Props to Jon Fitch for saying no to peer pressure. While all the cool kids are canceling fights to have surgery, then canceling the surgery itself, Fitch decided to actually go under the knife to repair the shoulder that pulled him from his rematch with BJ Penn. In the latest of his high-quality vlogs, he takes us back through his preparation for surgery.

What we learn: Fitch’s girlfriend is pretty attractive by societal standards; packing is easy when you’ve got clothing companies up your ass; if you’re a top-dog in your division, the UFC won’t wait until June 1st to hook you up.

Not one to sit idly by while nursing an injury, UFC Welterweight Jon Fitch is working other aspects of his game while his shoulder heals up. Perhaps his love affair with fruits and vegetables is rockier than we’d been led to believe?

(Edith Labelle: Still alive. Photo proof via Harris Masood/MMAMania)

Some selected highlights from our friends around the MMA blogosphere. E-mail feedback@cagepotato.com for details on how your site can join the MMA Link Club…

- Five Lessons: UFC 129 (NBC Sports MMA)

- Jon Fitch Says He and GSP Both Deserve Some Criticism for Decisions (MMA Fighting)

- Watch and Listen: The 50 Best Entrance Songs in the History of the UFC (BleacherReport.com/MMA)

- Tim Kennedy Weighs in on the Killing of Osama Bin Laden (MiddleEasy)

- Bob Sapp Was Busy Being Bob Sapp Last Weekend (MMA-Scraps)

- Great Expectations: The Problem With Georges St. Pierre (MMA Convert)

- Vladimir Matyushenko Wants Tito Ortiz or Little Nog Next (LowKick)

- Gabriel Gonzaga to Emerge From Brief Retirement at ‘Heavyweight Xplosion’ in June (Five Ounces of Pain)

- Jake Ellenberger Undergoes Hand Surgery Following UFC 129 Knockout Victory (5thRound)

(Video courtesy of YouTube/00Alistair00)

If you haven’t heard the news, Anderson Silva has a new documentary called, “Like Water,” which set for release later this month at the Tribeca Film Festival in Manhattan. The name of the film is taken from a famous Bruce Lee quote as an homage to the world’s most famous martial artist who was a huge influence to The Spider’s MMA career.

The synopsis of the movie is after the jump.

(Hurt? Nah, I just wanted to have some time to surf.)

A week after news broke that Jon Fitch had pulled out of UFC 132 due to a shoulder injury, the American Kickboxing Academy fighter’s opponent for the event had reportedly been removed from the July 2 card as well.

Dave Meltzer reported earlier today via his Wrestling Observer subscription newsletter that Penn had apparently sustained an injury this week while training for the event in anticipation of the UFC finding him a viable replacement opponent.

Now MMAJunkie is saying that Penn has opted out of the event for undisclosed reasons and will instead look at a future card for his next bout.

(Come on, Jon. A real man takes “prohibited injections” and fights through that shit. Photo courtesy of Zimbio)

Bad news for fans of immediate rematches and mouthpiece-chewers. As first reported by MMAWeekly, Jon Fitch has withdrawn from his upcoming fight with BJ Penn at UFC 132 (July 2nd, Las Vegas) due to an undisclosed injury suffered in training; according to ESPN, it’s shoulder-related. A replacement opponent for Penn has not yet been named.

Fitch and Penn met in the main event of UFC 127 last month and fought to a majority draw, in a match that saw Penn take a slight edge in the first two rounds before getting clobbered in round three. UFC 132 is currently slated to feature the bantamweight title fight between Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber.

(No really, it’s good for you. Pic: DLAnderson.com)

It should come as no surprise that MMA fighters on the whole seem particularly susceptible to hokum and gimmickry. After all, in this sport everybody is looking for an edge. In an industry where your ability to keep up with the Joneses (pun totally intended) can be the difference between fighting in the Octagon in front of thousands of screaming fans and having a job where one of your main responsibilities is walking the girls to their cars at the end of the night, guys will do almost anything to stay on top.

