(Ain’t no tantrum like a Big Rigg tantrum)
In the whole welterweight/middleweight title/super-fight mess of excitment and speculation going on right now, number one 170 pound contender Johny Hendricks is one of the few people giving real talk. “I’m not going to fight unless it’s for a belt,” Hendricks told MMAJunkie Radio Friday.
The former NCAA Division I wrestling national champion solidified himself as the number one contender to Georges St. Pierre’s welterweight crown with five straight wins, his last three against Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck and Martin Kampmann. Despite earning his shot, Hendricks is far from a lock to be the next one to fight St. Pierre.
Middleweight champion Anderson Silva is chasing a super fight with the Canadian and St. Pierre surrogates are lobbying for his next fight to be against his rival Nick Diaz. Diaz is currently serving a suspension for testing positive for marijuana metabolites before his last fight, a loss to Carlos Condit.
“I really want a belt. They don’t come around that often, and I feel like I’ve done enough to earn a shot, and that’s pretty much all I’m thinking of right now. I’m training for a five-round fight, and that’s it,” Hendricks continued.
For all the wrestler turned KO artist cares, St. Pierre, Silva and Diaz can do whatever they want with one another, but after they are done he will make sure that he is waiting in the wings for whomever is welterweight champion. “Nothing else matters but the belt,” he believes.,
“My last three fights were guys in the top five, and I finished two of those three fights. I stated my claim. My stock’s really high right now, and the only thing left is to get a shot at that belt.”
What do you think, nation? Is Hendricks right to sit out until he gets his shot at St. Pierre? And what do you think the chances are Diaz will skip ahead in line now that we have the Chael Sonnen modern precedent of getting title shots immediately after losses?
- Elias Cepeda
Loading ...
Post your comment
Showing 1-25 of comments
commentsNot that I beleive it will happen, but his obvious right hand power, along with his wrestling ability, is why people think he might win. Again, this is not a sales call.
As to how this relates to Johnny Hendricks; in typical CP fashion, there are way to many screaming about what's fair and unfair, totally overlooking the fact that Hendricks has far from "cleaned out the division", which he has claimed to have , much in the same way that Chris Weidman's claims to have cleaned out 185 are laughable. I have yet to hear anyone explain to me how the guy who squeaked by Josh Koscheck, a fighter that GSP absolutely ate alive, would stand a legitimate chance of winning this fight beyond a hail-mary shot.
The UFC has always been in the business of making the most marketable fights, which makes sense, because they are a fucking business, not a charity. As a wise man once said before splattering Gene Hackman's brains all over a saloon floor, "deserve's got nothin' to do with it."
you're an indian not the chief, do what you're told
Sign in
Register | Lost your password?
Register For This Site
A password will be e-mailed to you.
Log in | Lost your password?