Author: kmowatt

After the unfortunate confirmation that Thiago Alves wouldn’t be able to fight Jon Fitch Saturday, because he hasn’t been medically cleared to fight, that ‘ah sh-t’ news, was alleviated by the fact that it looks like the welterweight is going to be okay. Of course, the other dude to be most affected by this is Fitch, who likely trained his ass off for the extremely important rematch. All that work and no play?

Well according to follow up reports this AM, things are looking up for Fitch and his fans, as MMA Weekly and MMA Junkie are reporting that Ben Saunders has agreed to fight the highly regarded welterweight Saturday. Hallelujah! Saunders, like Alves, can slug it out, and his knees are clearly of the ‘do not clinch with this guy’ variety. It’s true that Saunders hasn’t taken out elite welterweights like Alves has (Josh Koscheck, Matt Hughes etc), but still, this should be a sweet match-up.

Now, of course, Saunders was scheduled to fight Jake Ellenberger at UFC 111, so it’s not like the former TUF competitor is stepping up without having had a full camp. So, does that mean Ellenberger ends up getting the royal shaft? According to the Junkie report, Ellenberger will receive his show and win money for getting tossed aside. We’re sure Ellenberger would have rather fought, of course, but getting paid to sit and watch the bouts Saturday isn’t such a raw deal. Sounds like heaven to us (minus the training camp, which we wouldn’t be able to continue after day one, of course).

Unfortunate news is firing around the internet this AM as it’s been officially confirmed by the UFC, that Thiago Alves will not fight Jon Fitch as scheduled this Saturday, due to the fact he hasn’t been medically cleared. According to multiple reports from outlets like Yahoo Sports and MMA Junkie, pre-fight medical scans revealed an irregularity on Alves brain, and as a result, the punishing welterweight will not be allowed to fight.

Now, this is really sh-tty news, particularly for die-hard fans that have been waiting for this rematch for sometime (Fitch beat Alves in 2006), but of course, what’s really important is the health of Alves, and it sounds like the American Top Team fighter is going to be okay. According to the Junkie report, the agent for Alves, Malki Kawa, said that it’s believed that the findings likely do not pose any serious medical concern for Alves; Jersey officials are just being understandably cautious.

So, after going on the last couple of days about how this bout is getting looked over, due to the other massive bouts on the UFC 111 card, unfortunately it’s going to have to wait for another day (any long time MMA fans knows that in this sport, being patient is a pre-requisite, Google Fedor Emelianenko for a bazillion examples).

Here’s hoping that “The Pitbull” is back in action as soon as possible.

UFC Lightweight Champion BJ Penn continues to talk about returning to the 170lb. division. In a recent teleconference call promoting his April 10^th bout with challenger Frankie Edgar, Penn conceded that he’s still extremely interested in taking another run at the welterweight belt (back in 2004, when Joe Average would have guessed MMA stood for Mad Mothers Association, Penn surprised many by dethroning Matt Hughes). And no, to answer your ‘this isn’t going to be about ‘greasegate’’ question, from the Fighter’s Only Magazine report, there was no mention of Penn explicitly petitioning for a third bout with GSP.

“I’ve been the welterweight champion once, and in a lot of ways, I really wouldn’t mind being the welterweight champion again. I think it’s just a fun thing to do. I think it’s cool, and I think that’s what martial arts is about,” Penn added.

Penn also stated that he would talk to UFC boss man Dana White about the possible move, and that maybe he would also continue to compete at lightweight, similar to middleweight champ Anderson Silva’s activities at 205. White has gone on record stating that if Penn returns to welterweight he will have to work his way back into a title shot (so yes, GSP vs. Penn III is theoretically possible, providing St.Pierre continues to defend the belt).

But you’re also probably thinking; isn’t everyone forgetting about Edgar? A pretty damn good fighter? Penn maintains he’s not looking past the Jersey fighter. That’s smart. Edgar’s no cake walk. To bet on UFC 111 or 112 head here.

