UFC 141: Breaking Down Jon Fitch vs. Johny Hendricks

Prior to reigning in the new year, Dana White and company have scheduled one of the most anticipated heavyweight bouts of all time for UFC 141 in late December. 

Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem.

While that titanic fight alone is worth the price of PPV fees, UFC 141 also features one of the most dynamic and explosive fights the welterweight division could offer.

Jon Fitch vs. Johny Hendricks.

Both guys have been more than spectacular during their tenure in the UFC, Fitch going 13-1-1 and Hendricks going 6-1.

Now while Fitch has knocked off more relevant fighters in the UFC, including Diego Sanchez, Paulo Thiago and Thiago Alves twice, Hendricks has done more than a fair share of showcasing elite talent inside the octagon.

On Dec. 30, these two men with go to battle. Each have a storied background in wrestling.  Each have the strength to impose their wills and finish fights when others might back off. Each are striving for a shot at the winner of Georges St-Pierre vs. Carlos Condit, which is now scheduled to happen sometime in the early quarter of 2012. 

Each are well-rounded, offer excellent striking games, know when and how to finish fights on the ground and each possess a high level of intensity.

Considering all that, I think it's safe to say this fight is going to be a one of the best bouts of 2011.

Here is an early breakdown of Fitch vs. Hendricks and how each fighter fares in regards to their respective game plans.

Round 1: Punching

Punching has to go to Johny Hendricks.

He's more diverse with his hands, more explosive and has showcased some of the best power punches in the welterweight division.

Now while Jon Fitch is no slouch on his feet, out-striking the likes of Ben Saunders, Thiago Alves and matching B.J. Penn, Hendricks has too much power in his hands to be the underdog in the stand-up game.

Fitch has never won a UFC bout via TKO/KO from the feet. Instead, he landed a nasty up-kick from his back on Thiago Alves, which eventually led to a TKO victory.

Hendricks, on the other hand, has dished out three devastating TKO/KO finishes, the most recent being a one-punch KO of TJ Waldburger at UFN 24.

At this point, the 28-year-old Hendricks seems like the safe bet in the punching game. He's going to be looking for the knockout, and considering Fitch is going to be defending the take-down, Hendricks could find a few openings on the feet.

Round 1: Hendricks

Round 2: Kicking

Considering Johny Hendricks seemingly has the advantage in the punching game, it's only right if Jon Fitch is giving the nod in the kicking game.

Hendricks is going to be planning to KO Fitch anyway he can. Fitch is going to have to keep the hungry welterweight at bay with leg kicks, and maybe even some head kicks.

Hendricks is more of a puncher/wrestler, while Fitch has proven that he can stand and bang as well as take it to the ground.

Fitch's black belt in jiu-jitsu should help him in the stand-up game and allow him to land valuable strikes via kicking.

Also, its been fairly evident that Fitch offers more flexibility than his opponent, so the possibility of landing a head kick on a 5'9" Hendricks seems highly likely.

Round 2: Fitch

Round 3: Grappling

While its become difficult to separate these guys in the wrestling department, Jon Fitch no doubt has the advantage in the grappling game.

Fitch tends to wear people out, sort of like a 170-pound Randy Couture. That's why a lot of guys don't like seeing the versatile fighter at the other side of the octagon.  He's always on you no matter the circumstances or positioning in the cage.

At 6'0", Fitch is able to use his long arms and legs to lock-up an opponent and use close-range striking, inside the grapple, to effectively score points.

Johny Hendricks is a compact fighter who can surely take Fitch to the ground, but if Fitch grabs a hold of him against the cage, there's a good chance he'll wear down the wrestler for the remainder of the round.

With that said, if this fight stays on the feet and Fitch is able to get close and do some damage, the distinction between a good grappler and a great one could be the difference in winning or losing.

Round 3: Fitch

Round 4: Intensity

I'm just going to say it.  Both of these guys scare me.

Maybe it's both of their beards, when Jon Fitch grows his out, or maybe it's the fact that I would literally last eight seconds inside the Octagon against either one of them.

