Jon Fitch's WSOF tenure aside, I'm really surprised he was cut from the UFC

[Crushasaurus]

Guess the whole vegan thing had more repercussions? Hah, I seriously think there had to be more to the story behind Fitch's cut. Sure he wasn't the most exciting fighter, but such a high caliber and had been with the UFC so long.

Has Fitch ever said that there was some sort of falling out?

 

[BiasBEgone]

He was fairly well paid, had no personality, fought boring and the fans hated him.

On top of that, he was fucking the UFC up by knocking off exciting contenders.

Uncle Dana`s decision wasn`t hard at all.

 

[Jorge Luis Borges]

1. He and the UFC had numerous issues, including his complaint about selling his likeness to the video game company. They got past it at the time, but it seems like there was plenty of friction between him and the UFC throughout his career.

2. I don't think it helps to leave his struggles in the WSOF aside when considering why he was cut. After all, his performance had really fallen off well prior to his being cut by the UFC.

 

[Singlelegsweep]

The UFC is pretty quick to cut boring fighters unless they're winning. Eliot Marshall for example was cut after his first UFC lost when he won his first 3 fights before that. Jake Shields was a former strikeforce champ and had 4 wins in a row, and is actually top 5 all-time welterweight (I'd put him behind GSP, Hughes, Fitch and Hendricks) and was cut after 1 loss.

Basically, you're ether not good and boring, so you'll get cut.
Or good and boring, in which case you're taking up a lot of salary and main card spots with boring fights, and beating other contenders. And both Shields and Fitch got dominated by GSP (Fitch got annihilated)

 

[fullbodydenim]

Same with Yushin Okami - guys who both fought their way to title shots only to lose and not reinvent themselves in a new weight class. Guys who are paid alot and end up defeating a good majority of the up and coming potential new PPV #1 contenders.

 

[Irishwhiskey119]

A lot of people were.

Personality and excitement only matter to the idiots.

Fighting wise which is the only important factor for the sport he was better than a lot of guys under contract.

I'ts too bad that the silly game of promoting and having to sell a fight to spoiled adhd fans exists.

 

[Kalmah]

They made the right choice cutting him.

 

[Mixedfights]

it seems like there was plenty of friction between him and the UFC throughout his career.

This...and

Looks like it was the right move...dude just kept losing in the B leagues.

 

[Rematch]

Fitch was an expensive investment that became a costly liability. Regardless if he had gone undefeated after being cut, the UFC made a wise decision.

 

[Rematch]

A lot of people were.

Personality and excitement only matter to the idiots.

Fighting wise which is the only important factor for the sport he was better than a lot of guys under contract.

I'ts too bad that the silly game of promoting and having to sell a fight to spoiled adhd fans exists.

Welcome to this thing called prizefighting, where the viewing public decides your value.

 

[INoHespectChael]

Chael would have been cut too if he stayed silent like in the beginning of his career.

 

[ralphus1]

Looks like the UFC cut him at just the right time. Even though at the time Dana tried to justify the decision as a cost-cutting move and said Fitch would likely become a champion in WSOF, he hasn't looked anywhere near as good as he did as the top contender to GSP's belt.

Although I bet the UFC would have kept him around if he and Koscheck had agreed to fight.

 

[tenniswhiz]

He was fairly well paid, had no personality, fought boring and the fans hated him.

On top of that, he was fucking the UFC up by knocking off exciting contenders.

Uncle Dana`s decision wasn`t hard at all.

He didn't fight any contenders, besides Alves.
The other contenders he fought destroyed him.

 

[Singlelegsweep]

A lot of people were.

Personality and excitement only matter to the idiots.

Fighting wise which is the only important factor for the sport he was better than a lot of guys under contract.

I'ts too bad that the silly game of promoting and having to sell a fight to spoiled adhd fans exists.

In record building small shows sure, or in boxing yeah where you have hundreds of promotions to go to and multiple organizations with there own rankings

But the UFC is a promotion, 1 stable of fighters. If people are ordering PPV's and watching boring fights, they'll stop ordering PPV's. If it's on a cable show, they change the channel.

If Bellator is offering you 150k a fight because you're a big name. and the UFC only thinks you're worth 75k. You're likely going to follow the money and not get your UFC contract renewed.

It's not like he was cut from MMA, it's just good business for the UFC to not pay him a lot to keep beating contenders and prospects when you'll never be championship

 

[MrBrutal]

He didn't fight any contenders, besides Alves.
The other contenders he fought destroyed him.

Sanchez was considered a contender when they fought.

The other guys weren't exactly scrubs. It was a different UFC back then, everyone was tougher. No one had ever gotten to 8 wins in the UFC since Royce Gracie because of the competition level. Fitch's win streak was a big deal at the time.

 

[Damianj]

This is very simple. Fitch did not generate revenue. He was boring and people did not like him.

I don't understand how these simple facts still escape people's brains.

 

[willthechill]

The UFC is pretty quick to cut boring fighters unless they're winning. Eliot Marshall for example was cut after his first UFC lost when he won his first 3 fights before that. Jake Shields was a former strikeforce champ and had 4 wins in a row, and is actually top 5 all-time welterweight (I'd put him behind GSP, Hughes, Fitch and Hendricks) and was cut after 1 loss.

Basically, you're ether not good and boring, so you'll get cut.
Or good and boring, in which case you're taking up a lot of salary and main card spots with boring fights, and beating other contenders. And both Shields and Fitch got dominated by GSP (Fitch got annihilated)

I'd put Shields ahead of Fitch and Hendricks. His resume is pretty crazy. I think Palhares would have been on that resume of his as well if he had eyes in that fight.

 

[Ogata]

A lot of people were.

Personality and excitement only matter to the idiots.

Fighting wise which is the only important factor for the sport he was better than a lot of guys under contract.

I'ts too bad that the silly game of promoting and having to sell a fight to spoiled adhd fans exists.

This is bullshit!


Fitch is and was never a real fighter. He is basically a hard working wrestler who found a way to exploit the rules of MMA to win based on a judges criteria of what winning is.


Your local Kyokushin black belt is 100 times a fighter than Jon Fitch will ever be.


He is also a liar and a hypocrite as well. He always talked shit about PED users who he considers the worse type of people in MMA only for him to get cut with PEDS.

 

[MrBrutal]

Fitch is and was never a real fighter. He is basically a hard working wrestler who found a way to exploit the rules of MMA to win based on a judges criteria of what winning is.

Yeah, he was really pillow-fisting BJ Penn in that third round...

He didn't have a lot of power but to say he was not a real fighter is just disrespectful. TBH I wonder how many of his fights you have actually seen.

 

[Private Whatley]

What about Shields? He has wins over Woodley and Maia during his UFC tenure not to mention a first round submission win over the current WW champ. Hell, I had him winning the Palhares fight pretty handily until the end.