The UFC’s Meat Grinder

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With a UFC record of 13-1, welterweight Jon Fitch soldiers ahead toward a second title shot, a campaign underwritten by an eminently blue-collar and unassuming approach. In facing B.J. Penn at UFC 127 on Feb. 27 in Sydney, Australia, Fitch knows it to be an opportunity replete with upside.

In short, an impressive win over Penn could go a long way toward getting him a second crack at champion Georges St. Pierre.

Originally booked to fight Jake Ellenberger, Fitch received news of the switch after Penn’s slam-bang knockout of Matt Hughes on Nov. 20. Coming off back-to-back decision losses to Frankie Edgar, Penn’s stock was instantly resurrected in the welterweight division.

“[American Kickboxing Academy trainer] Bob Cook called my wife and had her track me down. I was kinda shocked,” says Fitch. “It was late Saturday night; they’re calling for an opponent change and a date change. I jumped all over it. I was a little [disappointed] to come away from the Jake Ellenberger fight, because he’s an up-and-coming guy. I’ve been in that situation, but, at the same time, I need the fight with B.J. Plus, to headline a card is great.”

Stylistically, the matchup is compelling, as Fitch and Penn are polar opposites in terms of how insiders and fans perceive their consistency.

Fitch’s grind-’em-down approach and conditioning are guaranteed to come into play against every opponent. Even in his five-round bout against St. Pierre, his gutty persistence and resilience won him the enduring respect of all who watched, despite the one-sided action. When he has an advantage, he presses it, punishing opponents with a work rate and hard-nosed attack that offers little chance to rest.

Penn, perhaps one of the most talented fighters in the sport, remains mercurial, with moments of inimitable brilliance. His impressive lightweight reign resulted in three one-sided title defenses against quality foes in Sean Sherk, Kenny Florian and Diego Sanchez, but he seemed flat and listless against Edgar.

The long-lurking downside to Penn’s ability has always been the question of his motivation, which seemed apparent against Edgar. Against Hughes, Penn was his destructive vintage self, dispatching the former champ in a mere 21 seconds to win the rubber match of one of the game’s best rivalries. With that, Penn elevated himself instantly back into the welterweight conversation. The next chapter comes against Fitch.

“There are definitely things we have to change around, with fighting B.J. I never really try to force the fight going anywhere,” Fitch says. “I have a good outline of what I want to do, trying to dictate the pace of the fight. Everybody is unique, and you’ll see a good mix. B.J. has skills that can push the fight, too.”

That’s where the style collision lurks, asking questions of both. Penn’s takedown defense and wily bottom game make taking him to the ground a difficult proposition and surviving there an especially risky one. Fitch excels at taking down opponents and wearing them out. Something has to give, and with Fitch’s durability and work rate, he forces physical exertion at a pace few fighters can imitate. He may not get the first takedown or transition in a tie-up, but one can be certain he will keep trying. That is how Fitch breaks opponents.

It is exactly the kind of fight one needs to beat Penn; St. Pierre executed perfectly in his four-round TKO against the Hawaiian at UFC 94. It is also the template Fitch created when he moved out west on the wings of a dream and mortgaged everything to
become a professional fighter.

From Vagabond to Title Contender

After graduating from Purdue University with a degree in physical education and a minor in history, Fitch worked as a graduate assistant in the school’s wrestling program; he had been team captain his senior year. Later, he relocated to train at the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Calif., and, in the beginning, literally had floors on which to crash and a handful of T-shirts in which to rotate through his various workouts.

“It was a huge long shot. I just felt like I had to do it. I had an opportunity. I had just graduated from school. I just decided just to pick up and do it,” Fitch recalls. “I always wanted to go to California, and the more I got involved with MMA, the more I craved to lean more about it. I had the realization that the only way for me to pursue this life of fighting was to fully immerse myself in the culture and lifestyle of a fighter, so I removed myself from everything that was familiar to me: friends, family, jobs. Anything I couldn’t fit in my 1990 Buick Regal got left behind.”

After compiling a stellar 10-2 (one no contest) record in smaller shows, Fitch entered the UFC in October 2005. He put together an eight-fight win streak, beating increasingly tough foes, from handing Thiago Alves his only knockout loss to decisioning “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 1 winner Diego Sanchez. Fans eventually took notice, and a shot against champion Georges St. Pierre arrived at UFC 87 in August 2008.

“It was amazing, just because of the team element behind me and always supporting me,” Fitch says. “We have that whole training camp documented in the documentary, [so I get] to go back and watch that to see how the team came together to push me forward to that fight.”

The documentary to which Fitch refers, “Such Great Heights,” chronicles the American Kickboxing Academy’s preparation leading into the St. Pierre bout; the film’s Facebook page targets an early 2011 release date.

For Fitch, the second run to a title shot represents the chance to make up for his mistakes in the first St. Pierre match. In the middle of the first round, after being taken down by the champion, Fitch battled back to standing position and threw a right leg kick that St. Pierre countered perfectly, landing a jarring right hand that dropped him hard.

“After I got through the bad leg kick and was dropped, the game plan went out the window,” he says. “My mind switched to ‘I’ve got to finish him.’ I was trying to knock him out with every single punch.”

In one-sided fights that go long, most competitors on the short end will adjust accordingly, ratcheting down their aggression in what boxing trainer Teddy Atlas calls “the silent contract.”

In ceasing their efforts to win, they let the better fighter notch a decision victory in return for not getting their head handed to them. Only the rarest of breeds keeps coming, and coming, and coming again. Fitch survived a five-round assault without a hint of surrender. No matter how many times St. Pierre thumped him with strikes or landed big takedowns, Fitch would not stop battling.

Since then, St. Pierre has rolled ahead as champion, notching four defenses, winning every judge’s scorecard of a possible 57 rounds in the process. His second reign as champion has prompted talk of a possible match with middleweight king Anderson Silva, given perception that has cleaned out the welterweight division. The super fight would not happen, if Fitch had anything to say about it. He offered his thoughts on the champion’s recent performances, as well as GSP’s ever-evolving game.

“It’s timing. Timing is everything with GSP. He’s not technically the best anywhere. He’s not an expert at any one position,” Fitch says. “Guys will have better stand-up, wrestling, or BJJ, and he’s able to blend everything so well.”

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