Fitch (23-4-1) is looking to rebound from a knockout loss at the hands of Johny Hendricks last year. The defeat came on the heels of a Draw with former champion B.J. Penn, leaving Fitch on the outside of the division looking in for the first time in a long time.

Comaprably, Simpson (11-3) will be making his UFC debut at welterweight with the former Arizona State University standout dropping down from the middleweight division. Simpson has won three of his last four but was stopped by Ronny Markes in his last fight.

MMAWeekly was the first to report news of the bout taking place.

UFC 149 takes place July 21 from Calgary. Jose Aldo will defend his UFC featherweight title in the main event. A bout between Thiago Alves-Yoshihiro Akiyama is also expected to go down at the show.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

The 28-year old reflected on his remarkable victory at the post-event press conference where he hoped his success might even be enough to sneak into a shot at the winner of Carlos Condit-Nick Diaz.

“I just beat the #2 ranked guy. GSP couldn’t do it in five rounds. B.J. Penn couldn’t do it…love the guy the death…he couldn’t do it,” said Hendricks while referring to Fitch’s previous fights with Penn and current champion Georges St. Pierre. “I just knocked the #2 guy out in twelve seconds. Where does that put me? Hopefully for a (title-shot)…but if it doesn’t, I’m gonna just have to go out there and prove it again.”

The UFC President shared Hendricks’ enthusiasm and insinuated the former NCAA wrestling king was at least in the mix.

“Holy sh*t,” White exclaimed about the win. “It was a quick fight. The thing about Hendricks is he’s got great wrestling…world-class wrestling…and he hits hard. He’s a tough guy to fight. It was a big, big night for Johny Hendricks.”

“It puts him right in there,” White concluded.

Hendricks has now won his past three fights and is 9-1 under the Zuffa banner. His only defeat came in a decision to Rick Story at the Ultimate Fighter 12 Finale.

Check out the entire press conference below:

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Fortunately, Fitch has a chance to put his name back near the top of the 170-pound pile this Friday night when he faces 11-1 wrestler Johny Hendricks at UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem. And, while he knows the interim champion will have first crack at St. Pierre when he returns in 2012, the former Purdue Boilermaker also thinks there could be a chance the man holding that title is him.

“The way I look at it, the winner of the interim belt, that’s like the golden ticket for me. You get to fight for that, and nobody can jump over the guy with the golden ticket. So if you hold that thing, you’re guaranteed that shot with GSP. That’s the way I’m looking at it, that’s the way I approach it, and that’s where the hunger comes from. You get that golden ticket and you get that ride to the chocolate factory,” Fitch joked in an interview with the UFC’s website.

St. Pierre is expected to be out until late summer if not fall meaning the necessity for Diaz/Condit to put the interim strap on the line could certainly be a plausible scenario given their bout’s date being in early February.

Before Fitch concerns himself with the possibility of sneaking into the mix he has Hendricks in front of him, an accomplished grappler with knockout power.

“He’s got a strong left hand, good clinchwork, he’s a good wrestler, good cardio, and he’s a good all-around fighter,” said Fitch of the 28-year old Oklahoman. “I think I excel in a lot of those elements and I think that my experience and ability to blend everything together is what’s gonna overwhelm him and win me the fight.”

And even if he has to wait a little longer than desired for a second crack at a UFC championship that’s okay with Fitch even though he feels he deserves the opportunity, knowing contendership is out of his control to a certain extent, adding, “All I can do is keep winning and keep racking up those Ws and start putting some people away again.”

Fitch-Hendricks will take place as part of the main PPV card with co-headlining clashes from Donald Cerrone-Nate Diaz and Brock Lesnar-Alistair Overeem.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Now Fitch’s opponent at UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem, Johny Hendricks, is ready to add his name to the list of opponents who have given the American Kickboxing Academy staple a run for his money or even beaten him. In fact, the 11-1 former All-American wrestler thinks he’s figured out the answer to the riddle that is Fitch.

“I think I might have solved it,” said Hendricks of Fitch’s attack when asked by the UFC’s website to discuss their fight this Friday night. “That’s what it really boils down to. The style that Fitch’s good at, he’s so good at. Whenever he starts to do what he’s good at, you have to be able to capitalize on it and stop him. How do you stop him? I don’t want to give it away, but I think I have what it takes to defeat him.”

