Jake Ellenberger had a sneaking suspicion Johny Hendricks would “find a way out” of their scheduled UFC 158 bout—either through injury or mere circumstance.It was a combination of both for Hendricks, who will now face Carlos Condit in the co-main…
Jake Ellenberger had a sneaking suspicion Johny Hendricks would “find a way out” of their scheduled UFC 158 bout—either through injury or mere circumstance.
It was a combination of both for Hendricks, who will now face Carlos Condit in the co-main event of the March 16 event.
Rory MacDonald was slated to fight Condit, but on Monday, MMAFighting.com reported that MacDonald was forced to withdraw from the card after suffering a neck injury in training.
While Hendricks receives the royal treatment and gets bumped to the co-main event slot, Ellenberger will now face former Strikeforce welterweight champ Nate Marquardt, who is coming off a lopsided decision loss to TarecSaffiedine.
In a post on Twitter, Ellenberger accused Hendricks of ducking out of the fight.
The fight with Hendricks was a big opportunity for Ellenberger to get back into the welterweight title picture.
His six-fight win streak was snapped in a second-round knockout loss to Martin Kampmann back in June 2012. He rebounded a few months later with a decision victory over Jay Hieron at UFC on FX 5.
A win over Hendricks would have gone a long way in erasing the loss to Kampmann and reinvigorating Ellenberger‘s championship run.
Unfortunately for Ellenberger, Hendricks has the same goals in mind.
Currently on a five-fight win streak, Hendricks has constantly been overlooked as a No. 1 contender. His last three wins came over top-10 opposition, two of which he finished in the first round.
With the persistent title snubbing, Hendricks is on a mission to earn the ever-elusive UFC title shot—and a convincing win over a marquee name like Condit would definitely help.
For now, “The Juggernaut” will have to keep smashing through walls and building his stock as a possible future contender.
In the wake of Rory MacDonald‘s UFC 158 injury withdrawal — which is now confirmed to be a “severe neck and back strain” that will sideline him for three to four weeks — the UFC has shifted some talent around to make sure all the welterweights on the “St. Pierre vs. Diaz” supporting card still have dance partners.
And there’s one more element that makes this story even more confusing…
(Photo courtesy of Esther Lin/Getty Images)
In the wake of Rory MacDonald‘s UFC 158 injury withdrawal — which is now confirmed to be a “severe neck and back strain” that will sideline him for three to four weeks — the UFC has shifted some talent around to make sure all the welterweights on the “St. Pierre vs. Diaz” supporting card still have dance partners.
And there’s one more element that makes this story even more confusing: Jake Ellenberger is under the impression that Johny Hendricks — who has won his last five fights, including knockout wins of Jon Fitch and Martin Kampmann in a combined 58 seconds — is scared of him. Last night, he tweeted “I knew you’d find a way out @JohnyHendricks,” to which his brother Joe Ellenberger replied “Fight was signed. @JohnyHendricks called bossman, begged for easier fight. Got a new fight = ducking #scared.”
I’ve got nothing against the Ellenberger bros, but this is bordering on Rampage Jackson-level delusion. First off, the idea that Carlos Condit would be an easier opponent for Johny Hendricks than Jake Ellenberger is questionable to say the least. And “I knew you’d find a way out”? Come on, now. A co-main event fighter suffered a freak injury, and the first guy they tried to bring in as a replacement said no. So, Hendricks accepted a higher-profile fight against Condit, which helps his career and keeps the card somewhat intact. Would Jake Ellenberger have done any differently if he was in that situation?
Many felt that Johny Hendricks earned himself a shot at welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre after his knockout win over Martin Kampmann.It was the fifth win in a row for the bearded warrior known as “Bigg Rigg” and his second nasty knockout in three …
Many felt that Johny Hendricks earned himself a shot at welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre after his knockout win over Martin Kampmann.
It was the fifth win in a row for the bearded warrior known as “Bigg Rigg” and his second nasty knockout in three fights.
Despite that impressive streak, it wasn’t enough to earn him a shot at UFC gold. That shot went to GSP‘s rival Nick Diaz.
Hendricks was forced to take another fight to stay busy and hopefully, with a win, secure himself his long-awaited shot. He took a fight against the heavy-handed Jake Ellenberger at UFC 158.
Also fighting on that event is Carlos Condit. His opponent, Rory MacDonald, got hurt in training for their fight, leaving Condit without an opponent. This is where Hendricks came in.
