The Doggy Bag

I’m really excited about the rematch between Jon Fitch and Thiago Alves at UFC 117, and it seems crazy to me that nobody at all is talking about it. Who do you think wins and do you think the winner is any closer to realistically fighting Georges St. Pierre again next year? I don’t think I want to see St. Pierre fight Fitch again, but I’m still interested in seeing how a healthy, improved Alves can change his game and fight the champion. What do you think?
-- Trevor, Columbia, Mo.

Brian Knapp, associate editor: After multiple postponements and a major health scare with Alves, it appears as if this rematch will finally happen. More than four years have passed since Fitch stopped Alves on a second-round upkick and punches at UFC Fight Night 5, and each man has shown vast improvement. It makes for a fascinating second encounter between the world’s second- and third-ranked welterweights.

I favor Alves -- slightly -- in the rematch, though one has to wonder how injuries and a year-long layoff will impact his performance. His takedown defense has improved since the last time he met Fitch, and upright, he has a decided advantage. Plus, Fitch has proven a notoriously slow starter, and against a fighter of Alves’ caliber, that could prove a recipe for disaster for the American Kickboxing Academy stalwart in a three-round affair. Worse yet, Fitch has not finished an opponent since he submitted Roan Carneiro in 2007, so a late comeback, if needed, seems far-fetched. I see Alves staying on his feet, building an early lead and winning a decision. That said, Fitch remains grossly underappreciated for his accomplishments. A 12-1 mark inside one of the UFC’s most competitive divisions cannot be overstated.

In terms of title contention, I doubt either man moves much closer to another crack at St. Pierre, especially with former Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shields now in the queue. St. Pierre dominated Fitch and Alves so thoroughly that there figures to be very little public support for rematches anytime soon.

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