Johny Hendricks On UFC 171

What Kind Of Man Does It Take To Become The UFC Welterweight Champ?

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The fourth round had just ended and Johny Hendricks was getting treatment from his team. Over the last two rounds, Robbie Lawler had hit — and had hurt — Hendricks in a very real way. After a series of strong strikes to the head, a deep cut had opened under Hendricks’ right eye. Blood saturated his beard. The arena was palpably tense. As Hendricks stood up from his stool to start the fifth round, he pressed a gloved hand to his face to clear his battered nose. A fine red mist glistened in the bright lights and fell towards the rough canvas of the Octagon. Hendricks moved towards Lawler.

The road to UFC 171

I first met Johny Hendricks on a warm Monday morning in the outskirts of Dallas, two months before UFC 171. I was kicking stones in the parking lot outside his gym, waiting for the UFC star to arrive. He was late. I had been invited down by Reebok for a behind-the-scenes look at the filming of a new series of ads for their ZQuick running shoes; Johny was one of their (recently signed) star faces. A small crew was scattered about, either making last-minute adjustments to the set inside or sipping coffee by the trailer. I had never met a UFC fighter, but had a few ideas of what it would be like. Without ever having watched an entire fight, I’d already formed preconceptions about the type of athletes who would step inside an octagon. When Johny Hendricks, late and shirtless, pulled into the parking lot in his oversized pickup truck, I thought that my assumptions were bang-on.

Late last year I had started to hear the name Johny Hendricks more and more often as he prepared to challenge longtime champion Georges St-Pierre for the welterweight title. Like many Quebecers, I kept up with news about GSP and was aware when our hometown hero had an upcoming bout. And, like most Quebecers, I assumed GSP would win. Hendricks? No problem, I thought. Age, match-up — none of that mattered; in my mind GSP was unbeatable. And, in a way, I was right. GSP won the decision against Hendricks in UFC 167. But it didn’t feel like an honest win — mainly (in my mind, at least) because of how GSP looked. The champ looked like he’d been through a war. He was bruised, battered and humbled. Hendricks, on the other hand, looked like he’d just gone through his usual workout.

The bout between the two fighters had been largely dominated by Hendricks — a former NCAA wrestling champ — but GSP had dug deep during the fifth round to score enough points to sway the decision his way. The welterweight title was something Hendricks desperately wanted, but he would have to wait for another chance to claim it.

As fate would have it, he wouldn’t have to wait very long.

“That was my first five-round fight and I learned so much. And I’m very grateful for that. I’m only going to get stronger and better. I’ve got to get that belt, and then I’ve got to defend it."

During a short break, I chatted with him about his training and his preparation for his scheduled title bout against Robbie Lawler in UFC 171. While, on paper, a lot of people saw the fight as a solid competition, a lot of fans thought the title — vacated by a weary GSP — was Hendricks’ to lose. A few months after knocking the best fighter in the history of the UFC out of the sport, Bigg Rigg was getting another shot at the welterweight belt.

Hendricks wants to be the best — and he wants to stay the best. But he isn’t doing it for money or fame — “I’ve got a wife who keeps me humble,” he mentioned several times, in an almost grateful way — and he would fight even if the rich endorsements and celebrity status were taken away.

“Are you kidding me? You don’t do this to get paid. All you get is a slap on the back and a belt. It’s just a title, man. But pride? Pride is an amazing thing.” His voice became louder and more clear, “It’s about setting a goal and achieving it. That is better than anything else."