Hendricks knows exactly how important a win would be for his career, not only based on Fitch’s in-ring accomplishments but also how rare opportunities come in a division as stacked as welterweight. Of course, if the Oklahoman ever doubts the latter to be true, all he has to do is look across the cage given Fitch’s struggles to claim a second shot at the divisional belt despite his success.

“It’s a fight where I have to do everything I can in it,” Hendricks explained. “It’s not just another fight. I have to go out there and do my best performance because a title shot does not come easy in any division. Knowing that, if I have a bad performance I might have to have another three fights before I get another shot at a number two or even a number five. It’s really important that in every fight you get better and in every fight you are constantly doing the right stuff. I want the fans to know that I went out there and competed to my fullest. I did everything I could. That’s what this fight is about. I’m going out there, I’m doing the right stuff…I’m somebody that should be considered a top welterweight and shouldn’t be overlooked.”

That being said, winning won’t be enough for Hendricks with the 28-year old adding, “My main goal is to make my statement that this is where I belong.”

Fans can catch Hendricks-Fitch as part of the PPV portion of UFC 141 when the main card clashes air starting at 10:00 PM EST. The card is headlined by a contendership-determining dance between heavyweights Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

After finding out his original UFC 137 opponent, Carlos Condit, had been called up to fight UFC welterweight title-holder Georges St. Pierre, Penn was hoping he would get his rematch with Fitch. Instead, Penn found out his new opponent was former Strikeforce welterweight king Nick Diaz.

“I was sitting down eating sushi and Matt Hughes shoots me a text,” said Penn in a conference call with media relating to next weekend’s event. “He’s like, ‘Hey, who are you fighting?’ I thought maybe Carlos got hurt and then I heard about the whole thing that happened with Diaz and not showing up for the press conferences and all that stuff.”

“Fitch keeps on saying all this stuff that he can beat me easy and all these things, so first think I do is I call up Dana White,” the popular Hawaiian continued. “I say, ‘You know what? Perfect, let’s fight Fitch. He said he’s ready to go and said he’s love to fight me.’”

Penn further elaborated, stating he tried to push White into making the match but the UFC President kept on telling him Fitch was injured and wouldn’t be ready to go in October. With that being the case, Penn accepted the Diaz fight and now the two will be in the main event on October 29 from Las Vegas due to GSP having to pull out of the Condit bout with a knee injury.

As for Fitch, Penn said, “I’ll fight Fitch anytime. I’d love to fight him again.”

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

News of the bout was first reported by ESPN and has since been confirmed by the UFC.

Fitch was cleared for competition from his shoulder injury in August, and has been itching to get back in the cage ever since. It’s been a whirlwind couple of weeks for the Purdue Boilermaker. He was rumored to replace Diego Sanchez against Matt Hughes, but that fight went to Fitch’s AKA teammate Josh Koscheck. There was also talk that he could rematch BJ Penn at UFC 137 when Penn was without a fight after Carlos Condit got bumped to the main event. With those options off the table, Fitch was hoping to get on the UFC 139 card in San Jose, the city where he trains out of.

Now that he has a fight, he’s ready to continue to prove why he’s one of the best welterweights in the sport. In 15 UFC bouts, Fitch has only tasted defeat once, to current welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre. In his last bout at UFC 127, Fitch and Penn fought to a majority draw. The two were scheduled to rematch this past July, but the bout was scrapped after both men suffered injuries.

Even though Hendricks doesn’t have the experience of Fitch, he’s just as talented. A two time national wrestling champion in college and a four time All-American, Hendricks has transitioned to MMA with ease. With his wrestling and natural power, Hendricks has picked up victories over the likes of Amir Sadollah, Mike Pierce, and Charlie Brenneman.

UFC 141 is scheduled for December 30 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event will be headlined by the return of former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar taking on the UFC debuting Alistair Overeem.

*PHOTO CREDIT – UFC*

Originally scheduled to rematch BJ Penn at UFC 132 following their draw at UFC 127, both Fitch and Penn pulled out of the fight with injuries. While Fitch continued to heal up, Penn took a UFC 137 bout in late October with top welterweight Carlos Condit.

