Fighter of the Month: October 2012 – Jon Fitch
By Christopher ‘sLapDatSuCKa’ Jester
Fighter of the Month: Jon Fitch
Event: UFC 153: Silva vs. Bonnar (October 13, 2012)
Opponent: Erick Silva
Result: Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Who would have ever though that the name Jon Fitch would coincide with Fighter of the Month? Very few and some would say for good reason. Fitch’s style has always been controversial, as he looks to grind out his opponents over the course of the allotted rounds. Whether he is considered a point fighter or not, who knows whether or not if he was looking to finish in the fights that came before. But it goes without saying that the American Kickboxing Academy product had a different gameplan in mind for his opponent Erick Silva at UFC 153: Silva vs. Bonnar.
Leading up to this fight, Fitch was widely considered the #2 welterweight in the world for a long time; just underneath Georges St. Pierre. But after drawing to B.J. Penn at UFC 127 and suffering a debilitating knockout from rising welterweight star Johnny Hendricks, Fitch was beginning to become an afterthought in his division.
It did not help that his style is considered timid and somewhat boring. Not only that but his young opponent Erick Silva had knocked out and submitted his way to becoming one of the best in the division. It appeared that after overcoming injuries, welcoming a newborn, and dealing with financial issues back at home, a fire was lit underneath Jon Fitch. Fitch came into the fight against Erick Silva as if this could be his last fight. Ironically, he did state before the fight that if he was to lose he would look to find a day job to support his family. However, he did not have to worry about that. His long layoff did not prevent him away from putting on the performance of his career.
Each round of the fight was close, as Fitch did what he did best by attempting to put the fight in his territory. However, a second round near submission by Silva seemingly tired out the Brazilian. The third round proved why Fitch was considered the #2 welterweight in the UFC for such a long time. He pulled off a victory that set him back on track in the UFC and also in his personal life. A Fight of the Night bonus helped him financially but also proved to his critics that he can participate in a mixed martial arts barn burner. Fitch is back and he kept himself relevant in the UFC.
Congratulations, Jon Fitch for your Fight of the Night performance. PunchDrunkGamer would like to honor you as our October Fighter of the Month.
1. Glover Teixeira (UFC 153: Silva vs. Bonnar – October 13, 2012) – Glover Teixeira is proving to be a dangerous threat in the UFC’s Light-Heavyweight division. Beating his opponent Fabio Maldonado to a bloody pulp for two rounds was a sight to see; if not a bit brutal and visceral. The doctor stopped it at the end of the second, giving Teixeira that TKO doctor’s stoppage win. This guy is showing the fans why other fighters are ducking him. Glover Teixeira may very well be one of the most dangerous men at Light-Heavyweight.
2. Eddie Alvarez (Bellator 76 – October 12, 2012) – Stopping Patricky “Pitbull” Freire is no easy feat, but Alvarez pulled it off in the first round in what was the last fight on his contract with Bellator. Not letting up in his fights, the dynamic and brash Eddie Alvarez smashes his opponents quickly. It has made him one of the most sought after free agents on the market. It should be just a matter of time before Alvarez hits the big stage with the UFC.
3. Anderson Silva (UFC 153: Silva vs. Bonnar – October 13, 2012) – Some would say beating Stephan Bonnar shouldn’t earn Silva a spot on any fighter of the month ranking, but Silva demolishes opponents regardless of weight classes or rank. He did no different in his main event fight at UFC 153. He dominated the fight from the start of the bell to the very end, showing that Silva will remain the top fighter in the world regardless of age or weight class.
4. Jon Dodson (UFC on FX: Browne vs. Bigfoot – October 5, 2012) – Say what you will about the fight, Jon Dodson did his part by going out into the Octagon and beating one of the best Flyweights in the world. While the fans may have booed this technical fight, Dodson fulfilled the destiny he set out on after winning the Ultimate Fighter; he got his Flyweight title shot with this win. After stopping Jussier Da Silva, Dodson now gets a chance to prove who is the fastest man in the UFC when he faces UFC Flyweight Champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson.
Follow Christopher “sLapDatSuCKa” Jester on Twitter @sLapDatSuCka
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