Jon Fitch

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Jon Fitch
Jon Fitch.JPG
Born Jonathan Parker Fitch
(1978-02-24) February 24, 1978 (age 35)
Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States
Nationality American
Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb)
Division Light Heavyweight (2002–2003)
Middleweight (2003–2006)
Welterweight (2006-present)
Reach 74 in (188 cm)
Stance Orthodox
Fighting out of San Jose, California
Team American Kickboxing Academy
Rank Black belt in Guerrilla Jiu Jitsu
Wrestling NCAA Division I Wrestling[1]
Years active 2002 – present (MMA)
Mixed martial arts record
Total 31
Wins 24
By knockout 5
By submission 5
By decision 14
Losses 5
By knockout 2
By submission 1
By decision 2
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
last updated on: March 7, 2012

Jonathan Parker Fitch[2] (born February 24, 1978) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing as a welterweight most recently in the UFC. Fitch currently competes in the Welterweight division under World Series of Fighting banner. As of March 2013, Fitch is ranked as the #6 welterweight fighter in the world by Sherdog.[3]

Contents

Background [edit]

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 secured a starting spot early on in his career, but struggled to find initial success. Compiling an 8-23 record his sophomore season, Fitch impressively turned that around to compile an 18-12 record in his final year. He finished with a 45-51 record overall for his collegiate wrestling career.

Tom 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.

Mixed martial arts career [edit]

Jon Fitch began his career at Heavyweight with a record of four wins, two losses and one No Contest. Understanding[citation needed] that the sport required cross training in various martial arts, Fitch soon left for San Jose, California to train with the American Kickboxing Academy.

In his next seven fights, Fitch fought at Middleweight and 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 by unanimous decision in a middleweight fight.

Ultimate Fighting Championship [edit]

Drop to welterweight [edit]

Soon after, Fitch dropped down to the welterweight division and won his next seven fights. With victories over Josh Burkman, Thiago Alves, Luigi Fioravanti, Diego Sanchez, and Chris Wilson with the latter tying the record set by Royce Gracie for most consecutive wins in the UFC, Fitch was seen as a top welterweight contender.[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]

Championship fight [edit]

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 16 as of October 2012). The loss also snapped Fitch's 16 fight winning streak, both in and out of the UFC.

Back to title contention [edit]

Fitch was released from the UFC on the November 20, 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 unanimous decision victory with scores of 30–27, 30–27 and 30–26 at UFC 94.[13]

Fitch next defeated formerly unbeaten Brazilian Paulo Thiago via 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 in a highly anticipated rematch on December 12, 2009, at UFC 107.[15] However, Alves suffered an injury and was replaced by Mike Pierce.[16] Fitch won via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Fitch was expected to finally face Thiago Alves on March 27, 2010, at UFC 111,[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. However, Ben Saunders, who was previously scheduled to fight on the same card against Jake Ellenberger, requested to fight Fitch and the fight took place on the main card.[18] He won the fight via unanimous decision.

The Alves/Fitch rematch finally took place at UFC 117.[19] 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.[20] Dana White later 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.[21] 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.[22]

Fitch was expected to face Jake Ellenberger on February 5, 2011, at UFC 126.[23] 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.[24] 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.,[25] but in late March, Fitch pulled out of the bout with an injury.[26]

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.[27]

Fitch fought Johny Hendricks on December 30, 2011, at UFC 141.[28] He was knocked out 12 seconds into the fight.

