Koch ready for Vegas fight

Cedar Rapids' Erik Koch (10-1) will face unbeaten Francisco Rivera (5-0) Thursday night at 8 on VERSUS as part of a WEC card from the Palms Casino in Las Vegas.

Koch, whose nickname is “The New Breed,” and Rivera will be fighting in the featherweight (145-pound) division on the WEC 52 card that also features a main event between Urijah Faber, the featherweight champion making his debut at bantamweight, vs. former No. 1 contender Takeya Mizugaki.

“I'm really excited for this fight,” Koch said. “My goal has always been to bring a world title home to Cedar Rapids and this fight is an important step in that process.”

Koch originally was slated to fight Josh Grispi, but Grispi was pulled for a UFC fight. Meanwhile, the match with Rivera is being billed as one between two young prospects. Koch, 22, earned a place on the WEC roster last year and went 2-1. He defeated Jameel Massouh in his WEC debut, lost to Chad Mendes via unanimous decision and rebounded by beating  Bendy Casimir. This is Rivera's first fight in a major promotion.

The WEC and UFC announced a merger last week, effective in 2011, that means Koch will be fighting under the UFC umbrella next year.