Everybody wants to be the first to discover the next big thing, that next little trick that’s going to push them to the win. In other words, MMA fighters will try anything once. Naturally, that leads to guys dabbling in some crazy shit. Does some of it really help them? Sure, probably. Is some of it just utter crap? Definitely. With that in mind, here are our choices for the eight strangest things some MMA fighters believe …

(“FINISH HIM!” shouted the spooky narrator from Mortal Kombat, who had clearly never seen Jon Fitch fight before. Props: MMAConvert)

After their UFC 127 main event ended in a frustrating majority draw, BJ Penn and Jon Fitch have been re-booked for an immediate rematch at UFC 132 (July 2, Las Vegas). The UFC confirmed the news late last night. Both fighters were initially disappointed in their performance, but have since come around to the idea that they both should have won and a rematch is the only logical option. The fight will lead off the live Facebook-stream portion of the evening. (Kidding. It’ll probably be on the main card somewhere.) Maybe this match is a good time to test out the UFC’s proposed use of five-round fights for non-title features. No? Terrible idea?

Aside from being the decisionest decisioner who ever decisioned, UFC welterweight contender Jon Fitch also holds the record for the most total strikes landed in the Octagon — a staggering 1973, according to the new UFC Official Records page on FightMetric.com. Georges St. Pierre is a close second to Fitch with 1924 total strikes, but comes in first on the “Significant Strikes Landed” leaderboard with 892; Jon Fitch isn’t even in the top ten on that one.

Also surprising: Because of their multiple title fights and frequent decisions, Frank Edgar and Sean Sherk have average fight times of over 15 minutes. Plus, Anderson Silva is just one knockdown away from catching Chuck Liddell’s record of 14 KDs, Cheick Kongo has the fifth-best takedown accuracy in the UFC, and the hardest-to-hit fighter in UFC history isn’t Lyoto Machida or Georges St. Pierre — it’s TUF 4 vet Pete Spratt, who only ate 0.89 shots per minute during his 3-4 stint in the Octagon. (Yes, GSP is currently in second place on that list too.) Check out a few more notable FightMetric charts after the jump, and see the rest right here.

(Lightweights, man. Can’t live with them, can’t unnecessarily pad your record without them. Pic: Heavy)

One way or another, the welterweight division will look dramatically different come the end of UFC 129. Either Mike Goldberg will be screaming about how “the Jake Shields era has begun in the UFC” while the Skrap Pack carries him around the cage on their shoulders, or GSP will be standing in line at the all-you-can eat pasta bar wondering how he’s ever going to pack on enough pounds to look like a credible middleweight. No matter what, the landscape will be changed.

Either that, or GSP will just blow through Shields like Tank Abbott through a 4-pack of Budweiser Cheladas and decide he wants to stay at welterweight (and just keep beating up the Thiago Alveses, Jon Fitches and Josh Koschecks of the world) until his RushFit stock options mature enough to put him on Easy Street. To us at least, the first option is starting to sound more and more acceptable each day. In spite of that impending shakeup, we present to you our picks for the top five welterweights in MMA. These lists will only be current for the next 60 days or so, so get them while they’re hot …

(Chris Tuchscherer)

From Fedor Emelianenko to Dwayne Lewis, gruesome eye injuries are so hot right now in MMA. So we thought we’d make them the subject of our latest photo tribute. Because it’s all fun and games until…you know. Lots more after the jump.

(Marcus Davis)

(What has four arms and four legs and is convinced he kicked ass at UFC 127? This guy! Pic: MMA Weekly)

So, maybe it’s time we all just concede that we have no fucking clue who won BJ Penn’s and Jon Fitch’s main event bout at UFC 127 and, ultimately, making it a draw was probably the right call, huh? I mean, Dana White thought Penn won; the only judge able to make up his mind on Saturday night thought Fitch won and Fitch agreed; Penn originally thought Fitch won, too, but given some time to think about it, he’s has changed his mind. No more acting sad-sack and giving praise to the MMA gods for “The Prodigy.” No sir, he thinks he won after all.

