(I know what you’re wondering, and no, Fitch wasn’t able to finish that thing. Photo via VegasNews)

Out of action for most of 2011 due to the beating that Georges St. Pierre put on him last December, UFC welterweight contender Josh Koscheck is finally slated to return to the Octagon at UFC 139 (November 19th, San Jose). Koscheck announced the news himself via Twitter, adding that there’s a “good chance” he’ll be fighting at 185, a weight he hasn’t competed at since he dusted Chris Sanford at the TUF 1 Finale in April 2005.

Koscheck has spent the past year calling out larger fighters like Stephan Bonnar and Tito Ortiz, so the jump to middleweight isn’t much of a surprise. His opponent will be announced shortly. Unfortunately, Chris Leben is already scheduled to headline UFC 138 against Mark Munoz. (Probably meaningless observation: Somebody updated Koscheck’s Wikipedia page this morning with “Ed Herman” as his UFC 139 opponent, which makes as much sense as anybody else.)

The only question is, will Koscheck be booed in his own hometown? UFC 139 will be headlined by Koscheck’s AKA teammate Cain Velasquez defending his heavyweight belt against Junior Dos Santos, and will also feature Urijah Faber vs. Brian Bowles and Martin Kampmann vs. Rick Story.

(The UFC is calling this ‘a potential Fight of the Night’)

A welterweight scrap between Martin Kampmann and Rick Story has been added to UFC 139, which is scheduled for November 19 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.

The UFC announced the bout Wednesday.

(You don’t *have* to cover your face when you wear this shirt in public — but it couldn’t hurt. Props: Punch Buddies)

After Tuesday’s pep-talk, I’m happy to report that you guys got your acts together and started to produce quality work. So after sifting through the most recent wave of submissions for our Punch Buddies photoshop contest, we’ve chosen five runners-up, as well as two winners who will score “Young Assassin” t-shirts. Check out the Melvin Gulllard-themed brilliance after the jump.

(Props: KosmmaLLC via WRESTLENOW)

As we all know, Josh Koscheck isn’t a bad guy — he’s just a misunderstood victim of selective editing. And now that he’s put together his own reality show, we can finally get to know the man as he really is.

Just kidding. The above “sizzle reel” from Koscheck’s latest entertainment venture does absolutely nothing to dispel his A-hole persona. The show opens with the insane premise that a former attorney named David Spitz quit his job to become Josh’s personal whipping-boy, living under the slave-name Chuy. “I don’t have very many friends,” Josh says, “but the friends that I have, I try to keep dear and close to me.” Cut to Josh de-pantsing one of his “friends,” then kicking him to the floor.

(“I’d rather lose the best fight of my life than win the worst.” Photo courtesy of Sherdog)

On August 14th, Chris Lytle will step into the Octagon for the 20th time in his career, when he squares off against Dan Hardy at the aptly-named UFC Live: Hardy vs. Lytle in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It will be Lytle’s first-ever headlining bout for the UFC — as well as an opportunity to re-claim the title of “Most Bonus-Worthy Fighter in UFC History.” (He currently shares the honor with Anderson Silva and Joe Lauzon.) We recently spoke to “Lights Out” about some of his most memorable UFC fights, his upcoming scrap against Hardy, his crowd-pleasing style, and the tough lessons he’s learned along the way. Enjoy…

CHRIS LYTLE vs. BEN EARWOOD — Lytle’s UFC debut
UFC 28, 11/17/00
Result: Defeat via unanimous decision

“I’d been fighting for less than two years at the time, but as soon as I started training, I got really involved in watching the UFC. I knew who all the key guys were and I knew it was the pinnacle of the sport, so it was my goal to be there. We only fought two five-minute rounds [at UFC 28], and they’d started having fighters wear gloves not too long before, so it was just way different. Earwood was more of a wrestler — he just tried to hold me down. I don’t think they stood us up once.

