After a turbulent 24 hours, Jon Fitch is back in the UFC.Fitch confirmed to MMARated.com that he talked to UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta today and agreed to sign the company's video game licensing agreement. That means his previously scheduled fight with Akihiro Gono at UFC 94 will go on as planned.
"We're going to move ahead and I'll be back in the UFC," Fitch told MMA Rated. "We're going to sign off on the video game and I'm back. It was never even about the agreement or the contract. It was the approach that we felt (UFC President Dana White) was being a little bit hot-headed and was threatening us right off the bat. It didn't seem like a professional way of doing things."
Fitch was dropped by the UFC yesterday for refusing to sign over the rights to his name and likeness for use in the UFC's upcoming video game. That he capitulated a day later will teach the rest of the MMA world a valuable lesson: Fighters who cross the UFC quickly come to regret it.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-20-2008 @ 9:07PM
exp said...
That's 2-0 for UFC suckers. Randy realized it the hard way. It turns out Fitch actually is smart enough to pick his battles. Of course, he will be screwed by the ref in his next match and then gets cut but at least he gets on last pay
Reply
11-20-2008 @ 9:46PM
pete said...
this just in a few short hours proves without a doubt dana is a bold face liar,he said it had nothing to do with fitch signing
Reply
11-20-2008 @ 10:34PM
exp said...
That's not true. Dana is upset that these guys don't fight each other. Also Fitch didn't want to fight that guy at UFC 94. He wants a bigger name. Did you get all your facts before attacking Dana? I am surprised how folks judge Dana even though he has built this business and allowed us fans to see all these cool matchups. If it wasn't for Dana, UFC would probably be out of business, and MMA wouldn't be where it is now.
Reply
11-20-2008 @ 11:11PM
pete said...
Did you not read on this very sight a few hours ago dana said that releasing fitch was because he thinks fitchs training club were morons(his words not mine) and had nothing to do with the signing?
11-20-2008 @ 11:13PM
pete said...
Excuse me it was at MMA fighting .com not fanhouse
Reply
11-21-2008 @ 8:03AM
Eric said...
People think just because the UFC in a huge business and they sell millions of PPV buys, that they are recession proof! Just as Nascar is seeing decreases in sponsorship and viewers, the UFC could have similar problems if they don't handle there business properly and make some assurances for the future.
Dana and the Fertita's are trying to maintain the UFC's fanbase and sponsorship during a tough economic time, and Fitch wasn't doing his part ... he is a good fighter and I'm glad that he has agreed to the video game contract, but this has probably damaged his long term relationship with the UFC.
Reply
11-21-2008 @ 10:36AM
Brayan said...
This has nothing to do with an economic crisis.Dana did not become aggressive towards his fighters overnight. He has always been like that. When the Gracie family left the ufc because of rule regulations, although the family was stubborn about it- Dana offered no solutions of compromises to keep them. He just said goodbye.
This is Dana White being who he is. Not a economicly concerned Dana, but a Dana that has kicked out many fighters for contract disputes and for reasons similar to Fitch's case.
He is a business machine, and a very primitive one.
Reply
11-21-2008 @ 11:32AM
Eric said...
People who only refer to Dana obviously don't understand the UFC ... don't be confused just because he is the front man, the Fertita's have a much larger interest in the UFC, and they are a large part of the "big money" decisions in the UFC.
Sure, Dana makes alot of everyday decisions and voices his opinion every chance he gets, but mostly he has become a dramatic character to stir up interest ... which has made him and the UFC very successful.
11-26-2008 @ 12:32AM
Jason said...
Are you kidding me? What comprimises would you like him to make? If Dana and the Fertitas didnt do what they did.,,the sport would have been shut down...not just because the public viewed it as a barbaric sport but because the goverment was going to shut it down. There was no comprimise because it needed to be regulated by the various state athletic commissions so they could say to the public and goverment that they were willing to clean the sport up and allow a governing body to oversee it with regulations that allowed the sport to stay in existance. If Dana white didnt do what he did with the Fertitas...the UFC and MMA would be an underground illegal sport today.
Beleive me when I say Dana is an a$$ hands down...but the guy is smart and BY FAR making the biggest strides for the sport compared to anyone else in any league.