The Penn vs. Condit bout leaves Fitch without a fight for the time being. With only one UFC loss in 15 appearances and unbeaten since August 2008, Fitch doesn’t plan to wait around. The Purdue Boilermaker is preparing to get back in the gym right away and train like he’s fighting in October in order to fill in should Joe Silva call.

Rumors indicate that Fitch could be headed to a showdown with Johny Hendricks at UFC 139, though neither side would comment on the possible match-up.

*PHOTO CREDIT – UFC*

One of the select few the Dane sees as a good fit for next assignment is Jon Fitch, a former title-contender in a situation similar to Kampmann’s who has also expressed interest in the two talented 170ers throwing down in the near future.

Kampmann recently discussed Fitch in an interview with Fighters where he gave his opinion on the potential of a pugilistic encounter with the 23-3-1 American Kickboxing Academy staple.

“I heard that he wanted to fight me, so that could be an exciting fight,” began Kampmann. “I’m coming off of two losses, even though they were both very close fights, but definitely a win over Fitch would put me right back on top. That would be a great opportunity and he’s a very tough opponent – he’s a grinder, he takes people down, wears them out, and those are tough guys to fight. I think anybody can be beat and so can Fitch. It would make for an interesting match-up for sure.”

Like the 29-year old, Fitch is coming off a semi-questionable result with a Draw against B.J. Penn in his last Octagon appearance. Also relatable to Kampmann’s current circumstances, while Fitch pleaded for another crack at the popular Penn he watched his rematch slip away with Carlos Condit sliding into a spot opposite “The Prodigy”.

“I just want to go in there and beat somebody up. Obviously it’s always nice if I can get a name opponent that would help me get back on the right track,” Kampmann continued on the topic of Fitch.

However, just because the thought of taking on a well-known adversary is appealing to the Dane doesn’t mean he’s unwilling to take on all-comers, saying the most important thing to him is erasing the memory of his decision loss to Sanchez.

“I would always rather get the win. I’m there to win, I hate losing more than anything,” Kampmann concluded.

The Xtreme Couture original is 17-5 in his career with UFC wins over Paulo Thiago and Condit as well as a number of notable victories in the promotion as a middleweight. He has a near-even split between submission and strike-based stoppages while never having been tapped out himself.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

The surprising shift in matchmaking first came to light late Monday afternoon when Penn took to his Twitter and, in a message directed to Fitch, said UFC VP of Talent Relations Joe Silva had relayed the public’s preference to him in an earlier conversation and explained the company would not be having them fight again this October as had been rumored.

Now a new candidate has surfaced as a possibility for the popular Hawaiian with contendership implications still very much in the equation – Carlos Condit.

Both fighters have publicly agreed to the match-up through Twitter with Penn referring to UFC 137 as the targeted event. If the bout does indeed occur on October 29 the two will join a lineup already scheduled to feature another pair of highly-touted welterweights with Georges St. Pierre defending his UFC title in headlining action against former Strikeforce champion Nick Diaz.

The 27-5 Condit has had his hands raised in four straight outings including back-to-back finishes in the first round against Dan Hardy and most recently Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 132 bringing his remarkable total of stoppages to twenty six in twenty seven total victories . He also holds wins in the Octagon against Rory MacDonald and Jake Ellenberger as well as experienced past success against Brock Larson and Frank Trigg.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

The extent of the injury is not known but it is severe enough to keep Fitch out of action on July 2, 2011. No word yet on who will replace Fitch or if the bout will remain at welterweight but UFC officials are searching for a replacement.

MMAWeekly.com was the first to break the news. A follow-up story on ESPN mentioned the former Purdue Boilermaker’s affliction is related to his shoulder.

Fitch and Penn previously met earlier this year at UFC 127. The bout was highly competitive for two rounds with both fighters have their moments of dominance. The third round was all Fitch though as he took down and beat up Penn for the majority of the five minute frame. It wasn’t enough though as only one judge scored the fight for Fitch while the other two judges scored it a draw. The end result was an unsatisfying majority draw, which immediately led to talk of a rematch.

UFC 132 is scheduled for July 2, 2011 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The show will be headlined by a UFC Bantamweight Title Fight between champion Dominick Cruz and challenger Urijah Faber.

