Jon Fitch and MMA ‘fans’.

What can I say about Jon Fitch that hasn’t already been said by his UFC career and record?

Dominant. Relentless. Determined. Resilent. Skilled. Tough. Dull.

Since entering the octagon in 2005, Jon Fitch has broken the will and battered his opposition to the point where numbers simply cannot lie or be ignored. In 15 UFC sanctioned bouts, Jon Fitch has compiled a record involving 13 wins, one loss and one draw. At one point, Fitch was on a 8-fight win streak spanning three years (not including the fights outside the UFC where he had been just a dominant with 8 more wins and one draw – making the last time he tasted defeat since 2002).

Jon Fitch was relunctly finally given a title shot in 2008, and at UFC 87 Fitch met Georges St-Pierre. Although Fitch was overwhelmed by the welterweight champion, Jon refused to give in and continued to fight until the final bell was sound. His amazing win streak had come to an end. Since then, Jon Fitch has been patiently waiting for his rematch. An opportunity that may be delayed for another year or so… or if ever.

While Fitch has manhandled most the welterweight division and made the case that he is the #2 welterweight in the world, fans and management could care less of what happens to Jon Fitchs’ title shot. Why? Because of the word highlighted above. He is dull. A word that many fans describe his style of fighting. Now, is it true? Is Fitch boring and unmarketable? At some point, yes. But what I cannot fathom is the severe disrespect that so called MMA fans and purists produce whenever an event where Fitch was featured.

I can understand the banter involving his strategy to win a fight but if the fighter cannot be stopped from what he does best, then who are we to judge? Fitch has beaten the likes of Thiago Alves (twice), Diego Sanchez, Paulo Thiago, Mike Pierce, etc. And not one has been able to stop his takedowns and gameplan. His signature win would have to the rematch between him and Thiago Alves. The Pitbull is said to have the best striking and takedown defense in the division and in three rounds Jon Fitch took him down with ease – kept him there and controlled the entire fight. Now I will say that Alves could have been depleted from an incredible amount of weight that was shed but nevertheless Fitch dominated once again.

As a fan of the sport and combat tactics and as a martial artist, I am always impressed by Jon Fitchs’ tenacity and will to get his opponent to fight his fight by force, and not the other way around. I guess I am one of the few in the world to appreciate what Fitch is able to do with a lot of hard work. Afterall, martial arts isn’t found in flying knees or chokes or knock outs, but in finding a way to win or defend by any means necessary. And Jon Fitchs’ War of Attrition is that of what Miyamoto Musashi and Bruce Lee spoke about.