Josh Koscheck vs. Paulo Thiago rematch set for UFC 109

Can lightning strike twice? Paulo Thiago’s right uppercut to the chin of Josh Koscheck at UFC 95 resulted in one of the biggest upsets of the year that nobody cared about. No one could’ve predicted he’d be knocked out by the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. I know I took a little satisfaction in seeing Kos crumple to the mat, though.

Now, a rematch is being targeted for UFC 109, according to MMA Fanhouse. Koscheck is coming off an ugly win over Anthony Johnson at UFC 106 while Thiago beat Jacob Volkmann on the same card.

And while I understand the logic of it – Koscheck got caught and he wants to avenge the loss – I’d rather see him put in front of someone else in the welterweight division. The problem is he’s teammates with both Jon Fitch and Mike Swick, so it doesn’t leave a whole lot of options. He’s not getting another shot at champ Georges St. Pierre, at least not without another win or two, and at some point I have to expect he’ll have to put friendship aside to get the job done.