Just a little over two weeks after being let go from the UFC in a shocking series of roster cuts, former welterweight contender Jon Fitch has found a new home.
According to MMA Fighting, Fitch’s next bout will be in the World Series of Fighting promotion, possibly on their June 14 card:
According to [WSOF vice president] Abdel-Aziz, Fitch is expected to debut for the promotion at its third event on June 14. He could face the winner of Aaron Simpson vs. Josh Burkman, which will take place at WSOF 2 on March 23, but that has not been set in stone just yet.
Fitch’s sudden dismissal from the UFC (via MMA Fighting) came as a shock to much of the MMA community, as the American Kickboxing Academy star had been a firm staple in company’s ranks since October 2005.
During the last seven years, Fitch has been a perennial contender, defeating the likes of Thiago Alves, Ben Saunders, Mike Pierce, Diego Sanchez and prospect Erick Silva while amassing an impressive 14-3-1 record in the UFC.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough for him to secure his job.
Often criticized by MMA fans and pundits alike for his “boring” top-heavy wrestling game, Fitch arguably has little drawing power compared to the likes of more successful welterweights like Nick Diaz, Carlos Condit and Johny Hendricks.
When Fitch (currently 35 years old) heads into his first professional bout with WSOF, he’ll be riding a 2-2-1 stretch in his last five fights.
But regardless of his recent struggles, Fitch is likely the highest-ranked at MMA welterweight outside of the UFC right now, even with his crushingly one-sided loss to surging contender and jiu-jitsu ace Demian Maia during UFC 156.
McKinley Noble is an MMA conspiracy theorist and tech writer. His work has appeared in GamePro, Macworld, PC World, 1UP, NVision, The Los Angeles Times, FightFans Radio, MMA Mania and Bleacher Report. Talk with him on Twitter.
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