Fitch vs Ellenberger official.

A welterweight matchup between perennial contender Jon Fitch (23-3 MMA, 13-1 UFC) and Jake Ellenberger (23-5 MMA, 2-1 UFC) is on tap for UFC 126's pay-per-view card.

Sources close to the event today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that at least one fighter has agreed to the fight and that bout agreements are in the process of being finalized.

UFC 126 takes place Feb. 5 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas and is expected to feature a middleweight title fight between reigning champion Anderson Silva and challenger Vitor Belfort.

The event takes place on Super Bowl weekend and airs on pay-per-view.

It's been a long road back to title contention for the American Kickboxing Academy's Fitch. In his most recent appearance, he took on former contender Thiago Alves at UFC 117 and earned a solid unanimous decision. Prior to the bout, UFC president Dana White said the fight would determine the next welterweight contender. But the executive hedged on that promise earlier this month by announcing recent octagon import Jake Shields would get the next crack at the 170-pound belt if he were victorious over Martin Kampmann at this past Saturday's UFC 121.

Shields eked out a decision, and Fitch again must hold his spot in line.

For Ellenberger, it's a chance to climb several steps on the welterweight ladder. The Nebraskan most recently took home an impressive victory at UFC on Versus 2, when his ground and pound skills forced a third-round doctor's stoppage against John Howard. It was his second consecutive win after a second-round TKO over Mike Pyle at UFC 109.

Fitch, meanwhile, has not lost since August 2008, when he fell short in a bid to take Georges St-Pierre's title at UFC 87. It was his sole setback inside the octagon; he is one of the UFC's most winningest competitors with 13 victories to his credit.

Josh Koscheck, Fitch's AKA teammate, will meet St-Pierre on Dec. 11 at UFC 124. In an earlier interview with MMAjunkie.com, Fitch said he won't vie for the welterweight belt if Koscheck is victorious and may instead move up to the middleweight division.

"GSP is first on my list," he said. "But by the time I win the belt at 170, there will be one or two fights left because I will have fought everybody else, and I'll want to move up. That's just where my career will progress.

"Just like the other guys who want to fight the best in the world, I'm the same way. It's always been my intention to clear out 170 and move up. It's just one guy left, and I've been chasing him since the last loss, and I'll continue to chase him until I beat him and get the welterweight title and move up."

For now, though, Fitch has one tough obstacle to clear.

The latest UFC 126 card now includes:
Champ Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort (for middleweight title)*
Forrest Griffin vs. Rich Franklin*
Ryan Bader vs. Jon Jones*
Jake Ellenberger vs. Jon Fitch*
Evan Dunham vs. Kenny Florian*

I was hoping to see Condit v. Fitch, but I don't think this is too bad a call either. The card is looking good, but Fitch-Condit and Florian-Sanchez would have made it look great!

I thought that Florian-Dunham fight was off?

Anyway, hopefully Ellenberger can find a way to upset him

Fitch via 3 round Fitching

I like Ellenberger but this is not a threatening matchup for Fitch IMO.

fitch all day long

Yeah Fitch will win because thats what Fitch does LOL. There will be nothing special but he will get the UD.

The poor man's fitch taking on Fitch. Hmmm... I'll take Fitch. Sucks that Fitch always has to fight the real tough guys, though. I wish that when they want to give Fitch a throwaway fight it would actually be against a can, so that he can finish the guy and people will quit bitching about him.

Seems like a stepback for Fitch, odd fight to make

Fitch isn't being a team player. He won't fight any of his team mates and refuses to take risks for the benefit of the fans. Even against other wrestlers. This aint like Shad or GSP taking strikers down to fight outside their element. He takes everyone down and doesn't work for finishes. Just control. Ellenberger is a top WW in the UFC. This is a good fight.

Hopefully Ellenberger has enough takedown defense to make Fitch have to strike, but I imagine the human backpack strikes again.

A lot of guys won't fight their teammates

And Ellenberger is solid, but you don't go from beating Alves to fighting Ellenberger.

LA wrote:

A lot of guys won't fight their teammates

And Ellenberger is solid, but you don't go from beating Alves to fighting Ellenberger.

When you're Jon Fitch you do. It's probably best for the long term health of the UFC to not reward boring fighters.

I guess, I still like good fighters fighting where they should.

Fitch's fight against GSP was probably the most exciting of any of GSP's last opponents.

I think Ellenberger has a chance here. dude had a super close loss to Condit despite fighting on short notice. Has followed that up with 2 straight KO victories. He's a live dog.

Fitch won't get taken down though

LA wrote:

Fitch won't get taken down though

But does Ellenberger need to take Fitch down to win?

captain organic wrote:

I think Ellenberger has a chance here. dude had a super close loss to Condit despite fighting on short notice. Has followed that up with 2 straight KO victories. He's a live dog.

Definitely but Fitch just finds a way to win.

timthebim wrote:

captain organic wrote:

I think Ellenberger has a chance here. dude had a super close loss to Condit despite fighting on short notice. Has followed that up with 2 straight KO victories. He's a live dog.

Definitely but Fitch just finds a way to win.

well most of the time he does. but it's not like he has faced a bunch of good wrestlers.

U are right about that also. I cant pick any1 to beat fitch besides GSP anymore though. He just finds a way to grind out a win every time.

timthebim wrote:

U are right about that also. I cant pick any1 to beat fitch besides GSP anymore though. He just finds a way to grind out a win every time.

yeah no doubt. Picking against Fitch has proven a fool's choice.

I'd pick Fitch against every WW but GSP, may be boring but he wins fights.

LA wrote:

I'd pick Fitch against every WW but GSP, may be boring but he wins fights.

Askren? No way Fitch outwrestles that guy.

Better standup now though

LA wrote:

Better standup now though

yeah, but every guy Askren has faced to date has better standup.

But not Fitch's wrestling, it's good enough to keep it standing, he might go down, but not like other guys.

LA wrote:

But not Fitch's wrestling, it's good enough to keep it standing, he might go down, but not like other guys.

yeah, maybe, but somewhat intriguing.

Ellenberger could change perceptions on fitch. Def the best wrestler(at least aside from Fitch's loss to GSP) that Fitch has faced in awhile.