UFC
UFC 143's Mike Pierce plans to break Josh Koscheck physically and mentally
Feb 1, 2012 - 11:25:06 AM UFC 143's Mike Pierce plans to break Josh Koscheck physically and mentally

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

When Georges St-Pierre tore his ACL, taking him out of a UFC 143 title fight with Nick Diaz, it had a ripple effect to the card. Carlos Condit got moved out of a fight with Josh Koscheck and into the bout with Diaz, leaving Koscheck without an opponent.

That opening provided Mike Pierce with one of the biggest opportunities of his career. Pierce, who has gone 5-2 in seven fights in the organization, has only lost by decision to two top-flight welterweights in Jon Fitch and Johny Hendricks. Now, he has another chance to try to get a win over a top-ten opponent.

For his part, Koscheck doesn't think much of Pierce's skill set, and has made comments recently about how he'll "make an example" out of Pierce in Las Vegas this weekend. However, Pierce doesn't see things that way, and absolutely believes he knows the way to defeat Koscheck.

"I think you just press the pace on him and wear him down," Pierce said in an interview with Ariel Helwani on Monday's MMA Hour at MMAFighting.com. "I tend to think he's kind of got that bully style where if he goes in there and starts beating someone up, he gets that momentum going, and it's kind of hard to stop him. But if you come at him from the opening bell and put the pressure on him, and get inside his head and show him that he's not in the fight, he's just going to give up and break down."

Koscheck's UFC losses are to Georges St-Pierre (twice), Paulo Thiago, and Thiago Alves, and outside of the flash knockdown by Paulo Thiago, it's only been St-Pierre and Alves that have pressed the pace on him effectively. Pierce thinks he can do the same, and that's how he thinks Saturday's fight will go.

"I want to just press the action on Josh and watch him break down," Pierce said. "Nothing gives me more pleasure than watching a guy mentally and physically give up and then having the referee pull me off of him. That's what I want."

Penick's Analysis: Pierce is a very talented wrestler, but he's come up short against the two best fighters he's faced in the UFC thus far. Koscheck is right up there with Fitch and Hendricks in the welterweight division, and will be another really tough test for him, but we have seen him surprise people with his bullying style before. If he can come out of the gate pressing the pace and make Koscheck fight his fight, he absolutely has the skills to win, but he's going to need to put forth one of his career-best performances against a perennial difficult opponent in Koscheck.