Tag: Johny Hendricks

Carlos Condit Picks Georges St-Pierre over Johny Hendricks

Carlos Condit captured the interim UFC welterweight title in February 2012 by using a well-planned attack (or lack of attack, if you prefer) to defeat Nick Diaz by unanimous decision.  The interim crown was necessitated by the fact that welterweig…

Carlos Condit captured the interim UFC welterweight title in February 2012 by using a well-planned attack (or lack of attack, if you prefer) to defeat Nick Diaz by unanimous decision. 

The interim crown was necessitated by the fact that welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre was on the mend after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ACL that he sustained while training. 

The Condit win set up a title unification bout with St-Pierre in November 2012. Condit gave the champ a run for his money, but in the end, he was not able to wrest the title from St-Pierre’s grasp, despite dropping the champ with a well-placed head kick in the third round. After five rounds, the unified title went home with St-Pierre.

Condit’s next bout was a spirited Fight of the Night performance against Johny Hendricks on March 16 of this year. The difference in that fight was not the much-vaunted left hand of Hendricks, but his wrestling pedigree, which enabled him to seemingly take down Condit at will. 

Those takedowns were most likely the reason the judges awarded the decision to Hendricks, lining up Hendricks to face the winner of the main event of that evening’s St-Pierre-Nick Diaz bout.

St-Pierre had little difficulty defeating Diaz via decision, in effect cementing a St-Pierre vs. Hendricks title fight at some point in the (hopefully) not-too-distant future.

Having battled both fighters, it only makes sense to get Condit‘s opinion on who he thinks will walk out of the Octagon when St-Pierre and Hendricks do meet. Appearing on the most recent edition of AXS TV’s Inside MMA, Condit offered the following:

I’m going to have to go with Georges St-Pierre. Georges St. Pierre—he’s just a more polished fighter. Johny Hendricks, he’s dangerous and he’s got good skills, but he is a little rough around the edges when it comes to his whole game. And Georges is just such a technician. He puts things together so well and is just a sharp, clean fighter, and I think that’s going to make the difference in that matchup.

The bout between St-Pierre and Hendricks has not been given a date or location at this point.

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Why Wins from Chris Weidman and Johny Hendricks Would Be Good for the UFC

Victories for Chris Weidman and Johny Hendricks would be of greater benefit to the UFC in the long term than victories for Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre. Yes, you read that right. It’s actually better that the established names lose in this…

Victories for Chris Weidman and Johny Hendricks would be of greater benefit to the UFC in the long term than victories for Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre. 

Yes, you read that right. It’s actually better that the established names lose in this case—it’s a matter of age and roster circumstances. 

Silva and GSP are the UFC’s two longest-reigning champions. Silva has defended his UFC middleweight title 10 times, while St-Pierre has defended the UFC welterweight championship eight times. 

St-Pierre has been champion for five years, Silva for nearly seven. 

Unfortunately, Silva and St-Pierre’s facilities with unarmed violence cannot stop Father Time. In all sports, older competitors must eventually give way to the younger ones. This applies more to the 37-year-old Silva than to the 31-year-old St-Pierre.

Chris Weidman, who will be facing Silva at UFC 162 in July, is nearly a decade younger than the Brazilian. Silva might say he has six more years in him, but that’s unlikely. And even if he sticks around, it’s practically guaranteed that his talents will wane as he gets older. Not many fighters can perform at an elite level in their late 30s and early 40s (unless their name is Randy Couture).

Weidman winning would be better because he can be marketed for longer; his sell-by date is much further down the line than Silva’s.

Alas, the same can’t really be said for GSP and Hendricks since there’s only a two-year age difference (31 and 29, respectively).

But there’s more to the issue than age. Each weight class has unique circumstances—circumstances that would improve if Weidman and Hendricks won their fights. 

Anderson Silva was the only middleweight fighter fans knew or cared about until Chael Sonnen came along and spiced things up by nearly defeating him. But then, “The Spider” dispatched Sonnen in the long-awaited rematch and interest waned again. Who cares about the lesser fighters that contested their way to the top only to be masterfully beaten down by a bored-looking Anderson Silva?

Just compare the buyrates of Silva’s fights to see this phenomenon in action. The two highest draws were Silva-Sonnen II (925,000) and Silva-Belfort (725,000). Some of Silva’s other fights didn’t pull half these numbers.

 It’s time to rekindle interest in the middleweight division. 

A Chris Weidman victory can do that. Weidman winning would shake the rust out of a division that’s remained relatively stagnant and boring for quite some time. Fans will finally have interesting, unpredictable title fights instead of a slew of contenders that fans know aren’t a match for the champ. 

