Tag: Jon Fitch

UFC: Jon Fitch Definitely Isn’t Wrong About Title Shots

Vitor Belfort. Frank Mir. Urijah Faber. Frankie Edgar (twice). All guys who’ve had cracks at UFC gold recently. All guys who did very little to earn their shots with prolonged success in the cage. Sure, they’re great fighters with great leg…

Vitor Belfort. Frank Mir. Urijah Faber. Frankie Edgar (twice).

All guys who’ve had cracks at UFC gold recently. All guys who did very little to earn their shots with prolonged success in the cage.

Sure, they’re great fighters with great legacies. Tough guys with a variety of skills, all of whom come to fight and routinely put on a show.

But it’s hard to argue they deserved the shots they got at gold when the UFC came a-knockin’ and told them they were next in line.

Belfort basically took a fight no one else wanted after five years in another weight class.

Mir had won three in a row, but got a title shot because Alistair Overeem is more man than any other five men combined, apparently.

Faber is the only consistently marketable star under 155lbs. that exists on the UFC roster, featherweight champion Jose Aldo included. He had exactly one win between title shots.

Edgar, despite two straight losses, may have been the most credible contender listed. He was champion for nearly two years, lost a questionable decision to lose his belt, then lost an even more questionable decision on his way to not getting it back.

He was offered a 145-pound shot as solace for the latter, provided he took the fight as an injury replacement. That the fight was stalled by injury again is erroneous—he was still booked for a shot.

What this is all to say, is that there is no question that the UFC’s system for awarding title shots is inexact, muddled, and often outright questionable.

As longtime contender, single-time title challenger Jon Fitch stated:

“There’s no system for picking number one contenders. There’s no order, there’s no lineup, there’s no point system. It’s just whoever they feel they’re going to make the most money off of. That’s who gets the title shot.

It kind of sucks, because in other sports there’s kind of a clear path; you do this, this and this, and you get this. That’s just not the way combat sports work I guess. It doesn’t work that way with boxing or the UFC.

It comes down to showmanship. I have to be a better showman to get a title shot. I don’t have to be a better fighter. I just have to be a better showman.”

You know what? Hate on the guy for being boring and apparently now whiny, but he’s not wrong.

The UFC has built itself on the idea that it’s a brand above all else, that there are always a host of contenders in the mix. It’s also built itself on the idea that, UFC 151 notwithstanding, the show must go on.

So what you often see, especially in an era where injuries ravage cards and training partners often refuse to fight one another, is that the most deserving guy isn’t always the one on the marquee.

Sometimes that’s a product of necessity for the reasons above, other times it’s a product of lining Zuffa’s pockets.

From the perspective of Dana White, is it easier to market Fitch and his boring, grinding, wrestling-heavy style? Or is it easier to market his arrogant, trash-talking, wrestle-to-keep-the-fight-standing-and-throw-a-big-right-hand (former) teammate Josh Koscheck?

It’s Koscheck, hands down. Even though he hasn’t had Fitch’s success in the cage, and has actually lost multiple times to the current champion, he’s just an easier sell. People want to see him get beat up, and they’ll pay for the chance.

And you know what? That’s alright.

Fitch can complain, and in actuality he’s completely justified. In a sport that spends every day of its existence trying to legitimize itself, ignoring the idea of rankings in favour of giving big fights to guys who’ll sell tickets (or guys who just aren’t too injured to fight) is a dangerous game.

But at the same time, it usually gives fans the fights they want to see. Most would rather watch Chael Sonnen instead of Lyoto Machida, because Sonnen is going to entertain them in every imaginable way leading up to the fight, and he’s relentless in the cage. Many find it harder to appreciate the nuances of a Machida karate clinic.

So Jon Fitch and his other underappreciated, less flashy cohorts can sit and ponder the system the UFC has in place for awarding title shots. They’re right to do so, because it isn’t fair and is at times utterly arbitrary.

But it’s the world they’re living in, and they might as well get used to it. It’s not fixing to change any time soon. Fans are proving as much with their wallets.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Jon Fitch Learns Too Late That UFC Title Shots Are About Money

(Once again proving our theory that you could make a badass highlight reel based on *anybody.*)

Throughout his seven year career in the UFC, Jon Fitch has been one of the most consistent fighters in the sport. He rarely diverges from his grinding, top-control based gameplan. He usually goes the distance in his fights — including one stretch when he went to the judges in nine consecutive contests. And like him or not, the vast majority of his fights have ended with his hand raised.