Fitch was expected to face Aaron Simpson on July 11, 2012, at UFC on Fuel TV: Munoz vs. Weidman.[29] However, Fitch pulled out of the bout citing a knee injury and was replaced by returning veteran Kenny Robertson.[30]

Fitch defeated rising prospect Erick Silva via unanimous decision on October 13, 2012, at UFC 153.[31] The back and forth bout received Fight of the Night honors. Before the fight he mentioned in interviews that if he shall lose the fight, he would have to stop training full-time and get a day job to help his family since he was having really huge financial problems. After winning, he said he saved his MMA career.[32]

Fitch next faced Demian Maia on February 2, 2013, at UFC 156.[33] Fitch lost by unanimous decision with all three judges scoring the fight 30-27 and was subsequently released from the promotion, despite being a top 10 ranked welterweight and having a 14-3-1 record with the promotion overall.[34][35] Fitch's release from the promotion caused much debate about the UFC "code of conduct" and the general "skill-demand" in UFC, as most commentators had not expected a single loss to lead to a release from the promotion.[36]

World Series Of Fighting [edit]

On March 7, 2013, it was announced that Fitch signed a four-fight contract with World Series of Fighting[37] and is expected to make his promotional debut on June 14, 2013, at WSOF 3, against Josh Burkman.[38][39]

Personal life [edit]

Jon and his longtime Girlfriend Michelle got engaged the day after UFC 100.[40] The couple were married on September 4, 2010.[41]

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).[42][43]

Championships and Accomplishments [edit]

Mixed martial arts [edit]

Mixed martial arts record [edit]

Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Josh Burkman WSOF 3 02013-06-14June 14, 2013 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States WSOF Debut
Loss 24–5–1 (1) Demian Maia Decision (unanimous) UFC 156 02013-02-02February 2, 2013 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 24–4–1 (1) Erick Silva Decision (unanimous) UFC 153 02012-10-13October 13, 2012 3 5:00 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Fight of the Night.
Loss 23–4–1 (1) Johny Hendricks KO (punch) UFC 141 02011-12-30December 30, 2011 1 0:12 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Draw 23–3–1 (1) B.J. Penn Draw (majority) UFC 127 02011-02-27February 27, 2011 3 5:00 Sydney, Australia UFC Welterweight title eliminator.
Win 23–3 (1) Thiago Alves Decision (unanimous) UFC 117 02010-08-07August 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 02010-03-27March 27, 2010 3 5:00 Newark, New Jersey, United States
Win 21–3 (1) Mike Pierce Decision (unanimous) UFC 107 02009-12-12December 12, 2009 3 5:00 Memphis, Tennessee, United States
Win 20–3 (1) Paulo Thiago Decision (unanimous) UFC 100 02009-07-11July 11, 2009 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 19–3 (1) Akihiro Gono Decision (unanimous) UFC 94 02009-01-31January 31, 2009 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Loss 18–3 (1) Georges St-Pierre Decision (unanimous) UFC 87 02008-08-09August 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 02008-03-01March 1, 2008 3 5:00 Columbus, Ohio, United States
Win 17–2 (1) Diego Sanchez Decision (split) UFC 76 02007-09-22September 22, 2007 3 5:00 Anaheim, California, United States
Win 16–2 (1) Roan Carneiro Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC Fight Night 10 02007-06-12June 12, 2007 2 1:07 Hollywood, Florida, United States
Win 15–2 (1) Luigi Fioravanti Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC 68 02007-03-03March 3, 2007 2 3:05 Columbus, Ohio, United States
Win 14–2 (1) Kuniyoshi Hironaka Decision (unanimous) UFC 64 02006-10-14October 14, 2006 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 13–2 (1) Thiago Alves TKO (upkick and punches) UFC Fight Night 5 02006-06-28June 28, 2006 2 4:37 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 12–2 (1) Josh Burkman Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC Fight Night 4 02006-04-06April 6, 2006 2 4:57 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Welterweight bout
Win 11–2 (1) Brock Larson Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night 2 02005-10-03October 3, 2005 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 10–2 (1) Jeff Joslin Decision (split) Freedom Fight 02005-07-09July 9, 2005 3 5:00 Hull, Quebec, Canada
Win 9–2 (1) Alex Serdyukov TKO (punches) MMA Mexico 1 02004-12-17December 17, 2004 2 2:15 Ciudad Juárez, Mexico
Win 8–2 (1) Jorge Ortiz Decision (unanimous) MMA Mexico 1 02004-12-17December 17, 2004 3 5:00 Ciudad Juárez, Mexico
Win 7–2 (1) Mike Seal TKO (punches) MMA Mexico 1 02004-12-17December 17, 2004 2 2:35 Ciudad Juárez, Mexico
Win 6–2 (1) Kengo Ura Decision (unanimous) Venom 1 02004-09-18September 18, 2004 2 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 5–2 (1) Shonie Carter Submission (slam) Shooto USA 02003-11-14November 14, 2003 3 0:41 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Middleweight bout.
Win 4–2 (1) Gabe Garcia TKO (punches) X-1 02003-09-06September 6, 2003 1 2:41 Yokohama, Japan
Win 3–2 (1) Kyle Jensen Decision (unanimous) Battleground 1 02003-07-19July 19, 2003 3 5:00 Chicago, Illinois, United States
NC 2–2 (1) Solomon Hutcherson NC HOOKnSHOOT 1.1 02003-03-08March 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 1 02002-12-13December 13, 2002 1 3:38 Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States
Win 2–1 Eric Tix KO (punch) UW 2 02002-09-07September 7, 2002 1 0:07 Fridley, Minnesota, United States
Win 1–1 Dan Hart Submission (guillotine choke) UW 1 02002-09-07September 7, 2002 1 1:14 Fridley, Minnesota, United States
Loss 0–1 Mike Pyle Submission (rear-naked choke) RFC 1 02002-07-13July 13, 2002 1 2:35 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

