UFC 117 Results: Was Thiago Alves the Ticket To Jon Fitch's Title Shot?

Still think a Jon Fitch fight is like watching paint dry?

Think again.

The only thing that did any bit of harm to Thiago Alves more than Fitch was the fact that the bout was a catchweight-but-still- technically-welterweight bout that originally had title ramifications behind it.

That is, title ramifications regardless of whether Bruce Buffer would announce Josh Koscheck or Georges St-Pierre as the opponent for Fitch or Alves in the cage.

I never checked back on my Twitter for a response to the question I asked Dana White as to whether or not a shot was still on the line for both men despite Alves weighing in at 171.5 pounds.

Either way, I still knew that some people would still feel that Alves was going to answer any doubts about ring rust with a strong-if-not-totally-dominant performance by "Pitbull".

If Thiago was going to beat the best Jon Fitch at UFC 117, he certainly didn't look it in this fight.

Granted, the two did exchange and Alves did do some significant damage a few times, but at very few times during the bout did he show any hint of an answer to the dominating takedowns and ground-and-pound of Fitch.

To Thiago's credit, he didn't give in and let his face serve as Fitch's own personal jack-o-lantern, but he still had no answer for the punishment he delivered.

Still, Fitch managed to excite in bagging this unanimous decision, which I think had everything to do with his opponent.

I recall myself at one moment after a brief exchange saying, "I think Alves brings out the best in Fitch".

That may have had something to do with the cheers that the Oakland crowd gave Fitch when he was announced the winner by an unanimous decision.

Either way, the perception of Jon Fitch changed for sure, and to show for it, it seems he now has an opportunity or something reminiscent of one to face the UFC Welterweight Champ in the future.

Will it be GSP? Will it be Josh Koscheck?

Will Jake Shields be thrown to Fitch after his UFC 121 bout with Martin Kampmann?

The basic question is really,  who gets Jon Fitch next?

Honestly, who will fight Fitch next?

I don't know, you tell me, Dana White.

You're the boss here, not me.