UFC on Fox 2 is in the books and we now have two title matches in place. We also saw the rise of a new middleweight contender and the arrival of a big fighter. There has been a lot of storylines to emerge from the event, particularly with the two main …
UFC on Fox 2 is in the books and we now have two title matches in place. We also saw the rise of a new middleweight contender and the arrival of a big fighter. There has been a lot of storylines to emerge from the event, particularly with the two main event bouts. There was […]
While Johny Hendricks has certainly learned many valuable lessons and memories over the course of his 2.5-year career in the UFC, none come to mind more than his Octagon debut against Amir Sadollah at UFC 101.”The most memorable experience of my career…
While Johny Hendricks has certainly learned many valuable lessons and memories over the course of his 2.5-year career in the UFC, none come to mind more than his Octagon debut against Amir Sadollah at UFC 101.
“The most memorable experience of my career was the first time I walked out to the Octagon. I don’t know why, but I felt like it was where I belonged. Inside that Octagon and being on such a high stage was one of the greatest moments ever. Hearing everyone cheer against me was great,” Hendricks said. “Nothing gets you more fired up than when the whole crowd wants you to lose.”
“I can remember everything. I’m usually holding conversations the whole way up to the fight. Everyone is always yelling at me to get focused,” Hendricks said, laughing. “I want to enjoy every moment because you don’t know how long you’re getting to do this for. So, every chance I get I want to make sure it’s the best I can do.”
“That’s something I can pass onto my kids. If the good Lord blesses with me with a little boy, then I can pass along the memories to him,” Hendricks said.
Despite many uncertainties and an unclear picture of what the future may hold, Hendricks is determined to cherish every moment and leave a lasting impressive on those he leaves behind.
“It’s awesome that I get to wake up everyday and fight for a living. I get to do something that I truly love. The only bad part is you don’t know when you’re going to lose. You don’t know who you’re going to lose to. But, you got to pick yourself back up and get that much better,” Hendricks said. “Fighting and winning is easy.”
“In this sport, you have to work really, really hard. You have to work that much harder to get your hand raised than the guy you’re fighting against . Life’s too short to do something you regret,” Hendricks said. “As soon as it feels like a chore or a job, then I’m done.”
One of the ways Hendricks can solidify his legacy is by simply showing love to each and every individual he encounters in his journey through life.
“People can be remembered for a lot of things. People will remember that you won the belt and that’s one thing I want to accomplish. But, the question I often ask myself is, ‘How do you act outside the Octagon?'”
“I want my kids to look back and see the person I was. I want people to tell my kids that I was one of the nicest guys they’ve ever met,” Hendricks said. “Not only do I want to be remembered as a fighter, but a person people could rely on.”
Hendricks continued: “You don’t know what the next person is going through. You’re never going to know when you’re going to need something. You never know who you’re going to meet. People will remember you for how you treated them. Trust me, they’ll remember you. Being a good person goes a long, long way.”
Through spectacular wins, the ups and downs of life and a lifelong journey, Hendricks believes none of it would be possible without a reliance on God.
“I went to college and kind of walked away from my faith, as a lot of people do. I found myself growing closer to Him midway through my stay at Oklahoma State,” Hendricks said. “I went through a rough time in my life and He was carrying me through it.”
“I got out of college and started going to church again and saw my relationship with God continue to grow. I was at a point in my life where I needed help. I felt like there was something more out there,” Hendrick said.
“I felt alone and that’s when I became the closest to him. It wasn’t until I was 25 years old when I began to understand how God was blessing me all along,” Hendricks said. “It wasn’t material possessions or anything like that, but waking up with an understanding that there’s going to be tough times in life, but He’s always there.”
“Everyday I try to wake up and go to bed as happy as I can be. I often think back to that one day where I gave it all to God. My life has changed so much since that day even though I still go through tough times,” Hendricks said.
Not too long after Hendricks’ life change came his wife, whom he is happily married to today. Following his marriage came the greatest gifts of Hendricks’ life: “I have two little girls who I cherish more than anything. One is 26 months and the other is five months old. It’s the greatest thing that could have ever happened to me.”
“I thank God every morning that I can wake up and see my kids smiling,” Hendricks said. “No matter how bad my day was, it all goes away when I see my daughter running towards me with open arms.”
“It melts my heart. It keeps me level. I do everything for my wife and my kids. One day the good Lord could bless me with a little boy. Even if he doesn’t I have so much joy and love for the family I already have. Nothing beats coming home from a rough day and spending time with my daughters,” Hendricks said. “Seeing them laugh, that’s the greatest joy in life.”
“I would rather be a dad than a fighter any day of the year. That’s who I really am.”
