Work Horse Gone Bust? Jon Fitch Having Trouble Staying Healthy

Jon Fitch is set to fight Erick Silva at UFC 153, but will he be ready?

Jon Fitch (26-4-1) at one time was one of the most feared men in the UFC Welterweight division.  Fitch spent three years as the second best Welterweight fighter right under Georges St. Pierre, and defeated a number of great fighters including Paulo Thiago, Thiago Alves (twice), and Diego Sanchez.  Fitch only has two losses in the UFC, one of which was a noble battle against the welterweight champion GSP.  Though Fitch has never been a particularly exciting fighter, no one can deny his ability to shut down almost any fighter that comes his way.

Over the last couple of years however, Fitch seems to be having a hard time staying healthy.  For example, Fitch was set for a rematch against B.J. Penn at UFC 132, but had to pull out due to a shoulder injury.  And once again in July of this year Fitch was set to fight Aaron Simpson at UFC on Fuel TV: Munoz vs. Weidman.  This time Fitch pulled out due to a knee injury.  Also let’s not forget to mention the rather embarrassing loss Fitch received at the hands of Johny Hendricks via a massive left hand just 12 seconds in the very first round at UFC 141, undoubtedly shaking his mental confidence.

So the real question begging to be answered by Jon Fitch at UFC 153 is twofold.  Will Fitch be healthy for his first fight in almost a year, and if he is healthy has he mentally rebounded from that devastating loss.

The answer to both these questions had better be yes if Fitch hopes to defeat the fast and explosive Erick Silva (14-2-1) and once again achieve relevance in the UFC.  Silva has been demolishing opponents with devastating results and has every intention of using Fitch as a stepping stone into the top ranks of the Welterweight division.  If the old Jon Fitch shows up, expect Fitch to use that gritty American wrestling style of his to grind Silva through three painful rounds and pick up the decision.  If Jon Fitch is unable to recover however, this could be another quick fight for the AKA fighter.

Tags: AKA, Erick Silva, Georges St. Pierre, Jon Fitch, MMA, UFC, UFC 153, Welterweight

Category: Featured, MMA, UFC