In Case You Missed It: Jon Fitch Is Finally a World Champion

If you're a new fan of mixed martial arts, perhaps pulled into the excitement by modern stars like Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor, you might not be familiar with Jon Fitch. Yet for many years, Fitch stood out as one of the game's premier fighters. In fact, were it not for the unshakable dominance of former UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre, Fitch probably would have worn UFC gold—perhaps for a significant period of time.

As a look at the history books reveals, however, Fitch failed in his only attempt to unseat GSP, putting up a valiant effort but ultimately losing a sound unanimous decision. And though the gritty Purdue wrestler and American Kickboxing Academy captain dominated his subsequent five bouts—enough, many thought, to warrant a second shot at GSP—he eventually began to slow down. His decline began with a draw against BJ Penn at UFC 127. Then, it was thrust into fast-forward by a blistering, 12-second knockout loss to Johny Hendricks. And though Fitch rebounded nicely with an action-packed win over Erick Silva in his next bout, he was then rag-dolled by Demian Maia—a loss that would result in his controversial release from the UFC.

Even in the face of Fitch's UFC release, however, there was little doubt that he remained one of the game's best welterweights. He was no longer the division's second-best fighter, but was still an elite player all he same. Given this, Fitch's debut with the then new organization World Series of Fighting, was expected to be a blowout. His opponent, Joshua Burkman, was given little chance.

In a fairly significant upset, however, Fitch was tapped by his unheralded foe in just 41 seconds. And with that, the once great welterweight was pronounced "done" by the vast majority of the MMA community. His career had flat-lined, and was shuttled off to the morgue.

Yet Fitch refused to quit. Over the next two years, he quietly constructed a two fight win-streak—his first in four years—which would earn him a title shot against reigning WSOF welterweight champion Rousimar Palhares. And though Palhares would win this fight by knee-bar, the subsequent controversies of Palhares' career would result in his being stripped of the title, leaving the door open for the crowning of a new champion. And after a dominant win over Yushin Okami, Fitch was scheduled for a bout with fellow UFC outcast Jake Shields to crown that new champion.

Unfortunately, a contract dispute yanked Shields out of this proposed bout, depriving us of a showdown between two of the best welterweights of the last decade. As a result, Fitch would fight Joao Zeferino for the vacant belt in the co-headliner of WSOF 30, which went down last Saturday. And with a vintage, smothering performance, Fitch would defeat Zeferino with a trio of 50-45 scorecards to become the organization's new welterweight king.

Yes, after a 15-year grind, Jon Fitch is finally a world champion.

Granted, Fitch's title win surely didn't unfold the way he planned. Though he had plenty to say about the UFC's rankings and matchmaking process during his time with the organization, the welterweight vet surely would have preferred to win gold on the sport's biggest stage. And while the significance of is title-synching defeat of a game Zeferino should not be dismissed, the fact remains that Fitch failed to unseat Palhares, and may well have come up short had he fought Shields as originally planned. Yet Fitch has captured gold all the same. His persistence and patience have finally paid off, and whether you love him for his work ethic and past dominance, or hate him for his not-so-pretty fighting style, you've got to admit, his title win in the WSOF—one of the game's premier promotions—is a feel-good story, through and through.

In the wake of this career high, Fitch spoke to MMAJunkie about this long-awaited title win, and what it means to him.

"It feels great. I can't express how sad I am and how happy I am to reach an achievement like this," he said. "A lot of people have sacrificed a lot in order for me to be here and I kind of wanted to win the belt for them – especially my father. I almost lost him a couple months ago—he had a heart attack and had quadruple bypass surgery. It just weighed heavy on me that he may die before I was a world champion."

We'll say it again: a feel good story, through and through.

From here, of course, it's impossible to say what the future holds for Fitch, who is now almost 40 years old. A dominant run as WSOF champion is not out of the question, and really, neither is a triumphant return to the UFC. Yet the opposite could also be true. The aging welterweight veteran now finds himself with a target on his back and could well have his title reign cut short by a younger, hungrier fighter in his very first defense.

Whatever the future holds, however, Fitch can take pride in the fact that, when the curtains close on his long career, there will be a belt on his mantle. This alone is a cause for celebration. And if the photo Fitch posted to Instagram in the wake of his championship win, which shows his new WSOF belt alongside an old bottle of Jameson whiskey, is any indication, he's well aware of this fact.