Johny Hendricks doesn’t care about the other options currently available in the welterweight division. The only thing he’s focused on is getting the chance to fight for the 170-pound title he once held.
Immediately after “Bigg Rigg” came out on the losing end of a hard-fought split decision against Robbie Lawler in their rematch at UFC 181 last December, reclaiming the welterweight crown became the primary goal on his mind.
The former two-time Division I national champion wrestler understood he would need to win another fight or two to get back into title contention, and his victory over Matt Brown at UFC 185 back in March marked the beginning of that process.
If Hendricks has his way, it will be the only fight he’ll have to take in between championship opportunities.
The heavy-handed powerhouse wants the belt he once held to be back on the line the next time he steps into the Octagon, and that is the only option he’s going to consider.
“I think people want to see me and Robbie fight again, and there is nothing else in my sights,” Hendricks told Bleacher Report. “Nothing else matters to me except that belt. I’ll wait for it if I have to because every fight matters. What happens if I take another fight and lose? Right there I have to win two or three fights just to get back. I don’t think I’m going to lose, but it’s a fight, and anything can happen.
“Whenever you step inside that Octagon you don’t know what’s going to happen until the referee steps in to break it up or you are getting your hand raised at the end of the fight. I’ve been in some decisions that didn’t go my way where I’m sitting there wondering what fight the judges were watching. I know what can happen and I’d much rather take my chances waiting for my shot than put my life into another training camp.”
With that said, the current welterweight title picture is a crowded situation, as perennially top-ranked contenders like Tyron Woodley and Carlos Condit are also jockeying for a chance to compete for divisional gold Lawler just defended against Rory MacDonald in what became an instant classic at UFC 189.
“Ruthless” emerged from the bloody affair with the welterweight strap intact, and there is no clear-cut leader in the race for the next shot in the 170-pound collective.
Hendricks believes a trilogy bout against Lawler makes the most sense and feels there is a score to be settled once and for all with the current champion. Both of their previous contests were 25-minute shootouts with each man defeating the other by razor-thin margins over the course of those fights.
Yet despite the Team Takedown fighter’s insistence that he should be stamped as the No. 1 contender, “The Chosen One” has taken aim at Hendricks and worked a public campaign to mix it up with the Oklahoma native.
Following Woodley‘s victory over Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 183 back in January, the St. Louis native began angling for a bout against Hendricks.
The two elite-level welterweights have an established history, as they competed with each other during their collegiate wrestling days, and Woodley is certain a victory over Hendricks would make a rock-solid case for a title shot of his own.
While Hendricks says he appreciates Woodley‘s ambition and believes they will cross paths somewhere down the line, the 31-year-old former welterweight champion isn’t willing to put his focus anywhere but Lawler and another shot at the title.
Call-outs or not, Hendricks has set his sights on locking down a third fight with the resurgent American Top Team representative.
“Tyron Woodley is an awesome dude and I love the guy to death,” Hendricks said. “I do believe once I get that title back, we will fight. When we do, that will be great. I love his mom. I love his wife. He’s a great guy surrounded by great people. I know this is all business and he’s doing what he can do to further his career. I’m doing what I can do to further mine, and we have that mutual understanding of what we both want.
“I want that title, and so does he, but he’s not going to go through me to get that title. I’m going to get that title and we can meet for the belt after that. I’m perfectly fine with that scenario.”
There has yet to be an official word from the UFC in regard to the next shot at the welterweight title, but Hendricks is already working as if the fight he wants is going to come his way.
Rather than allow himself to fall off course with his physical regimen the way he has in past years, the decorated wrestler turned elite-level mixed martial artist has dedicated himself to maintaining a training camp-form body—or at least something close to that—between fights because what he calls “rabbit food” just isn’t the way Hendricks rolls.
The welterweight contender is a country boy through and through, and one who has remained true to his southern roots throughout his ascension to the upper echelon of the sport he competes in.
Where his peers in the UFC have adopted the trend of stylized suits and sharp appearances, Hendricks is more inclined to travel the jeans-and-baseball-cap route. That’s just who he is, and Hendricks doesn’t plan on changing anytime soon.
“You get what you get with me,” Hendricks said. “I’m not the guy who is going to dress all fancy like Daniel Cormier. I know it’s a little bit different for him because he has to be on television all the time, but that’s just not me. I can’t tell you how many times the UFC has messaged me and asked if I could wear something nice to the press event. I think it’s funny because I wonder if I’m the only guy getting those texts.
“My greatest compliment came when I went back to Oklahoma State. I had gotten pretty big in the UFC and finally started going back to Oklahoma State, and they told me I hadn’t changed a bit. That meant a lot to me because I don’t want to change. No matter where I’m at in life, I always want to be the same guy I’ve always been. I’ve learned things come and go, and when they go…life ain’t gonna change for me none. I’ll still be on my tractor and pulling things with my truck.”
Echoing that sentiment is longtime friend and fellow OSU alum Daniel Cormier. The current light heavyweight champion has known Hendricks for a long time and was one of the assistant coaches in Stillwater during Hendricks’ run to championship gold in the collegiate ranks.
While he says it with a bit of a chuckle, D.C. takes pride in the fact that the man he’s known for more than a decade is still the same man he sees today.
“I swear to you that guy doesn’t even own a suit,” Cormier laughed. “He’s the same Johny Hendricks today that I’ve known since he was in college. That’s actually pretty incredible if you think about it. Nothing is going to change that guy, and that says a lot about his character. I’ve told him plenty of times to get a suit, though, and he should probably listen to me on that.
“I like to make jokes, but let me tell you something. If you ever get the chance to take a car ride with Johny Hendricks, you absolutely take it. He’s one of the most intelligent guys you’ll ever get the chance to talk to.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
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