UFC 94 Statement Fight – Fitch vs Gono

From Title Fight to Undercard: Jon Fitch Looks to Make a Statement at UFC 94

For years, Jon Fitch was one of the most underrated fighters in the entire UFC as he racked up win after win while staying in the shadows and never coming close to a title shot.

Then the gritty former Purdue University wrestler finally got the call and went into UFC 87 in Minneapolis, Minnesota as a man on a mission to prove himself against the best welterweight in the business, Georges St-Pierre.

Now, a little over 5 ½ months later, Fitch finds himself on the undercard of another UFC event that features St-Pierre title fight. Part of the reason for his perceived banishment to the lower rungs could be his dispute with the UFC over video game licensing rights.

Regardless, Fitch will likely come out motivated and looking to make a statement against his UFC 94 opponent, Akihiro Gono. He’s not the kind of guy who takes things personally and looks for revenge, but he is the kind of guy who has the ability to take negative things such as signs of disrespect and use them for motivation to improve as a fighter. Expect to see the best Jon Fitch we’ve ever seen at UFC 94. St-Pierre said that the loss to him would end up serving Fitch well in the long run by making him a better fighter and that could definitely turn out to be true both in this fight and in the future.

Gono is no slouch, however, despite the long odds he faces in this contest. He is an underdog in this one, as Fitch is favored at -600 to +350.

Gono is a PRIDE Fighting veteran with a ton of experience under his belt and a well-rounded fighter who is equally adept at scoring TKO’s and submissions, although most of his fights have gone to decision.

But the deciding factor in this fight might be his lack of size, as the 5’9 Gono gives up a good 3 ¼ inches to Fitch. Fitch is such a strong, gritty, technically sound wrestler that he should be able to control the action in this fight and punish Gono with some old fashioned ground-and-pound.

Despite the nice odds you’ll get by betting Gono at betus.com, it’s hard to bet against Fitch in this one with motivation and talent on his side.

Gono lost his last fight at UFC 89 to Dan Hardy and Fitch is a big step up in competition that he probably won’t be able to handle at UFC 94.