Back then I was training with Jason Godsey and a few other guys maybe two or three times a week. Every one of us had real jobs, full-time jobs, and this was something we did for fun. I definitely felt like we were good fighters — Jason was King of Pancrase, and beat a lot of good guys — but we didn’t train every day. And after that fight I kind of realized…I didn’t feel like Earwood was any better of a fighter than me, I just felt like he had a better gameplan than I did, he stuck with it, and he trained more than I did.

Josh Koscheck posted a series of cryptic message on his Twitter page today explaining that he asked the UFC to let him have just one fight at middleweight at UFC 138 in November before he returns to compete at 170, however he didn’t name who the opponent is that he asked for.

In an interview I did with Kos a couple months ago for the latest issue of Fighters Only Magazine prior to him gaining clearance from his doctors to resume training following a serious eye injury he sustained in his last bout against UFC welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre in December, the outspoken 33-year-old expressed his desire to become a moneyweight fighter. He named two potential opponents he’s like to face if he moved up in weight, and one of them happened to be a 185′er.

“I think I still have all the tools to compete at the highest level and I believe I have the toughness necessary to be successful and to become champion one day. I want the toughest fights. I’ll fight anybody, any time, any place,” he asserted. “Anybody who wants to fight me I’ll take on. Whether it’s Bisping at 185, Tito Ortiz at 205 — bring it on. I’m a money fighter. Show me the money and I’ll fight.”

(“…and I want water made from the iceberg the Titanic hit and….”)

When Strikeforce announced over the weekend that Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos, who lost to Nick Diaz in his last fight in January, would  be facing Paul Daley – Diaz’s last victim – on SF’s July 30 card,  it was surprising to hear murmurs that the winner might take home the promotion’s vacant strap for a number of reasons.

Smug © (Pic: Zimbio.com)

Perhaps we were all a little quick to bag on Josh Koscheck for taking a legal dump on “Trash Talkin’ Kids“, Stephan Bonnar’s new irreverent line of MMA shirts. True, he does have a track record of being kind of a dick, but this wouldn’t be the first time that we’ve jumped to conclusions about the UFC Welterweight only to back track a little. Lesson learned. From now on, we’ll reserve judgment until all of the facts are in and give Kos the benefit of the doubt. Nah, not really, but here’s the latest on this story.

Koscheck sat down with the folks at BleacherReport.com to give his side of the tale. According to Kos, his problem with the shirt in question has nothing to do with being the butt of a joke, but rather stems from a preexisting exclusive contract.

(The ‘Josh Kosh M’Gosh’: Taken from us too soon. Props: facebook.com/TrashTalkinKids)

Due to his unauthorized depiction in the “Trash Talkin’ Kids” t-shirt line, UFC star Josh Koscheck is suing NGAUGE, the MMA artwork and apparel company co-founded by Stephan Bonnar. NGAUGE was officially served with notice of the lawsuit yesterday morning.

Though a source at NGAUGE told us that reaction from the other fighters depicted in the shirt series (including Georges St. Pierre and Brock Lesnar) has been uniformly positive, Koscheck apparently didn’t see the humor in being associated with a brand of children’s overalls. Which is too bad, because that shit is kind of hilarious.

(Bader beat him. K-Sos beat him. Lawlor beat him. Now he’s one of the toughest prospects in the light-heavyweight division — proving once again that shaving your head is always a good career move. Photo props to UFC.com)

Not to pee-pee on Tony Ferguson‘s parade, but winning The Ultimate Fighter is no guarantee of success in the UFC. On the other hand, getting eliminated while in the TUF house is no guarantee of failure either. In fact, some of today’s most dangerous UFC contenders are guys who entered the promotion through the reality show, but didn’t even get to fight for the glass trophy. In the wake of Saturday’s TUF 13 Finale, here’s how I’d rank the Top 10 non-finalists from The Ultimate Fighter, based on their current standing in the promotion…

#1: Gray Maynard

On TUF: Was choked out by Nate Diaz in the semi-finals of season 5.
These days: Drew with Frankie Edgar in his first lightweight title challenge in January, but will get another crack at the belt later this year. His pair of title fights against Edgar follow an eight-fight win streak in the Octagon, which included a decision win against Diaz in a rematch last year.

