lytle by expirience
[quote comment=”388021″]This sounds like a Koscheck decision win, which is just about the last thing I want to watch. LAY AND PRAY- LET THE BOOS BEGIN![/quote]
That is how most Kos fights go, but not so much as of late. He has been working his standup. But he has been doing so for a reason. He did not want the fight to take place on the ground when he was fighting Diego nor Dustin because he knew he’d get submitted rather quickly. Lytle has solid enough BJJ and of course is a former pro boxer so he has great standup. That makes me wonder - where will Kos want to take this fight? His wrestling abilities allow him to dictate where his fights take place, that is, unless he’s fighting GSP.
Is Kos that worried about his submission defense that he’d stand and bang with a boxer?
Or is he not confident enough in his stand up skills that he will have to take Lytle down and try and “Sean Sherk” himself to a win?
Chris Lytle is one of my favorite fighters. He always comes out and always has exciting fights.
Koscheck vs. Lytle is going to be a very interesting fight. Koscheck in his fight against Dustin showed that his stand-up was a lot more crisp and better, and he still has that fantastic wrestling pedigree.
Lytle is a over all complete MMA fighter. He has sumbissions, good stand-up, good wrestling, good counters…
It is going to be a good fight.
I still think that people are over estimating koscheks stand up!
Yes it is better than when he was on TUF, but he still has a long way too go. Too many times he swings for the fences and doesnt put together combinations enough.
His stand up looked good against Dustin, but it still no where near the level that Lytle’s stand up is at.
As VM pointed out, it will be very interesting to see where Koschek decides to take this fight. He is at a disadvantage on his feet, and on the ground, Lytle has a great chance of catching him in a submission. I honestly have no idea what Kos’s gameplan will be for this fight.
Lytle does not get enough credit. He is a very well rounded welterweight and has a great chance of beating Koschek!
I wonder what the odds will be for this fight. The odds might make a bet on Lytle very interesting because he will be an underdog with a great chance of winning this fight.
one work….. FIREWORKS…..
Go Lytle
Kos is overrated and needs to be put down again……hes an unprofessional fighter that looks like a bumb and i have the highest hopes for Lytle
[quote comment=”388680″][quote comment=”388021″]This sounds like a Koscheck decision win, which is just about the last thing I want to watch. LAY AND PRAY- LET THE BOOS BEGIN![/quote]
That is how most Kos fights go, but not so much as of late. He has been working his standup. But he has been doing so for a reason. He did not want the fight to take place on the ground when he was fighting Diego nor Dustin because he knew he’d get submitted rather quickly. Lytle has solid enough BJJ and of course is a former pro boxer so he has great standup. That makes me wonder - where will Kos want to take this fight? His wrestling abilities allow him to dictate where his fights take place, that is, unless he’s fighting GSP.
Is Kos that worried about his submission defense that he’d stand and bang with a boxer?
Or is he not confident enough in his stand up skills that he will have to take Lytle down and try and “Sean Sherk” himself to a win?[/quote]
VM, I think you make good points, but most important thing you said is that Kos gets to decide where the fight goes. As long as he doesn’t get caught in a flurry or by a knee going for the shot, he should take it to the ground and grind one out.
Lytle is not UFC caliber. Just look at his record. He’s last in the division and I can’t fathom kos losing this fight. The only chance Lytle has is on his feet, but look for kos will pull a lay’n'prey.
Show the man some respect.
[quote comment=”388012″]The only time lytle’s being stopped is by a cut…twice. I also want to see lytle get a rematch with serra, in my opinion ALL split decision should be rematched within a year.[/quote]
theres only 1 problem with that. we would end up seeing to many wrestlers who LnP their way to split dec. or BJJ guys who couldnt sub. a stonger opponent. how many times do we have to watch Big Nog go the distance with H.Herring.
Lytle’s been a good stepping stone for a lot of great fighters but will never be a contender in UFC’s stacked ww division. He should go fight Drew Ficket for the EliteXC Belt. Koscheck by overhand right.. and then its “lights out” for lytle.
