Respect for Fitch

The guy just tied Royce's record with 8 consecutive UFC wins.

He has won 14 straight, most against quality fighters.

Last, and most importantly, he hasn't fallen into the trap that many fighters similar to him fall into, the "I want to be exciting" trap. That trap has costs many fighters wins, title shots, and ultimately MMA careers.

Some guys just don't have the tools to be exciting. If you don't have KO power, if you don't have an extensive submission game, if you don't have a great chin, or if you aren't lightning fast, chances are you aren't gonna be successful fighting balls out at a high pace.

Fitch has stuck with what works for him, has become very good at the sport of MMA, and has put himself in a position to fight for the title by not fighting outside of his abilities.

I don't know how if he'll beat GSP or Serra, but he has earned a shot, and up to this point his gameplan has worked perfectly against a variety of opponents. It is not out of the realm of possibility that he could outpoint either Serra or GSP.

Fitch has a chance to do something no one else has done, win 9 straight UFC fights. He also has a chance to be a champion. This is all because he treats MMA as a sport, and competes to win, not to entertain.

He'd beat Hughes, his time has passed IMO.

And Serra would give him a hard fight. Serra is vastly underrated by this board.

"if you don't have an extensive submission game,"

Isn't he a brown belt? When you are able to take down, control, and outmuscle your opponents as reliably as he is, and are also knowledgeable in submissions, there's not much excuse for not going for the finish more. It's the same knock against Sherk.

well when you are fighting guys whose only hopes are to submit you, why give up dominant positions to go for finishes when you are gonna win anyway?

BJJ is a lot like boxing. You can have a great BJJ game and not be known for you submissions, just like you can be a great boxer and not be known for knockouts.

^can u elaborate on what happened?

I like Karo but damn if Fitch hasn't earned his shot as well. ttt for Fitch going Toe 2 Toe!

Chris Wilson is tough as hell getting in there in such late notice and doing as well as he did against a guy like fitch.

I respect the stupid half grin/half smirk he makes at the camera after every win.

It never fails, every time there is a thread about Fitch some idiot with a
knee-jerk, Pavlovian-dog response brings up Joslin.