The on again, off again welterweight title bout between Georges St-Pierre and Johny Hendricks has been clouded in doubt, but Dana White assures fans the fight will happen.While fielding questions from fans at the UFC’s Herald Square Takeover event, the…
The on again, off again welterweight title bout between Georges St-Pierre and Johny Hendricks has been clouded in doubt, but Dana White assures fans the fight will happen.
While fielding questions from fans at the UFC’s Herald Square Takeover event, the UFC president confirmed that Hendricks is still at the forefront of the title picture, and the often-talked-about bout is inevitable:
It’s going to happen. I think it’s going to happen. It’s just a matter of when now. I keep saying I’m going to talk to Georges, and I haven’t talked to Georges yet, and actually, he and I were in LA yesterday and I didn’t see him. We were both at Fox, and I missed him. I just got to talk to him and see when he’s ready to fight again.
Hendricks has emerged as possibly the biggest threat to St-Pierre’s title reign in quite some time.
At UFC 158, he extended his win streak to six with an impressive, unanimous decision victory over former interim champ Carlos Condit.
The victory was initially believed to guarantee him a future showdown with the welterweight champ, but the bout was put in doubt after Latino Review broke the news that St-Pierre was cast as Batroc the Leaper in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, a Marvel comic film.
Luckily for Hendricks, St-Pierre stated during an appearance on UFC Tonight that he was through filming, and he had already begun training again.
Of course, there always seems to be bad news when it pertains to Hendricks fighting St-Pierre.
It seems that St-Pierre’s camp could be waiting on the outcome of the UFC middleweight title bout between Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman slated for July. If Silva wins, St-Pierre may make the decision to move up to 185 pounds and challenge him to a superfight for the UFC title.
The bout would likely be St-Pierre’s last in the UFC, according to his manager Firas Zahabi. St-Pierre even stated himself on UFC Tonight that there would be no returning to the welterweight division if he moves up and faces Silva.
“If I’m going up to 185, the one thing is I will not be able to come back down after,” said St-Pierre.
There is nothing in writing and no contracts have been signed, but Georges St-Pierre may have just made Johny Hendricks’ day with his comments on Tuesday. Appearing on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast as part of his book tour this week, St-Pierre talke…
There is nothing in writing and no contracts have been signed, but Georges St-Pierre may have just made Johny Hendricks’ day with his comments on Tuesday.
Appearing on The Joe Rogan Experiencepodcast as part of his book tour this week, St-Pierre talked about a great number of subjects during his hour-long interview, but just before he had to leave the subject of his next fight finally came up.
St-Pierre hasn’t committed to anything since his victory over Nick Diaz at UFC 158 in mid-March, and the world has been wondering if he would indeed face Hendricks next or if he was targeting a showdown with middleweight king Anderson Silva instead.
While he made no definitive statements during the interview, St-Pierre appears closer to another defense of his welterweight title than testing the waters in a higher division against Silva in a potential superfight.
“Probably Hendricks,” St-Pierre stated when asked what’s likely next for him. “We’ll see what’s going to happen.We’ll see with this fight. Now (Anderson Silva) is fighting Weidman and (Johny) Hendricks is freaking out and wants to fight me.We’ll see what’s going to happen.”
In all likelihood, St-Pierre will have a major part in the final decision on who he faces because as of just a few days ago UFC president Dana Whitewas planning on talking to the champion to see where his mind was at when approaching his next trip to the Octagon.
St-Pierre believes he still has business to conduct at 170 pounds, and in all reality he’s not sure unless Silva moves down in weight that the fight with the most dominant fighter in UFC history even makes much sense.
“I know Silva is fighting Chris Weidman.Anderson Silva is very big. I’m 190 pounds,” St-Pierre said.“It’s a lot of weight difference. If this fight happens one day we’re going to have to decide what weight class and everything.
“I don’t do a lot of weight cutting.It would be easier for me to go and fight at 155 than fighting at 185.I would be more at my weight naturally.There’s guys at 155 that walk around at 190 like me.They think I’m big because I have a large frame, but I’m not a big guy.I’m not thick.”
No decision has been made as of yet and White said following the close of UFC on Fox 7 last weekend that he still hadn’t spoken to St-Pierre about his next fight.
With Silva already locked up against Weidman in July at UFC 162, all signs are pointing towards a St-Pierre vs. Hendricks fight happening later this year.
Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report
UFC welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre may be set to suit up as a supervillian in Marvel’s Captain America sequel, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to take upcoming title challenger Johny Hendricks lightly. In an interview with Sportsnet, “Rush”…
UFC welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre may be set to suit up as a supervillian in Marvel’s Captain America sequel, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to take upcoming title challenger Johny Hendricks lightly.
“Well, I have some news for him: I’m already training now,” St-Pierre said. “I trained two…three days after the (Nick Diaz) fight I was in the gym training, so.”
Earlier in the same interview, the dominant champion indicated that his role as Batroc the Leaper in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” was only going to take a week to film.
Therefore, his major movie debut would not create any problems with his title fight with “Bigg Rigg,” tentatively set for the late summer or early fall as the UFC waits to announce an official date.
With his win over Diaz at UFC 158 last month, the Tristar Gym standout set a UFC welterweight record with eight consecutive title defenses. He also improved his current winning streak to 11.
Hendricks, a two-time National Champion and four-time All-American wrestler at Oklahoma State University, also fought at UFC 158, picking up an entertaining decision win over Carlos Condit.
The Team Takedown fighter has now won six in a row, defeating the likes of former title challengers Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch, as well as perennial contender Martin Kampmann.
Despite being passed over for a title shot in the past, Hendricks could not be denied his spot as the 170-pound division’s top contender after defeating Condit.
Will Hendricks finally be the one to dethrone St-Pierre from his perch atop the UFC’s welterweight division, or will St-Pierre’s stifling takedowns and top control once again be too much to handle?
While Georges St-Pierre soaks up the Hollywood spotlight, Johny Hendricks will be sweating in training camp, preparing for the biggest fight of his MMA career.At UFC 158, Hendricks defeated Carlos Condit to solidify himself as the No. 1 contender in th…
While Georges St-Pierre soaks up the Hollywood spotlight, Johny Hendricks will be sweating in training camp, preparing for the biggest fight of his MMA career.
At UFC 158, Hendricks defeated Carlos Condit to solidify himself as the No. 1 contender in the welterweight division.
Unfortunately, a fight with Hendricks doesn’t appear to be a top priority on St-Pierre’s agenda.
It was recently announced by Latino Review that the UFC welterweight champ had accepted the role of Batroc the Leaper in the upcoming Marvel comic film Captain America: Winter Soldier. The film, which has already begun production, is slated for a 2014 release, and it will require St-Pierre to spend some time away from fighting.
Hendricks recently made a guest appearance on Sherdog Radio Network’s “Beatdown” show, where he talked about the difficulties of waiting around for a title shot:
“Don’t get me wrong. It’s getting irritating that stuff keeps popping up, but you’ve got to keep your cool because whenever I do get to face Georges St. Pierre, if I don’t keep a level head now, whenever I go out to fight him, you might be so amped up and ready to fight, you can’t think about what you’re supposed to do in the Octagon because of all the things that have happened.”
Hendricks should be commended for keeping a cool head amid all of the drama he has been subjected to in the welterweight division.
He was originally believed to be the top contender at UFC 158, but Nick Diaz was the one fighting for the title. Despite being leapfrogged in the title picture, Hendricks never made a big deal out of the situation.
He went on and defeated Condit to reinforce the fact that he is the rightful No. 1 contender for the UFC title.
It has yet to be announced how long filming is expected to last for St-Pierre. On top of that, you have to factor in the time he will need to put together a decent training camp.
The only thing Hendricks can do at this point is train. He has come to the realization that everything else is out of his control:
“What I have to do is, I just have to sit back and relax and say, ‘Hey, I can’t control that.’ The only thing I can control now is that I am the No. 1 contender. I can go into the gym. While he’s doing a movie, I’m going to be training for GSP.”
Irony would smile bitterly on Hendricks if Batroc the Leaper is the sole reason for him being passed over once again for a UFC title shot.
The cold reality that he may never face Georges St-Pierre for the UFC title is finally starting to sink in for Johny Hendricks.After UFC 158, the initial plan was for Hendricks to challenge St-Pierre for the welterweight title later this year, but in t…
The cold reality that he may never face Georges St-Pierre for the UFC title is finally starting to sink in for Johny Hendricks.
