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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
"I think a shake-up could have happened if Johny Hendricks would have gotten the title shot. I think right now it looks like 'GSP' will probably defeat Diaz. The way it looks, I think there's a strong possibility the fight after that will probably be Marquardt just because it's champion vs. champion... Fight by fight. Each fight is it's own fight. This is a big thing. I need the money. I need the fight. I need to perform, and I love what I do. The motivation is that in itself... I'm not even going to think about taking any kind of top-seed-type stuff for the whole 2013. I think that's already booked, honestly."
-Jon Fitch talks to MMAJunkie.com about the current Welterweight Title picture, and why he doesn't expect to be anywhere near a shot after 2014.
Penick's Analysis: Hendricks will be next in line if he beats Jake Ellenberger, and I don't know that Marquardt and St-Pierre are necessarily going to want to fight one another as it is. It's a fight that should happen at some point, but they've trained with each other for a long time, and I just don't think either is necessarily going to be jumping at taking that fight. Still, Fitch isn't wrong that the division's got a lot of challengers right now, and it would be tough for him to get in line before 2014. A few more fights like he had against Erick Silva will help, but it's smart of him not to worry about it or concentrate on it as he attempts to start a new run in the Octagon.
[Jon Fitch art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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