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JON FITCH LIKELY TO FACE CHRIS WILSON AT UFC 82
Tuesday, January 22, 2008 - by Damon Martin - MMAWeekly.com

Team Quest fighter Chris Wilson has verbally agreed to step in and face top ten welterweight fighter Jon Fitch at UFC 82 in Columbus, Ohio as confirmed by MMAWeekly.com with sources close to the fighter.

The news comes on the heels of Fitch’s original opponent, Akihiro Gono dropping out of the bout due to a hand injury lingering from his last trip to the Octagon.

Wilson, who defeated Derrick Noble in his last fight in October 2007, is a veteran of a number of MMA promotions including Sportfight and the International Fight League.

While the bout agreements are yet to be signed, it is expected that both fighters will agree to terms and the fight will take place as a part of the main card for UFC 82.

Wilson has been known as a top training partner at Team Quest for years and the opportunity to fight in the UFC, while on short notice, is still the culmination of a career of hard work.

Fitch, currently ranked as the No. 4 welterweight in the MMAWeekly.com World Rankings, is on a 14-fight win streak with seven of those victories coming in the UFC.

The welterweight showdown between Wilson and Fitch is expected to be on the main card for the event featuring a headline bout between middleweight champion Anderson Silva and challenger Dan Henderson.