This is the UFC 117 live blog for Jon Fitch vs. Thiago Alves, a welterweight bout on tonight's pay-per-view from the Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif.

Fitch vs. Alves is a rematch from UFC Fight Night 5 in June 2006 where Fitch won by TKO. The winner of this fight will face the winner of Josh Koscheck vs. Georges St-Pierre.

The live blog is below.

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Round 1: Alves counters a leg kick from Fitch with a nice right hand. As soon as Alves throws a leg kick of his own Fitch looks for the takedown and gets it without too much trouble, lifting Alves up and slamming him down. Alves works back to his feet, but can't stay there long. Fitch is all over him like Axe body spray on a 'Jersey Shore' castmember. Alves stays busy and manages to reverse the position, putting Jon Fitch on his back for a change. That's leading nowhere good for "The Pitbull" though, so he brings it back to the feet. Alves presses Fitch against the fence in the final seconds and Fitch gets one last takedown before the rounds ends. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Fitch.

Round 2: Alves tries to work his jab in the early going of the second frame, but it doesn't take long for Fitch to work past it and score another takedown. Alves tries to scramble up against the fence. He's almost there, but Fitch snatches a leg and puts him back down. Fitch is smothering him in half-guard now. Alves opens up a bit to get back to his feet and nearly gets caught in a choke at one point, but he can't stay on his feet for more than a few seconds at a time against Fitch. Fitch takes his back, but Alves escapes and gets back to his feet. Head kick from Fitch blocked by Alves, and they end the round clinching against the fence. MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9 for Fitch.

Round 3: Alves seems to sense that the fight is slipping away, because his striking is getting more aggressive to start the third. Fitch shoots for a takedown and Alves stops it for a change. This turns out to be a short-lived success, as moments later Fitch completes another takedown attempt and takes Alves' back. With two minutes left in the fight Fitch softens Alves up with punches from behind and makes a somewhat half-hearted attempt to lock in a choke. Alves shrugs it off and reverses the position, but time is slipping away. They get back to their feet in the final ten seconds, and it looks like yet another decision win for Fitch.

Jon Fitch def. Thiago Alves via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3).



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