[quote comment=”388940″]Lytle’s been a good stepping stone for a lot of great fighters but will never be a contender in UFC’s stacked ww division. He should go fight Drew Ficket for the EliteXC Belt. Koscheck by overhand right.. and then its “lights out” for lytle.[/quote]
He needs to stay in the UFC, because he is one of those fighters that you can count on for an exciting fight and he is capable of beating a lot of tough fighters. there are some very exciting and winnable fights for Lytle left in the UFC:
Lytle vs. Tiago Alves rematch of the 1st fight that was one of my favorite fights I have seen in a while. Lytle lost that fight by due to cutts, but it was an amazing fight and both fighters were upset that the fight ended like that and they both said they would like to do it again in the future.
Lytle vs. Marcus Davis would be very interesting. 2 Former tough as nails boxers who have evolved to true mma fighters
Lytle vs. Koschek would be a great fight
Lytle vs. Swick in very winnable
even Lytle vs. Chonan or Gono would be fun to watch
My point is that Chris Lytle needs to be taken serious. He is much more than a gatekeeper IMO. I would like to see the man get some more respect. He is a tough as nails, competitor with serious skills and like I said has the ability to beat many great fighters. As a betting man he is a great underdog to bet on cause you can count on him to bring it and he is very tough to finish. Also his ju jitsu is under rated and he has a pretty good guard.
[quote comment=”388916″]Lytle is not UFC caliber. Just look at his record. He’s last in the division and I can’t fathom kos losing this fight. The only chance Lytle has is on his feet, but look for kos will pull a lay’n'prey.[/quote]
You must not have seen most of his fights. Dana has said “win or lose, as long as you bring it, you will be rewarded.”
Lytle always brings it. ALWAYS. Especially as of late! Like so many others on this thread have said before me, give the man his respect.
In my opinion, he and Clay Guida are the best fighters with the worst UFC records.
Lytle all the way!
[quote comment=”388916″]Lytle is not UFC caliber. Just look at his record. He’s last in the division and I can’t fathom kos losing this fight. The only chance Lytle has is on his feet, but look for kos will pull a lay’n'prey.[/quote]
spitforce are u on drugs…my boy lytle is a very good ufc fighter he won the ultimate fighter 4 but got robbed bcause matt serra is 1 of dana whites boys,,,when lytle beats down kos will u give him sum props then..let me guess ur favorite fighters are fat bj over-rated chuck and randy hgh..get a clue dork
quote comment=”388847″]Kos is overrated and needs to be put down again……hes an unprofessional fighter that looks like a bumb and i have the highest hopes for Lytle[/quote]
He is an unprofessional fighter….WHAT..do explain? He looks like a bumb did you mean bump :that cool I have typo’s too” but, “lol” You don’t like the guy cuz he has curly hair? LOL….please write something intelligent if that’s is possible.
For all of you haters:
MMA means…not boxing with little gloves, not BBJ, but Mix. G and P is a art of MMA and a very hard art to master. If you don’t like MMA don’t watch it… and please don’t comment on things you don’t understand, please. Kos used to be JUST a wrestler…in the early days. If you do watch all the cards or all the fights don’t comment. Kos game has come full circle form back in the day. He is not Lay and Pray, going back to what I said before…if you haven’t seen all of this fights and you don’t like the full aspect of MMA don’t comment.
[quote comment=”388956″][quote comment=”388940″]Lytle’s been a good stepping stone for a lot of great fighters but will never be a contender in UFC’s stacked ww division. He should go fight Drew Ficket for the EliteXC Belt. Koscheck by overhand right.. and then its “lights out” for lytle.[/quote]
He needs to stay in the UFC, because he is one of those fighters that you can count on for an exciting fight and he is capable of beating a lot of tough fighters. there are some very exciting and winnable fights for Lytle left in the UFC:
Lytle vs. Tiago Alves rematch of the 1st fight that was one of my favorite fights I have seen in a while. Lytle lost that fight by due to cutts, but it was an amazing fight and both fighters were upset that the fight ended like that and they both said they would like to do it again in the future.