There are more narratives and therefore more fights to be sold with Weidman winning and Silva losing. Will Silva go on the comeback trail? Who will he fight to work his way up? Is Weidman really the next big thing or was his win a fluke? Fans will tune in to see the answers to these questions.

This argument also applies to Georges St-Pierre vs. Johny Hendricks. However, admittedly, a GSP loss might not be as beneficial as a Silva loss. 

St-Pierre is one of the UFC’s best draws. He drew over 50,000 fans at the Rogers Centre in Canada, and his buyrates have always been above average at worst and great at best.

A GSP comeback trail could sell some pay-per-views, but that’s the problem. There might not be a GSP comeback trail. The champ’s trainer, Firas Zahabi, recently spoke about how much longer St-Pierre would be in the sport, and let’s just say it didn’t sound like he’d be fighting four or five more years. 

However, GSP losing to Hendricks would give the UFC the chance to build up a series of fighters in the division rather than use one and only one as the division’s selling point. “Hey, look, it’s GSP vs. some guy who isn’t GSP” would be replaced by “Hey, look, two equally matched competitors who have defeated a bunch of really skilled guys are about to fight!”

Johny Hendricks, the resurgent Demian Maia, Carlos Condit and others could collectively fill the void that a post-defeat GSP retirement would create.

Silva and GSP have become dominant so long that fans have accepted them as givens, as forces of nature in MMA that would always be there. But this is wrong. Time stands still for no man, even the toughest ones. Young lions eventually have to vanquish the champions of old and brave swaths of contenders while carrying the UFC’s banner through the Fox era. 

Chris Weidman and Johny Hendricks are these young lions. Their victories will help bring the UFC to its destiny, not keep it locked in the past.

 


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Buying Johny Hendricks as the Next Big Thing in the UFC

Evidently, the UFC’s trust in budding welterweight star Johny Hendricks got solidified when “Bigg Rigg” outshined interim titleholder Carlos Condit at UFC 158.Hendricks, the man who nipped Josh Koscheck and swiftly plowed through perennial contenders J…

Evidently, the UFC’s trust in budding welterweight star Johny Hendricks got solidified when “Bigg Rigg” outshined interim titleholder Carlos Condit at UFC 158.

Hendricks, the man who nipped Josh Koscheck and swiftly plowed through perennial contenders Jon Fitch and Martin Kampmann, finally got an informal blessing from UFC president Dana White to lock horns with the company’s most prolific 170-pounder, Georges St-Pierre, in his next fight.

With his wish granted, however, Hendricks now finds himself in a precarious spot—waiting to fight a world-class athlete and tactician who’s prevailed in 10 straight title bouts and will enjoy a seven-inch reach advantage.

So with the stiffest challenge of his career on the horizon, will the former two-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion flounder or will he become the next Jon Jones?

In an interview with Fuel TV’s Ariel Helwani, White bluntly answered Helwani‘s question regarding Hendricks’ status as the division’s top contender by saying:

No doubt about it. That fight was amazing tonight, man. I’m actually glad that it worked out that way. Because those really were the two guys to see who the number one guy is to face Georges St-Pierre. It was a sick fight and Johny Hendricks deserves it.

Regardless of what happens to Hendricks against St-Pierre, the 29-year-old southpaw certainly won’t stray far from title contention in the near future.

A winner of 10 out of 11 UFC tilts, Bigg Rigg undoubtedly has the tools to become a legitimate world-beater for years to come.

One look at Hendricks’ résumé and it’s plan to see that he’s taken a similar path to success to that of both UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes and former Pride and Strikeforce champ Dan Henderson.

Fast-twitch muscle fibers, brute strength and Olympic-level wrestling chops are just a few of the ingredients Hendricks has in common with legends like Hughes and “Hendo.”

Any fighter with a granite chin, wrestling skills to dictate the pace of a fight and punching power that can render an opponent unconscious with a single shot has the potential to flourish for long stretches in the UFC.

Hendricks, deemed a 1.75-to-1 underdog (+175) by Sportsbook.com, may not have the oddsmakers‘ blessings to yank the strap from “Rush.” But with heavy hands, a tremendous work ethic and excellent technique, Hendricks surely could become a longtime welterweight kingpin akin to Hughes and GSP.

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GSP’s Coach: The Champ May Only Have Two or Three Fights Left in Him

Georges St-Pierre is a shoo-in UFC Hall of Famer once he decides to hang up the gloves, but that time may be sooner than we think according to Firas Zahabi, “Rush’s” head coach at Tristar gym. Speaking with Sherdog Radio Network’s “Cheap Seats” sh…

Georges St-Pierre is a shoo-in UFC Hall of Famer once he decides to hang up the gloves, but that time may be sooner than we think according to Firas Zahabi, “Rush’s” head coach at Tristar gym. 

