First there was Matt Hughes, who had two stints as the UFC’s welterweight champion for a total of 1,577 days.
He clobbered opponent after opponent as he became the first great welterweight champion of the modern UFC era.
Then there was Georges St-Pierre, who, like Hughes, had multiple stints as the welterweight king. St-Pierre absolutely dominated a majority of his opponents en route to surpassing Hughes as the longest-reigning welterweight champion to ever be. His 2,204 total days as champion stand second to only one other UFC champion—Anderson Silva.
Hughes eventually fell victim to Father Time, while St-Pierre fell victim to his own personal vices as he vacated the welterweight throne after a controversial victory over incumbent champion Johny Hendricks.
Like St-Pierre, Hendricks stands before a tall task ahead—he must attempt to fill the shoes of one of the most dominating champions the sport, let alone the division, has ever seen.
The question on everybody’s mind: Can he be as dominant as the champions before him?
The answer: Probably not.
It’s probably important I mention that this notion has less to do with Hendricks’ skills as a fighter—because he’s obviously capable of standing toe-to-toe with the best of them—but more to do with the idea that the current crop of challengers is far superior to those who challenged his predecessors.
Waiting in the wings is Robbie Lawler, whom Hendricks narrowly defeated upon earning the title at UFC 171 in March. After decisively defeating Jake Ellenberger and Matt Brown in his next two fights, Lawler stands as the first man who will try to unclasp Hendricks’ grip from the crown—a difficult task for the champion.
Likely to come after Lawler is Rory MacDonald, who is finally comfortable with taking aim at the throne now that training partner St-Pierre is enjoying his vacation. Unlike Lawler, who possesses one-punch knockout power and an uncanny thirst for a bonus-warranting brawl, MacDonald would likely forgo any sort of bonuses so long as he sees his hand raised in the end. He’s long, crafty and willing to compromise excitement.
Next is Tyron Woodley, who, save for two sleep-inducing performances against Jake Shields and MacDonald, has shown he’s capable of duking it out with the UFC’s best. Depending on which version Woodley decides to show up in any hypothetical matchups against the champion, this could be a difficult task for the champion.
Then there’s Carlos Condit, Hector Lombard, Brown, Kelvin Gastelum, Gunnar Nelson and Ryan LaFlare—all of whom could prove a difficult task for the champion if he chooses to go 70 percent against any one of them, much like he claimed he did against St-Pierre in his first attempt at the title.
And what if St-Pierre decides to mend his torn ACL and return to competition? Who’s to say the former champion won’t have a chip on his shoulder and place a firm target on Hendricks’ back as he makes for a third run at his rightful throne? Yes, his last victory was controversial, but would it be so hard to concede much of the detracting arguments and believe him when he said he had a lot going on in his life? It certainly wasn’t the St-Pierre that most of us were used to seeing. The St-Pierre we knew would certainly be a difficult task for the champion.
Maybe, just maybe Hendricks manages to get past all of his soon-to-be foes. But maybe he doesn’t. Only time will tell.
Kristian Ibarra is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. He also serves as the sports editor at San Diego State University’s student-run newspaper, The Daily Aztec. Follow him on Twitter at @Kristian_Ibarra for all things MMA.
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