With a highly anticipated rematch with Canadian welterweight Rory MacDonald scrapped after an injury to the Tristar fighter, the expectation for former UFC interim champ Carlos Condit (28-6) would certainly be that he would be pitted against a top-five fighter.
That opponent was announced Monday night in Johny Hendricks (14-1), someone Condit sees as a similar opponent to himself and “a great fight for the fans.”
Hendricks had been scheduled to face Jake Ellenberger on the UFC 158 pay-per-view card and certainly jumped at the chance to face Condit in what is certainly to be a No. 1 contender’s bout.
Condit released a statement on his new opponent late Monday evening.
“While I was disappointed to hear that Rory MacDonald is injured, I am glad that the UFC was able to find a strong replacement for the fight in Johny Hendricks. He is one of the toughest welterweights in the world, and has quickly risen up the ladder in our division. We are similar in that we like to stay active and aggressive in our fights, so this should be a great fight for the fans to watch.
“…I have been training for Rory MacDonald, but there is plenty of time left to switch my focus to Hendricks. With eight weeks left, I will need every moment to be fully prepared for this battle. He’s called me out in the past, and now is his chance to try to back that talk up. I’ll be ready for him.””
Condit will meet Hendricks in the co-main event of UFC 158: St-Pierre vs. Diaz on March 16, 2013 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec.