UFC 171’s main event is for the vacant UFC Welterweight Championship. No. 1-ranked Johny Hendricks and No. 3-ranked Robbie Lawler will throw down to see would walk away as the new king of the division on Saturday night.
Hendricks’ last trip to the cage…
UFC 171‘s main event is for the vacant UFC Welterweight Championship. No. 1-ranked Johny Hendricks and No. 3-ranked Robbie Lawler will throw down to see would walk away as the new king of the division on Saturday night.
Hendricks’ last trip to the cage saw him come up just short against Georges St-Pierre. When GSP walked away from the UFC, “Bigg Rigg” was first on the list to fight for the strap.
Lawler earned his title shot by returning to the UFC’s 170-pound division and scoring three straight wins. He knocked off Josh Koscheck, Bobby Voelker and Rory MacDonald.
Hendricks and Lawler battled in one of the most fun welterweight title fights in memory. They stood in the pocket and exchanged. It was an exceptional fight with back-and-forth action. In the end, Hendricks was able to do just enough in the final frame to lay claim to the UFC Welterweight Championship.
A fantastic fight between two elite welterweights. We could not have asked for more.
Johny Hendricks brought a little bit of drama to the UFC on Friday afternoon at the UFC 171 weigh-ins.
When he stepped on the scale, the commission official reported that the title challenger was off weight at 171.5 pounds. Per unified rules…
Johny Hendricks brought a little bit of drama to the UFC on Friday afternoon at theUFC 171weigh-ins.
When he stepped on the scale, the commission official reported that the title challenger was off weight at 171.5 pounds. Per unified rules, there is no one-pound allowance for title fights. Hendricks looked stunned, and the scramble was on to find out what would happen next.
As Hendricks went off to shed the extra pound-and-a-half, news broke out of Dallas that if he were unable to make weight, the main event would become a three-round affair with the title on the line for only Robbie Lawler, per MMA Junkie.
Thankfully, “BiggRigg” returned to make weight.
The fight is official: five rounds for the vacant UFC Welterweight Championship. Now the question is: How does Hendricks’ weight cut affect the fight?
He has a wrestling background and is a grinder. The No. 1-ranked welterweight has looked good in his previous bouts—including his five-round battle with Georges St-Pierre.
Cardio was never an issue, and heading into a five-round fight against Lawler, it was thought that Hendricks would have the advantage. Now, perhaps Lawler does.
When a weight cut goes wrong, it affects the fighter. It draws him out. A hard cut has diminishing returns.
The possibility that the weight cut will adversely affect Hendricks at UFC 171 may cause Lawler to change his game plan. He may try to extend this fight into the championship rounds.
Hendricks’ hard cut may have changed the perception of the fight. Truthfully, we won’t know until the fight begins.
Both Hendricks and Lawler are heavy hitters. They will want to throw down, but hard shots thrown take a toll on one’s cardio. The more Hendricks puts into his punches, takedowns and other offense, the more his gas tank will deplete. He may want to scale back his early offense to make sure he has enough for the late rounds.
But that was part of the problem against GSP last year. In January, Hendricks told Fighters Only that he only put 70 percent into his offense instead of 100 percent.
That 1.5 pounds of extra weight on Friday may have changed everything.
Lawler may not be the tactical foe that GSP was, but he will leave it all in the cage. He won’t run, he won’t back down, and it will take everything Hendricks has to defeat him. Lawler will come forward to push the pace. He will not lie back.
On Saturday at UFC 171, we will see how Hendricks’ weight cut affects the fight. We will see what toll it took on his body and how he compensates for it in the cage.
That pound-and-a-half of extra weight made the main event a lot more interesting.
Following a weigh-in scare, Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler will both still have a chance to claim the vacant welterweight championship at UFC 171.
Hendricks initially came in over the 170-pound limit, but he was able to drop the weight in time to ma…
Following a weigh-in scare, Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler will both still have a chance to claim the vacant welterweight championship at UFC 171.
Hendricks initially came in over the 170-pound limit, but he was able to drop the weight in time to make Saturday’s title fight official.
After a controversial loss to Georges St-Pierre at UFC 167, Hendricks appeared to be lined up for an immediate rematch with the Canadian. Then, St-Pierre vacated the belt and completely changed the landscape of the 170-pound class.
Coming off of a win over Rory MacDonald, Lawler was considered the next best contender behind Hendricks. As a result, the resurgent Strikeforce veteran will have a chance to complete an amazing career comeback and earn UFC gold this weekend.
In addition to the welterweight championship bout, UFC 171 could determine the next 170-pound title challenger. Ranked welterweights Carlos Condit, TyronWoodley, Jake Shields, Hector Lombard and Rick Story will all be competing at the event, and one of them should earn a shot at the winner of Saturday’s main attraction.
