Jon Fitch 2.0 is on a mission, and that mission is to return to welterweight title contention after going without a win for more than two years.
The American Kickboxing Academy product got himself back on track by defeating rising prospect Erick Silva at UFC 153, but a win over former middleweight title challenger Demian Maia on Saturday would give him an even bigger boost toward the top of the 170-pound division.
Maia recently moved from middleweight to welterweight after hitting a rough patch of his own. The change appears to have reignited the Brazilian’s career, as he won his first two 170-pound fights against Dong Hyun Kim and Rick Story.
A win over Fitch would mean Maia has officially arrived as a significant threat to elite welterweights.
With this important 170-pound contest being only days away, let’s take at where each fighter holds their most significant advantages.