But after a controversial draw against BJ Penn, a 12-second knockout loss to Johny Hendricks, and a series of injuries, Fitch is the most precarious position of his career, both financially and competitively. Temporarily bumped out of the welterweight title “mix,” Fitch has no idea when his next title shot will come — especially since fans aren’t exactly clamoring to see him get that chance. Here’s what he said about his situation recently, in a rant session with FCFighter.com:

“There’s no system for picking number one contenders. There’s no order, there’s no lineup, there’s no point system. It’s just whoever they feel they’re going to make the most money off of. That’s who gets the title shot. It kind of sucks, because in other sports there’s kind of a clear path; you do this, this and this, and you get this. That’s just not the way combat sports work I guess. It doesn’t work that way with boxing or the UFC. It comes down to showmanship. I have to be a better showman to get a title shot. I don’t have to be a better fighter I just have to be a better showman.”


(Once again proving our theory that you could make a badass highlight reel based on *anybody.*)

Throughout his seven year career in the UFC, Jon Fitch has been one of the most consistent fighters in the sport. He rarely diverges from his grinding, top-control based gameplan. He usually goes the distance in his fights — including one stretch when he went to the judges in nine consecutive contests. And like him or not, the vast majority of his fights have ended with his hand raised.

But after a controversial draw against BJ Penn, a 12-second knockout loss to Johny Hendricks, and a series of injuries, Fitch is the most precarious position of his career, both financially and competitively. Temporarily bumped out of the welterweight title “mix,” Fitch has no idea when his next title shot will come — especially since fans aren’t exactly clamoring to see him get that chance. Here’s what he said about his situation recently, in a rant session with FCFighter.com:

“There’s no system for picking number one contenders. There’s no order, there’s no lineup, there’s no point system. It’s just whoever they feel they’re going to make the most money off of. That’s who gets the title shot. It kind of sucks, because in other sports there’s kind of a clear path; you do this, this and this, and you get this. That’s just not the way combat sports work I guess. It doesn’t work that way with boxing or the UFC. It comes down to showmanship. I have to be a better showman to get a title shot. I don’t have to be a better fighter I just have to be a better showman.”

Well duh, Jon, you’re just realizing this now? We can sympathize with the lack of fairness that Fitch is pointing out, but the reality of the UFC awarding title shots to exciting, popular fan-favorites isn’t anything new, and isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Setting up marketable title fights is a key element of how the UFC makes money — and there always seems to be at least one guy who fans would rather see fight for the title than Jon Fitch.

Is it unfortunate that a fighter has to be a “showman” in order to get noticed in this sport, and that just winning fights isn’t enough? Sure, I guess. But comparing MMA to “other sports” is always problematic. In MMA, for example, you can get away with holding down your opponent and doing the absolute bare minimum on offense, and still win most fights on points. (I’m not naming names, I’m just saying.) Look, MMA isn’t football. Fight fans usually have to pay to watch the big events, so you can’t blame them if they’d rather watch title fights involving guys who are more likely to put on an entertaining scrap.

Fitch had to win eight consecutive fights in the Octagon in order to get his first title shot, and while that may have not seemed fair at the time, he could have been in line for title shot #2 if he had only scored a decisive victory over BJ Penn. And to hear Fitch tell it, he shouldn’t have taken the fight with Hendricks at all:

“My head wasn’t even in the fight in the first place. I fought because I needed money. I should have pulled out of the fight because I had a second-degree MCL tear in my right knee. I wasn’t able to grapple or wrestle at all during the training camp…I don’t want to disrespect Johny Hendricks. He’s a hell of a fighter, but I didn’t even put myself in a position to win that fight. I was struggling a little bit with the mortgage and I couldn’t afford not to fight.”

By the way, in the time it took you to read that paragraph, Donald Cerrone just bought himself another pontoon boat. The bottom line is, Fitch chooses to fight a certain way that leaves him victorious most of the time, but hurts him in other ways. He won’t be collecting any performance bonus checks, for one thing. He won’t be landing any major sponsorships from corporate brands that want to align with him. And he’ll never reach the level of prominence where he’s getting a cut of the UFC’s pay-per-view revenue, because most fans just don’t care to watch him.

Again, is it unfair that a veteran fighter like Fitch has to struggle with his mortgage at this point in his MMA career? Yes, absolutely. But is that really the UFC’s fault?

