Yoshida on his upcoming fight

[tn94z]

For Japanese judoka Yoshiyuki Yoshida, the excitement to finally get his second fight in the Octagon is about to hit a fever pitch. He will headline the upcoming UFC Fight for the Troops card on Dec. 10 in Fayetteville, N.C. against Josh Koscheck.

After Karo Parisyan was forced out of their scheduled bout at UFC 88 in September just 24 hours away from the bout, Yoshida had to face disappointment instead of a challenge, but he remained hopeful for a big fight in his future.

"It was really hard. I trained very hard for that fight and of course I cut weight for that fight. So if I have a chance, I do like to ask Karo how is he doing though, but since I am not the one who pulled out of that fight, I believe I had a right to fight first (before Karo), and UFC did make a fight for me, so I really appreciate that," Yoshida told MMAWeekly.com in an exclusive interview.

"This (opponent canceling the fight) also does happen a lot in an intense sport like MMA, so I am not thinking too much about it anymore. I just wait for UFC to decide my opponent and I train hard to win that fight. That's all now."

His new opponent, Josh Koscheck, took a fight on short notice against Thiago Alves at UFC 90, which could have caused a problem for the Dec. 10 fight, but everything worked out and Yoshida will still face the American Kickboxing Academy fighter.

"First of all, I would like to say thank you to Josh Koscheck for taking this fight," Yoshida stated. "Ever since I was told that my next opponent is Koscheck, for the past two months or so, I have been training thinking about just fighting Koscheck. Physical strength, wrestling, and boxing - I believe, in those departments, Koscheck is better than me, so I have been working hard on that."

In this fight, Yoshida will face not only a Top 5 welterweight, but also a very physically strong wrestler that will demand his every attention.

"Ever since I signed with the UFC, I am ready to fight anybody. For me this is nothing but a huge opportunity," said Yoshida of facing Koscheck. " I would like to use my brain to fight. By utilizing (my) opponent's strength to win the fight, that is the magical formula of judo."

The other opportunity that Yoshida relishes is the chance to headline a major UFC event in only his second fight, but he remains humble as well.

"I really appreciate this opportunity UFC has created for me, but this fight is a headliner because Koscheck is a very popular fighter," Yoshida commented. "And of course, he is one of the Top 10 welterweights in the world, and I am sure most people won't even think about me winning this fight. But I am telling you this now, you are going to be surprised by the outcome of fight!"

And what is Yoshida's prediction for the way the fight will finish?

"I know it's going to be a tough fight. But I want to win and survive in this very deep UFC welterweight division," Yoshida said. "And of course, I would like to finish the fight with a judo move."

He also mentioned his sponsors that keep him going during the training and preparation for this upcoming fight against Koscheck.

"I would like to thank my sponsors. Sprawl has been so great with me from the day one. I am very proud to be wearing Sprawl to fight in the UFC. Also, I would like to thank Manto, CondomDepot.com, BudoVideo.com, GymSoap.com, Everybodygreen.com, and Simullingua translation services for their endless support."

I think Yoshida will pull it off. He is a great fighter and will be tough for Kos to beat.

[FUZO]

Re: Yoshida on his upcoming fight

I wonder if koz wins will dana bring him back

[tn94z]

Re: Yoshida on his upcoming fight

Here is an interview that states his future after this fight is still uncertain. It sounds like it is more than signing a contract for name rights....

During this week’s edition of ESPN.com’s MMA Live, Franklin McNeil of the NewarK Star-Ledger stated that UFC welterweight Josh Koscheck has not signed the infamous merchandising and licensing agreement that was one of the contributing factors for Jon Fitch’s brief release from the UFC last month.

Koscheck is a teammate of Fitch’s at the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose and is also represented by the same management company, Zinkin Entertainment. The former NCAA wrestling standout is set to face Yoshiyuki Yoshida at “UFC Fight Night 16: UFC Fight for the Troops” on Dec. 10 in Fayatteville, North Carolina.

McNeil expressed uncertainty as to whether Koscheck will continue fighting for the UFC following the bout’s conclusion.

“If he loses - and even if he wins - this may the last fight he has in the UFC,” said McNeil. “As far as I know, he hasn’t signed the licensing agreement and has no intention of signing it.”

At the time of Fitch’s release, UFC President Dana White denied reports that he was released for his refusal to sign a contract with the UFC that would grant the company lifetime rights to his likeness for the purpose of future video game releases. Instead, White indicated the release was the result of strained relations with Fitch’s camp.

“(The release) doesn’t have to do with Jon Fitch either,” White said during a Nov. 19 interview on “The Carmichael Dave Show” on KHTK radio in Sacramento. “I like Jon Fitch. I’ve never had a bad word with Jon Fitch. The problem is with the idiots that run AKA. I won’t use any names; the idiots know who they are.”

During an exclusive interview with CBSSports.com last month, Koscheck refused to respond to questions pertaining to the controversy between his camp and the UFC.

“I don’t think I’m really going to comment on it too much so that’s pretty much all I’ve got to say on the whole thing,” Koscheck began to respond when asked about the highly-publicised spat. “I’m not focused on the problems of contracts or the whole AKA and Zinkin Entertainment vs. the UFC thing. I’m focused on Yoshida on Dec. 10 and that’s where my priorities are right now.”

The day after Fitch’s release, reports surfaced that the former welterweight title challenger had contacted UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta and had opted to sign the video game licensing agreement. At the time, the reports also indicated that communication between the UFC and AKA/Zinkin had resumed in hopes of coming to a resolution regarding Koscheck and undefeated heavyweight prospect Cain Velasquez.

Velasquez reportedly has said he has every intention of remaining with the UFC, however, McNeil’s recent comments cast a shadow of doubt regarding Koscheck’s future with the promotion.