Jon Fitch Talks GSP, Title Shots & more

Exclusive Interview with UFC Welterweight contender Jon Fitch

Jon Fitch has run the gamut of emotions during his tenure within the UFC. He climbed the ladder in impressive fashion then lost a brutal war against Georges St-Pierre for the UFC Welterweight title at UFC 87. To top it off, Fitch was relegated to undercard fights due to a ridiculous squabble and reaction by UFC President Dana White over using Fitch’s name and image on a video game. Despite all the turmoil, Fitch continues to improve with his focus set on a rematch with GSP. Fitch took some time from his preparation for his UFC 111 bout with Thiago Alves to speak with ProFighting-fans.com's Editor-in-Chief Scott Dryden.

SD- When you were wrestling at Purdue did you think you would get into MMA?

JF- When I was at Purdue I never really thought about fighting too much. I watched some of the UFC events when I was in high school but it wasn’t something I set as a goal. Tom Erikson was one of my assistant coaches at Purdue. He brought in guys like Mark Coleman and Gary Goodrich to practice and workout with. I would jump into the workouts to see what it was about. It kind of sparked my interest. With someone like Gary Goodrich, who I saw on TV, who I was able to take down and control on the ground, made me think that maybe I had a future in this sport. It changed my mentality about martial arts. I moved to California to really learn to be a real martial artist instead of just a fighter.

Jon Fitch, owner of a 11-1 record in the UFC and 19 wins in his last 20 MMA fights, lost a Unanimous Decision to UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre at UFC 87.

SD- Speak about how your wrestling background allowed you to be competitive very quickly in MMA.

JF- It translates very well into MMA but not in a technical sense more really with mental development. Wrestling develops a lot of mentally strong athletes. One of the first things you do at the college level is face the older wrestlers. They try to see who will break and who will quit the fastest. So a wrestler is used to that type of mental combat with someone always coming after you.

SD- As you transitioned and grew in the sport, speak about your training in other disciplines and what you have accomplished.

JF- When I decided to become a martial artist instead of a fighter I started to embrace and fully immerse myself into every art I could find that was a big part of the sport; boxing, muay thai, jiu-jitsu etc. Luckily at AKA (American Kickboxing Academy) we have really great coaches so I was able to fully immerse myself and open up to all of the techniques without putting up any road blocks. I didn’t want to come into it with the attitude, "we did it this way in wrestling;" instead I did it their way in the drills and practices. Then on my own time I would mold it and fit it to me personally.

SD- What brought you to AKA and what is the training like there on a daily basis?

JF- The training at AKA is amazing. We are a gym that builds fighters. We are not a gym where big name guys come to us. Everybody that fights at AKA was pretty much built at AKA. My manager, DeWayne Zinkin, was an All-American wrestler at Fresno State. He was so competitive and believed that wrestlers would make the best fighters so he dedicated himself to managing fighters and helping wrestlers meet their goals. DeWayne called my coach Tom Erikson and one thing led to another. I came out here to San Jose for a week. I fell in love with it here. I fell in love with the weather, the area and the girls. I loved everything that California had to offer plus the gym is great. After my second semester of prep school was over I took off to AKA.

SD- What does a typical day look like for you in regards to conditioning and diet?

JF- On a typical day our team training is at noon. That is usually the first thing we do. I make sure I’m up at least an hour before training to eat breakfast. Breakfast usually consists of some sort of organic, all natural fruit and sometimes some sort of extra protein cereal. Depending on the day, after training I’ll come home and eat a vegetarian sandwich and take a nap. I’ll go back later in the evening and either work the mitts or work with a strength and conditioning coach then after that I’ll do grappling or go right into cardio.

SD- You really don’t do much but fight and train?

JF- Pretty much. I do play a lot of video games and when I get a chance I like to travel.

SD- You have a legion of fans who appreciate how you handle yourself and your toughness. How important is your image to you?

JF- I don’t really care how people see me. I’m here to win a championship and be the best fighter I can possibly be. I just try to do the right things, the things that I consider important and value. Everyone else may not consider those things but to me I find value in them. Being tough is one of the things I find value in since I was a little kid. I can’t explain why but the toughest guy was always the guy I looked up to most.

SD- You were 11-2 prior to competing in the UFC. How does the level of competition differ from the organization you fought for prior to the UFC?

