JON FITCH sleeps easy these days, comforted by his fame, fortune and wife. But it wasn't as easy to drift off when he was in a rusty old car at truck stops across the United States, with only his British bulldog Bricktop for company in the darkness, clutching a toy gun to scare off intruders.

That was the road he took to becoming a mixed martial artist, a road that has brought him to Sydney for the fight of his life against an icon of the UFC in B.J. Penn. Fitch, who has slowly scraped his way towards the top, receives little of the fanfare and awe reserved for Penn, nicknamed ''The Prodigy'' for his incredible range in flexibility and outlandish skill.

The Prodigy ... UFC icon B.J. Penn. Credit:Getty Images

He may be the heavy favourite for the showdown tomorrow at the Acer Arena, but Fitch will not be the favourite among the majority of UFC fans who hold a soft spot for Penn. That is no matter for the 33-year-old.

''I'm feeling really good about life right now,'' Fitch says, before sending a reminder to the explosive Penn - who has subtly mocked Fitch's grinding style that sees him hold the UFC record for most wins via decision (nine) - about what awaits in the Octagon. ''It doesn't matter what you do to me, what you say about me, if I still have breath in my lungs then I am still in the fight.''