Source: The Bleacher Report
Listen to Interview Here: http://boomp3.com/listen/c2zwz14fn_4/jonfitch

Yes, you read it correctly. Top welterweight prospect Jon Fitch (8-1 UFC) has been dropped from the UFC. Why, you ask? Well, that’s an excellent question. Both sides are giving completely different stories.

Fitch said Wednesday the dispute was over his reluctance to sign a lifetime contract to allow his name and likeness to be used in a video game the UFC is planning with THQ (UFC 2009). He went on to say that the dispute has nothing to do with money and that he never caused a problem during his time in the UFC.

White had this to say to Carmichael Dave during “The Carmichael Dave” show on 1140 KHTK in Sacramento:

“No, no, no. It has nothing to do with an agreement,” White said, correcting Carmichael when the host began to imply that Fitch was released because of reports he wouldn’t sign an agreement that would give the UFC lifetime rights to his likeness for the purpose of making video games.

“It doesn’t have to do with Jon Fitch, either,” continued White. “I like Jon Fitch. I’ve never had a bad word with Jon Fitch. The problem is with the idiots that run AKA. I won’t use any names; the idiots know who they are.”

Later, when another Fitch quote about having to give up their whole lives in a contract without seeing any compensation to his family if he should die, White had this to say:

“What’s with this whole lives? Do you know how much Jon Fitch made for the Georges St. Pierre fight? Where the hell else could Jon Fitch go right now and make the money he made? He made $169,000 for that night for that fight. Where’s he going to make that kind of money in one night?”

Christian Wellisch (who recently suffered a first-round KO loss to rising UFC heavyweight Shane Carwin) was also released yesterday. Other stars from the American Kickboxing Academy that may be in trouble are Josh Koscheck and Cain Velasquez.

Koscheck is expected to be safe until at least after he fights Yoshida as the headliner of the “Fight For The Troops” card on Dec. 10, but Velasquez, one of the sport’s rising stars, is clearly not on the best terms with White. White said Zinkin (management team) wanted standard language that is part of every UFC fighter’s contract removed from Velasquez’s deal.

“Can you believe that?,” White said. “Chuck Liddell has that language in his contract. Randy Couture has it. Anderson Silva has it. And Cain [expletive] Velasquez, with two [expletive] fights, wants us to change it for him? That’s [expletive] nuts. He can get the [expletive] out.”

“Listen, this is just like any other job,” he said. “You don’t want to work for me? There are plenty of other opportunities out there. The t-shirt guys are trying to start their own business. Get in business with them. Do it with somebody else. If you don’t want to be in business with me? Then you don’t have to be in business with me. It’s simple as that.”

One fighter that dodged a bullet was Miek Swick. He reportedly called White and expressed interest in fighting for the UFC. White confirmed this during the interview.

This could also impact the rumored signing of Strikeforce middleweight champion Cung Le, as he trains at AKA, as well. Frank and Lorenzo, once again, can you fix the mess that White has gotten the UFC into?