There's an old adage in mixed martial arts (MMA) that says "if at first you don't succeed, change weight classes."

That's exactly what Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight Erik Koch is doing after suffering back to back losses. The RoufusSport product has decided to move up to the lightweight division in hopes of getting his MMA career back on track.

The move was rumored following his unanimous decision loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 164. Koch performed well but just didn't seem to be in the same class of fighter as Poirier who was stronger on the feet and on the ground.

Koch's welterweight debut will be against Rafaello Oliveira at UFC 170 in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Mandalay Bay Events Center according to MMA Fighting. The card is headlined by Ronda Rousey vs. Sara McMann and also features Rashad Evans vs. Daniel Cormier.

Oliveira is a solid draw for Koch, who was once in line for a featherweight title shot against Jose Aldo before being forced to withdraw due to injury. In his four UFC fights, Oliveira has only been victorious in one of them. He's a good test to see if Koch can find success in a new weight class.