(Ryan Jimmo‘s epic victory-robot from Friday night. Props: Card)

Some selected highlights from our friends around the MMA blogosphere. E-mail feedback@cagepotato.com for details on how your site can join the MMA Link Club…

- Tongue Wrestling: The 25 Greatest Trash-Talking Affairs in MMA History (BleacherReport.com/MMA)

- Kampmann Looks to Correct Mistakes of the Past at UFC Live (Versus MMA Beat)

- Compustrike: UFC 127 by the Numbers (LowKick)

- Chris Lytle to Consider Retirement After Secret Surgery, UFC 127 Loss (MMA Fighting)

- Now You Can Train MMA — Inside Your Local Wal-Mart (MiddleEasy)

- Michael Bisping’s Camp Points Finger At Jorge Rivera’s Boxing Coach For UFC 127 Incidents (MMA Convert)

- Gracie Breakdown: BJ Penn vs. Jon Fitch (MMA-Scraps)

- Strikeforce Title Contender Liz Carmouche: “Jitters Aren’t Something That You Can Have When You’re Out in Iraq With Your Weapon.” (Five Ounces of Pain)

- Dana White: “Fedor Emelianenko Looks Old and It’s Over” (5thRound)

- FIGHT! RANKINGS: Penn Proves Ranking Correct, Siver & Bisping Enter Top 10 (FightMagazine)

(It turns out “No Rules, Just Right” is more of a slogan than actual Aussie law)

Strange walkout masks, chest hairrows, random laughter from the audience, a grudge match marred by an illegal knee, and a majority draw in the main event. UFC 127 “Fight for the Convicts 2” provided a night of entertaining bouts and more than its share bizarre moments. While the card might have lacked the star-power and championship fights of some larger events, the UFC loudly trumpeted its significance in deciding future title contenders and challengers alike. In the end little roadway was paved and talks of title runs were shelved for now.

The only thing certain at the top of the welterweight division is uncertainty. Leading up to this event Dana White announced that the winner of Fitch-Penn would advance to challenge the winner of GSP-Shields for the 170lb title. For much of the fight it looked like the same terror that ruled the lightweight division had found his way back to the Octagon. Penn followed up a hefty dose of cross-cage eye-fucking with an immediate shot off the opening bell. While his initial takedown attempt failed, he would out-wrestle the wrestler halfway through the first round and score a takedown. Once it hit the mat we saw shades of the “Old” BJ Penn, who quickly took Fitch’s back and worked for the same rear naked he’s employed in countless fights before. But Fitch proved just as tough to finish as always, and a reversal allowed him to land a little offense of his own on the ground. Round two saw a vintage Fitch try to wear on BJ against the cage. The two exchanged takedowns, with Penn again taking his back and threatening the choke before Fitch escaped to land some punches from the guard. Round 3 more closely resembled the fight many were expecting. Fitch followed up a solid punch with a takedown in the opening seconds of the round. BJ would kick him off shortly, only to be taken down again with just under four minutes left in the round. From BJ’s guard, Fitch was relentless with punches, giving BJ no room to adjust or counter for the remainder of the bout. That last round, scored 10-8 by two judges, would end this fight in a majority draw and add a little disarray to the welterweight picture.

(Hit refresh early and often to stay, uh, abreast of the latest updates … Pic: CombatLifestyle)

In the main event of UFC 127 tonight, a laidback vegan ragamuffin fights a bloodthirsty Hawaiian cannibal to determine some sort of vague No. 1 contender status for a welterweight title which could soon be very much in flux. Will Jon Fitch’s strategy of nonviolence win the day? Or will the night end with BJ Penn licking Fitch’s green, iron-deficient blood off his gloves? Either way, will it ultimately mean anything? There’s really only one way to find out: Sit somewhere thousands of miles from the show’s point of origin and follow this website’s second-hand textual analysis of the high definition moving pictures we’ll be watching on the TV. If that doesn’t work, well, try Twitter or something.

