Jon Fitch
| Jon Fitch | |
|---|---|
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| Born | Jonathan Parker Fitch February 24, 1978 Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight | 170 lb (77.1 kg; 12.1 st) |
| Division | Welterweight Middleweight Light Heavyweight |
| Reach | 74 in (188 cm) |
| Style | Wrestling |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Fighting out of | San Jose, California |
| Team | American Kickboxing Academy |
| Rank | Black belt in Guerrilla Jiu Jitsu |
| Wrestling | NCAA Division I Wrestling |
| Years active | 2002 – present (MMA) |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 29 |
| Wins | 23 |
| By knockout | 5 |
| By submission | 5 |
| By decision | 13 |
| Losses | 4 |
| By knockout | 2 |
| By submission | 1 |
| By decision | 1 |
| Draws | 1 |
| No contests | 1 |
| Amateur career | |
| Total | 2 |
| Wins | 2 |
| By submission | 2 |
| Other information | |
| University | Purdue University |
| Notable school(s) | Carroll High School |
| Website | Official UFC Profile http://www.fitchfighter.com/ |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
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Jonathan Parker Fitch[1] (born February 24, 1978) is an American mixed martial artist.
Contents |
[edit] Background
After graduating from Carroll High School (Fort Wayne, Indiana), Fitch enrolled in at Purdue University in 1997 and graduated in 2002 with a Bachelor's in Physical Education and a minor in History. As a walk-on to the Purdue wrestling team, Fitch – a four-year letterman – wrestled under the tutelage of Tom Erikson and eventually became the team captain of his wrestling squad. Fitch compiled an 18-10 record in his final year,[2] and finished with a 45-49 record overall for his collegiate wrestling career.[3]
Erikson – a former PRIDE fighter – would occasionally bring other mixed martial artists to the wrestling gym, and Fitch would be introduced to such fighters as Mark Coleman and Gary Goodridge. The sport, and the money that the top-tier fighters were making interested Fitch, and he started his mixed martial arts career in 2002.
[edit] Mixed martial arts career
Jon Fitch began his career at Light-Heavyweight with a record of four wins, two losses and one No Contest. Understanding that the sport required cross training in the martial arts, Fitch soon left for San Jose, California to train with the American Kickboxing Academy. Fitch has become well known for his lay-and-pray style of fighting.
In his next seven fights, Fitch amassed wins over fighters such as Shonie Carter, Alex Serdyukov and Jeff Joslin. After failing to make the selection process for the first season of The Ultimate Fighter – a last-minute decision by the production team that left Fitch stranded in an airport with his luggage already boarded – he earned a shot in the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 3, 2005, where Fitch defeated Brock Larson in a middleweight fight.
[edit] Drop to welterweight
Soon after, Fitch dropped to the welterweight division and won his next six fights. With victories over Josh Burkman, Thiago Alves, Luigi Fioravanti and Diego Sanchez, Fitch was now seen as a welterweight contender. At UFC 82, Fitch defeated Chris Wilson by unanimous decision. This marked his 8th consecutive victory in the UFC, tying the record set by Royce Gracie for most consecutive wins in the UFC.[4] UFC President Dana White praised Fitch's performances inside the Octagon, and indicated that Fitch would fight the winner of the Georges St-Pierre vs. Matt Serra Welterweight title fight.[5]
[edit] Championship fight
Fitch was defeated by Georges St-Pierre via unanimous decision with scores of 50–43, 50–44, 50–44 at UFC 87.[6] After the fight GSP spoke to Fitch about the growth that his own loss prompted and said that Fitch's experience should be no different. Had Fitch beaten St-Pierre he would have had a nine fight winning streak in the UFC, surpassing Royce Gracie's streak of eight straight wins (a record that has since been broken by Anderson Silva, currently on fourteen as of August 2011). The loss also snapped Fitch's 16 fight winning streak, both in and out of the UFC.
[edit] Back to title contention
Fitch was released from the UFC on the 20 November 2008.[7] 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 released with THQ.[8][9] In the end, Fitch ended up signing a licensing agreement that will allow the UFC to feature him in their UFC Undisputed video game release and returned to the UFC.[10][11] Fitch's exile from the UFC lasted less than 24 hours.[12]
Fitch dominated Pride Fighting Championships veteran Akihiro Gono en-route to a convincing unanimous decision scored 30–27, 30–27 and 30–26 at UFC 94.[13] Fitch defeated Paulo Thiago by unanimous decision at UFC 100.
