Josh Koscheck vs. Chris Lytle Likely for UFC 86

Originally posted by Dann Stupp [mmajunkie] on Mar 26, 2008 at 8:00 am in

- News -

Welterweight contender Josh Koscheck (10-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) and "The Ultimate Fighter 4" runner-up Chris Lytle (25-15-5 MMA, 4-7 UFC) will likely meet at UFC 86.

Rumors of Lytle's involvement in the event surfaced last week, but Ken Pavia, Lytle's manager, would only tell MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that Lytle got a "big opponent" for the event. Since then, a sponsor for one of the fighters tells us the fight is close to being announced.

The bout is destined for the main card of UFC 86, which takes place July 5 in Las Vegas,

Koscheck is coming off a victory over Dustin Hazelett at UFC 82. The youngster gave Koscheck a tough fight, but the American Kickboxing Academy fighter eventually ended it with a second-round knockout.

The fight was Koscheck's first since an August loss to Georges St. Pierre, which snapped his five-fight win streak and cost him a shot at the title.

He'll now take on the veteran Lytle, who most recently stopped UFC newcomer Kyle Bradley with a 33-second TKO at UFC 81.

"The Ultimate Fighter 4" welterweight runner-up previously battled Thiago Alves at UFC 78, where each fighter earned a $55,000 "Fight of the Night" bonus for the performance. The back-and-forth, up-and-down battle included knockdowns from both fighters. However, the fight was stopped after the second round because of a cut over Lytle's eye.

Lytle has now won three of his past four fights.

For the latest UFC 86 fight card, check out the UFC Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.