There are only a limited number of fighters who come out of The Ultimate Fighter house without actually winning and find success in the UFC. Fighters like Matt Brown, Cole Miller, Rob Emerson, and Matt Wiman are a few names that have had lengthy runs with the UFC despite being defeated during the reality series, and they’ve had some surprising victories that have turned the mindset of some fans as to the potential that each fighter could reach.
Another fighter who fits the criteria is The Ultimate Fighter season 6 contestant Ben Saunders (8-1-2, 4-1 UFC). After being defeated by eventual show runner-up Tommy Speer in the quarterfinals, Saunders joined one of the best mixed martial arts camps in the United States, American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida, and began training intensively for his debut at The Ultimate Fighter Season 6 Finale. Impressively, Saunders looked like a changed individual with a bulkier physique and a killer instinct that we hadn’t seen from him during the show.
Saunders has ridden that new found intensity to a 4-1 record overall in the UFC. He was able to submit Ryan Thomas via armbar in his second fight with the promotion, destroy Brandon Wolff with an onslaught of knees in the Muay Thai plum, and become the first fighter ever to knockout Marcus Davis in his most recent victory at UFC 106. His lone discrepancy came against Mike Swick, a challenging test that was a major step-up in competition for him.
On Saturday, he has the opportunity to vault several notches up the totem pole as he will be stepping in to face Jon Fitch (21-3, 11-1 UFC) following the irregular CAT scan returned by Fitch’s previous opponent, Thiago Alves. Fitch vs. Alves was considered to be a highly important battle to determine Georges St. Pierre‘s next contender within the division, but now that match-up seems to be a huge opportunity for Saunders to showcase what he’s learned while Fitch doesn’t stand to gain much from a victory.
Stylistically, Saunders moves somewhat laterally in style from Jake Ellenberger to Jon Fitch. Fitch has some more proven wrestling ability, and it’s been a staple in his skill-set that has continued to get him victories in the UFC. Ellenberger was probably a more powerful puncher, but Fitch is the more accurate striker with somewhat diminished power in comparison.
Saunders will be a much more lengthy fighter than Fitch has been preparing for, and he’ll probably be more focused on gaining the clinch than Alves would have been. Alves loves to damage with leg kicks and explode with his knees whereas Saunders will look for the Thai plum and devastate his opponents with knees in that regard.
The length is an interesting issue for Fitch as he hasn’t faced an opponent with that type of height before. Of course, the same could be said for many of the other fighters in the division. Fitch will, however, have the edge in experience. This will truly be a major step-up in competition for Saunders, and in most cases — Fitch draws this out to a decision and wins.
In the end, I’d go with experience and the proven track record that Fitch has. His style isn’t exciting, but it isn’t overly dangerous either. Hence why it’s a proven winner. Saunders does present unique problems in this fight, and we really won’t know how this will go down until we see where his strength compares to Fitch. If Saunders can devastate Fitch standing with a clinch, it could be a long night for Fitch. For now, I’ll take Fitch, but I’ll be wagering on Saunders to win if the option presents itself.