Also scheduled for the July 2 show, respected lightweights George Sotiropoulos (14-3) and Evan Dunham (11-2) will look to rebound from recent losses when they face each other while the man who beat Sotiropoulos, Dennis Siver(18-7), takes on on Matt Wiman (13-5) with both hoping to run their current winning streaks up to four in a row.

Two of MMA’s top-ranked competitors, Fitch and Penn fought to a draw in a contendership-determining clash late last month at UFC 127 and were rumored for an immediate re-pairing shortly thereafter. The performance marked the only time Fitch hadn’t exited the Octagon with a win aside from a decision loss to Georges St. Pierre in 2008. Comparably, Penn was coming off a twenty-second knockout of Matt Hughes in his previous bout but had lost back-to-back title-fights against Frank Edgar at 155-pounds prior to his return to welterweight.

A previously announced match-up between Shane Roller (10-3) and Melvin Guillard will also be among the group set for action at UFC 132.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Head-honcho Dana White discussed the situation on Tuesday during a UFC 127 conference call with media where he explained the company’s position on their headlining bout serving to determine the company’s top welterweight contender.

“Let’s face it…the reality is Penn has held titles in both weight classes. Fitch has fought for the title and has literally dominated that division for a long time, just didn’t win the title. Any one of these guys that wins this fight is in the mix – the #1 guy,” said the UFC President.

Fitch is currently riding a five-fight win streak starting in January 2009 and featuring the likes of Paulo Thiago and Thiago Alves. As touched on earlier, the American Kickboxing Academy staple’s only stumble inside the Octagon came as the result of a one-sided decision defeat to welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre when the two fought at UFC 87.

His foe on February 27 in Sydney has also fallen to St. Pierre, twice in fact, including a TKO at UFC 94 ultimately sending Penn back down to 155 pounds where he fought four more times before returning to 170 pounds in victorious fashion with a 21-second knockout of rival Matt Hughes last November. The performance marked Penn’s second career win over Hughes who remains the only welterweight the Hawaiian has beaten in the UFC.

In addition to the match-up between Penn and Hughes, UFC 127 will feature a fight between TUF 3 winner Michael Bisping and veteran striker Jorge Rivera as well as submission-specialist George Sotiropoulos in action against German kickboxer Dennis Siver.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Since dropping a convincing five-round decision to GSP in August 2008 the former Purdue Boilermaker has gone on to defeat the likes of respected foes such as Paulo Thiago, Ben Saunders, and Thiago Alves. However, all of the victories came by way of decision, and fighters who don’t finish opponents with consistency in a business requiring mainstream marketability the image of a hard-working grinder doesn’t necessarily resonate with the public as a trash-talking striker or newly-signed champion might.

As a result, rather than having the opportunity to avenge his loss to St. Pierre, Fitch will watch former Strikeforce middleweight title-holder Jake Shields face the welterweight phenom and instead take on MMA icon B.J. Penn in the headlining bout at UFC 127 scheduled for February 26 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia. However, simply because a belt won’t be on the line at the event isn’t to say Fitch doesn’t understand the importance of who he will be facing.

“I think I’m better than Jake. I think I should be fighting for the title. But I’ve been given a huge opportunity here to fight Penn, and that’s a big fight, belt or no belt,” the American Kickboxing Academy staple explained to media in a recent press conference to promote the upcoming show.

In regards to his inability to put opponents away over the last few years, Fitch equated it in terms of baseball.

“I am a homerun hitter who has hit a slump. But in my slump, I am still beating top guys pretty easy,” the 23-3 welterweight began. “Now with the improvements I’ve made in the gym, the slump is over and I am going to hit a homerun (at UFC 127). I am going to be a world champion, and I know before that happens I need to finish Penn.”

Of Fitch’s thirteen wins in the Octagon only four have been the result of a TKO/submission with the last scorecard-avoiding outcome occurring in mid-2007 against Roan Carneiro.

Then again, that doesn’t mean Fitch is letting the pressure get to him, as he in fact has a far more playful reason to be motivated towards his ultimate goal of beating the well-rounded Hawaiian.

“This is a fun fight for me,” he continued on the subject of his match-up with Penn. “I haven’t been this motivated since I fought for the title. B.J. has roots at the AKA Gym where I train and my own coaches talk about him and what he did in the gym back in the day. And I am kinda sick of hearing it; I am like the younger brother who wants to outshine the cool older brother who achieved all these things.”

