5 Things You Might Not Know About Jon Fitch

Some would dismiss Jon Fitch as a fighter who constantly lulls fans to sleep. Or perhaps one that raised legal issues against the Ultimate Fighting Championship. But the American Kickboxing Academy standout is, every inch, a workhorse who has a knack for imposing his will on every opponent he faces.

Fitch has been through it all. He challenged for the UFC welterweight title, captured the World Series of Fighting (now Professional Fighters League) title, and recently moved to Bellator MMA in search of another one. At Bellator 199 on May 12, he will take on Paul Daley for his promotional debut at 40 years old.

If your knowledge of Fitch is as little as the fans who abhor him, read along.

Meat to Vegan to Meat

In 2011, Fitch decided to join the likes of Jake Shields and to a lesser extent, the Diaz brothers, in going vegan. He even created a video blog that chronicled his eating habits. Maintains Fitch, “Nutrition from the right foods make up about 90% of our total health. So let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.” After a few years, however, he switched back to consuming meat, citing the difficulty of preparing vegan meals and issues keeping his weight up as the reasons. Incidentally, it was during his vegan adventures that Fitch suffered a losing streak along with frequent injuries.

Fitch Sings Petty

Jon Fitch may have a new career looming when the allure of fighting has waned. When he learned of Tom Petty’s passing last year, he posted a tribute message on social media, complete with a song rendition. “He was one of my all time favs. Big influence on my life. He will be missed,” said Fitch on his YouTube channel. In the video, he sings Tom Petty’s “Learning to Fly,” accompanying himself on the ukulele.

Yes to Cryptocurrency

Fitch is one of a few fighters who get paid in cryptocurrency. In an interview with Inverse, he said, “After the 2008 financial collapse, I was left under $180,000 on my condo in San Jose. I didn't want to keep supporting people who kind of make those things happen. So I started playing around with cryptocurrency. Now I see all the possible things it can be used for. Especially the blockchain and the technology behind that." Following his fight against Yushin Okami at WSOF 24, he became the first MMA fighter to be paid entirely in bitcoin.

From Cage to Screen

If you follow “MythBusters,” you probably caught a glimpse of Fitch. In an episode entitled “Coffin Punch,” he was asked to lay on his back and punch up at a sensor three inches away. The goal was to find out if someone could punch their way out of a coffin. Apart from the science entertainment TV program, he also appeared in “Such Great Heights,” a documentary depicting his preparations for his fight at UFC 87 against Georges St. Pierre. He also had a cameo in the award-winning MMA documentary, “Fight Life.”

Two-Time “Fight of the Night” Recipient

While Fitch isn’t exactly known as the most exciting fighter, his resilience and grit brought intense thrills to rabid fans. His back-and-forth battle with Erick Silva and his championship bout with St. Pierre both earned him Fight of the Night bonuses. At the time, St. Pierre said that his title defense against Fitch was the toughest fight in his career.