After getting passed over for a title shot by Nick Diaz, Johny Hendricks has a sizable chip on his shoulder heading into his next bout at UFC 158.
The former Oklahoma St. All-American has made a convincing case for a shot at George St-Pierre’s welterweight crown over his last few fights, taking out welterweight mainstays in Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck, and Martin Kampmann.
However, after the champion reportedly asked for a fight against a far less deserving opponent in Diaz, Hendricks must earn yet another high profile win before he gets his first crack at UFC gold.
To do that, Hendricks is going to have to take out another fighter looking for respect at 170 pounds, Jake Ellenberger.
Ellenberger was approaching a title shot of his own earlier this year, having dispatched high-profile opponents in Jake Shields and Diego Sanchez during an impressive six-fight UFC winning streak.
Unfortunately for “The Juggernaut”, he ended up on the wrong side of a Martin Kampmann knockout before he was able to earn a shot at GSP and the welterweight title, and he needs a big win in order to get him back in the mix.
This is an incredible fight between two of the top welterweights on the planet in the midst of their respective primes, and whomever comes out on top at UFC 158 in Montreal is going to have a good chance to get the next title shot at 170.