In addition to Fitch vs. Penn, the main card of UFC 127 will feature George Sotiropoulos facing Dennis Siver, Carlos Condit crossing paths with Chris Lytle, Michael Bisping taking on Jorge Rivera, and Ross Pearson against Spencer Fisher.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

When I became an editor at Five Ounces of Pain, one of my first orders of business was to re-establish the site’s rankings. Throughout this week I will be providing a list of fifteen Mixed Martial Artists currently competing in a specific weight-class with the intention of subjectively sorting out the involved names from “exceptional” to “pretty frakkin’ good!”

As already alluded to, I’m well-aware that these kinds of lists are not doctrine and won’t insult you by pretending my set of names should be the mirror reflection of your own. In some divisions, it’s difficult to determine who the #1 fighter actually is and the reality is that a sport like MMA thrives on its unpredictable nature. When two finely-tuned individuals step into a cage and let loose the difference between consciousness and looking up at the ceiling is a matter of milliseconds no matter who is ranked where.

That being said, I invite you all to join in on the discussion in the “Comments” section below the article.

Welterweight is a tricky poundage to ponder. While a certain Canadian who recently got an ESPN commercial appears to be the easy favorite for the chief slot, even he has faltered in the past to lesser opposition and has a newly-signed, former middleweight champ hot on his heels. There’s also a sneering, sublimely talented Boilermaker and a son of Stockton to consider towards the top. The rest seem to be poised for “5A” and “5B” designations or are at least skilled enough to dethrone even the best 170er out there under the right circumstances.

And away we go…

1. Georges St. Pierre (20-2)

Was there ever any doubt St. Pierre would be sitting atop the list? While GSP has recently earned a reputation for essentially being too good, and capitalizing on his ability to control opponents in an intelligent fashion, the truth is he’s turned in finishing performances in three of his last six fights and nearly submitted Dan Hardy. It would have also been hard to blame the corners of Jon Fitch and Thiago Alves had they thrown in the towel after the physical abuse each man took at the limbs of St. Pierre.

2. Jake Shields (26-4-1)

Shields receives a lot of criticism based on his approach to competition but his place in the division isn’t based on entertainment value; it’s the result of…well…results. The former Strikeforce champ has racked an impressive number of notches up on his record including wins over Yushin Okami – currently next in line for a middleweight title-shot – and former WEC welterweight champ Carlos Condit on the same night in 2006. Shields also has victories over respected 185-pounders like Dan Henderson, Robbie Lawler, and Jason “Mayhem” Miller. He may not have looked sharp against Martin Kampmann, but he was coming off an extended absence from 170 and still got the win over a “Top 10” adversary. He’s beaten other tough welters and hasn’t lost is nearly six years. Need I say more?

3. Jon Fitch (23-3)

The fan in me wants to rank Fitch at the two-spot but the realist in me doesn’t feel he deserves it. While I’m absolutely an avid supporter of the AKA front-man, he hasn’t shown the ability to finish fighters he should be a definite step above like Mike Pierce, Chris Wilson, or Kuniyoshi Hironaka. He’s a solid #3, but Shields has tapped or TKO’d eight of the last eleven individuals he’s fought and for that fact alone he deserves to come out a nose ahead in the race.

4. Nick Diaz (23-7)

As wonderful as it would be to judge “2010 Diaz” against the essentially 75% of this list competing for the UFC, I can only go by what he’s done outside of the Octagon and as such he definitely deserves to be in the “Top 5”. He’s won eight straight and twelve of his last thirteen while only having been legitimately finished a single time in his thirty-fight career. He’s a threat when standing, or if action hits the canvas, and is more rounded than Fitch or Shields in that regard.

5. Josh Koscheck (15-4)

This is the point the rankings become a little murky for me. Koscheck is only 4-2 in his last six fights and hasn’t beaten a consensus “Top 10” guy since perhaps Diego Sanchez in 2007 (while losing to the other three he faced). Still, he’s an extremely skilled wrestler with good submission skills and the ability to leave an opponent rubber-legged with ever-improving hands.