Speaking with Sherdog Radio Network’s “Cheap Seats” show, Zahabi indicated that due to the nature of GSP’s intense training camps, he might only have two or three fights left in him:

…His training camps are not sustainable forever. His training camps are very difficult. I’ve done a lot of training camps. I could tell you the energy, time and money and hours spent doing a GSP training camp is ridiculous. It’s borderline insane. There’s a lot of effort going into preparing him for his fights. Can he live this lifestyle for another four or five years? I don’t know. 

For the time being, it looks like St-Pierre’s upcoming title defense with Johny Hendricks is not in jeopardy, despite the fact the champ has a minor injury and an upcoming role in a major Marvel film.

GSP currently has the record for the most UFC title defenses at welterweight with eight, but according to Zahabi, his record may not go far beyond that:

Does he want to go through another training camp? Right now at this time, yes, for sure. There’s no doubt in my mind he wants to do another one, but down the line, two or three more training camps, is he still going to want to do it? That’s up to him. Does he still have the fire and the passion? We’ll see.

St-Pierre currently boasts a pro MMA record of 24-2, avenging his only two losses to Matt Serra and UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes (twice). 

The 31-year-old has beaten a laundry list of top welterweights since recapturing UFC gold about five years ago, defeating the likes of Jon Fitch, BJ Penn, Jake Shields, Carlos Condit and most recently, Nick Diaz.

If GSP does decide to retire between late 2014 and early 2015, Zahabi says it won’t be for a lack of contenders at 170 pounds.

Aside from Hendricks, the famed coach believes Jake Ellenberger, Demian Maia and even Robbie Lawler could be future title contenders in the division. 

Could the time fight fans see GSP leave the cage in favor of a full-time acting career be rapidly approaching?

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Georges St. Pierre’s Next Opponent Will Be Captain America, Confusing Gullible Randy Couture Fans Worldwide


(The face of pure French-Canadian evil. / Image coutesy of MMAWeekly)

By Nathan Smith

*SPOILER ALERT* Georges St. Pierre is guaranteed to lose his next big fight. He will finally meet an opponent that he can not out-wrestle for 25 minutes and his next foe will be able to trade punches with him at will. GSP will positively get his ass handed to him.  Sorry Johny Hendricks, you can stop reading now because this post has nothing to do with you.

The reigning UFC welterweight champion has been cast as a villain in the upcoming Captain America: The Winter Soldier due for release on April 4, 2014. St. Pierre will play the roll of Batroc the Leaper (aka Georges Batroc) and although I embrace my inner geek, I was never much of a comic book guy nor did I ever have a pube mustache or own a set of dice with more than six sides, so I think it would be best to let the Wikipedia link describe GSP’s character.

“Batroc has no superhuman abilities, but is in peak physical condition in every respect. He is an Olympic-level weightlifter and has extraordinary agility and reflexes. His leg muscles are particularly well developed enabling him to leap great distances equal to an Olympic athlete. He is an expert hand-to-hand combatant and specializes in savate (French-style kickboxing). He is also a skilled military tactician, having formerly been in the French Foreign Legion.

Batroc is also an experienced thief and smuggler, and can speak both French and English. Although, as a mercenary, he does not hesitate to perform any number of criminal acts for his clients, Batroc has, by his own rights, a strong sense of honor, and he will turn against any client whom he feels has unfairly deceived him into committing crimes to which he might not otherwise have agreed.”


(The face of pure French-Canadian evil. / Image coutesy of MMAWeekly)

By Nathan Smith

*SPOILER ALERT* Georges St. Pierre is guaranteed to lose his next big fight. He will finally meet an opponent that he can not out-wrestle for 25 minutes and his next foe will be able to trade punches with him at will. GSP will positively get his ass handed to him.  Sorry Johny Hendricks, you can stop reading now because this post has nothing to do with you.

The reigning UFC welterweight champion has been cast as a villain in the upcoming Captain America: The Winter Soldier due for release on April 4, 2014. St. Pierre will play the roll of Batroc the Leaper (aka Georges Batroc) and although I embrace my inner geek, I was never much of a comic book guy nor did I ever have a pube mustache or own a set of dice with more than six sides, so I think it would be best to let the Wikipedia link describe GSP’s character.

“Batroc has no superhuman abilities, but is in peak physical condition in every respect. He is an Olympic-level weightlifter and has extraordinary agility and reflexes. His leg muscles are particularly well developed enabling him to leap great distances equal to an Olympic athlete. He is an expert hand-to-hand combatant and specializes in savate (French-style kickboxing). He is also a skilled military tactician, having formerly been in the French Foreign Legion.