References [edit]

  1. ^ "Jon Fitch Profile". ESPN.GO.COM. 2012-10-21. Retrieved 2012-10-21. 
  2. ^ "UFC 100 results". boxing.nv.gov. 2009-07-11. Retrieved 2011-03-01. 
  3. ^ "Sherdog's Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings". sherdog.com. March 4, 2013. 
  4. ^ UFC 82 notes: Eight is enough for record - MMA - Yahoo! Sports
  5. ^ 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
  6. ^ "Georges St. Pierre scores a unanimous UFC 87 decision Over Jon Fitch". KocoSports.com. 2008-08-10. Retrieved 2010-08-09. 
  7. ^ "JON FITCH RELEASED FROM THE UFC - MMA WEEKLY - Mixed Martial Arts & UFC News, Photos, Rankings & more". MMAWeekly. November 19, 2008. Retrieved 2010-08-09. 
  8. ^ Iole, Kevin (2008-11-20). "UFC drops Jon Fitch, other American Kickboxing Academy fighters". MMAjunkie.com. Retrieved 2010-08-09. 
  9. ^ Sherdog.com. "Update: UFC Talking with Fitch’s Management". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 2010-08-09. 
  10. ^ "24 Hours Later: Jon Fitch Back With UFC". MMAWeekly.com. November 21, 2008. Retrieved 2011-07-26. 
  11. ^ Sherdog.com. "Fitch Back in UFC Fold". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 2010-08-09. 
  12. ^ "Report: Jon Fitch will sign videogame agreement, returns to UFC". MMAjunkie.com. 2008-11-20. Retrieved 2010-08-09. 
  13. ^ "Jon Fitch Vs. Akihiro Gono Official For UFC 94: St. Pierre Vs. Penn 2". MMA News. 2008-12-05. Retrieved 2010-08-09. 
  14. ^ "UFC 106 main card takes hit; Jon Fitch says opponent Ricardo Almeida injured". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2009-10-22. 
  15. ^ "Jon Fitch to rematch Thiago Alves at UFC 107 in December". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2009-10-22. 
  16. ^ {{cite news|url=http://mmajunkie.com/news/16711/jon-fitch-vs-mike-pierce-official-for-ufc-107-penn-vs-sanchez-in-december.mma%7Ctitle=Jon Fitch vs. Mike Pierce official for "UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez" in December|publisher=mmajunkie.com |accessdate=2009-11-03}}
  17. ^ "Jon Fitch vs. Thiago Alves Rematch Scheduled for UFC 111 on March 27 in New Jersey". mmafrenzy.com. Retrieved 2009-12-31. 
  18. ^ "Jon Fitch replaces Jake Ellenberger, meets Ben Saunders on UFC 111 main card". MMAjunkie.com. 2010-03-25. Retrieved 2010-08-09. 
  19. ^ "Alves vs. Fitch moved to UFC 117 in Oakland". MMAWeekly.com. Retrieved April 5, 2010. 
  20. ^ "UFC 117 main card recap, miracle submission saves champ Anderson Silva". mmajunkie.com. August 8, 2010. 
  21. ^ "Jon Fitch may not get the title shot that was promised to him after UFC 117". MiddleEasy.com. Retrieved 2010-09-16. 
