Although much of the talk about UFC 141 has been on Brock Lesnar’s retirement and Alistair Overeem’s debut, it was also the coming-out party for Johny Hendricks.
Hendricks was able to knock out Jon Fitch in just 12 seconds, earning his third straight victory and sending his record to 12-1.
Before the fight, Fitch was the No. 2 welterweight in MMA on many people’s rankings.
Instead of adding another name to his resume, Fitch was sent back down the division by a huge underdog in Hendricks.
Thanks to the 12-second KO, Hendricks not only earned Knockout of the Night, but also solved the UFC’s problem with Fitch.
Despite only losing once since 2003 to Georges St-Pierre in a title fight, Fitch was often criticized for being boring and not finishing fights.
Grinding out wins may have kept Fitch from losing, but it was not gaining him any fans, especially in UFC president Dana White.
With the huge win, Hendricks can now move from being a mid-level guy to somebody who could make a serious push for a title.
Hendricks’ combination of knockout power, decent wrestling and good Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu makes him a serious threat for anyone in the division.
It may be too early to tell just where Hendricks goes from here, but it feels like the sky may be the limit.
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