Issue 083
December 2011
With two massive UFC undefeated streaks to his name, one of eight fights and the other six, Fitch is an elite welterweight. FO shows you how to get some grind in your game
PINNING
Fitch is masterful at keeping his opponent’s back to the Octagon floor, thanks in large part to the skills he learnt during his days on the mats at Purdue University as team captain. Fitch’s weight distribution and good hips help him keep top position, where he can rain down strikes and stifle opponents’ attempts to escape or regain their guard.
IN THE GYM
Using the ground bag, establish a pin and work your ground 'n' pound while your training partner tries to drag you off the bag, dragging your leg or your hips. This pressure will teach you to habitually maintain pressure and tightness with your hips and chest while you strike and transition from the top position.
In Action
Go back to 2004, before Fitch was a UFC star, he fought in an eight-man tournament in Juarez, Mexico. In his first fight of the night he pinned Mike Seal from side control and won by TKO. Fitch went on to win the tournament. The footage is available on YouTube.
GROUND ‘N’ POUND
Fitch is well known for being a classic ‘grinder,’ and while he may not be a prolific finisher, he maintains great activity on the ground, never missing an opportunity to throw a punch or elbow.
IN THE GYM
Work rounds of ground ‘n’ pound, handicapping the top man with a pair of 14oz sparring gloves. The bottom man wears 4oz fight gloves. Work a round of top position, looking to pass and pound but not submit. The bottom man can sweep, submit, or scramble to his feet. Reset in closed guard and continue in the event of these actions. Keep a punch count over a five-minute round, and score yourself against your training partners for the best work-rate statistics. A great tip from Ian Freeman's ground ‘n’ pound DVDs is to sever the thumb stitching on a pair of sparring gloves to allow the top man to hand fight.
In Action
Fitch's career is littered with great ground ‘n’ pound performances. Take look at his dominating performance at UFC 111 against Ben Saunders.
WALL TAKEDOWNS
Division 1 wrestler Fitch has an array of subtle tricks to finish his takedowns against the fence. Fitch's lateral twist off the cage is one of his favorite finishes, and he also has many sly finishes and entries to the basic cage-wall double-leg.
IN THE GYM
Start with an over-under bodylock (holding one overhook and one underhook), head on the inside, with wall control. Sneak your leg behind your partner’s near leg and put your foot in the middle. Now simply step around, placing your foot next to the wall and sit down, taking them down gently with a twist. Once you have mastered taking the balance, introduce a little hip pop, a back arch and suplex your partner onto a crash mat.
ALTERNATE TECHNIQUE
Start from over-under, link up a bodylock over the opponent’s underhook and use it to kill the underhook as you step in between their legs. Now you are free to put the bodylock under the butt and hit the classic cage-wall double-leg lift.
In Action
Look at round one (2:59 to be exact) of Jon Fitch’s rematch against Thiago Alves from UFC 117 for a textbook lateral twist against the cage.
CONDITIONING
Like all the AKA fighters, Fitch always comes into his fights with outstanding conditioning. His non-stop gas tank means he can keep up his relentless attack for the bout’s full 15 or 25 minutes and is a massive advantage, allowing him to grind the fight out of opponents in the latter rounds.
IN THE GYM
Whatever your workout protocol – be it weights, shuttle runs etc. – try partnering up for a little competitive edge. See who puts out the most reps, sprints the fastest or lifts the most. Cultivate that supportive culture of pushing your teammates – like that between Fitch and teammate UFC welterweight Josh Koscheck.
In Action
Even though his title challenge against Georges St Pierre at UFC 87 in 2008 was unsuccessful, Fitch lasted five rounds. He took many heavy shots and was put in some bad positions, but Fitch never stopped working and gave an inspirational display of mental and physical fortitude.
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