Jon Fitch Defeats Ben Saunders

Watching this reminded me of almost every other Jon Fitch match I’ve seen. In each round Jon used a spoonful of obligatory striking before moving to the inevitable takedown. Once there, he spent a fair bit of time trying to maintain his posture. He did just enough damage to keep stand-ups to a minimum.

That point brings us to the un-scheduled bout of the night – Joe Rogan vs. Dan Miragliotta. Joe hated the stand-up in round 2. Dan wanted to see them fight. Joe insisted they were doing just that. So, who was in the right? Well, mostly Dan, I’m afraid.

You see, the crowd pays the bills. Make no mistake about it; the UFC is first and foremost a business. Like all companies, it needs profit to survive. Holding to the purest tradition about mixed martial arts is fine, as long as it doesn’t get in the way of the UFC making money.

Despite Joe’s shining praise of Fitch, decisions and boos = no title shot. It also doesn’t help that Jon is rather subdued on the microphone. Maybe he should grow a mohawk and wear a handkerchief on the way to the octagon.

As for Ben Saunders, he had the right idea but failed in execution. He used something resembling a butterfly guard to push Jon away. Sadly, Fitch is too damn good at staying in top position. He’s also stronger than Saunders. Apparently, an all-organic diet is better than a vegan diet.

Like I said, it’s the same Fitch as always, just a little better. It’s that much more frustrating to see him downgraded in competition. I wanted to see Thiago Alves dammit! Perhaps the UFC has a conspiracy to keep Jon in the mid-card so he never gets a title shot again. Hmm, now that I think about it, that does make sense.

Next Fight: Kurt Pellegrino vs. Fabricio Camoes

Return to Fight Results