Add Jon Fitch to the list of familiar UFC faces now under the Bellator MMA banner.
Former UFC welterweight title challenger Jon Fitch is headed for Bellator MMA.
It was announced on Thursday that Fitch has signed an exclusive, multi-fight contract with the promotion. Per the press release, “Fitch’s promotional debut will be determined at a later date, but he is expected to return to action this year.”
The 40-year-old Fitch was the World Series of Fighting welterweight champion, winning the vacant title by beating Joao Zeferino in 2016. He defended his belt by beating Jake Shields, then choked out Brian Foster for his first finish in a decade. The Foster win was under the rebranded Professional Fighters League, and once the promotion vacated all of its titles, Fitch became a free agent.
In his heyday, Fitch (30-7-1, 1 NC) was one of the top welterweights in the world. His one title shot came at UFC 87 vs. Georges St-Pierre, who won via lopsided decision, but it was Fitch’s only UFC loss until Johny Hendricks knocked him out three years later. The UFC released Fitch after being beaten by Demian Maia at UFC 156, and he’d spent the past several years with WSOF/PFL. He’d also been suspended for nine months after failing a pre-fight drug test vs. Rousimar Palhares.
Bellator’s current welterweight champion is fellow ex-UFC title contender Rory MacDonald, who beat Douglas Lima by unanimous decision back in January of this year. Fitch now joins a stable that includes not just MacDonald and Lima, but also Lorenz Larkin, Paul Daley, and Andrey Koreshkov.