Fight Factory Week One Recap: Champions, Rookies, Old-Timers and the Bad Guy

Fight Factory debuted last night on Nuvo TV and for those who don’t get the channel, you guys are really missing out. The show debuted with two new episodes that were each an hour long and took fans inside the world of one of the most prominent gyms in…

Fight Factory debuted last night on Nuvo TV and for those who don’t get the channel, you guys are really missing out. The show debuted with two new episodes that were each an hour long and took fans inside the world of one of the most prominent gyms in the world, American Kickboxing Academy.

The show does a masterful job of bringing fans not only into the gym to watch the fighters train, but also into their personal lives, diving into every nuance that goes into running a successful gym like AKA and representing that name while stepping into the cage.

The cast for Fight Factory features a number of high profile names in the world of MMA along with some newcomers that aren’t household names yet. Staples of the AKA program like Cain Velasquez, Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck, Daniel Cormier, Javier Mendez and Bob Cook all give their own views on what life is like inside the AKA “family.”

Fight Factory‘s pilot episodes begin with Velasquez preparing for his title showdown with Junior dos Santos from last year. Mendez, the head coach of AKA, is seen working tirelessly over getting the then-heavyweight champion ready to perform.

It’s nothing new as far as MMA fans are concerned, as we see the heavyweight monster in training while showcasing the skills that made him a world champion. The show attempts to make Velasquez into a source of inspiration for the Latino community.

While I didn’t personally care for the show attempting to mold Velasquez into the second coming of Zorro, I can appreciate the idea of Velasquez becoming a role model to a community that doesn’t always have one.

The most interesting part of the episode centers around two guys who are at completely different parts in their careers.

The first needs no introduction as Phil Baroni was once one of the top middleweights in the world. Possessing powerful hands with the physique of a Greek statue, Baroni completely embodied his nickname “The New York Bad Ass.”

But at this point in his career, Baroni finds himself in a situation like so many of MMA’s “old dogs.” He has a family and needs money, with fighting being his main source of income. The only problem with that is most of the MMA world thinks Baroni needs to hang up the gloves and call it a career.

During Baroni‘s time on the show, you can see the desperation in his eyes as he attempts to find a place among the AKA members. Baroni not only wants to fight and make money, but he also wants to be a part of the AKA family once more. It’s a truly emotional story watching a guy who was one of the most confident fighters in the game walking into Mendez’s office pleading for the chance to fight and to join the family once more.

The story of Mark Ellis is an entirely different emotional story during the premiere of Fight Factory. Ellis was an All-American national champion wrestler at the University of Missouri who is trying to break into the sport of MMA. Like many wrestlers before him, adjusting to getting hit in the face while grappling has become a mental struggle.

Ellis, used to being “the guy,” literally walks out of practice after sparring a round with Velasquez and realizes how far behind he is in the MMA game. However, the mental lapses don’t end there.

The AKA fighter is entering his second fight and the team is confident that Ellis will relax a bit more than he did in his first fight. It’s obvious that Ellis has the skills to be an MMA champion, but struggles with confidence in his own abilities in the lead up to his fight against Ryan Martinez.

Ellis ends up losing the bout to Martinez and it sets off a wide arrange of emotions within the AKA fighter. He goes from anger, to quitting MMA, to tears all within the matter of a few hours. The man was so upset by his performance he didn’t even want to collect his check before leaving the arena.

For all the crap Mendez received from Koscheck about not backing his fighters, it was a bit revealing to see the coach confront Ellis about the loss and attempt to motivate his promising prospect to continue to work hard.

Speaking of the Koscheck-Mendez drama, the show attempts to introduce their rivalry in the two-hour premiere. Koscheck talks mostly about his disdain of Mendez while struggling to find training partners and coaches for his new gym, Dethrone Base Camp.

We don’t really hear from Mendez on the situation, but I’m sure that’s to come during future episodes. Instead, the rest of the AKA family is shown how they are dealing with the situation. It’s an uneasy feeling that will seem to add tension as the season wears on with guys from both camps figuring out how to work around the Koscheck-Mendez rivalry.

With all the storylines from the top guys like Velasquez, to newcomers like Ellis and Gabriel Carrasco, the show was thoroughly entertaining from start to finish. It’s much more than a reality show about a gym; it’s a show that could transform the views of many people about MMA as a sport and the fighters involved.

It may not be on a major cable network, but Fight Factory is a can’t-miss kind of show that belongs in prime time.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Old Spice, Chevy, and Six More Corporate Sponsors That Should Tap Into MMA


(“Nothing comes between me and my Baconator. Nothing.”)