After UFC 158, the initial plan was for Hendricks to challenge St-Pierre for the welterweight title later this year, but in the UFC, plans can change at the drop of a hat.
FirasZahabi, St-Pierre’s trainer, told TVA Sports (via BloodyElbow.com) St-Pierre was both injured and sick when he fought Nick Diaz.
According to Zahabi, the UFC champ entered the bout with a high fever and an Achilles tendon injury, and he would need at least six months to recuperate before returning to the Octagon.
Even if Hendricks sat on the sidelines and waited, it still isn’t guaranteed he would receive the next crack at St-Pierre. During an appearance on Sherdog Radio Network’s “Cheap Seats” show, Zahabi claimed St-Pierre was open to moving up in weight and challenging UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva in his next bout.
Regardless of the outcome, Zahabi believes it would be St-Pierre’s last fight ever in the UFC.
On top of all this, there is also the movie deal floating out there. Latino Review recently reported St-Pierre has been cast to play Batroc the Leaper in the upcoming Marvel comic film Captain America: Winter Soldier, which has already begun production.
Where does Hendricks fit into all of this?
On Wednesday, the top welterweight contender spoke with Bryan Levick and Mitch Ciccarelli on Alchemist Radio about whether he feels St-Pierre is ducking him:
I’d like to think that he’s not ducking me. I’m sure the fans believe that too, that he’s not ducking me. But the thing is, I understand the movie deal, but saying that he needs six months off to heal an injury, that’s a little long. They have also been talking about that they might go up. You know what I mean? Just from those two things right there, you can take your own conclusions.
Why don’t we just fight and get it over with? The worst case scenario is I beat you and we get a rematch, or the best case scenario is you beat me and you get to go up to 185 and fight Anderson Silva.
Unfortunately, things may not be so simple for Hendricks.
Fans have talked about a superfight between St-Pierre and Silva for years. UFC president Dana White has made various attempts at booking the blockbuster fight, but St-Pierre’s reluctance to move up in weight always threw a monkey wrench in the UFC’s plans.
It would make little sense for White to turn the bout down at this point, especially with St-Pierre finally on board.
Hendricks wants to fight St-Pierre, but his ultimate goal is winning the UFC title. Whether St-Pierre takes the fight with Silva or not, he still plans on making that dream a reality:
If that happens, the interim belt—here’s the thing, I would like to face GSP just because of the competitor in me, but if he moves up, that thing around his waist is what I want more than anything. That UFC belt is the most important thing in my career, and nothing else matters but that.
The past two years have been a wild ride for Johny Hendricks.The former two-time NCAA Division I national champion wrestler hammered his way through one of the most competitive weight classes under the UFC banner to become one of the best 170-pound fig…
The past two years have been a wild ride for Johny Hendricks.
The former two-time NCAA Division I national champion wrestler hammered his way through one of the most competitive weight classes under the UFC banner to become one of the best 170-pound fighters in mixed martial arts. Throughout his journey to the top of the ladder, “Bigg Rigg” leveled perennial contenders with his sledge of a left hand and defeated a collection of the best welterweight fighters to ever step foot inside the Octagon.
Along with success, the Oklahoma native also experienced a sense of validation as he carved his way through the rankings. Putting together six consecutive victories on the sport’s biggest stage served to be the ultimate confidence boost. And as the success continued, Hendricks was finally able to match the same belief in his talents as his coaches and trainers have been saying for years.
While there were plenty of positives to be taken from the situation, Hendricks also experienced his fair share of frustration along the way, as the title opportunity he was working tirelessly to earn continued to eluded him. But each time a shot at Georges St-Pierre’s championship was pushed further away, Hendricks stepped up and went after it with tenacity.
When Hendricks squared off with Carlos Condit at UFC 158, the moment had finally come for the Team Takedown fighter to capture the opportunity he had been chasing for so long. “The Natural Born Killer” was the final obstacle standing between him and the number one contender position. And when Hendricks had his hand raised at the end of the three-round war, the mission to earn a chance to fight Georges St-Pierre had been accomplished.
By facing Condit, Hendricks put all of his momentum and title hopes on the table. And with a victory at UFC 158, he proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is the true number one contender in the welterweight division.
