UFC welterweight Josh Koscheck plans to fulfill the final two fights of his contract.
Koscheck (17-8) hasn’t fought since a first-round TKO loss to Tyron Woodley at UFC 167 in November. After the event, UFC president Dana White said Koscheck sent him a text that “sounded a little bit like retirement.”
A 23-fight veteran in the UFC, Koscheck is not considering retirement, but he says he has turned down two fight offers from the UFC since his last loss.
“I’ve been training my whole life,” Koscheck told ESPN.com. “I’ve never had a break. I feel like I need to get away and take some time off and enjoy life.
“At this point, I’m still coming back. I have two more fights on my contract, and I plan on fighting those out and seeing if I want to continue. I’m obligated to two more fights with the UFC.
“I’ve been called twice for fights, and I told the UFC, ‘no.’ I’m not ready yet.”
In terms of when he could be ready, Koscheck said he would likely get back into fight workouts at the end of the month. The California-based welterweight has remained a regular in the gym but sets a higher standard when it comes to fight preparations.
“A lot of fighters have no clue what it takes to get ready for a fight -- the dedication it takes,” Koscheck said. “That kind of preparation can take a toll on your body.
“Probably at the end of this month, I’ll start focusing more on getting back into fight shape.”
Koscheck, 36, is on a three-fight losing streak. Prior to the skid, he had never suffered back-to-back losses in his professional career. He fought twice in 2013 and was finished in the first round in each.
Preparation has never been a problem for the former collegiate wrestler, but Koscheck admits he underestimated the speed of his last performance. He was caught on camera expressing as much to Woodley after that loss in November.
“Woodley was very, very fast, and he closed the distance on me well,” Koscheck said. “You know, when you do everything right for so long and you have a bad day at the office, it makes you think about things. You wonder, ‘What the hell? Is there more out there? Is there something better I can be putting that much energy into?'”