Hendricks took the fight against Condit and has essentially taken his destiny into his own hands.
He very badly wants his shot at a UFC belt. If he can take out arguably one of the best welterweights today in Condit, then the UFC should have no choice in who gets the next shot.
Make no mistake, this is a tough fight for Hendricks. Condit is an elite welterweight who is dangerous wherever the fight goes. His striking is unorthodox and unpredictable, and he’s always dangerous off his back. He’s the man that nearly finished GSP with a head kick in their title fight.
The scenario that Hendricks finds himself in is a high-risk, high-reward one. He faces a top-flight welterweight who could potentially beat him, but if he beats Condit, the UFC has to give him a shot at whoever the champion is.
Hendricks is playing with fire. It is a dangerous and unpredictable scenario, and on March 16, we will find out if he emerges unscathed or if he gets burned.
The news of an injury forcing Rory MacDonald out of his scheduled bout with Carlos Condit at UFC 158 hit the MMA media headlines last night, and the UFC has its first taste of the “injury bug” in 2013.The rematch between the surging young star and the …
The news of an injury forcing Rory MacDonald out of his scheduled bout with Carlos Condit at UFC 158 hit the MMA media headlines last night, and the UFC has its first taste of the “injury bug” in 2013.
The rematch between the surging young star and the former interim champion was a highly anticipated tilt, but before fans could feel the full weight of the letdown, the UFC moved quickly to build a new co-main event for the welterweight showcase in Montreal.
As first reported by Bleacher Report’s Damon Martin, “The Natural Born Killer” will now square off with contender-in-waiting Johny Hendricks. “Bigg Rigg” was originally slated to face Jake Ellenberger on the same card, but when the doors to a fight with Condit opened, Hendricks jumped at the opportunity. At the current time, Ellenberger is still without an opponent, but it appears he will still compete in Montreal next month.
The switch-up has obviously had an immediate impact on the lineup at UFC 158, but the ripple effect has the potential to ultimately shake up the entire contender’s class in the 170-pound weight class.
Johny Hendricks Looking to Leave No Questions on the Table
Heading into his training camp for UFC 158, Johny Hendricks already had a chip on his shoulder. The former two-time Division I national champion wrestler had just collected his fifth consecutive victory in stunning fashion by knocking out Martin Kampmann in the first round of their tilt at UFC 154, only to see the title shot he expected to get ultimately given to Nick Diaz.
The decision was undoubtedly frustrating for the Team Takedown fighter. But rather than wait for the next opportunity to come around, Hendricks jumped immediately back into the title hunt by accepting a bout with Ellenberger. It seemed to be a risky move, putting a potential title opportunity on the line against a dangerous opponent, but Hendricks wanted to make his case for contention loud and clear.
By accepting the bout with Condit, the 29-year-old now has taken destiny into his own hands. The Jackson/Winkeljohn-trained fighter is the only other welterweight in the current picture who could lay claim to the same level of title contention as Hendricks.
Condit has won five of his past six, with the only loss on that stretch coming in his most recent outing against welterweight king Georges St-Pierre at UFC 154.
Should Hendrick’s hammer left hand and wrestling pedigree prove too much for Condit to handle, the next title opportunity will be carved in stone.
On the other hand, the former WEC champion has one of the division’s craftiest skill sets, and Condit’s well-rounded attack has the potential to give Hendricks fits inside the cage. If Condit can derail Hendricks in Montreal, another shot at welterweight gold could be in the near future.
The Timing is Bad, but Situation is Ultimately Good for Maia
As soon as Condit vs. Hendricks became official, Twitter blew up with suggestions from all corners of the MMA community as to who should step in to face Ellenberger. One name that came up in popular fashion was former middleweight contender turn welterweight, Demian Maia.
The Brazilian submission ace has been on a tear since dropping down to 170 pounds, and his recent dominance of perennial contender Jon Fitch has Maia on the cusp of big things in the welterweight division.
While MMA fans held out hope of Maia stepping in to face “The Juggernaut,” MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani reported via Twitter that Maia was suffering from a minor meniscus injury and wouldn’t be healthy in time to make the bout next month. Despite this opportunity passing him by, Maia has the potential to benefit from the entire situation caused by McDonald’s injury.