Fitch was expected to fight Ricardo Almeida on November 21, 2009, at UFC 106 but due to a knee injury sustained by Almeida, the fight was cancelled.[14] Fitch was then scheduled to face Thiago Alves on December 12, 2009 at UFC 107 in a highly anticipated rematch.[15] However, Alves suffered an injury and was forced off the card. Mike Pierce stepped in to fight Fitch instead. Fitch later defeated Pierce via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).[16]
Fitch was expected to finally face Thiago Alves on March 27, 2010 at UFC 111: St.Pierre vs. Hardy,[17] but on March 25, 2010, Alves was forced off the card due to a brain irregularity that appeared on a pre fight CAT scan. Jon Fitch replaced Jake Ellenberger on the card and face Muay Thai fighter Ben Saunders.[18] He won the fight via unanimous decision.
The Alves/Fitch rematch, originally slated for UFC 107 and UFC 111 was moved to UFC 115.[19] Once again the fight was moved until, finally, it took place at UFC 117.[20] This fight was confirmed to be the number one contendership for the welterweight championship (to fight the winner of the St-Pierre/Koscheck bout). Alves again failed to make weight, weighing in at 171.5 lbs, meaning he had to give up 20% of his fight purse. Fitch went on to defeat Alves via unanimous decision.[21] Dana White has since made remarks that the manner of Fitch's victories (primarily judges' decisions rather than finishes) and lack of connection with the UFC fans has put Fitch's number one contender status in doubt.[22] Following Jake Shields' victory over Martin Kampmann at UFC 121, White confirmed Shields as the next in line for the Welterweight title shot, leaving Fitch's status in the division unconfirmed.[23]
Fitch was expected to face Jake Ellenberger on February 5, 2011 at UFC 126.[24] But after B.J. Penn defeated Matt Hughes at UFC 123, UFC president Dana White decided to match Fitch up against Penn at UFC 127 in Australia instead.[25]
On February 27, 2011, Fitch fought BJ Penn in UFC 127. At the end of the fight the scorecards of the judges were 29-28 for Fitch, 28-28 and 28-28. It was declared a Majority Draw. When asked by Joe Rogan if Fitch would like a rematch, Fitch replied that he wants another title shot more than anything. No confirmation of a rematch resulted from the interview of either fighter.
A rematch with Penn was expected to take place on July 2, 2011 at UFC 132.,[26] but in late March, Fitch pulled out of the bout with an injury.[27]
After months of dealing with a shoulder injury, Jon Fitch is back in business. “I’m back! Dr. Kavitne gave me the ok to fight,” he tweeted. Fitch has made no small secret of his desire to fight on the UFC 139 fight card that takes place in his city of residence, San Jose, Calif.[28]
Fitch fought Johny Hendricks on December 30, 2011 at UFC 141. He was knocked out 12 seconds into the fight. [29]
[edit] Personal life
Jon and his longtime girlfriend Michele got engaged the day after UFC 100.[30] The couple were married on September 4, 2010.[31]
Jon Fitch appeared on the November 5, 2008 episode of MythBusters, "Coffin Punch". The MythBusters were attempting to determine if someone could punch their way out of a coffin. For his part, Jon Fitch laid on his back and punched up into a sensor, attached to a punching bag that was a few inches above Fitch, allowing his arm only three inches of travel before contact with the sensor. The sensor read that the power behind Fitch's punch was just under 1,500 pounds of force (6672 N).[32][33]
[edit] Championships and Accomplishments
[edit] Mixed martial arts
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Fight of the Night (One time)
- Fitch and Georges St-Pierre hold the record for the most number of wins by decision in the UFC. He has won 9 fights by way of decision.
