Jon Fitch and 7 UFC Fighters Who Deserve a Title Shot

The sport of mixed martial arts is a lot like our everyday life.

Things don't always go the way we anticipate and somewhere along they way we've felt slighted or overlooked.

In MMA, for some reason or another, many fighters are overlooked or don't get the respect they deserve.

In other cases it's not even about respect, but simply a case of unfortunate timing.

As we look into the UFC, we'll find fighters who are deserving of a title shot but aren't in the current position to earn one.

So, the following slides display seven fighters who deserve a title shot right now.

Rashad Evans

Of course it's Rashad Evans' fault he hasn't received a title shot already as he's endured several injuries that have prevented him from taking the Octagon against Jon "Bones" Jones.

However, because of his recent track record, Evans should already be in line to meet Jones without having to face Phil Davis at UFC on FOX II.

The reason being Davis still has more to prove in the light heavyweight division.

Evans is a former 205-pound champion and has lost just one fight in his MMA career.

Renan Barao

Before you jump out of your seats, let's take a look at Renan Barao's career as a mixed martial artist.

If you can look past the first fight of his career, Barao has been nearly flawless, as he's gone unbeaten in 28 consecutive bouts.

Even the greatest of fighters fall over the course of their careers, but Barao continues to shine.

Despite not having participated in legitimate, elite organizations up until the midway point of 2010, Barao has a 4-0 record in WEC and UFC bouts.

Jon Fitch

More often than not, Jon Fitch is the first name that comes to mind when we think of a fighter who is often given the shaft.

All Fitch has done over the course of his career is win, win, and win some more.

In fact, Fitch has suffered just one loss in his UFC career, which came to the hands of current welterweight king Georges St-Pierre.

There's no such thing as a boring fight and Fitch's fighting style shouldn't have such a negative impact on his career.

Joseph Benavidez

It was recently announced that Joseph Benavidez will be leaving the bantamweight division and taking his talents to flyweight.

However, despite his dominance, Benavidez will have to participate in a four-man tournament to determine who the champion of the 125-pound weight class is.

For what Benavidez has accomplished to this point in his career, he should be given an immediate title fight against Demetrious Johnson, with the winner taking all.

Jake Ellenberger

Being well aware of Jon Fitch deserving a title shot in the welterweight division, Jake Ellenberger isn't too far behind.

However, many critics aren't giving Ellenberger the credit he deserves, as his track record is almost as spotless as Fitch's.

Ellenberger is 6-1 when combining his UFC and Bellator bouts, as his only loss has come in a controversial split decision to Carlos Condit.

Agree or not, Ellenberger deserves a title shot against GSP.

Chael Sonnen

Chael Sonnen's title shot is a pure case of bad timing as he has to square off with Mark Munoz in order to lock up his shot at Anderson Silva.

However, what if Sonnen falls to defeat?

Sonnen will then go from the next man in line to working his way back towards a middleweight title shot all because of a Silva injury.

While Sonnen has certainly chosen to stay active, he is deserving of a title shot right now.

Demetrious Johnson

The same logic applies to Demetrious Johnson as it does for Joseph Benavidez, as "Mighty Mouse" has already established himself as a top two fighter in the flyweight division.

Johnson is coming off a loss to Dominick Cruz where he took the champion five rounds only to lose by unanimous decision.

Johnson shouldn't have to take part in a tournament but square off with Benavidez for the flyweight gold instead.

 

For additional information, follow Garrett Derr on Twitter.