Paid Members Egg Shen Posted April 12, 2016 Author Paid Members Share Posted April 12, 2016 Weird, i follow Cage Warriors on Facebook and i haven't seen one thing to say the show is on Premier, Cage Warriors post quite frequently too. Was really hoping they's land a Fight Pass deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seanz25 Posted April 12, 2016 Share Posted April 12, 2016 Can only imagine this last one in the deal with Premier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimufctna24 Posted April 12, 2016 Share Posted April 12, 2016 Thing is, if Fitch hadn't been released by the UFC when he was and had hung around for another 10 months or so he'd have been under contract when GSP vacated the title and would more than likely have been a serious contender to win the belt.  Timing is everything. When you put it like that, thank fuck he was released.  Post-GSP, the Welterweight division has been top drawer. Lawler's two title fights against Hendricks and subsequent defences against Condit and Rory, have ranged from very good to outstanding. Elsewhere, the likes of Matt Brown, Wonderboy and others have participated in exciting bouts.  As talented as Fitch is, he'd have been a dud in terms of entertainment, and denied a lot of the excitement the Welterweight division has provided us with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members herbie747 Posted April 12, 2016 Paid Members Share Posted April 12, 2016 he'd have been a dud in terms of entertainment  But what about that crazy face he pulls?  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimufctna24 Posted April 12, 2016 Share Posted April 12, 2016 I love Johnny Cash, but Fitch has made me hate "Rusty Cage" Â He's probably a nice guy. But I never want him on my TV again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Egg Shen Posted April 13, 2016 Author Paid Members Share Posted April 13, 2016 Cage Warriors on Premier Sports for all 2 people in the UK that have it this Friday @ 9PM. There TV deal is completely fucked and there's little info on there website about it. Looks like Premier have dropped ONE FC to as there's no live show this Friday. Graham Boylan has posted on facebook that the show will air on Premier Sports & Setanta Sports for free 9pm on friday night, so get that shit on your planners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 (edited) As talented as Fitch is, he'd have been a dud in terms of entertainment, and denied a lot of the excitement the Welterweight division has provided us with.  I find it pretty sad to be honest that a lot of fans would rather we had a talented fighter on the outside looking in just because he'd have been more than capable of beating some of the fighters who favour a more stand-up style.  You can be among the very best MMA fighters out there, but if you don't throw hands like some mad gypsy or cut promos on your opponent you'll get bumped as soon as possible.  I tell you, with the speed with which the refs are quick to stand fighters up these days, not to mention break them up on the cage (Randy Couture would have been fucked in this day & age) it won't be long before the ground game becomes something of an afterthought for most fighters, consisting of nothing much more than the ability to defend a takedown that your opponent will only go for when he's stunned and looking to stall.  EDIT: And aye, I know it's a "business" and all that, so there's no need for anyone to post about "eyeballs", "numbers", "seats" or anything else of that ilk. I'm simply lamenting the fact that being among the best MMA fighters on the planet isn't enough to win you a seat at the top table anymore. Edited April 13, 2016 by David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimufctna24 Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 (edited) I'm not denying Fitch's talent. He's got a claim to be in the top 5 Welterweights of all-time. However, I could easily look past his exclusion from the Welterweight division .Until he was mentioned in this thread, I didn't even think of him as still being a legit contender. I can forget he exists these days. While watching Lawler vs Hendricks 1 or Lawler vs Condit, it never entered my mind "thank fuck Fitch isn't about"  It's not that I have a serious preference for stand up battles. I never enjoyed watching Leonard Garcia fight, and I loved the Big Nog vs Barnett battles in Pride. It's an entertainment thing. Fitch in general has not really entertained me. Just something about his style that doesn't hit the spot for me.  Despite his talent, I can live without him. Edited April 13, 2016 by jimufctna24 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members herbie747 Posted April 13, 2016 Paid Members Share Posted April 13, 2016  As talented as Fitch is, he'd have been a dud in terms of entertainment, and denied a lot of the excitement the Welterweight division has provided us with.  