Jon Fitch Plans to be Ready for UFC 138; Fight with BJ Penn on Tap?

The light has appeared at the end of the tunnel for UFC welterweight Jon Fitch.

The former UFC title contender has been sidelined after having shoulder surgery that kept him out of his scheduled bout at UFC 132 against B.J. Penn.

According to Fitch, via his Twitter account, his recent doctor’s visit left him with good news that should see him back in action by November.

“Great news. I will be cleared to start training camp Sept 1st. I’ll be more than ready for UFC in San Jose,” Fitch wrote on Tuesday.

The event Fitch mentioned in San Jose, Calif., is a rumored UFC 138 fight card for Nov. 19 at the HP Pavilion. The event will likely feature fellow American Kickboxing Academy fighter Cain Velasquez as he defends his heavyweight title against Junior dos Santos.

While Fitch didn’t allude to any potential opponents, it’s no secret that he’s looking for a top level fighter, hopefully one that has had a title belt around their waist.

“I’m at a point in my career where I need to be fighting main events and main event fighters,” Fitch told MMAWeekly.com in early June. “And if you don’t have a belt, currently, or you haven’t owned a belt in the UFC, I’m not really interested.”

The most likely candidate to face Fitch would be the fighter he was supposed to face on July 2 in former lightweight and welterweight champion B.J. Penn. The two battled to a draw at UFC 127 in February, and plans were for the score to be settled in a rematch before injuries sidelined both fighters.

Another possible opponent as far as top level talent goes could be former Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shields, who has been out of action since his loss to Georges St-Pierre at UFC 129. Shields and Fitch have a history together as well after facing each other in a grappling tournament a few years back.

Shields submitted Fitch, and while the two have trained together in the past, with both fighters working out of California, it might make a logical fight for the San Jose card.

Whoever it ends up being, Fitch sounds ready to get back to work and the training will start on Sept. 1.

Damon Martin is the lead staff writer and radio host for MMAWeekly.com.
Follow @DamonMartin on Twitter or e-mail Damon a question or comment.

Follow MMAWeekly.com on Twitter and Facebook.