By The Numbers: Josh Koscheck

Brian KnappJan 06, 2022


Josh Koscheck was undeniably talented and unabashedly abrasive, and he spent the better part of a decade as a lightning rod for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Koscheck was a four-time NCAA All-American wrestler at Edinboro University in Pennsylvania, where he won a national championship in 2001. He made a seamless transition to mixed martial arts some three years later as a member of the revered American Kickboxing Academy and recorded two wins on the regional circuit before being cast on Season 1 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” Koscheck used his semifinal run on the reality show as a springboard into the UFC, where he enjoyed an extended stay as a Top 10 contender. He peaked in 2010 and challenged Georges St. Pierre for the undisputed welterweight crown, ultimately losing a five-round unanimous decision to an all-time great in the UFC 124 main event at the Bell Centre in Montreal. Father Time was not kind to Koscheck, who closed his career on a six-fight losing streak. He announced his retirement on June 28, 2018.

Now nearly four years removed from Koscheck’s departure, a look at some of the numbers that accompanied him throughout his journey:

44: Years of age for Koscheck, who was born on Nov. 30, 1977 in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania.

4: Organizations in which Koscheck competed. He went 15-10 in the UFC, 1-0 in Ring of Combat, 1-0 in King of the Rockies and 0-1 in Bellator MMA.

24: Koscheck appearances as a UFC welterweight, placing him fourth on the promotion’s all-time list at 170 pounds. Only Matt Brown (28), Thiago Alves (26) and Neil Magny (25) have more.

6: Koscheck wins by knockout or technical knockout, accounting for 35% of his career total (17). His list of victims includes Matt Hughes, Frank Trigg, Yoshiyuki Yoshida and Dustin Hazelett. Koscheck owns four other wins by submission and seven more by decision.

85: Seconds needed for Koscheck to dispatch Trigg with punches at UFC 103 on Sept. 19, 2009. While it occurred nearly nine years before his retirement, it remained the fastest finish on his resume.

345,000: Post-fight bonus dollars banked by Koscheck as a member of the UFC roster. He was awarded “Knockout of the Night” on twice, “Fight of the Night” on two occasions and “Knockout of the Night” once.

12: Calendar years in which Koscheck fought at least once. He went 2-0 in 2004, 2-1 in 2005, 4-0 in 2006, 1-1 in 2007, 3-1 in 2008, 2-1 in 2009, 1-1 in 2010, 1-0 in 2011, 1-1 in 2012, 0-2 in 2013, 0-2 in 2015 and 0-1 in 2017.

5: Consecutive victories for Koscheck between April 6, 2006 and April 7, 2007, as he defeated Ansar Chalangov, Dave Menne, Jonathan Goulet, Jeff Joslin and Diego Sanchez in succession. It was the longest such streak of his 28-fight career.

42: Rounds completed by Koscheck as a professional. He went the distance 11 times and compiled a 7-4 record in those bouts.

.680: Cumulative winning percentage between the 10 men—St. Pierre (twice), Alves, Mauricio Alonso, Erick Silva, Jake Ellenberger, Tyron Woodley, Robbie Lawler, Johny Hendricks, Paulo Thiago and Drew Fickett—who beat Koscheck. They sport a combined record of 240-113.