Jon Fitch
Jon Fitch
Ht: 6’0 – Wt: 170 – Age: 34
Born: Indiana, USA
Fights out of: San Jose, CA, USA
Team: American Kickboxing Academy
Overall Record: 24-4-1
UFC Record: 14-2-1
Background:
Jon Fitch was the perennial top contender of the UFC welterweight division until being knocked out by Johny Hendricks at UFC 141. Fitch is known for his toughness and grinding fight style, though he has won few fans by employing a lay ‘n’ pray strategy. Fitch made his mixed martial arts debut in 2002 following a collegiate wrestling career at Purdue University. Fitch struggled out of the gates going 2-2 overall, losing to future UFC veterans Mike Pyle and Wilson Gouveia. Fitch’s career caught fire as he did not taste defeat for nearly 6 years as he embarked on a 16-fight win streak, 8 of which came in the UFC. Fitch signed with the UFC in 2005, defeating Brock Larson in his debut. Fitch moved on to finish 4 out of his next 5 opponents, including Josh Burkman, Thiago Alves, and Roan Carneiro. Fitch won his next two fights over Diego Sanchez and Chris Wilson to finally earn himself a title shot against GSP at UFC 87. Fitch gave it all he had, but he simply did not have the overall skills to defeat GSP, losing a 5-round unanimous decision. Fitch bounced back, winning his next 5 fights, all via decision over Akihiro Gono, Paulo Thiago, Mike Pierce, Ben Saunders, and Thiago Alves. Unfortunately his 5-fight win streak was fairly unremarkable since Fitch seemed to be focused on solely winning his fights by decision. Fitch moved on to face former champion B.J. Penn at UFC 127 with a possible title shot at stake. Penn took the 1st round, while Fitch dominated the 3rd, but the fight was scored a draw leaving both title hopefuls in flux. Fitch would undergo surgery for a shoulder injury, eventually making his return against rising contender Johny Hendricks. Fitch was knocked out in the fight’s beginning seconds, putting an end to his dominance as the top fighter at welterweight outside of GSP.
2011 Breakdown:
Jon FItch went winless (0-1-1) in 2011.
Fitch was initially set to face Jake Ellenberger at UFC 126, but was pulled from the bout to face former UFC champion B.J. Penn at UFC 127.
Fitch and Penn were both vying for another shot at UFC welterweight champion Georges St.Pierre. Penn started out the fight strong as usual, securing back control and winning the 1st round. The 2nd round looked to be dead even, but a noticeably exhausted Penn had no answer for Fitch’s superior conditioning in the final frame. Fitch dominated the round with his wrestling and ground ‘n’ pound, but was unable to earn the win as the fight was ruled a majority draw. I had Fitch winning 29-28 as did the one judge who did not score it a draw.
A rematch was scheduled for UFC 132, but Fitch was forced out of the fight with a shoulder injury.
Fitch made his return at UFC 141 against fellow wrestler Johny Hendricks. In a shocking upset, Hendricks knocked Fitch out in the opening seconds of the fight.
2012 Forecast:
Fitch’s 13-1 record coming into 2011 was only rivaled by Anderson Silva’s undefeated dominance. Fitch’s age and injuries may be starting to catch up with him though. With his last 10 out of 11 fights ending in decision, Fitch has likely brutalized his body in pursuit of victory. Fitch’s striking has always been the weakness in his game. He has a ton of heart that many remember from his title showdown with GSP, but that can only get you so far when your competition is able to match or surpass your overall athleticism and skill-level. His loss to Hendricks may end up just being a small bump in his path back to the title, but if you begin look deeper into Fitch’s recent performances, it easy to see that he is struggling to maintain his edge over his competition. Fitch has been unable to finish his opponents and nearly lost to Mike Pierce in 2009. The window on Fitch being a title contender at 170 may be coming to a close. He still could be a viable contender at 185 lbs., but since he has changed his diet that move seems much more unlikely.
Jon Fitch Fight Record
Overall Record: 23-4-1
2008-2011 Record: 6-1-1
2011 Record: 0-1-1
Loss | Johny Hendricks | KO | Rd 1 | UFC | 12/30/2011
Draw| B.J. Penn |Draw| Rd 3 | UFC | 02/27/2011
2010 Record: 2-0
Win | Thiago Alves | Dec | Rd 3 | UFC | 08/07/2010
Win | Ben Saunders | Dec | Rd 3 | UFC | 03/27/2010
2009 Record: 3-0
Win | Mike Pierce | Dec | Rd 3 | UFC | 12/12/2009
Win | Paulo Thiago | Dec | Rd 3 | UFC | 07/11/2009
Win | Akihiro Gono | Dec | Rd 3 | UFC | 01/31/2009
2008 Record: 1-1
Loss | Georges St.Pierre | Dec | Rd 5 | UFC | 08/09/2008
Win | Chris Wilson | Dec | Rd 3 | UFC | 03/01/2008
