Johny Hendricks didn’t just have to go through one contender to finally earn a shot at the UFC welterweight title. He had to go through a former interim champion and three top ten fighters to finally get his crack at the belt, and it’s a similar path …
Johny Hendricks didn’t just have to go through one contender to finally earn a shot at the UFC welterweight title. He had to go through a former interim champion and three top ten fighters to finally get his crack at the belt, and it’s a similar path that a UFC legend followed not that long ago.
UFC Hall of Fame member and former light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell had to go through just about every top name at 205-pounds before finally getting his shot at then champion Tito Ortiz.
UFC President Dana White, who appeared on the Jay Mohr Show on Fox Sports Radio on Wednesday, said there were definitely similarities between Hendricks and Liddell. Both fighters let their performances earn title shots, not their mouths.
“Very Chuck Liddell-esque, he did it the same way Chuck Liddell did, very true. Chuck Liddell just kept taking out competitor after competitor, you know top contenders waiting for Tito (Ortiz) to fight him. Finally, Chuck got his due,” said White.
“I agree, Johny Hendricks has done it the exact same way.”
One way Hendricks may want to avoid the Liddell route to the title is the fact that the former champion actually lost before he ever even got his chance to face Ortiz in the Octagon. Liddell lost to fellow UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture in an interim light heavyweight title fight before a few bouts later finally getting his hands on Ortiz in a non-title matchup.
Liddell dispatched of Ortiz, and then moved on to beat Couture in a rematch to finally claim his first UFC gold.
Hendricks has definitely seen a few twists and turns on his road to a title shot, but now he appears to be on the precipice of finally getting his chance to dethrone champion Georges St-Pierre. White even admits that Hendricks has walked a murderer’s row of opponents to finally get to where he’s standing now, but after beating former interim champion Carlos Condit at UFC 158 there was no doubt he more than earned his chance to compete for the belt.
“I’m actually happy that he ended up fighting Carlos Condit, because that fight really was to see who the No. 1 contender was,” White stated. “I’m still talking about that fight today.”
The fight between Hendricks and Condit earned both fighters a $50,000 “Fight of the Night” bonus, but more importantly it put Hendricks next in line for a shot at the belt. Hendricks is already being held in pretty esteemed company being compared to UFC icon Chuck Liddell, and if his career can walk nearly the same road he’ll be consider a legend in his own right when he finally calls it quits.
For now, Hendricks is just working to get back in the gym so he can start preparation for his shot at St-Pierre whenever the fight gets made.
Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
Everything has to line up just right for welterweight contender Johny Hendricks to get his UFC title shot, but at least the odds aren’t heavily against him.According to MMA betting aggregator BestFightOdds, Hendricks open the books as a +175 underdog a…
Everything has to line up just right for welterweight contender Johny Hendricks to get his UFC title shot, but at least the odds aren’t heavily against him.
According to MMA betting aggregator BestFightOdds, Hendricks open the books as a +175 underdog against Georges St-Pierre, who started the line as a -225 favorite.
That’s a far more generous spread than GSP’s past competitors have gotten, although it isn’t the closest line ever offered to one of his opponents.
For reference, here’s how Hendricks’ opening odds stack up against St-Pierre’s past competition, compared with GSP’s betting lines since his 2007 rematch with Matt Hughes:
Looking at the data, betting books haven’t set an opening line for a GSP bout this close since the champion’s UFC 94 superfight with B.J. Penn.
To Hendricks’ credit, underdog status is rare for him—out of his 11 UFC bouts, he has been the favorite against everyone but Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck and Carlos Condit.
Hendricks’ line against St-Pierre hasn’t shifted yet, as online betting site “Sportsbook” is currently the sole betting source being quoted by BestFightsOdds.
Moreover, St-Pierre vs. Hendricks hasn’t even been confirmed yet, as MMA Fighting reports that GSP’s camp hopes for the champion to stay out of combat for six months to recover from an alleged Achilles injury that hindered him at UFC 158.
McKinley Noble is an MMA conspiracy theorist and tech writer. His work has appeared in GamePro, Macworld, PC World, 1UP, NVision, The Los Angeles Times, FightFans Radio, MMA Mania and Bleacher Report. Talk with him on Twitter.
With UFC 158 being one of the most highly anticipated cards of the year, Jake Ellenberger knew he had the perfect opportunity to make a grand statement.The 27-year-old had been battling his way up the divisional ladder for two years, attempting to soli…
With UFC 158 being one of the most highly anticipated cards of the year, Jake Ellenberger knew he had the perfect opportunity to make a grand statement.