By Jason Moles

In the ever-competitive world of professional mixed martial arts, the men and women are fighting for more than just the fans and their next paycheck; they’re fighting for survival. When you barely have enough money left for yourself after paying your training partners, coaches, and buying nutritional supplements, it’s time to find another source of income. Most do this in the way of sponsorships — you know, like the Nike deal Jon Jones recently signed, or Anderson Silva’s relationship with Burger King. And if more of these well-known mainstream companies would sponsor a few fighters, the smaller companies that currently sponsor fighters could move to guys and gals who are still making their way up the ranks without anyone losing out. Let’s look at the companies that best suit MMA, how they should be involved, and why it makes sense.

Company: Old Spice
Ideal fighter to sponsor: Cheick Kongo, Alistair Overeem

Why it makes sense: Standing 6′ 4″ and weighing 230 pounds, and 6′ 5″/263, respectively, the Frenchman and the Dutchman are the most physically imposing fighters in the UFC’s heavyweight division. Old Spice is known for their funny commercials targeting the same audience watching PPV’s on a Saturday night. In the past, Old Spice has used NFL players Brian Urlacher and Ray Lewis as spokesman for their ‘Swagger’ line of men’s body products, as well as jacked Expendables cast-member Terry Crews. And if those guys can do it, why not Kongo and Overeem? In particular, “The Demolition Man” is the type of guy you want your customers to think they’ll be more like by using your product. Alistair could even make his commercial debut by eating the horse the original Old Spice Guy rode in on.


(“Nothing comes between me and my Baconator. Nothing.”)

By Jason Moles

In the ever-competitive world of professional mixed martial arts, the men and women are fighting for more than just the fans and their next paycheck; they’re fighting for survival. When you barely have enough money left for yourself after paying your training partners, coaches, and buying nutritional supplements, it’s time to find another source of income. Most do this in the way of sponsorships — you know, like the Nike deal Jon Jones recently signed, or Anderson Silva’s relationship with Burger King. And if more of these well-known mainstream companies would sponsor a few fighters, the smaller companies that currently sponsor fighters could move to guys and gals who are still making their way up the ranks without anyone losing out. Let’s look at the companies that best suit MMA, how they should be involved, and why it makes sense.

Company: Old Spice
Ideal fighter to sponsor: Cheick Kongo, Alistair Overeem

Why it makes sense: Standing 6′ 4″ and weighing 230 pounds, and 6′ 5″/263, respectively, the Frenchman and the Dutchman are the most physically imposing fighters in the UFC’s heavyweight division. Old Spice is known for their funny commercials targeting the same audience watching PPV’s on a Saturday night. In the past, Old Spice has used NFL players Brian Urlacher and Ray Lewis as spokesman for their ‘Swagger’ line of men’s body products, as well as jacked Expendables cast-member Terry Crews. And if those guys can do it, why not Kongo and Overeem? In particular, “The Demolition Man” is the type of guy you want your customers to think they’ll be more like by using your product. Alistair could even make his commercial debut by eating the horse the original Old Spice Guy rode in on.

Company: Chevrolet
Ideal fighters to sponsor: Joseph Benavidez, Demetrious Johnson

Why it makes sense: The 2013 Chevy Spark may be small, but what it lacks in stature, it more than makes up for in heart. The potential to save drivers a small fortune on gas is enough to get most excited, and the 18-34 male demographic includes cash-strapped college guys and new dads — definitely a bunch a dudes looking to save a few extra bucks any chance they can get. Who better to market your product than your Ultimate Fighting counterparts, the UFC’s two smallest and most fuel-efficient contenders?

Both the fighters and the mini-cars are well equipped, fast, and flashy. Oh, I almost forgot to mention the unbelievably high MPG, which means you won’t ever have to worry about running out of gas when you enter the championship rounds. Isn’t it obvious that this is a match made in mini-heaven?

Company: Lunesta
Ideal fighters to sponsor: Jon Fitch, Jake Shields, Ben Askren

Why it makes sense: From Lunesta’s website: “When you want to sleep, do you lie awake? When you get to sleep, do you wake up often during the night? Sleep is here on the wings of LUNESTA. Some sleep aids are approved to help you fall asleep and others to help you stay asleep. Prescription LUNESTA is approved to do both.”