“Pressure lets you know what kind of person you are,” Hendricks told Bleacher Report in an exclusive interview. “That kind of adversity will show you what you are made of. You see a lot of guys who are told they will be the number one contender if they win the fight in front of them. They have fought a couple of really tough guys to get there, but when the chance is presented to them, something happens in some shape or form and they aren’t able to take it. They end up losing. That was the biggest fear for me.
“I looked at guys who I believe are better fighters than I am and if that happened to them, how was I going to overcome it? The most important part of this fight to me personally was overcoming that adversity. A lot of great fighters weren’t able to reach out and grab that title shot and I’m just glad it didn’t happen to me.”
As one chapter of his has come to a close, the next officially begins. Where Hendricks was once on a quest to earn respect and recognition, those things are now set aside as will attempt to bring in the ultimate prize.
At the post-fight press conference in Montreal, UFC President Dana White addressed the media and declared Hendricks to be the official number one contender in the 170-pound weight class. They were words Hendricks had been waiting to hear for the better part of two years and knowing his long-awaited showdown with St-Pierre would become a reality was instant motivation.
But for as good as that all sounds, the fight is yet to be made official, and that gives Hendricks cause for concern. The pound-for-pound great recently accepted a role in the upcoming Captain America sequel, and while filming the movie will require St-Pierre to be out for a stretch, that isn’t the issue picking at Hendricks.
In a recent interview, Firas Zahabi told Sherdog that St-Pierre is open to moving up a weight class and making the long-awaited “super fight” against Anderson Silva a reality. In the same interview the Tri-Star leader also mentioned the champion was up to fighting Hendricks as well, but wasn’t sure which route they were going to take.
Hendricks has been publicly campaigning for the chance to fight St-Pierre. He believes if the champion finds a way to avoid their clash, it is because St-Pierre is scared of what will happen when they step inside the cage.
If the welterweight king wants to do a movie and add to his back account, that is fine by Hendricks. But he wants the title opportunity he has earned and is willing to wait for as long as it takes.
“If they find a way out of this fight then no one can question why he didn’t fight me,” Hendricks said. “If I don’t get to fight Georges for his next fight, then there is only one explanation. They can say he wanted a bigger money fight, but he has a great competitor sitting right in front of him. I would like the chance to fight GSP, and if that chance doesn’t come, the only explanation would be that either his camp is scared or GSP is.
“I don’t know what is going on, but something is a little fishy here. I understand him doing the Captain America thing. That is awesome and props to him for being able to venture out and find another way to make money. That’s awesome. But if they sit there and decide not to give me the opportunity to fight him; that would suck.
“Make no mistake about it, I’m waiting for GSP this time. I had to take another fight to prove to the fans that I am the number one contender and that I deserved my shot. I knew I had to do that. But after defeating Carlos Condit, I’ve shown I deserve to have a title shot. I’ve done everything GSP has done. My last five fights, I’ve had the exact same record against the exact same people he has fought out of his last eight opponents. But there are three of them I’ll never get the chance to fight.
“As a competitor, I want to fight GSP,” Hendricks added. “I really do and that is because I want to fight the best. But if he goes up a weight class, the belt is more important to me than GSP. That’s really what it boils down to for me. I have no problem with GSP whatsoever, but he has something around his waist that I want a shot at. That is what is bothering me.”
While it could take months for the situation to come into focus, Hendricks isn’t wasting any time and has already jumped back into the gym to begin his preparation. St-Pierre’s decision is ultimately out of his hands, but Hendricks isn’t allowing that to affect his progression.
The only thing on his mind is becoming a UFC champion and he will do whatever it takes to accomplish that goal. Knowing the opportunity to step in and make all the hard work and sacrifices worthwhile, is all the inspiration Hendricks needs.
“Oh you’re not kidding,” Hendricks responded when asked if getting to fight for the title is the ultimate motivation. “I’m already back in the gym and I’m super-excited to back to work. I worked my boxing today, and that and my kickboxing are two things I’m really going to focus on improving. We were in the gym and running through sparring rounds like nothing.
“We were doing two and a half rounds at a time and I was firing through it because I’m so motivated. Doing 13 minutes of mitt work with a two minute break and I’m excited to do those things because I know what is coming up. I know what I want to get and I know what I have to do to get it.
“You better believe I’m getting that title. I’m going to do everything in my power and train as hard as I can to make sure that 12-pound gold buckle that says UFC on it as somewhere at my house.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
The past two years have been a wild ride for