Also, imagine our pleasant surprise this afternoon when we discovered our ridiculously inclusive satellite package actually does carry the Ion Network. In light of that, we’ll probably be posting short-ish recaps of the three televised prelims beginning at 9 p.m. EST. When the PPV itself kicks off an hour later, we’ll be live with updates and uninterrupted snark for the duration. Thanks in advance for your attention in this matter …

(“Whiter than a band-aid? You’re out of order, Jorge!”)

Everyone’s doing their part to bolster interest in this card. Dana’s doling out title shots again, Rivera’s gone to Broadway, even the mostly-beloved Octagon girls are pitching in. But beyond loose promises and tight bikinis, this card has meaning. Many of tonight’s combatants are fighting for far more than just another notch in the win-column. Let’s take a look at what’s really on the table tonight in Australia.

Jon Fitch: A legend on his decision-list and a title shot, maybe. Fitch is a good fighter, no doubt, and his victories over tough competition reflect that. What you won’t find on his record, however, is a win over a legend. If Fitch is able to capitalize on his size advantage and use his wrestling skills to wear on Penn, that could change tonight. Win streaks are nice, but every fighter wants a trophy head for their mantle, and few have a name as respected in this sport as BJ Penn. Regarding that title shot, as Fitch has learned before, those things are somewhat fickle. An exciting win could very well earn him a five-rounder, but–as affectionate nicknames like “Smoke Break” and “Yaaaawn Fitch” allude—exciting fights can be hard to come by.

(Vid: YouTube/OfficialJonFitch)

In the final days leading up to UFC 127, a fair amount is being written (much of it by the fighter himself) about Jon Fitch’s new, surprisingly not-that-disgusting-sounding vegan diet. About a month ago, Fitch posted the above video to his official YouTube channel showing him pouring hemp milk and raw agave into his oatmeal, casually mentioning that sometimes he “opens up a coconut” to drink with lunch and that he only eats nuts when they’re “raw and organic.” Insert your own joke about that last part. For a fairly standard “fighter blog” the vid actually has some pretty high production values – dig that scene at 2:19 of Fitch opening the cupboard … shot from inside the cupboard. Also, judging by the easy tenor of Fitch’s voiceover narration (and the soft guitar soundtrack), we’d wager there are a couple of Bright Eyes CDs kicking around somewhere in the guy’s condo.

“I like my oatmeal lumpy,” Fitch says at one point, apparently without irony. Meanwhile, every other 32-year-old man in America snickered and then said, “Hey fat girl, c’mere, are you ticklish?”

Predictably, in an MMA subculture that seems by turns very accepting and/or totally intolerant of quirky lifestyle choices, some eyebrows were raised. Fitch responded by penning a further explanation of his diet as part of the pre-UFC 127 “Fight Journal” he wrote for MMA Fighting.com. Sure, choosing to minimize your “meat intake to at least five percent or less of your overall calories” doesn’t sound like it’s for everybody but if that’s what Fitch wants to do, no harm done, right? Well, maybe not. As Kenny Florian told SBNation this week, there are some concerns that the diet may have cost Fitch some of his natural size advantage over BJ Penn this weekend. Check it out, then let the rampant speculation begin:

(Fight begins at the 9:35 mark. Props: Yahoo! via BloodyElbow)

To help promote tomorrow’s UFC 127: Penn vs. Fitch card, the UFC and Yahoo! have posted the video of BJ Penn and Matt Hughes‘s 21-second rubber match at UFC 123. Yahoo! is also hosting the full UFC 120 fight between Michael Bisping and Yoshihiro Akiyama, and one of Dennis Siver’s infamous spinning back kicks, so check ‘em out. After the jump: The Countdown to UFC 127 hype show, in which Jorge Rivera discusses his car-thief past and the tragic death of his daughter.