6. Carlos Condit (26-5)

Condit may deserve to supplant Koscheck in the “Top 5”, as the only blemish on his record since June 2006 is a split-decision loss to the #9 guy on these rankings. However, he hasn’t faced quite as many “Top 10” guys as the polarizing Ultimate Fighter alumnus/coach so it’s difficult to know exactly where he should fall. Still, Condit has won three consecutive fights since the Kampmann loss, including a first-round knockout of the man below him on this list, and had his hands raised in the end leven of the last twelve times he’s entered the ring.

7. Dan Hardy (23-8)

I’m not sure how I can justify Hardy in this spot with back-to-back losses other than to say his relative competition for the designation have also hit hard times over the last 12-18 months and each defeat came to a “Top 10” welterweight. Minus the two losses, and an accidental groin-kick DQ three years ago, the Brit hasn’t lost while racking up eleven victories during the span. He seems to be improving each time out in terms of wrestling and has an underrated ground-game to compliment his speed/striking. As long as he continues to progress, I wouldn’t say he’s too far away from putting it all together and making another legitimate run at the belt.

8. Thiago Alves (17-7)

Also victim of two losses in his previous pair of fights, Alves has beaten a number of highly touted opponents including a trio of competitors on this list. His main fault seems to be an ability to handle high-level wrestling (or the necessary weight-cut to make the 171-pound welterweight limit). If he can figure out a way to slim down without sacrificing his explosiveness, not to mention stuff a hotly-contested takedown, there’s no reason he can’t beat anyone he stands opposite from in the cage.

9.Martin Kampmann (17-4)

Kampmann’s only issue seems to be with taking power-shots to the chin and, frankly, how many fighters can eat leather without crumpling at some point? He took Shields to the limit at UFC 121 and has looked sharp at welterweight since dropping down from a successful stint at 185 pounds. The Dane’s Muay Thai is as crisp as a pretzel and sometimes overshadows his ability to tangle foes up like the baked snack too, as he’s never been tapped in twenty-one fights while having almost an equal number of submissions on his record as he does TKOs.

10. Matt Hughes (45-8)

Like many of you, I found myself starting to believe in Hughes divisional resurgence and was shocked, though satisfied, with the ending to his trilogy with B.J. Penn this past weekend. However, he did beat Ricardo Almeida and Matt Serra prior to the loss, not to mention Chris Lytle before running into GSP and agreeing to fight an overweight Alves on late notice. Hughes has found a lot of success against a number of tough opponents and will remain relevant as long as he fights due to his blend of strength, cardio, and wrestling. The 37-year old may not be able to take a clean strike as well as he might have 5-10 years ago but he will always be a major mountain for any welterweight to climb.

11. Diego Sanchez (22-4)

There’s no question Sanchez is a threat to be reckoned with when he’s focused on the task at hand. He brings great intensity in the cage along with multi-level stand-up and fast, powerful submissions. Still, “Nightmare” hasn’t QUITE been able to get over every highly-ranked hurdle he’s encountered in his career but has wins over some top names like Paulo Thiago, Ken Florian, and the afore-mentioned Diaz. He also took Fitch to a split-decision. I’m willing to write off the Hathaway loss to his return from 155 to 170 but Sanchez was smashed by Penn and still cleanly fell to Fitch, not to mention Koscheck, regardless of how the “L” came about.

12. Tyron Woodley (7-0)

Woodley is the only name you’ll find among the fifteen listed here who has earned his spot based on potential more than who he’s actually beaten. Though none of his seven victories have come against especially notable opponents, “T-Wood” has looked exceptional in every outing. The former Missouri State Champion wrestler has great takedowns, is quick, and can fight from any position. He also reminds me a bit of St. Pierre when the current divisional king first came into the UFC based on pure athleticism.

13. Paul Daley (25-9-2)

Regardless of what you think about Daley’s post-fight sucker-punch of Koscheck, “Semtex” is still a supremely talented striker who has taken out his share of tough fighters. He’s a great addition to Strikeforce and should turn in some classics starting as soon as next week with his upcoming match-up against Scott Smith.

14. Paulo Thiago (13-3)

Similar to a few of the folks who are ranked higher, Thiago is coming off consecutive losses to “Top 10” competition. Dropping decisions to Sanchez, Kampmann, and Fitch a few fights earlier has far less impact than it might if any of the defeats had involved a submission/TKO. It’s also worth considering that Thiago can’t train full time due to his commitments as part of a special Brazilian Police unit.

