EDMONTON – Erik Koch returns to the octagon at UFC 240 a different person is more ways than one. Koch (14-6 MMA, 4-5 UFC), who at one time was scheduled to challenge Jose Aldo for the UFC featherweight title, will fight of the first time since January 2018 on Saturday when he meets Kyle Stewart (11-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) in a welterweight matchup. After his previous bout took place at lightweight, the decision to jump up another weight class was something that stemmed from perhaps the most important moment of Koch’s life so far: The passing of his father, Doug Vincent Koch. The death of Koch’s father was unexpected, he said, and although the initial grief was unsurprisingly difficult, the perspective he gained was life-altering. “I think losing somebody like your mom or dad when you’re really close is like the final step to maturity,” Koch told MMA Junkie. “I feel like I’ve matured more in one year than the entire 29 years before that
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Erik Koch returns at UFC 240 with more clarity than ever after father’s death – MMA Junkie