Jon Fitch
Active 2005–present · rated in 1 edition · peak overall 84.0
Scouting report
Jon Fitch walked on to the Purdue wrestling team, became a four-year letterman and captain, and trained under Tom Erikson before leaving for American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose. His UFC record was 14-3-1, built on a run of decisions. He fought Georges St-Pierre for the welterweight title at UFC 87 in Minneapolis on August 9, 2008 and lost a unanimous decision in a Fight of the Night. UFC.com ranked it sixth among 2008's best.
Peak ratings
Jon Fitch: the grinder who held the WSOF title and lost to GSP
Fitch won his first UFC fight on a decision over Brock Larson in October 2005. At welterweight he beat Thiago Alves at UFC Fight Night 5 and again at UFC 117, Diego Sanchez at UFC 76 and Paulo Thiago at UFC 100. He drew with BJ Penn at UFC 127 in Sydney in February 2011. The UFC released him in February 2013 after a loss to Demian Maia. He then won the WSOF welterweight title in April 2016 and defended it against Jake Shields and Brian Foster.
Fitch, rating by rating
Boxing. 76. Johny Hendricks knocked him out with one punch 12 seconds into the first round at UFC 141 in December 2011.
Kickboxing. 68, the weakest rating he has. He beat Paul Daley on a unanimous decision at Bellator 199 in May 2018 and drew with Rory MacDonald at Bellator 220.
Wrestling. 91. He walked on at Purdue became team captain and had a collegiate record of 45-51.
BJJ. 83. Josh Burkman and Luigi Fioravanti both lost to rear-naked chokes in the UFC in 2006 and 2007.
Strength. 82. Alves was stopped by an upkick and punches at 4:37 of round two at UFC Fight Night 5.
Durability. 84. He went five rounds with St-Pierre. Rousimar Palhares got a kneebar on him at WSOF 16 in December 2014.
Cardio. 92, his best. He beat Diego Sanchez and Chris Wilson on decisions in 2007 and 2008, and Erick Silva lost to him at UFC 153 in a Fight of the Night.
Fight IQ. 84. He pulled out of the UFC 132 rematch with Penn and of a July 2012 fight with Aaron Simpson because of injuries.
Cardio at 92 and wrestling a point behind it
The UFC record is mostly decisions: Larson, Hironaka, Sanchez, Wilson, Gono, Thiago, Pierce, Saunders, Alves and Silva. After the UFC he won decisions over Marcelo Alfaya, Dennis Hallman, Yushin Okami, Joao Zeferino and Shields. If your build needs a fighter who wins on volume and pace, he is the pick.
Kickboxing at 68 and the finishes that beat him
Hendricks finished him with a punch in 12 seconds. Josh Burkman choked him in 41 seconds at WSOF 3 in June 2013. Palhares caught the kneebar at WSOF 16. Neiman Gracie caught a heel hook in round two at Bellator 246 in September 2020, and Fitch retired after the fight. Opponents who find him quickly are the problem.
Keep exploring
Closest welterweight profiles to Jon Fitch, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- Michael Chiesabest bjj 88 · weakest kickboxing 68
- Jake Shieldsbest bjj 92 · weakest kickboxing 64
- Dong Hyun Kimbest wrestling 85 · weakest kickboxing 72
- Josh Koscheckbest wrestling 89 · weakest kickboxing 70
- Welterweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Protecting your streak: a guide that fits Jon Fitch's strongest attribute, Cardio.
Draft Jon Fitch into your build
Jon Fitch enters the pool on any spin landing on welterweight between 2010 and 2013. Spin, draft eight attributes, then simulate 25 fights.
Ratings shown are my own estimates, made with AI assistance and informed by how Jon Fitch is regarded by the MMA community. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Jon Fitch's real-world abilities. How the ratings are made. See the disclaimer below. Ratings and write-ups by Haaris A. Last reviewed 2026-09-30; spot an error? Tell us. Read our editorial standards.