Jon Fitch Returns to Action Against Johnny Hendricks at UFC 141

At UFC 141, Jon Fitch looks to end a 10 month layoff from the Octagon when he faces top 15 ranked welterweight and former Oklahoma State wrestler Johnny Hendricks. Fitch has been out dealing with a shoulder injury following a bout that was ruled a draw with former lightweight and welterweight champion BJ Penn. Fitch surprisingly found his back on the mat against Penn, who was mostly expected to keep the fight standing. 

Fitch was supposed to face Penn again in a rematch last July but found his way out of the fight with a nagging shoulder injury. To many people, Fitch is a top 5 welterweight with many putting him behind Georges St-Pierre. Prior to the Penn fight, Fitch was riding a five fight win streak and was looking to get into title contention. Now, we find St-Pierre out with a knee injury and fellow top welterweights Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz fighting for the interim strap.

Hendricks is taking a big step up in competition, riding a two fight win streak, a TKO win over TJ Waldburger, which received knockout of the night honors and a split decision win over talented welterweight Mike Pierce. Hendricks had been looking for a step up in competition, and was granted a fight with Fitch, with which a win would catapult Hendricks into the top 10 and that much closer to title contention. Hendricks knows his fair share of victory, being a four-time All-American amateur wrestler at Oklahoma State University, amassing an extremely impressive record before transitioning into MMA.

Fitch also looks to get closer to title contention and has been quite vocal that he believes he deserves a title shot. His last win came over Thiago Alves at UFC 117. He took what looked like an easy decision before going to draw with BJ Penn. It appears that with welterweights like Ellenberger, Carlos Condit, and Nick Diaz, Fitch will have to get in line or start getting really big named fights.

Will Fitch reclaim his spot in the top welterweight discussion? Find out December 30th at UFC 141 when he faces Johnny Hendricks.

Tags: BJ Penn, Carlos Condit, Georges St. Pierre, Johnny Hendricks, Jon Fitch, Mixed Martial Arts, MMA, Nick Diaz, UFC, UFC 141, Welterweight

Category: MMA, UFC