Johny Hendricks has built up a lot of angst over the last few months, and he’s got a good reason to be so angry.
Over the past year and a half, Hendricks has knocked out former title contender Jon Fitch, defeated Josh Koscheck and picked up another KO over perennial top-ten fighter Martin Kampmann, but finds himself only in the co-main event of UFC 158, while welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre battles Nick Diaz in the headline fight.
Frustration has continued to mount for Hendricks who believes deep in his heart that he did everything right to earn a title shot, yet here he sits on the outside looking in.
“I think it’s my last five fights, I’ve knocked three of them out and two of them have been top-five contenders. No, I don’t have to do anything else. I’ve done more than GSP has. Everybody that they’ve fought, I’ve fought, and I’ve knocked a couple of them out, so I’ve done what I needed to do. I just need my shot,” Hendricks said on Wednesday during the UFC 158 open media workouts.
Instead of facing St-Pierre on Saturday, Hendricks has a very tall order in front of him, as Carlos Condit challenges the former NCAA wrestling champion at UFC 158.
Condit was the last fighter to face St-Pierre, and while he didn’t come out on top, his Round 3 head kick almost sent him home to New Mexico with the welterweight title.
Hendricks knows beating Condit won’t be easy, but if he does, then there’s no denying him the title shot.
“If I beat Carlos Condit, nobody’s in my way. GSP can’t hide forever. I think after this one; I beat Carlos Condit, it’s GSP,” said Hendricks. “He wanted Nick Diaz, and here I am fighting Carlos Condit, which is an amazing opponent in itself, and I’m excited. If I can beat Carlos Condit, that means I am ready for GSP.”
Hendricks watched first hand as the title shot he believes he earned through fighting ended up in the hands of Nick Diaz, who has apparently gotten under the skin of St-Pierre like no fighter before him.
The war of words between St-Pierre and Diaz led to their encounter, but Hendricks has no intention of going that route to get a shot at the gold.
The former Oklahoma State All-American wants to get his title shot by hard work and results in the cage, not because he can say something outlandish about his opponent.
Still, he believes deep down that St-Pierre is ducking him because he knows the results of the fight would not end well for him.
“I don’t want to be that kind of douchebag,” Hendricks commented about pre-fight trash talk. “I want to look across the Octagon and say ‘you have not faced anybody like me.’ That’s his main little quote is – ‘You’ve never faced anybody like me.’
“Bulls—t, you’ve never faced anybody like me. That’s why he didn’t take the fight.”
Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, and all quotes were obtained first hand unless otherwise noted.
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