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MMA veteran Jon Fitch isn’t liking how the sport has turned out to be these days.
Bellator welterweight Jon Fitch is entering his 18th year of professional competition. Having seen how the game has evolved through the recent years, the 42-year-old MMA veteran is a bit letdown.
“I’ve been thinking about retirement for a while because the body is beat up and the money is not there,” Fitch told MMA Junkie. “I’ve been doing this 17 years and it’s not the sport I thought it was going to be. It’s not even a sport anymore.
“It’s pro wrestling without the pre-determined outcome. So it’s a frustrating thing to be bound to these promoters. You never know when you’re going to fight, or if you’re going to get a fight, or if it’s good fight. There’s no merit system at all – it’s all about entertainment. They’re just putting on a show. It’s a show.
“It’s not a sport, and that’s really frustrating to deal with,” he continued. “That, paired with physical issues – I have kids now, so if the fights are not really appealing, it’s not worth doing. It’s not worth getting into training camp and breaking down my body for the amount of money that we’re making.
“There’s other jobs you can do and get by and not get brain damage.”
Fitch has been inactive for almost a year now, with his last fight for the Bellator welterweight title against Rory MacDonald ending in a draw. Nowadays, he is only looking at opportunities that would be appealing for him.
“If they offer me more than what I’m currently contracted for, I would fight anybody,” he said. “But otherwise, a title eliminator or the title – that’s what would do it.”
Fitch currently holds a record of 32-7-2 (with 1 NC and 12 wins by stoppage).