UFC
UFC NEWS: Josh Koscheck out for at least six months, thinks Jake Shields is an "easy fight" for GSP
Feb 1, 2011 - 1:55:08 PM UFC NEWS: Josh Koscheck out for at least six months, thinks Jake Shields is an "easy fight" for GSP

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Josh Koscheck's got a bit of downtime after his loss to Georges St. Pierre in December.

The welterweight revealed in an interview with MMAJunkie.com that he will be out of action for at least six months following successful surgery to repair a broken orbital bone suffered in the fight. According to Koscheck, the entire right side of his face is still numb from the surgery, and his doctors have limited his physical activity to walking during recovery.

"Georges beat me fair and square that night," Koscheck said. "He's a better fighter, but I think that the first punch of the fight was when I broke my eye. So I thought that it was definitely bad luck on my behalf. That's life. He threw the punch, and it was a good punch. I definitely think the fight would have been a lot different if that wasn't the case."

Despite the demoralizing defeat, Koscheck still plans on getting back to the top, though he knows he's got a long road ahead of him.

"I'll continue to grind and build my way up to being the No. 1 contender and put myself back in the position," he said. "Right now, that's so far away for me. I still have five months of recovery."

Koscheck also commented on St. Pierre's next opponent, Jake Shields. Those two will meet in on April 30 in the main event of the UFC's first ever event in Toronto, and while he doesn't believe Shields will be much for the Champ, he was complimentary of the challenger's skills.

"I think it's an easy fight for Georges if he plays a smart game plan," he said. "But Jake Shields is definitely a good fighter. He's got some weapons. He's got a good guillotine, and he's vicious on top."

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Penick's Analysis: Koscheck turned around the tone of his comments once the fight was over. He was humbled by the one-sided loss, and though much of his pre-fight trash talk was for show, his change in attitude and respect for the champion is still good to see. He's now got to sit around and recover from this surgery, but he'll be a challenge for any 170 lb. fighter he gets put in against when he's ready to come back.

[Josh Koscheck art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]