4 out of 5 doctors recommend you watch a fight featuring Jon Fitch, Jake Shields, or Ben Askren, if you do not wish to use or cannot afford prescription medication. It’s a known fact; these boring wrestlers will put you to sleep before they even break a sweat. While most fans spew vitriol every time these fighters are mentioned, a large percentage of the audience is insomniacs and singing their praises. MMA managers these days tell their guys in the gym to make themselves into a brand. It just so happens that the brands these guys have created have the same tags as Lunesta: sleep, helps me sleep, cures insomnia, best sleep I’ve ever had.

Company: Tampax
Ideal fighter to sponsor: Ronda Rousey

Why it makes sense: Hear me out. Back in 2009, Tampax signed Serena Williams of tennis fame to an endorsement deal during their “Outsmart Mother Nature” campaign. The commercial was clever and effective. After watching it, you believed that one of the best female tennis players to ever step onto a court could go on with life as usual, despite her monthly visitor, with no major adjustments to her schedule. Skip ahead to present day where Strikeforce Women’s champion Ronda Rousey graces the cover of ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue, appears on Conan O’Brian, and has a two-part all-access pass look at her life filmed by Showtime. Sounds like Tampax has a fresh face with enough exposure to take home a larger share of the feminine hygiene products sales. Rousey is the perfect example of a woman that demands a lot out of her girlie products. Training for a championship bout consists of running, strength training, kickboxing, and most of all, jiu jitsu — and all of the rolling around that comes with it. Just like there’s no crying in baseball, there are no time outs for leaks. Not to worry, she has Tampax in her corner.

I envision some poor soul getting a text from his girl while he’s out getting snacks for fight night. She asks him to do the unthinkable — pick up some tampons and hurry back. So he makes his way to the pink aisle and scans a ton of pink boxes that may have been written in gibberish. He wants to make this as quick as possible so there’s no time to ask his damsel in distress what kind she wants. He’ll just have to figure this out on his own. *Boom!* “Yep, these are the ones Ronda Rousey uses, so they must be good.” he says to himself. Brand association is a powerful tool — one that makes a deal like this all but certain in the years to come.

On the next page: Listerine, UPS, and the return of Jimmy John’s…

Video: American Kickboxing Academy Says No to B.J. Penn

B.J. Penn wanted to return to American Kickboxing Academy for a portion of his camp for his now-postponed fight against Rory MacDonald.
After getting the go-ahead from AKA coach Javier Mendez, Penn’s plans were quickly shot down when Jon Fitch told Men…

B.J. Penn wanted to return to American Kickboxing Academy for a portion of his camp for his now-postponed fight against Rory MacDonald.

After getting the go-ahead from AKA coach Javier Mendez, Penn’s plans were quickly shot down when Jon Fitch told Mendez he didn’t want any part of the idea. Fitch felt it was a bad idea because there was unfinished business between he and Penn after they fought to a controversial draw back at UFC 127.

Bleacher Report’s Rick Lee recently traveled to AKA to discuss the controversy with Mendez and Fitch. 

“We didn’t see any value in it. We didn’t see any value in him coming to train here. If he comes here, he’s coming to have a training camp,” Fitch told Bleacher Report. “He’s not coming here to help anybody. He wouldn’t give back to us the way we would give back to him.”

Check out the exclusive comments in the above video. For more on the cast of characters that make up the American Kickboxing Academy, be sure to check out the new show Fight Factory, debuting August 15 on nuvoTV. 

Be sure to sound off and let us know what you think in the comments below. If you like what you see, click here for more from Bleacher Report Productions. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Trash-Talking Roundup: Pettis Responds to Cerrone, Fitch Meets Kettle


“Did I stutter?! I said you’re a lay-and-pray artist who will NEVER beat Georges St. Pierre!”

It appears we weren’t the only ones surprised by Donald Cerrone’s recent comments for UFC lightweight Anthony Pettis. Anthony Pettis, who claims that he’s always been cordial with Cerrone in the past, recently attempted to make sense of the whole ordeal on “The MMA Hour.” Spoiler alert: He ain’t too keen on being told to “grab his purse and dance,” brother.

