UFC 95 Koscheck vs. Paulo Thiago - The 0 will go
by Robby Maddux
Josh ''Kos'' Koscheck (14-3-0) vs. Paulo Thiago (10-0-0)
Undefeated Brazilian force Paulo Thiago (+350) makes his UFC debut while putting his perfect record on the line against one bad dude named Josh Koscheck (-500). Kos will be making his third trip to the Octagon in less than four months, as he looks to welcome the UFC rookie to the world's top MMA series in a rude manner.
Thiago has mostly fought in his young and bright career for Brazil's Jungle Fight promotion in his native country. Thiago will try to show Kos and online UFC wagering fans why he's never been defeated as a hefty sports betting underdog in his UFC debut match in the opening bout on the main card.
Kos is coming off a devastating knockout of Japanese fighter Yoshiyuki Yoshida in the main feature in the UFC-Fight for the Troops event. Yoshida was starring up at the lights in just 2:15 seconds into the fight.
Prior to his impressive win over Yoshida, Kos fought No. 1 welterweight contender Thiago Alves, taking the fight with three weeks notice in place of injured Diego Sanchez. Alves was the faster and stronger man with better strikes, rocking him throughout the fight. Despite showcasing conditioning that's rock-solid, the three-round decision went to Alves.
Thiago is a submission artist but has shown an improved standup game in particularly in his last two wins. His most recent win came by way of TKO over Luis Dutra Jr. at Jungle Fight 11 in September of 2008. At Jungle Fight 10 in July of 2008 Thiago again demonstrated his striking skills against Ferrid Kheder, which included crisp combinations accompanied by athletic spinning kicks to score the decision win over Kheder.
Analysis: Kos is one of the elite fighters in the UFC who can matchup with any welterweight, because of his well rounded game. He has a solid wrestling background that's finely tuned to perfection, and his takedown defense and improving striking skills makes it easy to see why he's receiving overwhelming respect of oddsmakers.
To pull the upset, Thiago will need to surpass ''big stage'' nerves in his biggest and most high profile fight. He must also takedown Kos to utilize his submission skills. Too much pressure and Kos in this one, but expect a stellar showing from the biggest underdog on the main card listed in the BetUS UFC odds.
Free UFC Picks: Josh ''Kos'' Koscheck -500 (Round 3 submission)
