Bout agreements have been signed and the fight is now official: Cincinnati-area fighter Dustin Hazelett (10-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC) will face “The Ultimate Fighter 1” standout Josh Koscheck (9-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) at UFC 82 — an event that takes place March 1 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.
The latest official addition to the UFC 82 fight card further bolsters an already-star-studded event. (In fact, the fight card is so full that at least one big name is likely to end up on the preliminary card).
Koscheck last competed in August against Georges St. Pierre; the winner of the fight was guaranteed a title shot. St. Pierre controlled the fight for a unanimous-decision victory, though Koscheck was far from dominated in the three-round bout. The loss snapped Koscheck’s five-fight win streak, which included a pivotal victory over “The Ultimate Fighter 1” winner Diego Sanchez at UFC 69.
Koscheck, though, now finds himself in a tough spot. A win over the little-publicized Hazelett won’t necessarily improve his stock, but a loss could make him tumble in the 170-pound rankings.
And Hazelett’s anything but a slouch, owning a three-fight win streak that includes a 74-second submission victory over MMA veteran Jonathan Goulet in September.
At just 21 years old, he’s one of the UFC’s most promising prospects. In fact, Hazelett has won seven of his past eight fights. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt is a training partner to the likes of Jorge Gurgel, Rich Franklin, Marcus Davis, Joe Riggs and other Team Gurgel fighters.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Dustin Hazelett vs. Josh Koscheck Set For UFC 82
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment