by BRIAN KNAPP, The Fight Network

Updated: May 7, 2008, 4:30 PM EST 1 comment

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The 22-year-old had the favored Josh Koscheck in trouble early at UFC 82: Pride of a Champion in March, as he dazed the four-time collegiate All-American with a head kick and then followed up with a knee strike in the first round. Hazelett later showcased his slick Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills as he tightened a triangle choke around Koscheck at the end of the opening stanza.

Then, for reasons known only to him, Hazelett strayed from the gameplan that had served him so well through the first five minutes.

"I had an answer for everything he threw at me, and for whatever reason, in the second round, I came out pawing with my jab," Hazelett says. "I knew I couldn't do that with a guy who comes over the top [with his punches] like Koscheck does, and he clipped me."

Koscheck capitalized on the opening and finished the Cincinnati native with a crisp second-round head kick and subsequent strikes on the ground, but Hazelett's stock rose considerably. Still, the defeat stung like none he had experienced before as it prevented him from crossing the bridge from prospect to contender. Even now, as he prepares for his upcoming bout against Josh Burkman at "The Ultimate Fighter 7" live finale on June 21, the mistakes he made on that night haunt him.

"Obviously, I made a good impression," Hazelett says. "It was good that I did so well. I stayed right with one of the top five guys in the UFC. But it was terrible. I lost the fight. I was horribly depressed until I found out I was fighting Burkman."

A Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt with a rapidly improving skill set, the Jorge Gurgel protege has won seven of his last nine fights. A 74-second submission win against Canadian veteran Jonathan Goulet and a unanimous decision victory over reigning Palace Fighting Championship and American Fight League lightweight titleholder Diego Saraiva are included among his 10 wins.

Conquering Burkman will be no easy task. One of the UFC's most physically gifted competitors, Burkman (9-5, 5-3 UFC) last appeared in January when he dropped a majority decision to Mike Swick at UFC Fight Night 12. The 27-year-old's last five matches have gone the distance. A former college football player with toughness to spare, Burkman has been finished only once — by top welterweight contender Jon Fitch — inside the hallowed Octagon.

Hazelett sees many similarities between Koscheck and Burkman. For him, the fight represents a shot at redemption, a chance to right the wrongs he committed two months ago when he stood on the cusp of a breakthrough and blinked.

"This fight is a great chance for me to get some good revenge," Hazelett says. "Burkman and Koscheck are so very similar. Burkman's not as explosive, but he has a better chin. They have similar fighting styles, so I have a chance to get in there and go through the [Koscheck] fight all over again, only without the mistakes."