After watching fight videos and the post fight interviews, which has become somewhat of a hobby with me, I started thinking that Jon Fitch could be very successful in the 185# weight class.
The similarities he has with Patrick Cote made me wonder how he would do in the higher weight class. He is big for a welterweight, has the height to manage it (Cote is 5' 11" and fights at 185#) and after seeing Jon fight Georges he looks like he could hold his own at Middleweight. I don't see it as being that much of a stretch.
Watching him recover at least three times when he should have been down for the count and hearing Georges say he wondered what to do to put him down, "he is unfinishable, he's crazy!" I began to think maybe he is the guy to beat Anderson Silva.
Don't laugh at me and my idea without considering the whole picture. Fitch is a "beast" with at least nine lives, judging from his five round fight with GSP. People think Georges is just a step below Anderson Silva. Jon took all the punishment Georges could dish out and was fresh enough to have gone another round, if his eyes hadn't swollen so badly he could scarcely see.
- B/R Ticket Guide
When Fitch was down he kept getting back up; Georges did not fall into Fitch's "trap" and try to submit him. (Maybe everyone has not read the same articles that I have, but Fitch admitted letting opponents try rear naked chokes on him by offering them his back and then using BJJ to counter and submit them). Georges had stated he suspected Matt Serra had offered him his back in Montreal, but since he (GSP) suspected a trap he used knees on Matt instead of trying to choke him out.
Well, Georges did not try to submit Jon, possibly for that very reason.
For some reason, the fact that Jon is as tenacious as a bulldog (yes, I know he has a bulldog), and this stubbornness and willingness to keep fighting against all odds seems like exactly what is needed to beat Anderson Silva.
People are saying if Silva gets Cote on the ground he will beat him. Therefore Patrick, who is a striker with heavy hands (from boxing while in the Canadian Army), will undoubtedly want to keep Silva standing and go for a lucky punch to knock Silva out.
Now Fitch is great on the ground, at submissions, and being a grinder who has a chance to tire his opponents out. He looked far superior to Travis Lutter who has been the only one to come close to getting a submission on Silva.
Fitch was two inches taller than Georges and kept wading back in to exchange strikes with him, and I think he would do just as well in an exchange with Anderson.
There is an aura of invincibility about certain fighters; But in his pre-UFC days Silva had four losses, so he can be beaten...he just hasn't been yet. This same intimidation factor helped Matt Hughes and Chuck Liddell until it was proven they were mortal after all, and now they are lacking the magical protection of that intimidation factor.
Anyway, these are just the ramblings of an old lady who stays up late watching fight videos and reading MMA articles all night. I also subscribe to Ring, FIGHT!, Grappling and a few other magazines which are excellent resources.
But often it doesn't take an expert to come up with an idea worth investigating.
And if I haven't mentioned it yet, we used to have a wonderful bulldog named the Bear; stop me if I've said told you this before . . . .
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3 months ago
While the idea of fighters moving up or down in their weight class to face easier/different competition is interesting to me I think Jon Fitch has zero chance against Anderson Silva. If you watched the post fight press conference the one thing Fitch kept saying he was unprepared for was GSP's speed. The quickness that GSP unleashed his punches completely befuddled Fitch.
Anderson Silva is a much better striker than GSP. Much much better. Also Silva would enjoy a significant height and reach advantage over Fitch. GSP was the shorter of the two but had a longer reach... look what he did with it. Fitch's boxing, wrestling, BJJ, etc are all good, but none are great. The one thing he apparently has is an iron face because he showed he could take some serious abuse and keep coming.
I imagine a fight between Fitch and Silva looking a lot like the fights between Rich Franklin and Silva. Silva uses his superior striking to get his opponent to cover up. Then he gets inside and uses his Muay Thai clinch to deliver knees until the fight is over or Fitch is so dazed that he doesn't know Silva is throwing punches again.
