The UFC’s welterweight division is known for being one of the toughest weight classes in the sport. Georges St. Pierre is lauded for the way he ruled over that division for years, and now the current champion Robbie Lawler is attempting to carve out his legacy atop the 170-pound mountain. Yet this weekend’s UFC 184 card features a bout between two men who never achieved that title, and who now may be facing their last chances to perform in the Octagon. Josh Koscheck vs. Jake Ellenberger may be higher up on the card than some of the other fights, but they are fighting to maintain their spots on the roster nonetheless.
It’s rare that two fighters on three-fight losing streaks are featured near the top of a UFC pay-per-view main card. Yet Koscheck and Ellenberger have each endured a string of luck in their respective careers that would have seen most cut from the promotion. Koscheck is fighting for the first time in more than a year. Fans last saw him when he was demolished by Tyron Woodley at UFC 167. Ellenberger is returning to the cage after suffering a defeat at the hands of Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 180.
However, some may argue that both of these fighters have so much value that the UFC would rather keep them on the payroll than let an organization like Bellator MMA snap them up. The second-largest promotion in the world, Bellator has made it clear that it will use fighters who have built their names in the UFC to increase the awareness of its brand. Just look at Thursday’s announcement of UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock being brought in to face Kimbo Slice on June 20th. If these two men can sign checks with Viacom, best believe that both Koscheck and Ellenberger have value there as well.
But regardless of that fact, is this the point in the game that the UFC should finally get over it, and let fighters on losing skids go, even if they are big names in the sport? The answer is a resounding yes.
UFC decision makers decided against adding the likes of a Ben Askren to their ranks, but they have allowed men like Koscheck and Ellenberger back into the cage, even though it is clear that neither of them will rise to the top of the welterweight division. Both have recently fallen to many of the top guys in the weight class, including the current champion Lawler. The promotion should no longer provide these men with major paydays if they are unable to perform at the quality they were once known for.
Thankfully, the UFC did not make this match the UFC 184 co-main event. Instead, Holly Holm vs. Raquel Pennington will sit in that slot, making this the first PPV ever to have a main and co-main event feature women’s bouts. Putting Koscheck-Ellenberger in that spot instead would have spoken volumes about the level of faith that the company has in women’s MMA. In Holm, the UFC has a fighter who is one or two wins away from a title shot, something that neither Koscheck nor Ellenberger can currently claim. That they have been contenders in the past is not enough justification to elevate this matchup above that highly relevant women’s bantamweight pairing.
There’s no doubt that Jake Ellenberger and Josh Koscheck have had their moments in their UFC careers, times that they looked like true threats to carry the UFC’s 170-pound title. Unfortunately for them both, that moment never came. UFC 184 could be the last time they ever compete in the Octagon. Hopefully they both perform well above what is expected, and make this fight count.
• Josh Koscheck vs. Jake Ellenberger
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UFC 184: Rousey vs. Zingano (formerly UFC 184: Weidman vs. Belfort) is due to take place on February 28, 2015 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
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