The 27-year-old had been battling his way up the divisional ladder for two years, attempting to solidify himself as a legitimate threat to the welterweight crown, and when he stepped into the Octagon this past Saturday night in Montreal, Ellenberger was determined to put a definitive stamp on the matter.
The Juggernaut’s declaration would come at the expense of former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nate Marquardt, and it was a point made in brutal fashion. After dropping Marquardt with a big left hand, Ellenberger unleashed a flurry of rapid-fire shots to his defenseless opponent, bringing an end to the bout.
An impressive knockout victory over the former No. 1 contender to the middleweight crown proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Ellenberger belongs in the title conversation in the 170-pound weight class. In addition to carving out his place in the divisional hierarchy, the Team Reign fighter also showed the ability to step up when the pressure is on.
The next wave of 170-pound talent is pushing to break through, and Ellenberger‘s domination of Marquardt on the sport’s biggest stage sent a strong message to every fighter in the welterweight division.
Make no mistake about it, the former Marine is flat-out fired up. He believes the time has come for him to make a run at the welterweight title, and that campaign was kicked-off in proper fashion in Montreal.
“I accomplished exactly what I wanted to do with this fight,” Ellenberger told Bleacher Report in an exclusive interview. “It happened a bit quicker than I had anticipated, but I wanted to make a statement and I believe I was successful in doing so.”
While the battle between the two powerful welterweights figured to be an action-packed affair, once the opening bell sounded it was all Ellenberger. The California-based fighter pushed the pace, as he backed Marquardt up with powerful shots.
It didn’t take long for Ellenberger‘s handiwork to show through, as Marquardt‘s face became swollen and bloody shortly into the fight. It was clear Nate the Great was struggling to handle Ellenberger‘s power, but where the surging contender has become over-aggressive in past bouts, he was able to keep his composure in this tilt and finished the fight with a flurry three minutes into the opening frame.
Fighting with urgency front and center and keeping his killer instinct under control are aspects of Ellenberger‘s game into which he’s put a lot of work, and that work paid off at UFC 158.
“Fights are so unpredictable, and you really have to stay on your opponent and control that rhythm,” Ellenberger said. “It’s hard when to find that rhythm when you let somebody else control the range. It’s tough to really know how hurt your opponent is, because you are in the moment and you just have to keep moving forward.
“It’s really difficult to tell how hurt your opponent is during the fight. I’ve been working a lot with my boxing coach, improving my skills and getting faster. That was really what I was focusing on, and not so much the damage I was causing. You can’t really afford to guess when you are in the fight. I’ve had other situations, like against Martin Kampmann, where he was bleeding from his nose, eye, and mouth. There was blood gushing from his face, and you start thinking the fight is pretty much over and all you need to do is connect with one solid punch to finish things.
“Unfortunately that didn’t work out, but that is how it is in this sport. MMA is the hardest sport to remain consistent in. I won six in a row and then ran into some adversity against Kampmann. I had to work my way back to where I am now, but when you look at it, I’ve won eight of my last nine. I’ve put a lot of focus on staying consistent, but at the same time fighting intelligently.”
In the aftermath of the welterweight showcase in Montreal, Ellenberger walked away with a “Knockout of the Night” bonus and a certified spot in the divisional-title picture. That being said, an opportunity to compete for UFC gold will most likely not come in immediate fashion.
At the post-fight press conference in Montreal, UFC President Dana White told the media Johny Hendricks versus Georges St-Pierre would be the next title fight in the welterweight division.
This scenario leaves Ellenberger as a contender-in-waiting. With GSP and BiggRigg mixing it up later this year, the time frame leaves Ellenberger as the odd man out.
There are a handful of potential opponents such as Demian Maia and Rory MacDonald who could step up and face the heavy-handed welterweight. And as long as the next opponent who steps in comes with a guaranteed title shot, Ellenberger doesn’t care who they put across from him.
“It’s hard to say exactly where I stand in the division, but I would suspect I’m right behind Johny,” Ellenberger said. “Some people are saying I’m third or fourth, but what matters to me is fighting the best competition. I will fight whoever I have to in order to get to that title. I was scheduled to fight Josh Koscheck, but he got hurt and I fought Jay Hieron. I was supposed to fight Johny Hendricks, and then he got out of the fight and I ended up against Nate Marquardt.
“It doesn’t matter what happens, I’m always facing top guys and I have to perform. I still have to beat them and I’ll fight whoever I have to in order to become the No. 1 contender.
“If the UFC came to me and said you are going to fight “fill in the blank” person to become the No. 1 contender, it wouldn’t matter who they put across from me. Let’s do it. I’m not wasting my time anymore. I don’t want to be in this sport for another five years. I want to win the title and move on.”
