UFC 141 breakdown: Fitch vs. Hendricks
Jon Fitch (23-3-1) vs. Johny Hendricks (11-1)
Sitting on the shelf since a razor-thin draw against B.J. Penn this past February, the consensus top-three welterweight Fitch finally returns to action against Hendricks, an emerging contender with similar tools.
The 33-year-old Fitch has struggled to get the attention he rightfully deserves based on a string of nine fights that have gone the distance and a style many fans have described as boring.
Despite only earning one bonus in 15 UFC bouts, Fitch has achieved great success against quality opponents such as Thiago Alves, Diego Sanchez and Paulo Thiago. His lone setback in his last 24 fights was a hard-fought decision loss to the divisional ruler St. Pierre.
Anchored at the American Kickboxing Academy, Fitch trains alongside Josh Koscheck, Daniel Cormier and Cain Velasquez. The Guerilla Jiu-Jitsu black belt and former NCAA Division I wrestler is as well-rounded as they come, but his game plan that often relies on grinding on his opponents could be difficult to implement against a wrestler with Hendricks’ credentials.
The 28-year-old southpaw Hendricks is coming off back-to-back wins over Mike Pierce and T.J. Waldburger. The Team Takedown member has only suffered defeat once in his career, dropping a close decision to Rick Story. Meanwhile, he stopped Charlie Brenneman at UFC 117 prior to facing Story.
The 2005 and 2006 NCAA Division I wrestling champion is also a four-time All-American at Oklahoma State University and a three-time Big 12 Conference champion. Besides his accolades as a wrestler, Hendricks has proven to be a capable striker as he knocked out Amir Sadollah just 29 seconds into his first UFC fight.
In his preparation for UFC 141, Hendricks has trained with former Fitch victim Ben Saunders. He will need every bit of advice he can get against an experienced fighter like Fitch; not just any fighter, but a proven winner at that.
Hendricks’ style could pose some problems for Fitch, but he will likely be outstruck and controlled in the clinch. Maintaining a dominant position on the mat against Hendricks won’t be easy, but Fitch should be ready wherever the fight goes.
A triumphant stoppage for Fitch could secure him a title shot in early 2012, but the likelier outcome will be a hard-fought decision as Fitch gets his hand raised after 15 competitive minutes.
Verdict: Fitch via decision