#2: Josh Koscheck

On TUF: Lost a split-decision to Diego Sanchez in the semi-finals of season 1.
These days: A perennial top contender in the welterweight division, Kos will be one of the front-runners for the belt if GSP ever leaves the division; until then, he’ll just have to be content with being “right up there.”

(Click for larger versions. And take some time to consider what this says about your personalities, you sadistic sons-of-bitches.)

After two days of voting for our Trash Talkin’ Kids t-shirt design finalists, the Potato Nation has made it clear that their two favorites are Chris C.’s “Lost Kos” shirt — which ended up way ahead of the pack with 23.4% of the vote — and Michael P’s “Wake Up Chuck!”, which collected 16.5% of the vote. Grease St. Pierre (15.7%) and Hematoma Hominick (15.2%) were close behind, if that makes you feel any better. The full results can be seen in handy bar graph form here.

So, Chris and Michael, you lucky, lucky boys, please e-mail contest@cagepotato.com with your address, shirt size, and choice of real Trash Talkin’ Kids t-shirts from the designs below. Thanks to TTK for making this happen, and for everybody who designed, voted, and commented. We’ve got more free swag to give away next week, so stay tuned…

(“Don’t be scared, homie.”)

By Matthew Kaplowitz

Honor. Respect. Discipline. These are the keys to being a good sport. Whether your arm is raised in victory or your head is hung low in defeat, a good fighter maintains his decorum in every situation. Unless you’re a jerk.

Every major sport has an athlete with a temporary lapse in judgment that causes them to do something they will regret later, and MMA is no different. In this sport, two people are locked in a cage and expected to beat one another until the other can take no more, so it only makes sense that some of these would spill out into a second fight if not for a hefty security team. That brings us to the top ten post-fight brawls, where the action keeps going after the bell and turns into one giant debacle that ruins the rest of the night! Don’t take your mouthpiece out or unwrap your gloves just yet, we are just getting started!

(Video courtesy of YouTube/WoodysGamerTag)

The Internet would be clogged up with a lot less bullshit if commenters and trolls had to eventually meet the guys they talk trash about, especially if the subject of their vitriol were a professional fighter.

The dude above is lucky that he called out Joe Lauzon and not Josh Koscheck, or he might be in a bit more pain. Koscheck once posted a message on his MS page that if anyone talking smack about his fighting prowess wanted to see how good he was, they could come into his American Kickboxing Academy satellite gym and find out.

Here’s a video of a guy who thought he could take the UFC welterweight.

Josh Koscheck Fights a Fan by BaDaBooM80

Kos and J-Lau aren’t the only guys who have answered an Internet challenge.

(Lightweights, man. Can’t live with them, can’t unnecessarily pad your record without them. Pic: Heavy)

One way or another, the welterweight division will look dramatically different come the end of UFC 129. Either Mike Goldberg will be screaming about how “the Jake Shields era has begun in the UFC” while the Skrap Pack carries him around the cage on their shoulders, or GSP will be standing in line at the all-you-can eat pasta bar wondering how he’s ever going to pack on enough pounds to look like a credible middleweight. No matter what, the landscape will be changed.

Either that, or GSP will just blow through Shields like Tank Abbott through a 4-pack of Budweiser Cheladas and decide he wants to stay at welterweight (and just keep beating up the Thiago Alveses, Jon Fitches and Josh Koschecks of the world) until his RushFit stock options mature enough to put him on Easy Street. To us at least, the first option is starting to sound more and more acceptable each day. In spite of that impending shakeup, we present to you our picks for the top five welterweights in MMA. These lists will only be current for the next 60 days or so, so get them while they’re hot …

(Chris Tuchscherer)

From Fedor Emelianenko to Dwayne Lewis, gruesome eye injuries are so hot right now in MMA. So we thought we’d make them the subject of our latest photo tribute. Because it’s all fun and games until…you know. Lots more after the jump.