[edit] Mixed martial arts record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 29 matches | 23 wins | 4 losses |
| By knockout | 5 | 2 |
| By submission | 5 | 1 |
| By decision | 13 | 1 |
| Draws | 1 | |
| No contests | 1 | |
| Result | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 23–4–1 (1) | Johny Hendricks | KO (punch) | UFC 141 | December 30, 2011 | 1 | 0:12 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Draw | 23–3–1 (1) | B.J. Penn | Decision (majority draw) | UFC 127 | February 27, 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | Sydney, Australia | |
| Win | 23–3 (1) | Thiago Alves | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 117 | August 7, 2010 | 3 | 5:00 | Oakland, California, United States | Catchweight (171.5 lb) bout; Thiago Alves did not make weight |
| Win | 22–3 (1) | Ben Saunders | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 111 | March 27, 2010 | 3 | 5:00 | Newark, New Jersey, United States | |
| Win | 21–3 (1) | Mike Pierce | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 107 | December 12, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | Memphis, Tennessee, United States | |
| Win | 20–3 (1) | Paulo Thiago | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 100 | July 11, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 19–3 (1) | Akihiro Gono | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 94 | January 31, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 18–3 (1) | Georges St-Pierre | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 87 | August 9, 2008 | 5 | 5:00 | Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States | For the UFC Welterweight Championship, Fight of the Night |
| Win | 18–2 (1) | Chris Wilson | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 82 | March 1, 2008 | 3 | 5:00 | Columbus, Ohio, United States | |
| Win | 17–2 (1) | Diego Sanchez | Decision (split) | UFC 76 | September 22, 2007 | 3 | 5:00 | Anaheim, California, United States | |
| Win | 16–2 (1) | Roan Carneiro | Submission(rear naked choke) | UFC Fight Night: Stout vs Fisher | June 12, 2007 | 2 | 1:07 | Hollywood, Florida, United States | |
| Win | 15–2 (1) | Luigi Fioravanti | Submission (rear naked choke) | UFC 68 | March 3, 2007 | 2 | 3:05 | Columbus, Ohio, United States | |
| Win | 14–2 (1) | Kuniyoshi Hironaka | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 64 | October 14, 2006 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 13–2 (1) | Thiago Alves | TKO (upkick and punches) | UFC Ultimate Fight Night 5 | June 28, 2006 | 2 | 4:37 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 12–2 (1) | Josh Burkman | Submission(rear naked choke) | UFC Ultimate Fight Night 4 | April 6, 2006 | 2 | 4:57 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Moves to Welterweight full time |
| Win | 11–2 (1) | Brock Larson | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Ultimate Fight Night 2 | October 3, 2005 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Middleweight bout |
| Win | 10–2 (1) | Jeff Joslin | Decision (split) | Freedom Fight: Canada vs USA | July 9, 2005 | 3 | 5:00 | Hull, Quebec, Canada | |
| Win | 9–2 (1) | Alex Serdyukov | TKO (punches) | MMA Mexico: Day 1 | December 17, 2004 | 2 | 2:15 | Ciudad Juárez, Mexico | |
| Win | 8–2 (1) | Jorge Ortiz | Decision (unanimous) | MMA Mexico: Day 1 | December 17, 2004 | 3 | 5:00 | Ciudad Juárez, Mexico | |
| Win | 7–2 (1) | Mike Seal | TKO (injury) | MMA Mexico: Day 1 | December 17, 2004 | 2 | 2:35 | Ciudad Juárez, Mexico | |
| Win | 6–2 (1) | Kengo Ura | Decision (unanimous) | Venom: First Strike | September 18, 2004 | 2 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 5–2 (1) | Shonie Carter | Submission (slam) | Shooto USA: Warrior Spirit – Evolution | November 14, 2003 | 3 | 0:41 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 4–2 (1) | Gabe Garcia | TKO (punches) | X-1 | September 6, 2003 | 1 | 2:41 | Yokohama, Japan | |
| Win | 3–2 (1) | Kyle Jensen | Decision (unanimous) | Battleground 1: War Cry | July 19, 2003 | 3 | 5:00 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | |
| NC | 2–2 (1) | Solomon Hutcherson | No Contest | HOOKnSHOOT: Boot Camp 1.1 | March 8, 2003 | 2 | N/A | Evansville, Indiana, United States | Ruled a no contest after Hutcherson kicked Fitch on the ground, opening up a cut. |
| Loss | 2–2 | Wilson Gouveia | KO (knee) | HOOKnSHOOT: Absolute Fighting Championships 1 | December 13, 2002 | 1 | 3:38 | Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States | |
| Win | 2–1 | Eric Tix | KO (punch) | Ultimate Wrestling | September 7, 2002 | 1 | 0:07 | Fridley, Minnesota, United States | |
| Win | 1–1 | Dan Hart | Submission (guillotine choke) | Ultimate Wrestling | September 7, 2002 | 1 | 1:14 | Fridley, Minnesota, United States | |
| Loss | 0–1 | Mike Pyle | Submission (rear naked choke) | Revolution Fighting Championship 1: The Beginning | July 13, 2002 | 1 | 2:35 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
[edit] References
- ^ "UFC 100 results". boxing.nv.gov. 2009-07-11. http://boxing.nv.gov/2009%20Results%20Web/07-11-09%20MMA.pdf. Retrieved 2011-03-01.