(This one ain’t no beauty pageant.)

It’s that old gambler’s dilemma: There are a bunch of fairly big time dogs on the card at this Saturday’s UFC 127 … which means there are also a bunch of guys who are probably not going to win their fights. The numbers are what they are (read: juicy) precisely to make our betting fingers itchy, to make us consider throwing down on dudes we normally wouldn’t give a second look. When it’s all said and done though, what good is an underdog if he doesn’t have a chance to actually win? At times like this, it’s imperative that we don’t let our own greed so cloud our mindbrains that we lose sight of reality. Wheat from chaff, people, wheat from chaff.

Luckily for you (and our many, many creditors) we wouldn’t even be having this conversation if deep down we didn’t believe we were smarter than the bookies. At least in the weird, fringe backwater that is MMA betting. Yep, we’ve pretty much got UFC 127 dialed in. After the jump, we share our get-rich quick scheme. All listed odds are from Sportsbook.com. Why? Because those dudes might actually pay you if you win.

The CompuStrike LIVE App will be available once again on LowKick.com, this time throughout the anticipated UFC 127: Penn vs. Fitch main card bouts. The app will be your source for live statistics and commentary, which will provide you a unique view on what’s going on inside the Octagon at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia…

Learn more, and check out the CompuStrike Live App during UFC 127 at LowKick.com…

(Eddie Jackson shows you how to end a fight with one punch. Props: MadeMan.com)

Some selected highlights from our friends around the MMA blogosphere. E-mail feedback@cagepotato.com for details on how your site can join the MMA Link Club…

- Does Jon Fitch really need the UFC Welterweight Title to be considered an MMA legend? (LowKick)

- Siver Seeks to Spoil Sotiropoulos’ Contender Status at UFC 127 (Versus MMA Beat)

- Aussie Gold: The Top MMA Fighters Down Under (FightMagazine)

- Former Power Ranger Gets Into a Backstage Fight at an MMA Event (MiddleEasy)

- Black House Has a YouTube Channel and It’s Great (MMA-Scraps)

- Cain Velasquez Offers Simple Solution to Great Heavyweight Debate (5thRound)

- Hector Lombard Likely Facing Niko Vitale in Non-Title Bout at Bellator 44 (Five Ounces of Pain)

- Now Jorge Santiago Says He Signed With The UFC, Meets Brian Stann At UFC 130 (MMA Convert)

- Karlos Vemola Out of UFC 128, Luiz Cane In Need of New Opponent (MMA Fighting)

BJ Penn Brings in Matt Hughes to Train for Jon Fitch – Watch more Funny Videos

It looks like Matt Hughes and BJ Penn have been trolling us all along by making everyone think they can’t stand each other.

“The Prodigy” has brought in “Country Breakfast” to help him train for his upcoming UFC 127 fight with Jon Fitch, and according to Hughes, despite the fact that they have both beaten the shit out of each other and have slung a shit ton of verbal jabs over the years, there’s no hard feelings between them.

“I’ve been in the sport a long time — a lot longer than some other guys in the UFC. We respect each other and we’ve never really not got along and never had a falling out of any type. We’re competitors, so when we had a fight coming up, we always came in with the attitude that we were gonna beat the other one,” Hughes told Hawaii’s KHON2 news. “We fought, I think a week before Thanksgiving or something and he beat me pretty good…pretty quick. That was a match and he’s got his next fight and I’m tryin’ to help him out.”

(Video courtesy BJPenn.com)

Former UFC welterweight and lightweight champ BJ Penn suffered a bizarre injury recently.

