• UFC

Fitch categorically tells ESPN he will not fight Koscheck

Jon Fitch has stated categorically that he will not fight Josh Koscheck, revealing to ESPN that he would move to the middleweight division if his AKA team-mate clinches welterweight gold.

Fitch and Koscheck both train at the American Kickboxing Academy, where Koscheck is preparing to fight champion Georges St-Pierre for the 170lb title at the end of the year. GSP beat his TUF 12 coaching rival in the past, but this time they square off in a five-round encounter.

UFC president Dana White has always expressed his displeasure at team-mates refusing to fight each other, and he has always maintained his belief that Fitch and Koscheck would stand toe-to-toe if the situation arose.

However, Fitch has confirmed otherwise, stating that he would leave the welterweight division if Koscheck made two successful defences of the title following a potential victory over St-Pierre.

"If Josh Koscheck is able to win and defend the belt, has two wins with the belt, then I'll move up to 185," Fitch told ESPN. "By that time two years have passed, I've fought all the welterweights I want to fight, including GSP non-title, so it'd be time to move up.

"It's not about friends, it's team-mates. It's family. It's something that's been part of this sport for a long time, the best teams have this type of mentality.

"I'm confident I could compete and even win the belt at 185, so I think it's better to have three belts at AKA than two. I'm a big welterweight and I think I have a skill set that matches up well against the 185-pounders."

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