15. Chris Lytle (30-17-5)

Lytle is still seeking a “career defining” win in the Octagon, which is why he’s this low on the list, but I wouldn’t be surprised to seem him attain at least one of them over the next year or two. The Indiana fireman has won five of his last six fights and is stiff test in any area of the ring. Consider this – Lytle has never been cleanly finished in his 50+ fight career. He’s lost bouts due to cuts and fifteen based on judges’ scorecards but never by a submission or strike-based TKO. It’s a remarkable statistic and one I’d challenge anyone to top.

Honorable Mentions

B.J. Penn (16-7-1): Though Penn’s knockout of Hughes was jaw-droppingly impressive, it was his first win at 170 pounds in six-and-a-half years for Baby Jay. If he can beat Fitch in Februray at UFC 127, which is far from a guarantee in my opinion, he’ll obviously jump up a lot higher in the rankings.
John Hathaway (14-1): The British youngster may have been exposed against Mike Pyle in his first career loss last month, but Hathaway has taken out some tough foes in his short career and appears to have a ton of upside based on the skills he’s exhibited thus far, not to mention his size and age.
Jake Ellenberger (22-5): The 25-year old has won six of his last seven with the lone stumble being a razor-thin decision loss to Condit in which he nearly finished “The Natural Born Killer” on more than one occasion. He’s also beaten the likes of Pyle, John Howard, and Pat Healy, and has upside for days when it comes to how far he could go in MMA if he gets minimally better in all areas.

Though Penn’s twenty-one second win against Hughes was his first as a welterweight since 2004, Fitch is believed by many to be neck-and-neck with newly signed Jake Shields as the division’s top threat to the title, meaning a victory for the Hawaiian icon in Australia would certainly go a long way in terms of earning the eventual shot at the belt he covets.

The 23-3 Fitch has won five consecutive bouts since falling to Georges St. Pierre by way of unanimous decision in August 2008. He holds notable victories over Thiago Alves, Diego Sanchez, and Paulo Thiago. Prior to Saturday’s announcement he was rumored to be facing rising 170-pound star Jake Ellenberger at UFC 126.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

News of the potential match-up was reported by MMAJunkie, where it was also stated bout-agreements were in place and at least one of the involved competitors had signed.

Ellenberger is 22-5 and is coming off back-to-back TKO wins in the Octagon over John Howard and Mike Pyle. His only loss in the UFC came via a razor-thin split decision to Carlos Condit in September 2009 at Fight Night 19. He has only been finished once in his career while racking up fourteen knockouts and five submissions in his twenty-two total victories.

The American Kickboxing Academy’s Fitch will clearly be the toughest test Ellenberger has faced to date if the bout does eventually materialize in an official sense. Fitch has won his last five fights and 21 of his last 22 (with the lone exception being a unanimous decision loss to UFC welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre at UFC 87).

UFC 126 is scheduled for February 5th, 2011 in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Other pairings believed to be occurring at the stacked event include 185-pound champion Anderson Silva defending his belt against Vitor Belfort, former title-holders Forrest Griffin and Rich Franklin squaring off, top light heavyweight contenders Jon Jones and Ryan Bader mixing it up, and a battle between respected lightweights Evan Dunham and Ken Florian.

Does Randy Couture Have One Last Run at the Title in Him? (Versus.com)

Dana White Backtracks on Jon Fitch’s Contendership (WatchKalibRun.com)

Kamal Shalorus May Be Fighting Bart Palaszweski at WEC 52 (Heavy.com)

Ken Florian and Dan Hardy Take Differing Viewpoints on Wrestling in MMA (MMAFighting.com)

A TUF 12 Preview (CagePotato.com)

EA Sports MMA Will be Available to Play on the IPhone (MiddleEasy.com)

Bibiano Fernandes Finally Receives Payment for DREAM 13 Performance (MMAConvert.com)

European Stars Look Sharp at Shooto Event in Switzerland (FIGHT! Magazine)

Georges St. Pierre Comments on Josh Koscheck’s Pre-Fight Trash Talk (MMAScraps.com)

According to figures released by the CSAC and later reported by MMAFighting, Hughes made $200,000 for his win over Almeida (as well as $60,000 for earning “Submission of the Night”). He was only topped by current UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva in terms of take-home pay.