Here is how MMA fans can watch every portion of the UFC 171 fight card.
UFC 171 Main Card (10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view)
Johny Hendricks vs. Robbie Lawler
Carlos Condit vs. TyronWoodley
Diego Sanchez vs. Myles Jury
Jake Shields vs. Hector Lombard
Ovince St. Preux vs. Nikita Krylov
The UFC 171 pay-per-view can be ordered through the above video player.
UFC 171Prelims (8 p.m ET on Fox Sports 2)
Rick Story vs. Kelvin Gastelum
Raquel Pennington vs. Jessica Andrade
Dennis Bermudez vs. JimyHettes
Sean Spencer vs. Alex Garcia
Click here for more information on how to watch Fox Sports 2 on your television.
UFC 171 Online Prelims (6 p.m. ET on UFC Fight Pass)
Renee Forte vs. Francisco Trevino
Will Campuzano vs. Justin Scoggins
Bubba McDaniel vs. Sean Strickland
Daniel Pineda vs. Rob Whiteford
The UFC 171 online prelims will be available on UFC Fight Pass. Click hereand sign up.
Following a weigh-in scare, Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler will both still have a chance to claim the vacant welterweight championship at UFC 171.
Hendricks initially came in over the 170-pound limit, but he was able to drop the weight in time to ma…
Following a weigh-in scare, Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler will both still have a chance to claim the vacant welterweight championship at UFC 171.
Hendricks initially came in over the 170-pound limit, but he was able to drop the weight in time to make Saturday’s title fight official.
After a controversial loss to Georges St-Pierre at UFC 167, Hendricks appeared to be lined up for an immediate rematch with the Canadian. Then, St-Pierre vacated the belt and completely changed the landscape of the 170-pound class.
Coming off of a win over Rory MacDonald, Lawler was considered the next best contender behind Hendricks. As a result, the resurgent Strikeforce veteran will have a chance to complete an amazing career comeback and earn UFC gold this weekend.
In addition to the welterweight championship bout, UFC 171 could determine the next 170-pound title challenger. Ranked welterweights Carlos Condit, TyronWoodley, Jake Shields, Hector Lombard and Rick Story will all be competing at the event, and one of them should earn a shot at the winner of Saturday’s main attraction.
Here is how MMA fans can watch every portion of the UFC 171 fight card.
UFC 171 Main Card (10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view)
Johny Hendricks vs. Robbie Lawler
Carlos Condit vs. TyronWoodley
Diego Sanchez vs. Myles Jury
Jake Shields vs. Hector Lombard
Ovince St. Preux vs. Nikita Krylov
The UFC 171 pay-per-view can be ordered through the above video player.
UFC 171Prelims (8 p.m ET on Fox Sports 2)
Rick Story vs. Kelvin Gastelum
Raquel Pennington vs. Jessica Andrade
Dennis Bermudez vs. JimyHettes
Sean Spencer vs. Alex Garcia
Click here for more information on how to watch Fox Sports 2 on your television.
UFC 171 Online Prelims (6 p.m. ET on UFC Fight Pass)
Renee Forte vs. Francisco Trevino
Will Campuzano vs. Justin Scoggins
Bubba McDaniel vs. Sean Strickland
Daniel Pineda vs. Rob Whiteford
The UFC 171 online prelims will be available on UFC Fight Pass. Click hereand sign up.
Myles Jury is 13-0, and the talented 25-year-old will meet No. 15-ranked Diego Sanchez at UFC 171 on Saturday.
The lightweight division has a lot of talent but few legitimate contenders. Jury wants to get into the mix at 155 pounds…
Myles Jury is 13-0, and the talented 25-year-old will meet No. 15-rankedDiego SanchezatUFC 171 on Saturday.
The lightweight division has a lot of talent but few legitimate contenders. Jury wants to get into the mix at 155 pounds.
Defeating longtime UFC vet Sanchez will put him on the right track.
Jury was a member of the 15th season of The Ultimate Fighter. He did not make it to the finals, but the split-decision loss in the house does not appear on his official MMA record. He came off the show and competed at the finale with a first-round submission victory over Chris Saunders.
The win was needed but expected. He did what he was supposed to do against inferior competition and then launched an impressive UFC run. He defeated quality competition in Michael Johnson, Ramsey Nijem and Mike Ricci to move to 4-0 in the organization.
Sanchez is a step up for Jury in name recognition. A win at UFC 171 would mean more for him than any previous victory. He will garner new fans who tune in to see Sanchez, and he will take the TUF veteran’s spot inside the Top 15.
The former lightweight title contender has not won a lightweight bout since 2009 (his 2013 win over TakanoriGomi was a catchweight bout after Sanchez failed to make weight). That fact is lost on most because perception is reality. Sanchez’s propensity for exciting fights, and his history within the UFC, makes his recent non-success null.
