Side-by-side pic: Johny Hendricks ‘before’ and ‘after’ UFC 192 weight-cutting fiasco

The promise to take better care of his diet seems to have paid off for “Bigg Rigg” who made weight after the disastrous UFC 192 card when he was scratched after medical complications of trying to cut 26 pounds of weight in 72 hours.

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight champion Johny Hendricks stepped on the scale at the UFC Fight Night 82 weigh-ins today to prove his doubters that he can be a professional and make the weight.

“Bigg Rigg” landed at 170 pounds, making official his welterweight showdown in the main event against Stephen “Wonder Boy” Thompson tomorrow (Sat., Feb. 6, 2016) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Check out his new (and improved?) physique below (click to enlarge):

Hmmmmm. Looks pretty identical to me.

Regardless of appearances, it was a turnaround from his last attempt to show up to the scales, one that was cancelled due to hospitalization from a poor weight cut. Hendricks had reportedly ballooned up to more than 200 pounds prior to UFC 192 and when it came time to shed the weight his body rejected the challenge.

There were skeptics that Hendricks could buckle down and get serious about his notorious weight problems, not least of which being his boss, UFC president Dana White who once said he considers the former champ a 185-pounder.

But Hendricks made several dramatic changes in his life after botching the weight cut for UFC 192, including hiring weight specialist Louis Giordano, who started out by creating a strict diet that cut out some of “Bigg Rigg’s” favorite foods.

A “young again” Hendricks says he is ready to prove he still hits as hard as anybody in the welterweight division and Thompson will feel it when they get inside the cage tomorrow night.

For complete UFC Fight Night 82 weigh-in results click here.