Apparently "The Prodigy" was bitten by a spider on the back of the head while doing some promo in Australia and the sore became so infected that it caused some of his hair around the affected area to fall out. Hopefully for his sake, Jon Fitch doesn’t take him down and mop the canvas with his dome at UFC 127 like he usually does with opponents or else we may see BJ featured on popthatzit.com.

On a side note, what the hell is up with BJ’s coke nails?  Does he practice the ukelele in his spare time?

Maybe this explains why GSP’s eyes looked like they’d gone through a cheese grater the first time they fought.

("Minced martial arts is great. I watch it all the time.")

It looks like former UFC lightweight and welterweight champ BJ Penn has brought in a new secret weapon to help him prepare for upcoming UFC 127 bout with perennial contender Jon Fitch in Australia.

Fight Hype is reporting that “The Prodigy” has spent some time in Las Vegas honing his pugilistic skills with acclaimed boxing trainer Floyd Mayweather Senior.

The father of IBO, IBA, IBF and WBC welterweight and WBC super welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Junior, Senior has trained several top boxers including his son, Oscar De La Hoya, Leila Ali, Ricky Hatton, Joan Guzman and Chad Dawson.

“Joy” says that when “The Prodigy” first showed up at his gym, his nickname didn’t seem to be an accurate description of the Hilo, Hawaii native’s fighting prowess, but with a few days of his tutelage, Penn picked up a lot.

“BJ Penn is a cool dude, man. I’ll be honest, at first, it didn’t seem like he could fight that good. I mean, I don’t know about his ground game and all of that stuff, but he’s got some pop and in just the three days I’ve been working with him, he has improved, man,” he says. “In his words, man, he told me, ‘I ain’t never seen some of this stuff you’re showing me, man.’ And that’s only after three days. BJ is learning fast, man. He’s a good guy.”

By CagePotato contributor Dan “siksik6” Teague

#8: Gray Maynard

When fans and fighters complain about wrestlers in MMA, they’re talking about Gray Maynard. He takes fighters down because that’s what he’s good at. In Maynard’s nine-fight UFC career, he has just one stoppage, a KO of Joe Veres over three years ago. He’s earned his title shot not because of his performances, but rather because what the hell else do you do with a guy who’s undefeated and has won eight straight fights, including one over the current champ? Cole Miller said it best: Taking people down should be a means to an end. Gray needs to start having some refs pull him off of people if he’s ever going to have any drawing power.

#7: Ben Askren

Ben Askren is just starting to make his way into mainstream MMA discussions. However, it’s not exactly a heralded arrival. The kid makes picking strawberries look like it belongs in the X Games. His last “stoppage” was a controversial sub over Ryan Thomas, who promptly and correctly displayed his best WTFIYP face. Before that it was a north-south choke over some guy you’ve never heard of in some organization you’ve never heard of back in August of ’09. For his last fight, in which he won the Bellator welterweight strap, he came about as close to finishing Lyman Good as I did. I was on the couch eating Mayfield Butter Pecan ice cream. It was delicious. As a title holder for an up-and-coming organization, Askren needs to show more of a killer instinct if he ever wants his fights to be broadcast by anyone other than Fox Sports South.

(He may be a nice guy who doesn’t mean-mug, but Lytle’s no slouch.)

Chris Lytle (30-17-5) could take a dramatic jump up the UFC’s 170-pound ladder if he gets past his next rumored opponent.

According Sportsnet.ca, to the Indianapolis fighter could take on welterweight contender Carlos Condit (26-5) February 5 at UFC 126, which is surprising, considering that the Albuquerque, NM fighter turned down a fight with Jon Fitch on the same card because he felt he didn’t have enough time to prepare for the fight.

Reps from Lytle’s camp informed us this afternoon that they have yet to be contacted by the UFC, but they aren’t completely surprised that the fight is being considered as they requested the bout after Condit mentioned earlier this week that he would love to face "Lights Out."

When you think about it, Carlos has much more to lose by taking a fight with Lytle over one with Fitch, so he may regret the decision after February 5.

("Fitch in February for a shot at St-Pierre? Nah, I think I’ll wait for GSP clear out the division and move up to middleweight.")

Carlos Condit may have cost himself a huge opportunity.

The UFC welterweight reveals that he turned down a Super Bowl weekend fight with perennial number one contender Jon Fitch at UFC 126. Instead, Fitch will face Jake Ellenberger and the winner of the bout will wait patiently until the end of the year to face the winner of the winner of the Josh Koscheck-Georges St-Pierre UFC 124 showdown and a subsequent Jake Shields match-up in the spring.

Simply put, he’s giving up an opportunity to fight teammate Georges St-Pierre for the belt in late 2011.

Condit told MMAJunkie that the timing wasn’t right for the fight.

"It just didn’t work out as far as timing went," he told MMAjunkie. "I didn’t think I was going to be able to get a long enough camp in for Fitch for the time period that they were wanting me to fight."

(In case you’ve completely forgotten what he looks like, this is Jake Ellenberger.)

Immediately after Jake Shields notched an ugly decision win over Martin Kampmann at UFC 121, welterweight vet Jake Ellenberger logged onto Twitter and started posting short-message bombs directed at the former Strikeforce champ. Highlights included, "Jake Shields, you’re as exciting as watching a bowl of mash potatoes get cold…Your days are numbered" and "Jake Shields’ cardio won’t be a factor if he fights me next. I won’t keep him around long enough to get tired."

(As cheap as it is for Ellenberger to talk smack over Twitter — without even including ‘@jakeshieldsajj‘ in his posts so that Jake will actually see them — we have to commend him for being the first MMA fighter in Twitter history to understand the difference between "you’re" and "your." Okay, nerdy grammar rant over.)

Since Ellenberger is just 2-1 in the UFC with wins over fellow mid-packers Mike Pyle and John Howard, we didn’t think for a second that he’d get Jake Shields pulled from his impending title fight just on the strength of his eDisses. And he didn’t. Instead, Ellenberger got a fight against Jon Fitch.

(Video courtesy YouTube/MMANews.com)

If Jon Fitch has any clout left with the UFC since being fired and re-hired by the organization because of a dispute over signing over his likeness rights to the UFC Undisputed video game franchise, the American Kickboxing Academy fighter may get the winner of the UFC 121 welterweight tilt between Martin Kampmann and Jake Shields.

"The next time a title shot is coming around is probably going to be a while, so I’m kinda thinking I might wanna fight again before the title shot. The winner of Kampmann-Shields would be a perfect match-up. I’ve known Jake [Shields] for a long time. He’s a good friend of mine. I’m all about fighting the best guys in the world and we’ve known for a long time that this day would probably come where we’d have to fight. So be it."

If you recall, Fitch was supposed to get next dibs at the winner of the UFC 124 Kos-GSP showdown, but after his lacklustre win over Thiago Alves at UFC 117, Dana White reneged on giving him the next title shot, saying, "We’ll see," when pressed about it at the post-fight press conference.

(Video courtesy TheMMAFix)

It looks like Dana White wasn’t thrilled with Jon Fitch’s less than enthralling performance in his win over Thiago Alves at UFC 118 last month, since the UFC president has now rescinded an earlier assertion that the winner of the bout would be next in line for a title shot at the winner of December’s Georges St-Pierre-Josh Koscheck showdown.

During an appearance on Comcast Sportsnet Washington’s The MMA Fix, White said the welterweight title picture is a bit murkier than it seemed a few weeks ago, which may be partially a result of Fitch’s conservative stall and brawl tactics he employed to decision Alves.

"I want to wait for Koscheck and St-Perre to happen and we’ll figure out who gets the next shot," White explained noncommittally.  "By then Jake Shields will have fought…Kampmann…you know…we’ll see what happens. A lot of it is timing too."