[autotag]Jon Fitch[/autotag] may or may not fight again, and either outcome is fine with him.
The former UFC title challenger and current Bellator welterweight contender stands at a crossroads in his fighting career. Fitch (32-7-2 MMA, 1-0-1 BMMA) has been fighting some of the best in the world since 2002. And at this point in his career, the 42-year-old needs certain conditions in order to continue fighting professionally.
“If they offer me more than what I’m currently contracted for, I would fight anybody. But otherwise, a title eliminator or the title – that’s what would do it,” Fitch told MMA Junkie.
Fitch hasn’t competed since April 2019, when he fought to a draw against then-Bellator welterweight champion Rory MacDonald in the company’s 170-pound grand prix.
The seasoned veteran said he hasn’t been offered fights since his last bout. He hinted at retirement after the draw, but he’s spoken to his management team about wanting a big fight or pay increase if he is to return to the Bellator cage.
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The thought of retirement is not a new development for Fitch. He’s been thinking about walking away for some time after frustrations with the sport, health concerns, other factors have come together in the last few years.
“I’ve been thinking about retirement for a while because the body is beat up and the money is not there,” Fitch said. “I’ve been doing this 17 years and it’s not the sport I thought it was going to be. It’s not even a sport anymore.
“It’s pro wrestling without the pre-determined outcome. So it’s a frustrating thing to be bound to these promoters. You never know when you’re going to fight, or if you’re going to get a fight, or if it’s good fight. There’s no merit system at all – it’s all about entertainment. They’re just putting on a show. It’s a show.
“It’s not a sport, and that’s really frustrating to deal with. That, paired with physical issues – I have kids now, so if the fights are not really appealing, it’s not worth doing. It’s not worth getting into training camp and breaking down my body for the amount of money that we’re making. There’s other jobs you can do and get by and not get brain damage.
“I’ve being doing this for so long that if it’s not a main event fight and it’s not for a title or title eliminator, it doesn’t really make sense.”
Fitch is unbeaten in his past six bouts with victories over notable names like Jake Shields, Paul Daley and Yushin Okami. He said he has three fights left on his Bellator contract.
With the coronavirus pandemic canceling most major sports around the globe, including several Bellator events, it’s unclear when fighting will resume for athletes and whether or not Fitch will compete again.
If this is the end of Fitch’s career, there would be plenty to reminisce and look back on. However, there are two moments he looks at more fondly than others.
“The whole process of the (Georges St-Pierre) fight was pretty awesome – the whole training camp, and the fight it self,” Fitch said. “Also, the Erick Silva fight was pretty great in Brazil. It was something where the UFC was trying to get rid of me. He was a rising star, I was coming off a hard loss, and they wanted me to lose again and then re-sign me for half as much. That was their plan.”
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