Jon Fitch Retires At Bellator 246: Neiman Gracie Is "Perfect Guy" To "Pass The Crown To"

MMA

Jon Fitch is calling it a career.

Fitch (32-7-2) placed his gloves in the Bellator cage after his submission loss to Neiman Gracie at Bellator 246.

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"It's been a long journey. My body has been through a lot. There are a lot of things I'm looking forward to doing outside of the cage," Fitch told John McCarthy after the fight. "Neiman is the perfect guy to either beat or pass the crown too. Hopefully, I can come out to New York and train with him a little bit, help him beat [Douglas] Lima."

The second-round heel hook loss to Fitch marked the 42-year-old's first professional loss in six years. He received praise from Gracie, McCarthy and Chael Sonnen on the broadcast.

Fitch ends his career as a UFC welterweight and Bellator welterweight title contender, fighting Georges St-Pierre and Rory MacDonald, respectively. He holds wins over Jake Shields, Paul Daley, Yushin Okami, Paulo Thiago, Diego Sanchez and Thiago Alves, among many others.

Bellator 246 takes place from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut with Juan Archuleta and Patrick Mix headlining the card. Keep up with Fightful for all your fight night coverage.

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