As transcribed by MMAMania.com:

“It’s comedy. This is the first news to me that I have heard of Cerrone calling me out or that he has been calling me out or he wanted to fight me. I talked to my manager about it and I think it’s just him trying to get his name out there and trying to get to my spot, trying to get to that title shot, to try and get closer to a title shot. But, for him to do it the way it did, just pissed me of, so. If he gets passed with his fight with Melvin, and it makes sense for me to fight him and then fight for a title shot, then I will do it. If he is in my way, I will take him out. (I’m)100 -percent (pissed off). I am super pissed. I am not the guy to talk or the type of guy to be out there and talk shit about anyone, but for him to call me out and put it the way he put it, pretty much saying that I am afraid to fight somebody, that is never the case. I am never afraid to fight anybody. I want to be the best lightweight in the world and if he is in my way, then I will take him out too. He wanted to fight in August, I wasn’t going to be ready until October or November and I openly said it on Twitter and I openly said it everywhere, so it’s not a matter of me ducking him, if he wants to fight in November, let’s do it, I will gladly take that fight and I will be so motivated to whoop his ass.”


“Did I stutter?! I said you’re a lay-and-pray artist who will NEVER beat Georges St. Pierre!”

It appears we weren’t the only ones surprised by Donald Cerrone’s recent comments for UFC lightweight Anthony Pettis. Anthony Pettis, who claims that he’s always been cordial with Cerrone in the past, recently attempted to make sense of the whole ordeal on “The MMA Hour.” Spoiler alert: He ain’t too keen on being told to “grab his purse and dance,” brother.

As transcribed by MMAMania.com:

“It’s comedy. This is the first news to me that I have heard of Cerrone calling me out or that he has been calling me out or he wanted to fight me. I talked to my manager about it and I think it’s just him trying to get his name out there and trying to get to my spot, trying to get to that title shot, to try and get closer to a title shot. But, for him to do it the way it did, just pissed me of, so. If he gets passed with his fight with Melvin, and it makes sense for me to fight him and then fight for a title shot, then I will do it. If he is in my way, I will take him out. (I’m)100 -percent (pissed off). I am super pissed. I am not the guy to talk or the type of guy to be out there and talk shit about anyone, but for him to call me out and put it the way he put it, pretty much saying that I am afraid to fight somebody, that is never the case. I am never afraid to fight anybody. I want to be the best lightweight in the world and if he is in my way, then I will take him out too. He wanted to fight in August, I wasn’t going to be ready until October or November and I openly said it on Twitter and I openly said it everywhere, so it’s not a matter of me ducking him, if he wants to fight in November, let’s do it, I will gladly take that fight and I will be so motivated to whoop his ass.”

I never understood the “What’d I do?” or “It’s not what was done but how it was done” responses to trash talk, which are essentially what we’re seeing here. What’d you do? You’re a professional fighter who is further up the totem pole than the other professional fighter below you. Cerrone wants a future title shot, and consecutive victories over Melvin Guillard and yourself can possibly give him one. He’s already booked to face Guillard, and is now trying to do whatever he needs to do to get a fight against you. If it offends you that much, maybe something can be arranged where you two can fight over it, possibly for some money, fame and a title shot against the …wait, never mind. Well played, Cerrone.

As for the latter issue, I’m with Rasheed Wallace: As long as parents, wives and kids are left out of the equation (and life-threatening illnesses, Kevin), then who cares? I just hope that Melvin Guillard hasn’t been spending time with Chick with Huge Cans, because Cerrone vs. Pettis appears to have Fight of the Year written all over it.

In “How did the irony not explode your head?” news, Jon Fitch is still tied to the tracks of the Erick Silva hype-train, pleading desperately to anyone who will listen to leave the “Dastardly” Achievement locked. And I mean anyone. Yesterday, Fitch used a Nuvo TV conference call attempting to push AKA’s new reality series to be far more urgent in calling out BJ Penn. Via MMAFighting:

“Here at AKA, we’ve got fighters who come out to fight, fighters who will face anyone and don’t hide from any opponents. You’ve also got cowards out there like B.J. Penn who say they want to fight people, but then they run and hide.”

I guess that statement wasn’t direct enough for two, maybe three people on the planet, because Fitch was asked to clarify if he thought Penn was a coward. His response?

“Yes. He’s a coward. He wouldn’t be welcomed here.”

I bet Erick Silva finds your “running and hiding” comment hilarious, considering that’s exactly what you’re attempting to do with him. And not to create an MMA conspiracy theory on the spot, but if Fitch gets injured and has to pull out of his fight against Silva, I’m sure a lot of fans will think that the injury is “suspiciously convenient.” But who knows?

Does Fitch have a point about Penn waiting for Rory MacDonald instead of looking for another fight? Does anyone have any interest in watching Fitch and Penn do the man dance again? And how excited will you be about Cerrone vs. Pettis? Let us know, and keep it civil.

@SethFalvo