In Ellenberger‘s eyes, becoming the UFC champion is the ultimate goal to be achieved, and he will fight whoever it takes in order to make this a reality. Nevertheless, there is one fighter in particular who the Lake Forrest-based fighter has been aiming at for sometime now: Johny Hendricks.
Their paths were originally scheduled to cross this past weekend at UFC 158, but circumstance and opportunity led to Hendricks stepping in to face Condit. While a collision between two of the division’s heaviest hitters has been avoided for the time being, Ellenberger believes a bout with Hendricks is an inevitability—and it is going to be nothing short of explosive.
“I was really hoping for the Hendricks fight,” Ellenberger said. “Nobody wants to fight Johny Hendricks, but I do. I’ve been pretty vocal about it, but I can’t control certain things that happen in terms of who I face. But now he’s fighting for the title, and I’m just waiting to see how things play out.
“Like I’ve said in the past, I really believe he’s had the perfect storm to get to a title shot. He won some fights where I don’t think he really should have. I thought Mike Pierce won the fight he had against Hendricks, and when Johny fought Koscheck it was extremely close.
“He’s had a couple of quick knockouts, but I believe I have what it takes to beat him. I know his style and I think I have the answer for it. He’s not real technical, but he’s tough and he’s done well. But I don’t think it’s enough to get him a world title. Some things are out of my control, but I’ve been saying his name for the past year. The fight was supposed to happen, obviously it didn’t, but I know we are going to cross paths sooner or later.
“We are going to cross paths at some point,” Ellenberger added. “I’m sure of it. Whether it comes this year, next year, or the year after; Johny Hendricks and I are going to fight. It’s a stance I’ve taken and I’m not going to back off of that.
“Like I said, nobody wants to fight him because he’s a wrestler and he has power. I think I have him figured out, and I’ve been saying his name for the past year and trying to get inside the cage with him. I had the fight, but then he found a way out. I want to fight him so bad and I believe I can beat him.
“I want to wear Johny Hendricks’s teeth as a necklace.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
Georges St-Pierre is a wanted man and the fighter who is hunting for his title looks to be at full health after a slight scare following his fight in Montreal last weekend. Johny Hendricks feared that he possibly broke his hand in the first round when …
Georges St-Pierre is a wanted man and the fighter who is hunting for his title looks to be at full health after a slight scare following his fight in Montreal last weekend.
Johny Hendricks feared that he possibly broke his hand in the first round when he was facing former UFC interim champion Carlos Condit at UFC 158.
After the fight, Hendricks remarked that he would likely head to the doctor on Monday, but that nothing would stop him from his ultimate goal of facing Georges St-Pierre for the UFC welterweight title later this year.
“There’s always ways to work around it, so I will. Nothing’s going to hold me back,” said Hendricks at the UFC 158 post fight press conference.
Luckily for Hendricks once he returned home from the fight, the swelling in his hand had gone down dramatically so he delayed the doctor’s visit another day. By Tuesday morning, the swelling had gone down even more and the final determination was no broken hand and no need to visit the doctor.
In addition to Hendricks’ own Twitter message, representatives from his management at Team Takedown additionally confirmed the good news to Bleacher Report on Tuesday, as well and sending along a picture of his hand two days after the swelling had gone down.
“The swelling had gone down a lot yesterday when he woke up,” the statement read. “Today it looks and feels even better so he didn’t feel it was necessary to go to the doctor. It’s feeling much better”
It now looks like Hendricks will be able to avoid any time off to deal with a hand injury and get back into training right away to begin preparation for his eventual showdown with St-Pierre later this year.
As far as a timeline goes for the fight to happen, that remains unknown at this time.
Following his win over Nick Diaz at UFC 158, St-Pierre remarked about the long training camp and how he hasn’t had much rest since returning from his knee surgery last year. St-Pierre’s immediate plans included a vacation far away from Montreal to allow his mind and body time to recover.
There will be no rest for the weary, however, now that Hendricks has a healthy hand and a goal in mind of taking out St-Pierre and capturing the UFC welterweight title by year’s end.
Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and all quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
Johny Hendricks truly is one hell of an athlete. The gusto this man brings into the cage is admirable to the fullest, and it has quickly endeared him to a growing legion of fans across the globe. He shows up in solid shape and puts forth offensive effo…
Johny Hendricks truly is one hell of an athlete. The gusto this man brings into the cage is admirable to the fullest, and it has quickly endeared him to a growing legion of fans across the globe. He shows up in solid shape and puts forth offensive efforts constantly.