I find it pretty sad to be honest that a lot of fans would rather we had a talented fighter on the outside looking in just because he'd have been more than capable of beating some of the fighters who favour a more stand-up style.  You can be among the very best MMA fighters out there, but if you don't throw hands like some mad gypsy or cut promos on your opponent you'll get bumped as soon as possible.  I tell you, with the speed with which the refs are quick to stand fighters up these days, not to mention break them up on the cage (Randy Couture would have been fucked in this day & age) it won't be long before the ground game becomes something of an afterthought for most fighters, consisting of nothing much more than the ability to defend a takedown that your opponent will only go for when he's stunned and looking to stall.   The ground game is not not becoming an after thought, so chill with that.  Fitch is not as good as he once was either and the sport has evolved more too since he had his shot at GSP.  Fitch got a title shot and was beaten by GSP solidly. He fought to a draw with BJ in a top-contender fight. Then he gets a chance to be a No. 1 contender again and gets knocked out in the first round by Hendricks. He had 3 opportunities for a title run.  So they didn't exactly fire a top guy - he was good, but not great ANYMORE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 (edited) He was still arguably a top 5 guy when they let him go, Herbie. Why would a company fire a guy who's still top 5? Or even top 10? Â Like I said, I understand that he's not the most entertaining guy, but he was a legit top guy when they cut him, and he's still a top 10 guy today. Â They did the same thing when Ben Askren became available. Dana claimed he "needed more experience", despite the fact he'd torn up the Bellator ranks and defended the belt over there four times. Â The dude's a former US Olympic wrestler, and a 4-time NCAA Division 1 All-American with an unbeaten MMA record that spans over seven years! How can a guy like that not get signed when we see some of the sub-standard dross that the UFC puts on their cards these days?!? Â Fucking lunacy. Edited April 13, 2016 by David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members herbie747 Posted April 13, 2016 Paid Members Share Posted April 13, 2016 I don't disagree with you, David. I'm just saying that at least Dana had an excuse to back up his thought process behind letting Fitch go. He did have 3 shots at getting a belt and it can be argued he was on a decline. And of course the real reason is that he could be a match-spolier by beating other potential top contenders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Carbomb Posted April 13, 2016 Paid Members Share Posted April 13, 2016 Didn't Askren go on to further sabotage his signing to UFC by slagging them off after Dana caved, though? I remember being rather annoyed at him for handing them such an excuse to exclude him so easily. He deserves to be there, but with his style he simply can't afford not to "play the game" politically, so to speak. Shitty, but true - Dana holds all the cards, unfortunately, and it's only the money-spinners and needle-movers who can get him to deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Bus Surfer Posted April 13, 2016 Paid Members Share Posted April 13, 2016 Wasn't Askren offered a deal which he turned down as he thought he was worth more? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cousin Jim Bob Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 (edited) I can't stand Dana and his childish negotiation tactics. So it is funny hearing about the likes Conor pushing him around about money. Â Askren had nothing during UFC negotiations though. No fanbase, Bellator did'nt want him, a boring style but he was acting the big shot and being difficult. There is reports going back to his wrestling days that he is a dickhead to deal with bts. So where is he now, ONE FC still? The last thing I remember was an eye poke mess of a fight he was getting his arse handed to him. Â Fitch I felt sorry for as he does seem like a nice guy. Askren seems like a tool so if he wants to self sabatoge his career I don't have much sympathy. Edited April 13, 2016 by Cousin Jim Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 Wasn't Askren offered a deal which he turned down as he thought he was worth more? Â I never heard about that. I knew that WSOF and ONE FC were interested in him. In fact, Askren himself claimed there was never an actual offer on the tble from the UFC. Â I also don't think he met Dana in person. He said his meeting with the UFC consisted of Lorenzo and some other brass, but Dana was only there via phone and din't say much apparently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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