Jon Fitch looking another fight after his victory over Akihiro Gono at UFC 94. It seems like he's the only major welterweight fighter still searching for another go-round in the octagon.
Of the top-15 light-welterweight fighters, only Karo Parisyan, Dong Hyun Kim, and Dustin Hazelett are without a fight.
So, when is Fitch going to fight, and what's the holdup?
"I’m training. I was hoping to be done with that fight and get out and fight again, but for some reason I haven’t got a fight yet. I don’t know what the reasoning is, but we’re still trying to get a fight booked," said Fitch, who's anxious to get back to business.
Could the delay be in response to the spat between Fitch and UFC management over a past contract dispute?
In case you don't remember, Fitch was cut by the UFC for 24 hours before coming to an agreement, creating tension between Fitch and UFC President Dana White. Wait, Fitch is still under contract, so he will have to fight sometime soon, right?
Fitch isn't holding back in sharing his feelings on the situation, as he seems confused and as clueless as you and I about the situation.
"I don’t event know when I’m going to fight again," said Fitch of his current situation.
At this point all we can do is speculate. There are three fighters that are possibilities if we are assuming that Fitch will fight by mid-year.
We all know about Parisyan and his failed drug test. He is temporarily suspended until a final ruling will come down this month.
Perhaps the UFC wants to wait until that is resolved, and if Parisyan is reinstated, then Fitch will fight him. Keep in mind, however, Parisyan was initially scheduled to fight Fitch's teammate Josh Koscheck in May.
Another possibility is Dong Hyun Kim who actually lost in his last fight to Parisyan by split decision. It's safe to say, however, that the final decision was questionable as Hyun Kim appeared to dominate two of the three rounds.
Kim could be the most likely opponent for Fitch, but I feel he will be overwhelmed by Fitch. Then again, I thought Paulo Thiago was in much worse shape going into a fight with Koscheck.
The last possibility is Dustin Hazelett. This could be an intriguing fight, as Hazelett has shown a ton of potential. His Jiu Jitsu seems to be only a step away from Damian Maia's.
The problem is that Hazelett is recovering from an injury. He should, however, be ready to fight again in May or June.
Despite his current stalemate, Fitch remains optimistic about 2009.
"I’d like to get about four or five fights in," said Fitch of his plans for the final nine months of the year
The ball is now in Dana White and Joe Silva's court.
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