B.J. Penn and Jon Fitch have been in the fight game for a minute.
Fitch has had a long, slow and hard road to the top of his weight class.
Penn has bounced between two weight classes at the top of the UFC heap.
They’ve at times clashed with their employer about the trajectory of
their respective careers.
But they’ve been around long enough to know that today’s title
eliminator is tomorrow’s “in the mix,” especially when a fighter doesn’t
deliver a memorable performance. So they’re proceeding as if nothing is
on the line in hopes that a win and a good show will make the case for
big future opportunities, whatever those may be.