"It's impossible to tell. There's no system for picking number one contenders. There's no order, there's no lineup, there's no point system. It's just whoever they feel they're going to make the most money off of. That's who gets the title shot. It kind of sucks, because in other sports there's kind of a clear path; you do this, this and this, and you get this. That's just not the way combat sports work I guess. It doesn't work that way with boxing or the UFC. It comes down to showmanship. I have to be a better showman to get a title shot. I don't have to be a better fighter I just have to be a better showman."
-- It's taken him nearly his entire Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) career but perennial welterweight contender Jon Fitch is finally starting to figure out this whole fight game thing. In a recent interview with FC Fighter, the Indiana native acknowledges what's been obvious to so many for so long now -- it hardly matters how skilled you are inside the cage anymore. If you're a good enough showman, wins and losses are damn near irrelevant, as evidenced by Chael Sonnen and his rapid rise to the top of the middleweight division. Hell, were it not for Jon Jones refusal, he would have fought for the highest honors in the light heavyweight division as well. You knew eventually that would lead to other fighters following suit and it seems Fitch is ready to make that jump. Everyone ready for Jon Fitch the showman? His next fight is booked for UFC 153 on Oct. 13 in Brazil against Erick Silva, so we may be seeing the new version sooner than you think.