(Marcus Davis)

Jon Fitch has gotten used to the fact that he may never get a title shot. He’s been promised one for a while now, but the UFC seems to keep yanking the opportunity away right before Fitch can grab it.

The problem isn’t that the American Kickboxing Academy fighter isn’t winning fights (he’s undefeated since 2009), it’s that he hasn’t finished an opponent in nearly four years, and for the UFC to base a pay-per-view on a main card fight between a round-winner like Fitch and an a decision-centric fighter like UFC welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre who hasn’t stopped a fight since 2009 would be a major gamble.

Both the UFC’s president Dana White and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta have long proclaimed that they don’t care if their contracted fighters win every bout as long as they come to fight and perform their best. Fitch seems more content with doing what he needs to outpoint his opponents and coast to a victory, which doesn’t bode well with the promotion’s brass, the fans or the media as it makes for a boring and formulaic fight. THAT’S why White rescinded a proclamation that the winner of Fitch’s UFC 124 bout with Thiago Alves would get the next crack at St-Pierre after Fitch took the decision and THAT’S why he has now said that neither fighter involved in the main event majority draw Saturday night at UFC 127 will likely be next in line for the winner of April’s GSP vs. Jake Shields bout.

(A milion bucks would buy a wicked PC, a shit ton of weed and a pretty wicked bulletin board.)

Strikeforce held a conference call today ahead of its January 29 Diaz vs. Cyborg event in San Jose, and as expected Diaz proved to be the main of interest.

Overshadowing his upcoming fight with Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos were Nick Diaz’s incendiary replies to the media’s questions about him turning down a fight with longtime nemesis Jason "Mayhem" Miller and his thoughts on the UFC’s welterweight class.

According to the Strikeforce welterweight champ, he feels that for the fight with Miller to happen, he would have to be offered at least seven figures and that highly-touted UFC fighters like Georges St-Pierre (who he thinks will be destroyed by his training partner Jake Shields at UFC 129) and Josh Koscheck are over-hyped and protected by the promotion.

Surprisingly, not one reporter thought to ask Diaz if he was high during the call.

Check out some of the highlights of Diaz’s diatribes after the jump.

("I don’t care if it tastes good. I distinctly told you Blueberry Freeze. Danaher told me Rasberry Rush will make me go bald." Photo credit Brian D’Souza.)

UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre today made the second major change to his professional entourage in the past few months.

After amicably splitting from longtime strength and conditioning coach Jonathan Chaimberg prior to his UFC 124 bout with Josh Koscheck in December, St-Pierre announced today that he is moving on from his relationship with manager Shari Spencer and will be announcing new representation soon.

In a joint press release issued today by the French Canadian fighter and his now former manager, the pair explained that they "had a different vision for the future of Georges’ career and it was best to remain close personally but dissolve their business relationship." Spencer, who also manages UFC lightweight champ Frankie Edgar has represented St-Pierre since 2007.

Sources tell Cage Potato that St-Pierre’s split with Chaimberg, although an amicable one, was allegedly due to similar differences of opinion the two shared regarding the unorganized direction St-Pierre’s training was taking.

As we recently learned, the next season of The Ultimate Fighter will be coached by a grumpy mountain man who probably won’t spend any more time on set than he absolutely needs to, and a Brazilian dynamo whose grasp on the English language is limited to simple phrases like “I believe too much in my boxing” and “tub you are a cold — so we’re not expecting a verbal rivalry on par with Tito/Ken or Rampage/Rashad. Still, it’s TUF, so somebody’s gonna get told at some point. Can this season’s insults possibly stack up to some of our past favorites?

#5: “You’re like an expert swimmer who’s never been in a pool.”

Matt Serra’s epic dress-down of Marc Laimon was his star-making moment — and a firm bitch-smack to every sideline-hater who talks tough without any intention of actually backing up his words. A year later, Serra was coaching that damn show.

#4: “Bro, you’re a male nurse.”