Jon Fitch Confirms UFC 82 Fight with Chris Wilson

Soon after Japanese fighter Akihiro Gono announced a hand injury in a recent blog entry, the name Chris Wilson (13-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) popped up as his possible UFC 82 replacement. And it’s now official.

His opponent, top welterweight contender Jon Fitch (15-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC), recently confirmed the fight on his official website.

The fight is set for the main card of UFC 82, which takes place March 1 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva meets former PRIDE stand-out Dan Henderson in the night’s main event.

UFC 82 will be televised on pay-per-view.

Fitch, an American Kickboxing Academy fighter and former captain of the Purdue University wrestling team, is 7-0 in the UFC. He’s currently riding a 14-fight win streak and most recently defeated Diego Sanchez at UFC 76 in September.

With a victory in March, Fitch could be in line for the next title shot. Current champ Matt Serra meets interim champ Georges St. Pierre at a UFC 83 event planned for April 19 in Montreal.

Wilson, a Team Quest fighter, is an IFL and BodogFIGHT veteran. He’s currently riding a four-fight win streak, which includes a victory over Derrick Noble (21-10-1) in his most recent fight at an October 2007 SportFight event in Oregon. Wilson, 30, was the former striking coach at Team Quest.

For the full UFC 82 fight card, check out the UFC Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.