UFC: Koscheck contemplated kneeing Ellenberger in the groin to escape choke

With the injury bug claiming victims at the most inopportune times, short notice fights have become a common occurrence inside the Octagon. The latest fighter to fill in as a late replacement is UFC welterweight staple, Josh Koscheck, who will be replacing the injured Ben Saunders in a contest with Erick Silva this Saturday at UFC Fight Night 62.

Koscheck made his last appearance at UFC 184 where he was submitted by Jake Ellenberger via a north-south choke. The referee's indecision about waving off the bout was a cause of concern for many, as the end of the fight was a gruesome scene, showing a wide-eyed fighter being choked to the point that he was foaming at the mouth.

In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, the 37-year-old California resident stated that he was also concerned with the pressure being applied to his neck, and was even contemplating some drastic measures to extricate himself.

"I relaxed in that second period, and against the cage, I was in control of the fight, just trying to relax; just make Jake work out of there, out of the position we were in," Koscheck remembers. "And he slapped on that choke, and it was tight as sh-t. At one point, I was like, man, do I hit him in the nuts to get out of this thing?

"I was thinking, ‘I could just crack him in the balls right now.' And then I was like, ‘I'll just keep fighting it.' I made a mistake and it cost me the fight. You can't let your guard down, and I let my guard down for a minute."

This weekend's fight with Silva will be the last on his current contract, but if he pulls out the win, we might just end up seeing him remain active with the UFC.

"I think he's going to come to fight, and he usually goes and wins one and loses one, so on Saturday night, it's his time to lose one," Koscheck said. "Opportunities come - you've got to jump on them. I don't get paid to just train in the gym. I've got to fight. This is the last fight on my contract, so we'll see what happens come Saturday night. I plan on winning."

As always, Bloody Elbow will keep our readers updated on this story as more information becomes available.