  22. ^ "Shields cuts 20 pounds, barely overcomes Kampmann". sherdog.com. October 23, 2010. 
  23. ^ "Jon Fitch vs. Jake Ellenberger targeted for UFC 126 in February". mmajunkie.com. November 1, 2010. 
  24. ^ "UFC 123 in the Bag, B.J. Penn Faces Jon Fitch at UFC 127 Next". MMAWeekly.com. November 21, 2010. 
  25. ^ "UFC 132: BJ Penn vs Jon Fitch rematch booked for July 2". MMAmania.com. March 17, 2010. 
  26. ^ "Jon Fitch Out of UFC 132 Bout Against B.J. Penn Due to Injury". mmaweekly.com. March 30, 2011. 
  27. ^ "Jon Fitch Gets the Green Light to Return, but is UFC 139 on Tap?". MMAWeekly.com. August 16, 2011. 
  28. ^ "Jon Fitch to fight Johny Hendricks". espn.go.com. September 12, 2011. 
  29. ^ "Aaron Simpson vs. Jon Fitch slated for UFC on FUEL TV 4 in July". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved May 14, 2012. 
  30. ^ "UFC on FUEL TV 4: Aaron Simpson vs Kenny Robertson fight booked with Jon Fitch hurt". mmamania.com. Retrieved June 5, 2012. 
  31. ^ "Jon Fitch vs. Erick Silva targeted for UFC 153 in Brazil". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved July 31, 2012. 
  32. ^ http://mmapayout.com/2012/10/after-layoff-fitch-talks-about-financial-impact/
  33. ^ "Jon Fitch vs. Demian Maia added to February's UFC 156 event". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved November 15, 2012. 
  34. ^ "Despite suprising releaste Jon Fitch can leave UFC with dignity". mmafighting.com. 2013-02-20. 
  35. ^ MMAjunkie.com Staff (February 20, 2013). "UFC releases Jon Fitch, Vladimir Matyushenko, 14 others". mmajunkie.com. 
  36. ^ "Top 5 stories of the week". sherdog.com>date=2013-02-23. 
  37. ^ "Jon Fitch signs with World Series of Fighting". MMAFighting.com. 2013-03-07. Retrieved 2013-03-07. 
  38. ^ "Jon Fitch debuts with WSOF in June likely against Josh Burkman". mmajunkie.com. 2013-03-24. 
  39. ^ "Jon Fitch vs Josh Burkman non-title bout to headline World Series Of Fighting 3". mmafighting.com. 2013-03-27. 
  40. ^ "Jon Fitch Celebrates UFC 100 Victory By Getting Engaged". MMA.FANHOUSE.com. 2009-07-16. Retrieved 2009-07-16. 
  41. ^ "Bay Area's Jon Fitch Primed for Top Contender, Impending Nuptials". BLEACHERREPORT.com. 2010-08-03. Retrieved 2010-11-12. 
  42. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0H9XZl63-c
  43. ^ "Jon Fitch 'Mythbusters' episode on three-inch 'Coffin Punch' coming soon". 2008-10-24. Retrieved 2008-11-05. 
  44. ^ Critchfield, Tristen (2012-10-14). "By the Numbers: UFC 153". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 2012-10-17. 

External links [edit]

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