With that said, heading into this fight at UFC 141, I find it very difficult to distinguish who possesses more intensity.

Johny Hendricks has proven that he's one scary dude on his feet, and Fitch has showcased some of the best suffocating grappling in the division.

If we're talking intensity and ability to fire it up whenever the time calls, both guys have my vote.

December should alleviate any questions regarding this toss-up, so we'll just have to wait and see.

Round 4: Draw

Round 5: Wrestling

While some people might argue that Jon Fitch is arguably a better wrestler than Johny Hendricks, it's realistically no contest.

Hendricks is a former two-time Division I national champion and a four-time All-American under John Smith and the famed Oklahoma State program. So basically, if he wants to take somebody down, it's going to happen.

Now, I'm not a a guy that likes to read too much into fighting statistics, but Hendricks has a better takedown defense percentage than Fitch. Sixty-four to 56. It's not much, but it could be the difference in landing a fight-ending takedown or keeping the contest on the feet.

With that said, Fitch does have a better take-down success rate, but that's simply because he's logged more fights in his UFC career.

Hendricks has been the more elite talent in the wrestling department since entering the UFC in 2009, and with more training in other fighting aspects, his strong wrestling background will only become more relevant.

Fitch, on the other hand, has also showcased some world-class wrestling. He was the captain of Purdue's wrestling team in 2002, has trained with Josh Koscheck, and continues to land big takedowns and slams.

But beyond that, Hendricks is the superior wrestling specialist.

Round 5: Hendricks

Round 6: Submissions

No sense arguing here. Jon Fitch is the much better submission expert.

His jiu-jitsu background always allows him to maneuver on the ground and put guys in the right position to sink in a choke or lock.

While many of Fitch's fights tend to go the distance, mainly due to his ability to wear guys down, he's also been able to secure three victories via submission.

Johny Hendricks has none.

That's just the type of fighter he is. Hendricks is a power wrestler, while Fitch exploits all angles and does a lot of his work from the back of his opponent.

Fitch's superior submission techniques could be the difference in the fight.

Even if Hendricks decides to take him to the mat and try to finish it via ground and pound, Fitch has the ability to end the fight off his back.

Round 6: Fitch

Round 7: Experience

Once again, this really isn't even close.

Johny Hendricks has performed well in nearly every fight in his UFC career, but he simply doesn't have the experience coming into UFC 141 that Jon Fitch does.

Fitch has eight more UFC fights on his resume and has faced some of the best welterweights in the world.

His championship bout against Georges St-Pierre, even though he lost, is going to help Fitch focus and stick to the game-plan more often that Hendricks will.

You also have to consider the stamina aspect of it. Hendricks has fought in only five matches in his UFC career that have lasted three rounds. Fitch, on the other hand, has been able to build up an elite sense of longevity, fighting in nine bouts since 2007 that have lasted three rounds, one being a five-round battle with St-Pierre.

The experience of Fitch should give him an advantage over Hendricks. Whether that increases his chances of winning or not has yet to be seen.

But when it comes down to it, I'll surely take the fighter with more wins, tougher fights under his belt and a championship bout with one of the best fighters in MMA history over a 11-1 Hendricks.

Round 7: Fitch

Verdict

If you add up all the rounds, this fight should go to Jon Fitch.

So, that's exactly what I'm going to do. Give it to Fitch.

At this point, it's simply not Johny Hendricks' time to knock off one of the best welterweights in the world.

Could he potentially catch Fitch and KO him within three rounds of action? Sure, but can Fitch wear Hendricks down and land a submission or TKO? Most definitely.

If you were to take away his draw with B.J. Penn at UFC 127 and his loss to Georges St-Pierre at UFC 86, Fitch has won every one of his fights since entering the UFC.

That's ridiculous.

To think this guy isn't in his prime and can't get past a power wrestler seems like stupid talk to me.

At UFC 141, Fitch should be able to handle Hendricks punching power and takedown offense, checking him with heavy kicks and a long reach.

If it goes to the ground, well hey, Fitch could end it there, too.

Verdict/Prediction: Fitch via submission in Round 2.