Johny Hendricks Teases Move Up To Middleweight, But Where’s The Focus On Robbie Lawler?
No. 1-ranked UFC title contender Johny Hendricks will walk into the second biggest fight of his career this Saturday night (March 15, 2014) at UFC 171 in Dallas Texas. “Bigg Rigg” is set to take on heavy-hitting “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler for the vacant 170-pound title belt in the evening’s main event, but in his pre-fight interviews, it’s seemed like Hendricks’ focus is on anything but his dangerous opponent.
Hendricks recently said that he hopes longtime UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre returns to the Octagon so he can face him again. While it’s understandable that Hendricks wants to put his highly debated UFC 167 loss to “GSP” to rest, “Bigg Rigg” told MMA Junkie today that he is already considering moving up a division:
“I’d love to fight at 185. Not having to cut down to 170? Are you kidding me? I walk around at 215, 220,” he said. “That’s an average cut for a 185-pounder. That’s probably what the 185ers are walking around at. So the only thing that hurts me is that I’m 5-foot-9.
I still thought about it, and I talked to my coaches, too. It doesn’t hurt me because everybody that I fight is 6-, 6-foot-2 with a 75-, 76-inch reach. They’re all tall guys, and I have to get inside of them. Then you start thinking of some of the great fighters. Mike Tyson, he’s one of them. He fought everybody that was way bigger than him. The only thing I would have to do is get some strength. I’m very strong at 215, but I have to lose some muscle in camp to get down to 170.”
Hendricks is definitely a big and powerful welterweight, and he had drawn some criticism for fading towards the end of his ultra-close decision win over Carlos Condit at last March’s UFC 158, something that could stem from the cut down to 170 pounds.
However, he looked rather fresh throughout his first match-up with “GSP,” although he probably lost the fifth and final round. That may have cost him the title, but he’ll get another shot at American Airlines Arena this weekend.
And even if he wins the title there, a move to middleweight could still be in the cards. Hendricks said he still has a lot left to accomplish at welterweight, but he is always looking to the next best thing:
“I’ve definitely got to do work at 170. There’s a lot of talented guys at 170. By all means, I’m not looking past the 170 class. What I’m always doing is looking to the future. I just can’t stay in the moment.”
There’s also a ton of talent at the top of 185 pounds right now, and, as he touched on above, they would probably hold a decided reach advantage over Hendricks.
But, with undoubtedly the best-ever version of Lawler as his next test, should “Bigg Rigg” instead be focused on the task laid before him?
Photo: Stephen R. Sylvanie for USA TODAY Sports
