UFC 127 Fight Card: The Perfect Game Plan for BJ Penn to Beat Jon Fitch

Every sport includes pre-planning.  MMA is no different, and whether it is the fighter or his camp, homework is required to win.  Studying tape provides every athlete with a possible pattern at which they can attack, resulting in an unforeseeable advantage.

B.J. Penn will need every hint or tip he can get if he hopes to defeat Jon Fitch.  Fitch is on an incredible tear and has only one loss since 2002.  This is an extremely tough draw!  Throughout his career, Penn has had a lot of trouble with wrestlers.  Although Penn is known for his jits, his stand up game is better than average. 

If Penn listens to this gameplan, he is a shoo-in for a Fitch beatdown.

Throughout his UFC career, Jon has used a stellar wrestling background to win fights.  His blanket type of game is often too much for opponents to handle.  No, he is not finishing fights, but in Lyoto Machida fashion (before he sucked) he simply manipulates the rules to get the decision.

This smothering offense of lay and pray is a bold one.  Today’s judges are just as likely to make a bad decision as Pacman Jones at a strip club.  It is simply a matter of time before he is on the wrong end of one of his patented decisions.

If Penn is to defeat Fitch, he won’t need to do anything outside of the ordinary, he simply needs to use his crisp jab.  One of the most underrated punches in the sport, Penn’s jab can be used to keep Fitch on his heels.  It all starts with the quick punch as it will open up much more for the Hawaiian.

If Fitch is backing up, off balance or out of range, he will not be able to get any type of takedown.  Using the jab, Penn would be able to control the cage and work the judges in his favor.  At the start of the fight, Penn needs to circle-jab, circle-jab and circle-jab.  He needs to use this during the entire first round as the starting point and setup for his entire offense.

As the second round starts, Fitch’s corner will have told him to circle away and slip the jab.  Fitch will try that, however our gameplan is ready for this.  We would instruct Penn to push Fitch toward his power hand and open the angle for a power shot.  This will force Fitch to choose quickness over power.

Now that the jab has opened up the power shot, Fitch’s hands will come up and open him to the takedown.  Now the jab is not just controlling the fight, it is a setup for a shot.  Once on top, Penn should be able to control the fight and win by split or unanimous decision.

Penn and Fitch make an interesting combination for this main event.  Rumors are stating that this is for the top contender spot and the winner will get a title shot, solid motivation for anyone in the fight game.  This, on paper, could be a bore fest, which often means nothing but excitement. 

I am curious to hear what you guys think is the best way for Penn to win this fight.  Stay tuned, tomorrow we will gameplan for Fitch to win, followed by our prediction.

UFC 127: Penn vs. Fitch Results, News and More