For many, it takes a lifetime to fulfill a dream.But for UFC welterweight Johny Hendricks (12-1), it took a matter of 12 seconds.Hendricks recently recorded one of the fastest knockouts in UFC history when he met Jon Fitch (23-4-1) at UFC 141 to cap of…
For many, it takes a lifetime to fulfill a dream.
But for UFC welterweight Johny Hendricks (12-1), it took a matter of 12 seconds.
Hendricks recently recorded one of the fastest knockouts in UFC history when he met Jon Fitch (23-4-1) at UFC 141 to cap off a historical 2011.
After years of training and a life dedicated to wrestling and the sport of mixed martial arts, Hendricks saw his childhood principles of hard work and dedication finally pay off.
In a recent interview with Bleacher Report’s Garrett Derr, Hendricks shared how he’s become a rising star in the UFC’s welterweight division and how his life’s been turned upside down.
“I spent a lot of my childhood growing up in Oklahoma where I wrestled and played baseball,” Hendricks said. “I quit playing baseball my junior year of high school as I wanted to put my focus towards wrestling.”
Hendricks’ transition to wrestling full time paid off when he earned a spot on the Oklahoma State Cowboys’ wrestling squad.
“So, I continued to wrestle throughout high school and ended up going to Oklahoma State. At the time it was a really big deal as I didn’t grow up with a lot of money. I grew up working hard to earn everything I had,” Hendricks said. “I went to Oklahoma State and eventually won two titles.”
Following Hendricks’ success at the Division I level came a point where he simply didn’t know what to do with his life.
“I really didn’t know If I wanted to pursue the Olympics for wrestling. I didn’t know what to do with my life. So, I prayed about it. My manager called me a few weeks later and asked if I wanted to fight. I agreed to give it a shot and I went out and got knocked out,” Hendricks said, laughing.
“I woke up the next day and got back at it. And, I’ve been doing it ever since. I think it fits my personality perfectly. I love getting out there and not knowing what’s going to happen next. It could all be gone in a matter of seconds,” Hendricks said. “The unpredictable aspect and thrill of the sport is appealing to me.”
Hendricks found himself making a smooth but rocky transition into the sport of MMA and eventually the UFC.
“I wrestled at 165 pounds in college. I would actually cut from 205 pounds down to 165 and it wasn’t really a big deal for me. With me wrestling all of the time, my body got used to it. That’s the main different between wrestling and MMA,” Hendricks said. “My body was used to the weight cut since I was wrestling every week”
“Now, I only fight every three or four months so its a little more difficult for my body to get used to. I currently walk around at 195 pounds around two weeks out from a fight,” Hendricks said.
After winning seven of his eight career UFC bouts, Hendricks is still in the process of becoming recognized as a legitimate contender.
Whether it’s “Johny Hendricks” or “Bigg Rigg,” Hendricks is well on his way to the top of the 170-pound weight division.
“When we moved to Texas I wanted to get a new truck. I wanted a diesel engine truck to pull stuff behind,” Hendricks said. “After every fight I wanted to take my wife and kids somewhere to spend time with them for three to four days.”
Hendricks continued: “I needed to get out of town so I could take a break from things or else I’d be in the gym working out all the time. So, that’s when I bought the truck. I put big bumpers on it and made it look really nice. One of my friends told me they were going to start calling me ‘Bigg Rigg.’ So, that’s how ‘Bigg Rigg’ came alive.”
Hendricks lived up to his nickname in impressive fashion as he was declared victorious earning his third consecutive win at UFC 141.
Following his knockout victory over Fitch, Hendricks couldn’t believe what had happened.
“I actually asked myself, ‘Did it really happen?’ I trained for four months and it was the hardest and the best camp I’ve ever had. I thought it was going to be a three-round war. All the news and media were saying Fitch was already looking into fighting GSP or [Carlos] Condit or [Nick] Diaz. He didn’t think I was at the same skill level. But, the Lord blessed with me with a powerful left hand,” Hendricks said. “It only takes one punch.”
“I told everyone I was going to hit him as hard as I could. It was the first time in my career that I wanted to hit someone as hard as I possibly could. I couldn’t wait to hit him before the fight began,” Hendricks said.
“When it actually happened, I couldn’t believe he fell. I asked myself, ‘Did he really just fall down? Should I hit him again?’ All of a sudden the ref jumped in and I couldn’t believe it was over,” Hendricks said. “I did what no one else in the UFC could do.”
Hendricks’ knockout over Fitch was his fourth KO victory since joining the UFC as he’s quickly climbing up the welterweight rankings.
“I feel like I deserve a pretty good reputation. I didn’t want to say anything before the fight and let it all take care of itself. I really wanted to go in there and do the best I could and see what happened. After that, that’s when I realized I did what no one else could do,” Hendricks said. “I believe I’m a top-five welterweight.”
