WSOF champ Rousimar Palhares on mother's illness, Jon Fitch's anger over withdrawal

Rousimar Palhares

WSOF welterweight champ Rousimar Palhares understands that title challenger and fellow UFC vet Jon Fitch was angry at him, but he is ready to make amends.

Fitch (26-6-1) blasted Palhares (16-6) when he withdrew from a title fight in July, calling the submission specialist’s decision “kind of disgusting.”

Now, the two are set to meet in the headliner of WSOF 16, which takes place Saturday at McClellan Conference Center in Sacramento and airs live on NBCSN.

Palhares doesn’t hold a grudge against Fitch, but he said he’s intent on having the last word in their relationship.

“He did say that I was the last person on Earth he’d like to fight,” Palhares told MMAjunkie. “But destiny has brought us together. I don’t choose who I face. I’ll fight whomever I’m told to fight. I work for WSOF. I’m their employee. So I’ll fight whomever they choose for me.

“And I feel Fitch was stressing out too. Poor guy. I think he said that because of the stress surrounding our canceled fight.”

When Palhares withdrew, Fitch wound up taking on Dennis Hallman this summer at WSOF 11, where he earned a unanimous-decision win. It was his second straight victory since a first-round submission loss to Josh Burkman that delayed his road to the title.

Palhares later revealed that he withdrew from the fight because he needed to tend to his sick mother.

“I’m told he wasn’t very happy,” Palhares said of Fitch. “But, in my home, I am the only one capable to taking care of my mother and doing things for her. That’s why I took leave. I had to be with her for her surgery. It was a very stressful and dangerous time. My mother put me into this world. She raised me. It’s thanks to her that I’m here today.”

Palhares said his mother had surgery for a “very risky thromboses” and is now doing well. He hoped the same is true for Fitch’s father, who reportedly was having a heart procedure at the time of the canceled fight.

“I would also like to know if Jon Fitch’s father is well again, that he’s OK,” Palhares said.

And now, it’s time for the two to get to business.

“All I’m thinking about now is victory,” Palhares said.

For more on WSOF 16, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.