- ^ "Purdue 2002 records". http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/pur/sports/m-wrestl/auto_pdf/BigTenNotes.pdf.
- ^ "Fitch 2001 cumulative Purdue record". http://www.purduesports.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/fitch_jon00.html.
- ^ UFC 82 notes: Eight is enough for record - MMA - Yahoo! Sports
- ^ Jon Fitch Next In Line For Welterweight Title Shot. Fitch will take on St. Pierre at UFC 87 in Minneapolis on August 9. | UFCDaily.com
- ^ "Georges St. Pierre scores a unanimous UFC 87 decision Over Jon Fitch". KocoSports.com. 2008-08-10. http://www.kocosports.com/absolutenm/anmviewer.asp?a=23041&z=2. Retrieved 2010-08-09.
- ^ "JON FITCH RELEASED FROM THE UFC - MMA WEEKLY - Mixed Martial Arts & UFC News, Photos, Rankings & more". MMAWeekly. November 19, 2008. http://mmaweekly.com/jon-fitch-released-from-the-ufc-2. Retrieved 2010-08-09.
- ^ Iole, Kevin (2008-11-20). "UFC drops Jon Fitch, other American Kickboxing Academy fighters". MMAjunkie.com. http://mmajunkie.com/news/13291/ufc-drops-jon-fitch-aka-fighters.mma. Retrieved 2010-08-09.
- ^ Sherdog.com. "Update: UFC Talking with Fitch’s Management". Sherdog.com. http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/ufc-cuts-fitch-koscheck-others-could-follow-15235. Retrieved 2010-08-09.
- ^ "24 Hours Later: Jon Fitch Back With UFC". MMAWeekly.com. November 21, 2008. http://mmaweekly.com/24-hours-later-jon-fitch-back-with-ufc-2. Retrieved 2011-07-26.
- ^ Sherdog.com. "Fitch Back in UFC Fold". Sherdog.com. http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/fitch-back-in-ufc-fold-15249. Retrieved 2010-08-09.
- ^ "Report: Jon Fitch will sign videogame agreement, returns to UFC". MMAjunkie.com. 2008-11-20. http://mmajunkie.com/news/13299/report-jon-fitch-will-sign-videogame-agreement-returns-to-ufc.mma. Retrieved 2010-08-09.
- ^ "Jon Fitch Vs. Akihiro Gono Official For UFC 94: St. Pierre Vs. Penn 2". MMA News. 2008-12-05. http://www.mmanews.com/ufc/Jon-Fitch-Vs.-Akihiro-Gono-Official-For-UFC-94:-St.-Pierre-Vs.-Penn-2.html. Retrieved 2010-08-09.
- ^ "UFC 106 main card takes hit; Jon Fitch says opponent Ricardo Almeida injured". mmajunkie.com. http://mmajunkie.com/news/16575/ufc-106-main-card-takes-hit-jon-fitch-says-opponent-ricardo-almeida-injured.mma. Retrieved 2009-10-22.
- ^ "Jon Fitch to rematch Thiago Alves at UFC 107 in December". mmajunkie.com. http://mmajunkie.com/news/16581/jon-fitch-likely-to-rematch-thiago-alves-at-ufc-107-in-december.mma. Retrieved 2009-10-22.
- ^ "Jon Fitch vs. Mike Pierce official for "UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez" in December". mmajunkie.com. http://mmajunkie.com/news/16711/jon-fitch-vs-mike-pierce-official-for-ufc-107-penn-vs-sanchez-in-december.mma. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
- ^ "Jon Fitch vs. Thiago Alves Rematch Scheduled for UFC 111 on March 27 in New Jersey". mmafrenzy.com. http://mmafrenzy.com/12617/jon-fitch-vs-thiago-alves-rematch-scheduled-for-ufc-111-on-march-27-in-new-jersey/. Retrieved 2009-12-31.
