UFC 157 News: Josh Koscheck vs. Robbie Lawler On Tap

UFC 157 just booked another compelling fight in the welterweight division as Josh Koscheck will welcome Robbie Lawler back to the octagon.  Lawler hasn’t fought inside the UFC since 2004 against the late Evan Tanner.  He will be looking to revitalize his career, and Koscheck will be one of his most difficult opponents to date.

Koscheck is coming off a split decision loss to Johny Hendricks.  It was a back and forth war where Koscheck would get some good exchanges in the stand up portion of the fight, and he also got Hendricks to the ground on several occasions.  However, Josh would lose the decision, which certainly frustrated Koscheck in the post-fight interview.

Robbie Lawler is also coming off a loss to Lorenz Larkin under the Strikeforce banner, where he would get taken down on numerous occasions.  If he wants to remain competitive against Koscheck, who is one of the best wrestlers in MMA, he will need to shore up these wrestling deficiencies.  He has only won three out of his last eight fights, so this will more than likely be his last stand to be considered an elite fighter.

Both of these fighters have knockout power in both hands, so it will be entertaining if the bout remains on the feet.  However, Koscheck holds a significant grappling advantage and he will more than like take this fight to the ground and look for the submission.  Lawler has shown deficiencies in this area too, so this is the path least resistance for Koscheck.

Regardless of the winner, it should make to be an exciting bout for the fans, and takes place at UFC 157 in February.