SIGNATURE WINS: Thiago Alves (twice), Diego Sanchez, Erick Silva
Like Clay Guida, Fitch personifies the MMA overachiever. He overachieved in wrestling, as well, going from an unheralded walk-on at Purdue University to team captain by the time he graduated. He was never an All-American, let alone a national champion, but his five years at Purdue showed the kind of grit and dedication to the grind that has characterized his time in MMA.
Following a 2-2 start to his career, Fitch rang off 16 consecutive wins, including eight in a row to begin his stint in the UFC. His shot at then-UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre did not go as planned -- the Canadian beat him senseless for all five rounds in one of the most spectacular and dominant performances of his career -- but Fitch rebounded to win five more, including victories over Paulo Thiago, Ben Saunders and Mike Pierce, before drawing with B.J. Penn and suffering a vicious knockout loss to future champ Johny Hendricks.
The UFC brass never had much affection for Fitch. His grinding style was based on dragging his opponents to the ground more through sheer will than any particularly explosive repertoire of takedowns and then beating them up from top position until they quit or the final bell rang. He was also tremendously outspoken and made his displeasure clear on more than one occasion. When Demian Maia dominated him at UFC 156, the promotion cut ties with the longtime welterweight fixture and sent him packing to the World Series of Fighting with nary a tear.
It is clear Fitch is past the peak of his career following a pair of submission losses to Josh Burkman and Rousimar Palhares sandwiched around a pair of underwhelming wins. Nevertheless, he is a living testament to how far hard work, outstanding coaching, great game planning and a willingness to grind away can take a fighter.
Number 5 » His legacy remains that of one of the very best fighters in the UFC’s history to never hold a championship belt. He continues to contribute to the sport today as one of the UFC’s color commentators.