He can wrestle, he can box, he’s savvy enough to avoid the danger of submissions and as we learned at UFC 158, he can take a huge shot, flush on the chin and keep it moving with little signs of physical angst.
Hendricks is as tough as they come, and while it may not have yielded the results “BiggRigg” had hoped for (it was quite obvious he was eyeing the knockout), his decision nod over Carlos Condit erased any doubt that Hendricks is the real deal number one contender to Georges St-Pierre’s title.
Hendricks has now toppled Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck, Martin Kampmann and Carlos Condit—four top-10 ranked welterweights—in succession. That’s an accomplishment no contender has managed in the past. Not even Fitch, during his impressive 8-0 run upon entering the UFC managed to eliminate four top-ranked foes in succession.
Hendricks deserves the title shot and if Dana White lives up to his word, he’ll get it soon enough.
But after witnessing his bout with Condit, one must really ponder: does Hendricks have a legitimate chance at dethroning the champion?
Before you leap to say of course, this is MMA and anything can happen, take into account Hendricks’ strengths and his weaknesses.
He’s a wrestler by trade with iron in his fists. However, is he a superior wrestler in the confines of the cage than GSP? Personally, I don’t believe so. Does he hit harder than St-Pierre? Absolutely, but he’s got to land to put the champion in danger, and St-Pierre is inarguably the most elusive welterweight on the UFC’s roster. It’s extremely difficult to hit GSP with a flush power punch.
In terms of overall diversity, I think Hendricks may be a step behind the champion as well. GSP’s top control, submission game and cardio are noticeably superior to that of Hendricks and his footwork puts every other welterweight on the planet to shame. St-Pierre is also a master of assembling the perfect game plan needed to nullify his opponent’s strengths.
Hendricks has one plan: move forward, throw bombs and if the leather fails to land, shoot the take-down and work from top position.
I think Hendricks is an amazing fighter with a personality that I’m personally drawn to. I think he’ll be around cleaning clocks for years to come. I don’t, however, believe he has the required offensive and defensive depth to become the UFC’s new welterweight champion.
The next challenger to Georges St-Pierre’s welterweight throne awaits in the form of the hard-hitting wrestling mastermind Johny Hendricks. Hendricks solidified his position as the 170-pound division’s No. 1 contender with a unanimous-decision vic…
The next challenger to Georges St-Pierre’s welterweight throne awaits in the form of the hard-hitting wrestling mastermind Johny Hendricks.
Hendricks solidified his position as the 170-pound division’s No. 1 contender with a unanimous-decision victory over Carlos Condit at UFC 158, and GSP has plenty to worry about with the formerly bearded assassin.
“Big Rigg” possesses scary power in his left hand, and he wings it with wild abandon. His chin is sturdy, so, like Dan Henderson before him, Hendricks will gladly eat a shot or two to deliver the knockout blow.
In addition, Hendricks stands as one of the sport’s finest wrestlers, and his ability to dictate the pace and style of his fight against Condit earned him the victory and secured his title shot.
With this skill set, Hendricks seems like a scary opponent for GSP, and he certainly is.
But GSP can and will win this fight just as he has won his past six outings—via superior wrestling and top control coupled with a quick jab and a lot of movement on the feet.
While Hendricks is a world-class athlete, no welterweight in the world can match GSP‘s technical excellence.
Despite no formal wrestling pedigree, GSP emerged as arguably the sport’s finest wrestler, and he has done so through a relentless dedication to the craft.
When GSP indulges in an activity, he is not looking to learn—he is looking to master, and that is exactly what he has done time and time again throughout his mixed martial arts career.
I see this fight the same way I have seen GSP‘s prior efforts.
Can (insert title challenger’s name here) win? Of course. The man is extremely dangerous, and the longer GSP stands with him, the more he exposes himself to (name’s) strengths.
That said, I do not think Hendricks, in particular, can keep up with GSP in an extended contest, and I have not seen GSP-level wrestling from Big Rigg thus far in his UFC career.
This adds up for a carbon-copy, vintage GSP performance.
Barring the “lucky punch,” Hendricks possesses no advantages over GSP in this fight and all signs point to another 25 minutes of dominance for the champion.
With 150 straight minutes of Octagon time without a finish, GSP‘s UFC career is turning into a James Cameron film and Hendricks will play a key role in its conclusion.
Just like Leonardo DiCaprio in Titanic, Hendricks will play the part of the underdog who tastes the sweet life before suffocating under a smothering blanket of doom.
Everything has to line up just right for welterweight contender Johny Hendricks to get his UFC title shot, but at least the odds aren’t heavily against him.