Johny Hendricks will have the chance to challenge for an UFC title if he can defeat Martin Kampmann at UFC 154. Hendricks has a list of accomplishments both in and out of MMA, but a look at his resume will reveal the man hasn’t faced elite level competition for very long.
The KO of Jon Fitch was impressive, but that momentum seemed to be lost after a controversial win over Josh Koscheck in May. Mike Pierce is a tough guy too, but a split decision isn’t what you want to attempt to impress Dana White and Joe Silva with.
Still, regardless of how you look at it, Hendricks is on the verge of a title shot and joins a number of guys who seemingly came out of nowhere to challenge for an UFC title. Some strung together quite a few wins like Hendricks to move up the ladder while others earned their shot based on the demand of MMA fans.
No matter how they earned it, these guys are some of the most unlikely title challengers in UFC history.