While Hendricks’ victory will certainly catapult him into an elite category, he’s not necessarily looking for a specific next opponent.
In fact, Hendricks doesn’t believe in calling out other fighters due to the respect he has for each and every one of them.
“I don’t look at who I want to fight. I think looking at that is kind of degrading a fighter. All the 170-pound fighters are great fighters. Whoever the UFC tells me I have to fight then that’s who I’m going to fight. I’m not about calling fighters out,” Hendricks said. “I have respect for anyone who gets in the Octagon. I don’t think I deserve to call anyone out. I would rather get in there and beat them in a respectable way.”
Despite his recent success, Hendricks knows full well what it feels like to be defeated, and he believes a fighters’ true colors are shown in a time of defeat.
“The only loss of my career came to Rick Story in 2010. I hate the feeling of being defeated. I literally couldn’t look at myself in the mirror the next day. I was so disgusted with how I felt,” Hendricks said. “But, I never gave up.”
“I flew home Sunday and was back in the gym on Monday morning. There are two types of people. Those who let losing get the best of them and those who get better from it. I got back in the gym and trained that much harder so I don’t have to ever feel like that again,” Hendricks said.
“I found a greater desire to become even better than I was before.”
At last night’s UFC on FOX 2, Charles Oliveira made a splash in his featherweight debut, taking Submission of the Night by tapping out Eric Wisely with a calf slicer.An early candidate for “Submission of the Year,” Oliveira once again showed off his da…
At last night’s UFC on FOX 2, Charles Oliveira made a splash in his featherweight debut, taking Submission of the Night by tapping out Eric Wisely with a calf slicer.
An early candidate for “Submission of the Year,” Oliveira once again showed off his dangerous ground skills, and will be a force to be reckoned with now that he’s down at 145.
Over the years, submission aces such as Oliveira have been dazzling fans with their insane finishes.
Here are five of the craziest submission moves ever pulled off in mixed martial arts.
UFC on Fox 2 is officially in the record books. Rashad Evans and Chael Sonnen secured title shots, Michael Bisping looked like a contender despite losing, and Chris Weidman announced his presence to the world. It was a typical fight show, but not witho…
UFC on Fox 2 is officially in the record books. Rashad Evans and Chael Sonnen secured title shots, Michael Bisping looked like a contender despite losing, and Chris Weidman announced his presence to the world. It was a typical fight show, but not without its weirdness. Fans cheered the police. Fans also cheered a felon. […]
Late Sunday night, Legend Fighting Championship (Legend) announced its new partnership with ESPN International, signing an exclusive distribution and syndication agreement with the worldwide leader of sports’ overseas division. Under the terms of…
Late Sunday night, Legend Fighting Championship (Legend) announced its new partnership with ESPN International, signing an exclusive distribution and syndication agreement with the worldwide leader of sports’ overseas division.
Under the terms of the deal, ESPN will become the sole distribution agent of all of the Hong Kong-based promotion’s broadcast content in Asia, Europe, Africa, Oceania, the Middle East as well as the Indian sub-continent.
“Since our first tournament in January 2010, Legend has been bringing the best of Asia-Pacific MMA to a large and growing television audience,” said Legend co-founder and managing director Chris Pollak in a press release. “This agreement with ESPN will give our broadcast efforts a big boost, and we look forward to working with them.”
Legend is currently available to viewers in 10 countries across Asia-Pacific and North America. The new agreement will enable the promotion to enter into new markets, expanding its broadcast footprint at home and abroad.
News of this partnership comes off the heels of controversy within the sport for ESPN. An Outside the Lines report on fighters’ pay was met with harsh criticism by the MMA community, prompting UFC President Dana White to post a rebuttal video as a response to the promotion’s portrayal in the piece.
Despite criticism of ESPN’s coverage of MMA, the broadcasting giant has previously brought the UFC and other promotions to viewers overseas.
ESPN International’s vice president of programming Mike Walter expressed excitement over the agreement, saying, “Legend’s combination of a roster filled with elite fighters from the Asia-Pacific region with high-quality production values makes us excited to work with them to continue to develop their audience around the world.”
Legend, founded in 2009, is furthering its reach within the Asia-Pacific region, having recently signed an agreement with Macau mega-resort and casino City of Dreams to produce an ongoing series of MMA tournaments, the first of which took place last July.
The promotion’s next tournament, Legend 7, is scheduled for February 11. There is no word yet as to whether this event will be the first under the new deal.
Matt Juul is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
While Johny Hendricks has certainly learned many valuable lessons and memories over the course of his 2.5-year career in the UFC, none come to mind more than his Octagon debut against Amir Sadollah at UFC 101.