Lytle vs. Marcus Davis would be very interesting. 2 Former tough as nails boxers who have evolved to true mma fighters
Lytle vs. Koschek would be a great fight
Lytle vs. Swick in very winnable
even Lytle vs. Chonan or Gono would be fun to watch
My point is that Chris Lytle needs to be taken serious. He is much more than a gatekeeper IMO. I would like to see the man get some more respect. He is a tough as nails, competitor with serious skills and like I said has the ability to beat many great fighters. As a betting man he is a great underdog to bet on cause you can count on him to bring it and he is very tough to finish. Also his ju jitsu is under rated and he has a pretty good guard.[/quote]
John, I get you’re point. I can’t believe YOU of all people are giving him credit as a brawler and ME of all people is discrediting him as a complete mma artist. He DOES bring it, has gutts, and is exciting to watch. I root for him against the unknowns. However I cannot take him seriously as a contender because he simply cannot hang with the ufc top 10 ww. He’s not a winner that I can put a gaurentee stamp on. He would get outclassed by 4 of the 5 guys you named including swift Swick. Kos’ striking looked more crisp than Lytle’s prayer haymakers in the Bradley KO. Sure its fun to watch. All the names you listed would be exciting fights but would mean little in the grander scheme of these guys climbing the ladder of ranks. The way I think about him is… if you can beat Lytle, you deserve to be in the UFC, if not, go back to the lower promotions. Thats why I say he should go fight in elitexc because he would bring heat and fit their style of fights they put on. Sorry guys thats just how I see it.
i agree with john thatthere is still some pretty good potential matchups for light out Lytle. a fight with the Irish Hand Grenade would be awesome, as would the matchups you listed. IMO hes not that far behind the 2nd level of WWs. a couple of wins & he can be considered at the same level as “dont you know who i am” karo p. but he isnt there yet.
[quote comment=”389052″]i agree with john thatthere is still some pretty good potential matchups for light out Lytle. a fight with the Irish Hand Grenade would be awesome, as would the matchups you listed. IMO hes not that far behind the 2nd level of WWs. a couple of wins & he can be considered at the same level as “dont you know who i am” karo p. but he isnt there yet.[/quote]
u r absolutely right. Lytle needs to be respected. As a fan, what more can you want from a fighter? Sating he belongs in the WEC is just idiotic!
[quote comment=”389054″][quote comment=”389052″]i agree with john thatthere is still some pretty good potential matchups for light out Lytle. a fight with the Irish Hand Grenade would be awesome, as would the matchups you listed. IMO hes not that far behind the 2nd level of WWs. a couple of wins & he can be considered at the same level as “dont you know who i am” karo p. but he isnt there yet.[/quote]
u r absolutely right. Lytle needs to be respected. As a fan, what more can you want from a fighter? Sating he belongs in the WEC is just idiotic![/quote]
how about a “W” vs some1 top 10?.. nows his chance
It’s ridiculous that anyone would think Lytle would win this fight. Lytle is a game fighter, but he’s nowhere near the top of the food chain. People need to remember that being a decent boxer doesn’t automatically make a guy a top MMA striker. Lytle is by no means a lethal MMA striker.
Lytle is tailor-made for Koscheck’s LNP style. The best prediction is a lackluster blanket win for Kos. Lytle has no advantage whatsoever in this fight.
hey fred a decent boxer will always be a better stiker than a wrestler, even if the wrestler spends alot if time training his boxing. just like a mua thai boxer wont have the sub. skills of a BJJ guy. IMO a fighter has got to use what got him to the show weather it be striking, grappling. Lytle has got to use his standup which is his only advantage. i think trying to change from wrestler to striker is what cost Matt Hughes his title. Matt had no business trying to stand with stpierre,and he got his ass whooped for trying. if Kos stands & trades with Chris its going to be LIGHTSOUT for Josh.
Lytle has some good hands, I’d give him 9 out of 10 in that department, he could bang with anyone other than anderson silva. Koscheck has some real advantages here though, he’s very fast on his feet and can jump in and out of range quicker than lytle. Lytle will also be very concerned about koschecks wrestling which I’m pretty sure will make him tentative standing, I hope not but we’ll see. Gsp had a hard time stopping koschecks wrestling so lytle has no chance IMO.
Lytle will win this one. He wont let Kos lay on him. I see this by TKO or decision for Chris.
KOS should win easily, 1th or second round TKO; don’t see it going 3 rounds. YES I can’t stand the guy too. He was trying to piss on Chris Leben on the first ufc show while Chris was sleeping/drunk (don’t like that done to any person) but the better fighter should win and KOS is a better fighter then lytle.
FOR SURE!!!!!!!!!!