Also making six-figures for a win at the event was Jon Fitch. In addition to earning a shot at the UFC welterweight title by beating Thiago Alves the American Kickboxing Academy staple also earned $108,000 in pay for the unanimous decision victory.

Here is a complete rundown of “UFC 117” payment information made available including event-specific bonuses:

Dennis Hallman: $30,000 (includes $15,000 win bonus) def. Ben Saunders: $12,000
Stefan Struve: $90,000 (includes $15,000 win bonus, $60,000 “Knockout of the Night” bonus) def. Christian Morecraft: $6,000
Tim Boetsch: $32,000 (includes $16,000 win bonus) def. Todd Brown: $6,000
Johny Hendricks: $40,000 (includes $20,000 win bonus) def. Charlie Brenneman: $8,000
Phil Davis: $18,000 (includes $9,000 win bonus) def. Rodney Wallace: $6,000
Rick Story: $22,000 (includes $11,000 win bonus) def. Dustin Hazelett: $18,000
Junior dos Santos: $80,000 (includes $40,000 win bonus) def. Roy Nelson: $15,000
Matt Hughes: $260,000 (includes $100,000 win bonus, $60,000 “Submission of the Night” bonus) def. Ricardo Almeida: $35,000
Clay Guida: $56,000 (includes $28,000 win bonus) def. Rafael Dos Anjos: $12,000
Jon Fitch: $108,000 (includes $54,000 win bonus) def. Thiago Alves: $48,000*
Anderson Silva: $320,000 (includes $60,000 “Fight of the Night” bonus, $60,000 “Submission of the Night” bonus) def. Chael Sonnen: $95,000 (includes $60,000 “Fight of the Night” bonus)

* – Alves’ original salary was $60,000 but took a 20% hit for not making weight against Fitch

It’s my opinion that fellow American Kickboxing Academy trained welterweights Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch currently find themselves in that both fortunate and unfortunate, extremely unique position.

With three of mixed martial art’s top 170 pound fighters in Koscheck, Fitch and Mike Swick all training out of the same San Jose based gym, it had to happen sooner or later.

UFC Chairman Lorenzo Fertitta recently went on record stating:

At the end of the day, we are here to see fighters and we are here to see fights.

If teammates don’t want to fight, then they are just going to have to go somewhere else. We don’t put up with that stuff.

That’s just the way it is. You step up. You’re a UFC fighter and I don’t care who it is, you have to fight.

I couldn’t agree any more whole heartedly with the man.

Now it’s just a matter of seeing how serious the Octagon brass are in their stance that top fighters will have no choice in the matter when push comes to shove.

In Kos’ and Fitch’s case, it has definitely come down to it. Outside of Thiago Alves, the fellow training parners are undoubtedly the best welterweights in the business right now.

Of course I don’t expect for Fitch and Koscheck to WANT to fight one another, but it’s not as if this would be just any fight. A bout between these two would undoubtedly warrant the winner being guaranteed a crack at the winner of Georges St. Pierre vs. Dan Hardy.

I’d find it hard to see either man backing down from a bout that would insure a chance at accomplishing their dream, regardless of the implications.

Only time will tell what the future holds for these two, but if it’s really about giving the fans what they want and making the fights that people want to see; I’d like to see Jon Fitch fight Josh Koscheck.

Joe Silva, if you’re reading this, do the right thing buddy!

According to a recent report on MMAMania.com, Pierce has recently agreed to the proposed match-up which will take place on December 12 from Memphis, Tennessee.

The unlikely showdown was booked after Josh Koscheck was yanked from his UFC Fight Night 20 bout with Pierce to face off with Anthony Johnson at UFC 106, and Fitch has seen two prior opponents, Ricardo Almeida and Thiago Alves, bow out due to knee injuries.

Fitch is currently riding a two fight win streak in the Octagon, with wins over Akihiro Gono and Paulo Thiago following his decision loss at the hands of welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre back at UFC 87. Fitch is currently ranked at #2 behind St-Pierre on the official 5 Oz. rankings, and sports an astonishing UFC record of 10-1.

Pierce is fresh off the heels of the biggest win of his career over Brock Larson at UFC Fight Night 19. He sports a career record of 10-1, and is currently riding a six fight win streak.