Batroc is also an experienced thief and smuggler, and can speak both French and English. Although, as a mercenary, he does not hesitate to perform any number of criminal acts for his clients, Batroc has, by his own rights, a strong sense of honor, and he will turn against any client whom he feels has unfairly deceived him into committing crimes to which he might not otherwise have agreed.”

St. Pierre joins Randy Couture (The Expendables and the sequel), Quinton Jackson (The A-Team), and Gina Carano (Haywire) as the latest MMA star to cross over into legitimate big-budget Hollywood films. GSP is the current UFC PPV kingpin and because of his popularity and GQ exterior, it was only a matter of time before he was brought to the silver screen. Couture and Jackson had moderate box office success with their films while Carano’s movie kind of tanked, but with a built-in audience that accompanies a super hero film franchise, Captain America: The Winter Soldier will probably be breaking the bank, considering the previous two movies in which Captain America appeared (The Avengers and Captain America: The First Avenger) raked in a combined $1.8 BILLION worldwide (that is NOT a typo).

Specific details are not known for the size of St. Pierre’s role, but it is assumed that Batroc the Leaper will be an ancillary character. Couture and Rampage were allowed to use their own voices within their films but Carano’s vocal tone was manipulated during the post-production of Haywire to make sure her character was “a completely different entity,” or some such bullshit. Although Batroc hails from France and GSP has a fairly thick French/Canadian accent, one can only wonder if his lines will be given the Carano treatment or completely dubbed like Schwarzenegger in Hercules in New York. There is also no word on what costume GSP will be wearing for the film but we can guess that it will consist of something skin-tight, and hopefully it will not offend Chan Sung Jung.

Captain America is okay but he is way down on the list of this writer’s favorite Captains. There was Captain Stubing, Captain Kangaroo, Captain Kirk and this guy at the very top, but will any of you Taters go see Captain America: The Winter Soldier just because of St. Pierre’s involvement? Conversely, will all the GSP haters boycott the film due to his participation? Sound off below.

Chael Sonnen: Jake Ellenberger Should Be Fighting GSP Instead of Johny Hendricks

Upcoming UFC light heavyweight title challenger Chael Sonnen is known for having a unique perspective on things, and his perspective of the current welterweight title scene is no different. Speaking from his TV job as an analyst for FUEL TV at the…

Upcoming UFC light heavyweight title challenger Chael Sonnen is known for having a unique perspective on things, and his perspective of the current welterweight title scene is no different. 

Speaking from his TV job as an analyst for FUEL TV at the post-UFC 158 show, “The American Gangster” expressed his belief that Jake Ellenberger, not Johny Hendricks, should be the next challenger to Georges St-Pierre’s welterweight title (transcription via Yahoo! Sports). 

“I will see your power of Johny Hendricks, and I will raise you three extra knockouts in the first round by Jake Ellenberger,” Sonnen said. “And yes, Hendricks has been on fire, but he has not done the work that Ellenberger has done, and he has not beat the guys that Ellenberger’s beat … He is fantastic. I will not take a thing away from Johny Hendricks, but to overlook ‘The Juggernaut,’ who’s been in there against top contenders in Carlos Condit, in Jake Shields, in Nate Marquardt, all who’ve fought for titles, to dismiss him is inappropriate.”

While Ellenberger is ranked number four in the UFC’s official rankings and is the winner of eight of his past nine fights, he has lost against all three opponents he has in common with Hendricks. 

Ellenberger has lost a split decision to Condit, while “Big Rig” owns a split decision victory over “The Natural Born Killer.”

Additionally, Hendricks scored a quick knockout over Martin Kampmann at UFC 154 in November, while Ellenberger suffered a heartbreaking, come-from-behind knockout at the hands of “The Hitman” at “The Ultimate Fighter” season 15 finale in June.

The only other common opponent between the heavy-handed wrestlers is Rick Story, who defeated both competitors via unanimous decision in 2008 and 2010, respectively.

Also worth noting is Ellenberger has 18 wins via knockout in 29 career victories, while Hendricks has eight knockouts stoppages in 15 career wins.

Ellenberger himself stated after his UFC 158 knockout of Nate Marquardt, the “Knockout of the Night,” that he feels he is one win away from a title shot.

Furthermore, UFC President Dana White announced after the event that after winning six fights in a row, Hendricks had finally earned the next title shot against St-Pierre. 

Hendricks was scheduled to fight Ellenberger at UFC 158 while Condit was set to face Rory MacDonald, but those plans were changed when “Ares” suffered a neck/back injury about a month prior to the event. 

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