Jon Fitch
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| Jon Fitch | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Nickname | Two Face |
| Height | 6 ft. 0 in. (183 cm) |
| Weight | 170.5 lbs (77 kg) |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | February 24, 1978 |
| Fighting out of | San Jose, California |
| Town of birth | Indianapolis, Indiana |
| Team/Association | American Kickboxing Academy |
| Fighting style | Wrestling |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Wins | 20 |
| By knockout | 4 |
| By submission | 5 |
| Losses | 2 |
| Draws | 0 |
| No contests | 1 |
Jonathan Parker Fitch (born February 24, 1978 in Fort Wayne, Indiana) is an American professional mixed martial arts fighter. He currently fights as a welterweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and he is currently set to face Georges St Pierre at UFC 87 for the welterweight title.[1]
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[edit] Biography
In 2002, Fitch graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor's in Physical Education and a minor in History. A member of 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.
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.
Fitch is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt under Dave Camarillo as of 2/13/07.[2]
[edit] MMA career
Fitch began his career at Light-Heavyweight with a record of two 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 and has been undefeated since.
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 bout.
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. On March 1st, 2008, Fitch defeated Chris Wilson by unanimous decision at UFC 82. This marked his 8th consecutive victory in the UFC, tieing the record set by Royce Gracie for most consecutive wins in the UFC.[3] UFC President Dana White has recently 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.[4]
Fitch will now face St. Pierre at UFC 87.
[edit] MMA record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 19 matches | 17 wins | 2 losses |
| By knockout | 4 | 1 |
| By submission | 5 | 1 |
| By decision | 6 | 0 |
| Date | Result | Opponent | Event | Method | Round | Time | Notes |
| 03/01/2008 | Win |  Chris Wilson |
UFC 82: Pride of a Champion | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| 09/22/2007 | Win | Diego Sanchez |
UFC 76: Knockout | Decision (Split) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| 06/12/2007 | Win |  Roan Carneiro |
UFC: Ultimate Fight Night 10 | Submission (rear naked choke) | 2 | 1:07 | |
| 03/03/2007 | Win | Luigi Fioravanti |
UFC 68: The Uprising | Submission (rear naked choke) | 2 | 3:05 | |
| 10/14/2006 | Win |  Kuniyoshi Hironaka |
UFC 64: Unstoppable | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| 06/28/2006 | Win | Thiago Alves |
UFC: Ultimate Fight Night 5 | TKO (Strikes) | 2 | 4:37 | |
| 04/06/2006 | Win | Josh Burkman |
UFC: Ultimate Fight Night 4 | Submission (rear naked choke) | 2 | 4:57 | |
| 10/03/2005 | Win | Brock Larson |
UFC: Ultimate Fight Night 2 | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| 07/09/2005 | Win |  Jeff Joslin |
Freedom Fight - Canada vs USA | Decision (split) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| 12/17/2004 | Win |  Alex Serdyukov |
MMA Mexico - Day 1 | TKO (Strikes) | 2 | ? | |
| 12/17/2004 | Win |  Jorge Ortiz |
MMA Mexico - Day 1 | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | ? | |
| 12/17/2004 | Win | Mike Seal |
MMA Mexico - Day 1 | TKO (Strikes) | 2 | ? | |
| 11/14/2003 | Win | Shonie Carter |
Shooto USA - Warrior Spirit: Evolution | Submission (Strikes) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| 09/06/2003 | Win | Gabe Garcia | X - 1 | TKO (Strikes) | 1 | 2:41 | |
| 07/19/2003 | Win | Kyle Jensen |
Battleground 1 - War Cry | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| 03/08/2003 | NC | Solomon Hutcherson |
HOOKnSHOOT - Boot Camp 1.1 | No Contest | 2 | ? | |
| 12/13/2002 | Loss | Wilson Gouveia |
HOOKnSHOOT - Absolute Fighting Championships 1 | TKO (Knee) | 1 | 3:38 | Was fought at 205 pounds. |
| 09/7/2002 | Win | Eric Tix |
UW - Ultimate Wrestling | ? | ? | ? | |
| 09/07/2002 | Win | Dan Hart |
UW - Ultimate Wrestling | Submission (Guillotine) | 1 | ? | |
| 07/13/2002 | Loss | Mike Pyle |
RFC 1 - The Beginning | Submission (rear naked choke) | 1 | 2:35 |
[edit] References
- ^ Jon Fitch Next In Line For Welterweight Title Shot | UFCDaily.com
- ^ Fitch's homepage, click on "bio"
- ^ 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
- Gerbasi, Thomas. "Jon Fitch – The Best Unknown Fighter in The World?" (June 26, 2006).
- Getting to Know Jon Fitch MMAFighting.com, (August 25, 2006).
- Mendoza, Ricardo. Jon Fitch Ready to Break out in UFC MMAWeekly.com, (June 28, 2006).
