"What Hughes and Koscheck Must Do To Win"

UFC 135 could be the last time Matt Hughes fights if he loses, but if he defeats Koshcheck he could ask for a few more fights. UFC 135 will be the first fight he's had since he last December when he lost to GSP by unanimous decision. Koscheck has been asking for Hughes, and now gets him cause of Diego Sanchez pulling out with a hand injury.

Fighting Matt Hughes gives Koscheck a opportunity to probably retire one of the great welterweights that's already in the UFC hall of fame. However going into this fight will rust, and timing be a factor for Koscheck. If so, than how long in the fight will it take Koscheck getting adjusted. Koscheck has all of the tools in MMA to be capable of beating a legend like Hughes. Koscheck could finish Hughes standing with a knockout, because he's got great boxing hands that's put some welterweights away like Yoshida and UFC legend Frank Trigg. He's beaten down, and submitted Anthony Johnson that's an enormous fighter. So, Koscheck is just as dangerous on the ground as he is standing. It will be interesting to see where Koscheck wants to take this fight against Hughes, but I think he needs to spend more time on the offensive end to avoid giving Hughes control of the fight.

One of the things that make fighters with wrestling backgrounds great for mix martial arts is their ability to control fight, and Hughes has been great at that. Koscheck as well got a wrestling background, but its him standing that gives him an advantage against Hughes. Wrestling is where both fighters could be equal, so wrestling Koscheck is where Hughes may take it. If so, than I think Hughes needs to put the pressure on Koscheck early in the fight to keep him on the offensive end. This is a good idea, since timing could be an issue for Koscheck. I think Hughes would need to put the pressure on early, and take this fight to the ground to where this fight could swing into the favor of Hughes.

For Hughes, or Koscheck to win this fight one of them must keep the other person on the offensive. Kosheck may want to keep this standing, because this is where he has a big advantage over Hughes. Hughes definitely wants this fight to get to the ground, and he wants to take it their early to avoid standing with Koscheck. So whoever controls this fight early could be the one being victorious at UFC 135.