Fitch returns with dominant performance

Back in December 2011, Jon Fitch returned to the UFC octagon after almost a year away. That return wasn’t a successful one as he was the victim of a Johny Hendricks KO. However, in his second return after a knee injury, Fitch made sure people remembered how dangerous of a fighter he was.

Going up against Erick Silva at UFC 153 in Rio, many thought Fitch would not be able to utilize his wrestling over the much quicker Silva. But, it was Fitch who proved to outlast and out fight the young Brazilian.

After a dominating first round that Fitch easily dominated with wrestling and ground and pound, Silva fought back and had several submission attempts in the second round. Fitch, who is well-known for his submission defense, fought out of both attempts and even controlled the final minute of round 2.

Coming into the third round the fight became a battle of conditioning. Fitch, who wrestled at Purdue University, called upon his background and incredible cardio to outlast Silva. Silva was noticeably gassed heading into the final round. He looked tired and awaiting the final bell to ring. Fitch took control of the third round early on and never let up.

A quick takedown led to more ground and pound from Fitch. And, he rode the momentum to a unanimous decision victory.

For a long time Fitch had been ridiculed by fans and media for his inability to have an exciting fight. Many criticized him for relying too heavily on his wrestling and grappling, but this Saturday belonged to him. He quieted his critics with his most dominant performance in the UFC and made a case for a spot as a top-5 UFC welterweight.

By no means does this fight put him in title contention, but this is the perfect performance to put him back on track towards contention hopes.

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