JF- It differs a lot. But people have to take this into consideration that a lot of the fights I had prior to the UFC was before the big boom of MMA. The talent was great but sometimes there were mismatches. I fought in Japan once where the guy told the promoter he was a black belt in jiu-jitsu and that he had been studying muay thai. Then came the fight and I completely mugged the guy. He lied about his credentials. Today you cannot get away with “b-sing” about your credentials. The level outside of the UFC is still very high but I feel the UFC is definitely the best organization out there right now.

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SD- You are now an incredible 11-1 in the UFC but have yet to win the title. How do you feel about your UFC experience thus far?

JF- I’m constantly improving and that is one of the biggest things I need to focus on. I’m always going to be happy when if I wake up and know that I could kick yesterday’s Jon Fitch’s ass. If I keep progressing that title will be mine eventually.

SD- Your only loss came to GSP at UFC 87 in which you took an incredible amount of punishment and showed no quit. You absorbed a lot of shots in that fight. What was going through your mind during that fight?

JF- I was just trying to move forward and finish. My mind set shifted during the fight to I have to finish right now. I was trying to throw big punches to end the fight. That probably wasn’t the right game plan in fighting someone like that. That was the first time I had really been hurt like that in a fight. I just kept moving forward and tried to finish the fight. I think if I would have used a little more combinations and strategy it would have went a little better.

SD- How long did it take you to bounce back physically from the defeat?

JF- You know I felt fine. I was back in the gym two weeks later hitting the bag. I still had some cuts so I wasn’t allowed to have any contact. After the fight I left as soon as I could to Thailand to just get away. It was more of an emotional beat down than a physical one. You work so hard to get to that level then when you lose you are put right back at the bottom and you have to climb all the way back up again. That perspective can be a little overwhelming so I had to take a step back and leave the country. I immersed myself in the Thai culture and into muay thai so I could come back stronger.

SD- At UFC 111 Dan Hardy gets a shot at GSP. Many feel he doesn’t yet deserve a shot. What are your thoughts on Hardy facing GSP?

JF- I like Dan Hardy and he is a tough fighter. Congratulations to him for getting the opportunity and hope he does well. At the same time it’s a slap in the face to the guys who have put in 8-10 fights in the UFC and are getting passed over. I guess where we stand with the sport right now is we haven’t yet clearly defined whether we are a sport or entertainment. I think at times matches are made that clearly define us as a sport then other times they make matches that are purely based on entertainment.

SD- Many speculate that right now GSP is unbeatable and is the best pound for pound fighter in the game. What are your thoughts on him and do you think you would fare if you faced him again?

JF- He is elite. He is the top dog. You don’t really have to explain how good he is. You don’t have the kind of record he has and get to where he is without being the best. However, I’ve made huge improvement in my last year of training. I think I’m at the point where I can technically matchup with him and I think I can beat him. I think right now I’m a better fighter than him. I’m just waiting for the opportunity to prove it.

SD- You will face a very dangerous Thiago Alves on the same card at UFC 111. What challenges does he present for you?

JF- He is a very powerful guy with great leg kicks. Since the last time we fought he has grown mentally. He is just all-around a stronger opponent mentally and physically since we last met. It’s going to be a hell of a fight and I believe it’s a fight I need to prove that I deserve a rematch against GSP.

SD- You faced Thiago almost four years ago. I know you can’t give away any secrets but do you see a different approach for this time around?

JF- I cannot talk too much about what I want to do in the fight. He has changed as a fighter. I think mentally he is stronger and has matured as a fighter. I think he made a lot of dumb kid mistakes when he was in his early 20’s. He’s a little bit older and more seasoned. It makes for a tougher fighter.

SD- With a victory over Alves you should get another shot at GSP. Inside of you how does that drive you to get a shot another shot at GSP?

JF- It’s huge to be driven by that but the fact that I’m facing a tough guy like Thiago Alves is enough motivation to get me in peak physical condition. It’s been awhile since I’ve had the opportunity to fight a big name. It’s a lot of motivation. You notice immediately when Thiago Alves’ name comes up for a fight. There was an immediate sense of urgency towards training and pushing yourself. It wasn’t there as much with the other guys I have fought this past year.

SD- Thanks Jon, we look forward to what will be an excellent card at UFC 111 and wish you the best.

By Scott Dryden
ProFighting-fans.com Editor-in-Chief

Photos used with permission by the UFC