Yesterday we talked about the fact that this Saturday’s rematch between Jon Fitch and Thiago Alves is a pretty big effin deal, but because UFC 111 also features two title fights, the bout is maybe getting glossed over a little bit. Alves is a bad ass dude, and if he avenges his previous loss to Fitch, it will say a lot about his improvement as a fighter. If Fitch wins, well, his UFC record will sit at an unbelievable 12-1…yeah, we’d say that’s worthy of getting another crack at the belt.

Maybe part of the reason Fitch’s accomplishments get looked over sometimes is because he isn’t well known for producing the highlight reel stoppages, after all, this is a guy whose last five wins all came way of decision. Does this mean Fitch isn’t at the top of the heap? Of course not. Does this mean that some fans may not see him as super entertaining? Perhaps.  Speaking to Bleacher Report, Fitch offered this rebuttal, when asked about fans that criticize him for not finishing fights.

“I view them as fair-weather fans,” Fitch said exclusively to Bleacher Report. “They aren’t mixed martial arts fans. They want to see K-1 kickboxing with small gloves and not MMA.”

“I’m always working to finish fights. There are two guys in the fight, and if the other guy is looking to just survive, it’s hard to finish.”

Fitch also goes on to criticize certain promoters and fighters for trying to appease “fair-weather” fans (if you don’t know what a half guard is this could be you). He makes some solid points. To bet on Alves vs. Fitch head here.

We here at MMA Fix enjoy belittling the new generation of ‘cage fighting’ fans, who claim to have undying love for the sport, while refusing to watch any fight not being called by Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan (although one could argue that this is a clearer indication that we have no life…). We’re huge UFC fans, of course, but there’s a lot more to MMA than just the sport’s most successful promotion.

Now, sure, MMA newbies might have to take certain steps to catch up on the glory days of Pride, or to check out other smaller promotions, but it’s certainly a far cry from the old days when digging for diamonds was less time consuming than finding MMA footage.

While speaking to Fighters Only Magazine about his upcoming March 31^st bout with former Pride champion Takanori Gomi (who back in the day was also widely regarded to be one of the world’s best P4P fighters), Kenny Florian offered a statement that old school fans undoubtedly will agree with.

“I think it’s a huge treat for the hardcore fans who’ve been following this sport for awhile.  It’s always surprising to have newer fans who ask me who I’m fighting and I say ‘Takanori Gomi’ and they say ‘Who is that?’ And I’m like, ‘You haven’t been following this sport, obviously,’”

Amen brother. Amen. To bet on that fight, which should be fantastic, head here.

This coming Saturday’s welterweight clash between Jon Fitch and Thiago Alves may be getting lost a little bit in the mix, which isn’t too surprising, considering that the UFC 111 card also features 2 title fights. Really, when you look at the resume of either Alves or Fitch, it’s a bout that could easily headline a Fight Night card or be a co-main event on a PPV.

Of course, aside from the fact that both Alves and Fitch are at the top of the welterweight rankings, the big storyline behind this fight (and what’s a fight without a little drama heading into it) is that Fitch stopped Alves back in June, 2006 (it’s scary to think that for some UFC fans that’s nearly one quarter of their life ago- damn we’re getting old).

At any rate, Alves has been calling for another shot at Fitch for some time now, and naturally, the American Top Team fighter is promising that things are going to be different this time around. While speaking to Tatame.com, Alves had this to say, when asked about his evolution as a fighter over the last few years.

“I think I was too young when we fought. Not on sport, but on UFC, this American system of weight lost… Now I’m a different fighter, I’ve learned a lot, I fight better Wrestling, Jiu-Jitsu… It couldn’t be a better time. I’m coming from a defeat and I want to be back to winner’s list. Beating him I’ll fight for the belt again.”

In the interview Alves also talks further about Fitch, GSP vs. Dan Hardy, and Paulo Thiago.  A trifecta of huge bouts this Saturday. To bet on any of them head here.