With the Tristar-trained fighter moving to the sidelines for the time being, the potential for Maia to get an opponent in the divisional upper tier greatly increases. The card at UFC 158 will serve to unseat at least three of the division’s best, and Maia will have the opportunity to move up the ladder in his next outing.
There was talk this week of a potential matchup with Tarec Saffiedine, but with news of the former Strikeforce welterweight champion turning down an opportunity to face Condit, it is difficult to tell what Saffiedine’s next step will look like. Nevertheless, Maia will undoubtedly get a high-level opponent for his next trip into the Octagon, and a victory could put him on the doorstep of a title shot.
Three More Contenders at the Ready
Jake Ellenberger may have lost his top-ranked opponent for UFC 158, but his mission to become a UFC champion has not been detoured. The former Marine has won seven of his past eight bouts, with his most recent victory coming over veteran Jay Hieron at UFC on FX 5.
In the wake of the GSP vs. Diaz announcement, Ellenberger told Bleacher Report the Hendricks fight was the thing he wanted next and his wish was granted. But now the bout with Hendricks is gone, and Ellenberger’s road to a long-awaited title shot has just had a few steps added to the path.
A possible option to step in to face Ellenberger would be former Strikeforce welterweight contender Tyron Woodley. The former University of Missouri wrestling standout made a major splash in his UFC debut by knocking Hieron stiff just 36 seconds into the opening round.
The victory over the Xtreme Couture staple was a strong rebound after Woodley suffered the first loss of his career against Nate Marquardt last July. Immediately following his win at UFC 156, Woodley told UFC president Dana White he was ready to go if any welterweights dropped off the UFC 158 card. Now that this scenario has become a reality, “T-Wood” could very well get the call to face Ellenberger.
Another fighter who has the opportunity to make a move up the divisional ladder is Josh Koscheck. The former NCAA Division I wrestling champion steps back into action for the first time in nine months when he throws down with Robbie Lawler this weekend at UFC 157.
The TUF alum has been one of the sport’s best welterweights for the past six years and is only a couple of wins away from becoming a serious contender again. If the 35-year-old is successful against Lawler this Saturday night, a potential show down with Maia or MacDonald when he becomes healthy would make sense.
Just minutes after the news broke that Rory MacDonald would be forced out of UFC 158 due to injury, the UFC has a new co-main event already set for their March 16 return to the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Johny Hendricks will now face Carl…
Just minutes after the news broke that Rory MacDonald would be forced out of UFC 158 due to injury, the UFC has a new co-main event already set for their March 16 return to the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Johny Hendricks will now face Carlos Condit in a welterweight showdown as the new UFC 158 co-main event as confirmed by UFC officials to Bleacher Report on Monday night.
Johny Hendricks was originally set to face Jake Ellenberger on the highly anticipated card, but Ellenberger will now instead face a replacement opponent to be determined at a later date.
Johny Hendricks has made a quick rise up the ranks of the UFC’s welterweight division with three big wins over top-10 opponents over the past year-and-a-half, flattening former title contender Jon Fitch in 12 seconds and following that up with a 46-second knockout over Martin Kampmann in November.
Now, Hendricks will draw the fighter who was just seconds away from defeating the UFC welterweight champ in his last fight.
Carlos Condit returns looking to bounce back from a loss to Georges St-Pierre after almost catching and finishing the champion in the third round of their title fight (also at the Bell Centre) in November. Condit blasted GSP with a head kick in the third round and appeared seconds away from victory, but the tough Canadian persevered and weathered the storm to battle back for the win.
Condit now has a great chance to jump right back in line for a title fight with a win over two-time NCAA wrestling champ Johny Hendricks.
The new Condit-Hendricks matchup will precede the UFC 158 headliner pitting champion Georges St-Pierre against Nick Diaz for the UFC welterweight title.
Damon Martin is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report
(“Progidy.” “The 30-something Randy Couture of the 40-something crowd.” “I don’t speak-a the Portuguesa.” “Leg kick to the midsection.” All the classics are here. / Props: zombie00713 via MiddleEasy)
(“Progidy.” “The 30-something Randy Couture of the 40-something crowd.” “I don’t speak-a the Portuguesa.” “Leg kick to the midsection.” All the classics are here. / Props: zombie00713 via MiddleEasy)
Jake Ellenberger had a sneaking suspicion Johny Hendricks would “find a way out” of their scheduled UFC 158 bout—either through injury or mere circumstance.