Sanchez still carries an aura with the crowd. He is a fan favorite who many view as top competition.
Technically speaking, Jury is every bit Sanchez’s equal, if he has not already surpassed him. He just needs to convince the UFC fans of that.
Defeating Sanchez will turn Jury into a player within the division. Michael Johnson, who lost to Jury in late 2012, is sitting just outside the Top 10 because of his wins over recognizable names like Joe Lauzon and Melvin Guillard.
That is all that Jury lacks. The marquee win.
UFC 171 is the chance for him to build his brand off Sanchez.
Dallas is in for a show with Jury vs. Sanchez. It will be a fun fight with a lot of action between two fighters who desperately want to raise their position in the lightweight division. Their backs are against the wall.
Sanchez will try to keep his reputation intact and rebuild himself as a contender, while Jury wants to show the public that he is a new name to become familiar with at 155.
His lightweight future may hinge on his performance in Dallas. He can make a statement by defeating Sanchez soundly, put his name alongside the other ranked lightweights and push for bigger fights in 2014.
UFC 171 on Saturday night is headlined by the highly anticipated title bout between Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler for the vacant crown. That fight, however, is not the only welterweight scrap on the card.
UFC 171 features four more …
UFC 171 on Saturday night is headlined by the highly anticipated title bout between Johny Hendricks and RobbieLawlerfor the vacant crown. That fight, however, is not the only welterweight scrap on the card.
UFC 171 features four more clashes at 170 pounds, and three of those bouts have at least one ranked fighter. The fight card in Dallas will shake up the welterweight division.
The six fighters participating in those fights are trying to get into title contention. They want to stake their claim in the division and challenge the winner of the main event.
Who will come out on top? Who will insert their names in the list of contenders? Let’s take a look in advance of UFC 171.
Kelvin Gastelum vs. No. 14 Rick Story
Story has not had back-to-back wins since early 2011 when he was inching close to being a contender. He was derailed by Charlie Brenneman and never got back on track. A win over Gastelum will put him back into consideration.
Gastelum won the 17th season of The Ultimate Fighter by stunning the highly touted Uriah Hall. He followed that up with a stellar showing against Brian Melancon last August. The undefeated prospect can thrust himself into the welterweight rankings with a win over Story.
Both fighters will have to do a bit of work before joining the upper echelon of the division, but they are not far off. This is an important fight for both men and the division.
Story has a win over Hendricks, and Gastelum is a fast-rising prospect. They have good stories to assist in their marketing ability, should they reach contention.
Who can take that next step?
One has to wonder how Gastelum‘s rough weight cut will play against the ever-tough Story. I was firmly in Gastelum‘s camp until the weigh-ins. Story is an uphill battle for someone who struggled to make weight.
Story is not going to relent, and Gastelum will wilt as the fight goes on.
Prediction: Story defeats Gastelum by decision.
No. 6 Jake Shields vs. No. 12 Hector Lombard
The battle between Shields and Lombard may be the most intriguing stylistic matchup on the UFC 171 card.
The fight may or may not produce some of the most exciting action, but the technical acumen of both men make this one hard to predict.
Lombard has a strong judo background and incredible power in his hands, but he has struggled against strong grapplers. Can Shields use his wrestling and ground control to stifle the hard-hitting Cuban? Perhaps, but Lombard should be able to get back to his feet.
If Shields can keep Lombard down and win the fight, he will have one of the best cases for receiving the next title shot. Lombard would likely need at least one more fight, but a win would elevate him into the list of contenders, which is where he wants to be.
Shields has taken tough shots before, but if Lombard lands early, it will be goodnight moon. I sense that Lombard will connect and end this fight early.
Prediction: Lombard defeats Shields by KO in the first round.
Condit has the best claim to being the next title contender, and a win should cement that. He is the No. 2-ranked welterweight and the former interim champion and had a close decision loss to UFC 171 title challenger Hendricks.
Woodley is 2-1 in the UFC, and the former Strikeforce welterweight contender can make it two straight with a victory over Condit. He can ruin “The Natural Born Killer’s” title bid and join the premier contenders in the division.
Woodley has a good wrestling base with a lot of punching power. Condit is the total package. If Woodley can dictate where the fight takes place, he has the inside track to win in a three-round bout, but Condit is one of the best game-planners in MMA today.
The former Strikeforce contender has good odds to upset his opponent, but Condit is simply too well-rounded. He can win on points, but I expect him to touch up Woodley and finish him. Condit‘s striking has improved greatly over the years, and the angles he comes from will frustrate and confuse his opponent in Dallas.
Condit will put on a show en route to stating his case as the rightful next title challenger.
Prediction:Condit defeats Woodley by TKO in the second round.