- ^ Marrocco, Steven (2010-03-25). "Jon Fitch replaces Jake Ellenberger, meets Ben Saunders on UFC 111 main card". MMAjunkie.com. http://mmajunkie.com/news/18446/jon-fitch-replaces-jake-ellenberger-meets-ben-saunders-on-ufc-111-main-card.mma?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+mmajunkie+%28MMAjunkie.com+Feed%29&utm_content=Twitter. Retrieved 2010-08-09.
- ^ "Alves vs. Fitch at UFC 115 in Vancouver". MMAWeekly.com. http://mmaweekly.com/alves-vs-fitch-at-ufc-115-in-vancouver-2. Retrieved April 5, 2010.
- ^ "Alves vs. Fitch moved to UFC 117 in Oakland". MMAWeekly.com. http://mmaweekly.com/alves-vs-fitch-moved-to-ufc-117-in-oakland-2. Retrieved April 5, 2010.
- ^ "UFC 117 main card recap, miracle submission saves champ Anderson Silva". mmajunkie.com. August 8, 2010. http://mmajunkie.com/news/20201/ufc-117-main-card-recap-miracle-submission-saves-champ-anderson-silva.mma.
- ^ "Jon Fitch may not get the title shot that was promised to him after UFC 117". MiddleEasy.com. http://middleeasy.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2908:jon-fitch-may-not-get-the-title-shot-that-was-promised-to-him-after-ufc-117&catid=36:fighters. Retrieved 2010-09-16.
- ^ "Shields cuts 20 pounds, barely overcomes Kampmann". sherdog.com. October 23, 2010. http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Shields-Cuts-20-Pounds-Barely-Overcomes-Kampmann-27724.
- ^ "Jon Fitch vs. Jake Ellenberger targeted for UFC 126 in February". mmajunkie.com. November 1, 2010. http://mmajunkie.com/news/21223/jon-fitch-vs-jake-ellenberger-targeted-for-ufc-126-in-february.mma.
- ^ "UFC 123 in the Bag, B.J. Penn Faces Jon Fitch at UFC 127 Next". MMAWeekly.com. November 21, 2010. http://mmaweekly.com/ufc-123-in-the-bag-bj-penn-faces-jon-fitch-next-at-ufc-127.
- ^ "UFC 132: BJ Penn vs Jon Fitch rematch booked for July 2". MMAmania.com. March 17, 2010. http://www.mmamania.com/2011/3/17/2055729/ufc-132-bj-penn-vs-jon-fitch-rematch-booked-for-july-2.
- ^ "Jon Fitch Out of UFC 132 Bout Against B.J. Penn Due to Injury". mmaweekly.com. March 30, 2011. http://mmaweekly.com/jon-fitch-out-of-ufc-132-bout-against-b-j-penn-due-to-injury.
- ^ "Jon Fitch Gets the Green Light to Return, but is UFC 139 on Tap?". MMAWeekly.com. August 16, 2011. http://mmaweekly.com/jon-fitch-gets-the-green-light-to-return-but-is-ufc-139-on-tap.
- ^ "Jon Fitch to fight Johny Hendricks". espn.go.com. September 12, 2011. http://espn.go.com/mma/story/_/id/6962120/jon-fitch-oppose-johny-hendricks-ufc-141-las-vegas-sources-say.
- ^ "Jon Fitch Celebrates UFC 100 Victory By Getting Engaged". MMA.FANHOUSE.com. 2009-07-16. http://mma.fanhouse.com/2009/07/16/jon-fitch-celebrates-ufc-100-victory-by-getting-engaged/. Retrieved 2009-07-16.
- ^ "Bay Area's Jon Fitch Primed for Top Contender, Impending Nuptials". BLEACHERREPORT.com. 2010-08-03. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/429107-bay-areas-jon-fitch-primed-for-top-contender-impending-nuptials. Retrieved 2010-11-12.
- ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0H9XZl63-c
- ^ "Jon Fitch 'Mythbusters' episode on three-inch 'Coffin Punch' coming soon". 2008-10-24. http://mmamania.com/2008/10/24/jon-fitch-mythbusters-episode-on-three-inch-coffin-punch-coming-soon/. Retrieved 2008-11-05.
