Jon Fitch to face Jake Ellenberger at UFC 126
Following his August 7 win this year over Thiago Alves at Ultimate Fighting Championship 117, Jon Fitch thought he would be next in line for a shot at the UFC Welterweight championship.
A change of mind on the part of UFC president Dana White and the arrival of Jake Shields put Fitch’s title shot on hold. Fitch’s next fight will be against Jake Ellenberger at UFC 126, scheduled for February 5, 2011 in Las Vegas.
After his victory over Alves, the UFC posted the following on their website, “Jon Fitch earned a second shot at the welterweight title Saturday night at Oracle Arena with a shutout three
round unanimous decision win in his long-awaited rematch with Brazilian powerhouse Thiago “Pitbull” Alves.”
It appears that Shields’ name recognition and his 15-fight win streak were more appealing to the UFC, as it appears that Shields will be given the next shot at the welterweight title.
Nothing has been signed, but it looks like Shields will meet the winner of the fight between current welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre and Josh Koscheck. St. Pierre and Koscheck are scheduled to meet in December at UFC 124.
Fitch is 13-1 in the UFC, his lone loss coming at the hands of St. Pierre when the two fought for the welterweight title in August 2008. Ellenberger is 2-1 in the UFC and on a two-fight
winning streak after losing his debut fight to Carlos Condit at UFC Fight Night 19 in September 2009.
There is speculation that the winner of the Fitch vs. Ellenberger bout will be next in line for a shot at the welterweight title. If Fitch defeats Ellenberger and Koscheck is victorious
over St. Pierre, a Fitch vs. Koscheck bout may never materialize. Fitch has stated that he would not fight Koscheck, his team-mate at American Kickboxing Academy. Fitch, on the possibility of facing Koscheck, “To me there’s no reason to fight a team-mate.
It’s not a fight we’re interested in, at all.”
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