3 months ago
I agree with Nate on this one. Sorry Mama, but Fitch would have little to no chance at Anderson. If GSP dropped him with some of his punches, Anderson would knock him out. Add to that if the fight were to go to the ground Anderson is a black belt under the Nogeria's so to assume that Fitch is just gonna sub him is not as likely as some may think. Fitch is at the correct weight right now and the lose is the best thing for him. a GSP rematch will happen before Fitch vs Anderson.
3 months ago
Agree. GSP has great striking, but Anderson has amazing striking. He would pick Fitch apart, also Silva's BJJ is better than Fitch's as well. Also Fitch has fought at LHW, MW, and WW in his career.
3 months ago
Well, gosh fellas, guess you shot me down. In my mind I can see Jon with Silva and being mire persistant than Lutter, and with a tougher chin than Franklin, but you are rught abiut thr Muay Thai. The fact that Jon could hang so well with Georges amazed me and certainly surprised Georges as well. Fitch is much better than I expected and seemed larger than most WWs.
3 months ago
Fitch has a great chin, and so did Chris Leben...
3 months ago
Fitch could easily fight at 185. He fought at 205 early in his career. I think he should only go there if he loses a rematch w/ gsp. At that point we won't want to see a third time and he's already cleaned out the rest of the division.
He wouldn't stand a chance against silva though. He obviously couldn't stand w/ him. He could take silva down like so many others have but his jitz isn't good enough to submit silva on the ground or good enough to avoid silva's submission attempts off his back.
Also, cote is a sitting duck. He is a spitting image of irvin as far as I'm concerned. I still believe maia and palhares are the 2 guys that would give silva the most trouble in a fight.
3 months ago
Your last statement may be true, but Patrick has amazing training partners who believe in his abilities, and I still believe he has a striker's chance.
But, listen up out there! I have just begun to realize what a great fighter Jon Fitch is. 33% of the UFC fans or more felt that he would beat Georges. What happened to Fitch's staunch supporters? I am now agreeing with Georges that this guy IS a great fighter who was unfinishable. He fought just like a bulldog which gets ahold and just will not ;et go. Now that is my idea of the type of fighter who can go up against Anderson Silva and shock the world like Serra did with GSP in their first fight. You will see. Once someone beats Silva he will lose the aura of invinceability and become another fighter who is a mortal and can be beaten by someone with tenacity, guts and perseverance. Either that, or someone who is unaware of Silva's daunting reputation, will just step up and beat him.
The mind is a powerful weapon; if you think something cannot be accomplished then don't try it b/c you are bound to fail.
3 months ago
I think Fitch has a better chance against Silva than you guys give him credit for. Since coming to the UFC, I've seen Silva only struggle when taken down against Hendo and the dirst round against Luter. Fitch wouldn't have to stand with Silva because Silva doesn't have GSP's take-down defense. He would shoot, shoot, shoot and shoot some more. He doesn't need to submit Anderson, he can just pound on him. And I do believe Fitch's jitz is good enough to avoid Silva's subs - but anyone can be submitted (see Roan Carneiro).
from 3 months ago
You are making my point for me. I really did not know the potential a grinder like Jon Fitch could have on another top level fighter until I witnessed his fight with Georges. This opinion was reinforced when Georges discussed the problems Fitch presented him with in being so persistant and "unfinishable." I like Georges, am not sure if that is even a word, but I know exactly what he means. I was in awe of Fitch, and I can't say that about many "losers" after a fight. This caused Fitch's stock to rise with me so now I can understand why his many fans thought he had what it would take to best GSP. Now when I agree and go them one better because I have seen the potential in his style to beat Anderson, no one believes my opinion is worth anyting.
from 3 months ago
Dorothy, let me swing to the other side for a sec. Fitch would have BIG BIG problems against Silva. Silva is a lot stronger than he looks. He threw around a very strong Rich Franklin. I just think Fitch has a bigger chance than he is given on this thread. In the end, I think he would need a lot of luck to beat Silva. But he matches up better than people think.
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