When a band of media types stumbled upon Johny Hendricks recently at the prefight presser for UFC 160, they were given more than a few candid comments on his potential upcoming fight against the UFC welterweight champion, Georges St Pierre.
“That last fight showed me I have a lot of room to improve you know,” said Hendricks. “And that’s exciting for me. I proved that I might be a better wrestler than Georges in that fight then too. The funny thing is that I train about 80% and that’s the way I fight. This next one is going to be different.”
When a reporter informed Hendricks that GSP was saying he had figured out his game plan for their fight, Hendricks didn’t hesitate to set the record straight.
“Ya I’ll tell you my game plan, uh I’m going to hit you with my left, if that doesn’t work, I’m going to try to take you down, if that doesn’t work, I’m gonna find a way to win, Georges.”
Implications on what will happen in this fight are very promising for fans with penchants for aggressive finishes. If Hendricks comes out like he did in his last fight against Condit, he will either KO George, or find himself running in to trouble quickly. Yet this type of game plan may be exactly what it will take to dethrone the greatest welterweight of all time.
“For one I don’t mind getting hit, and two, can you hit me as hard as I can hit you? That’s the question I can’t wait to tell Georges. I got a strictly boxing coach. Ya know I’m learning how to box. That’s really what I’m focusing on. I’m studying a lot more films.”
His strategy is simple, and according to him, it’s not nearly as predictable as the champ’s. “He’s gonna come out with sorta the same game plan he did against Josh Koscheck. Jab jab jab jab jab jab jab, and then get you to over commit, he’s gonna try to sweep underneath ya, drive ya to the cage, take you down.”
Countering GSP is not a matter of becoming better, although he feels he’s been adding skills in training that have yet to surface in any of his previous fights. “If I can get my right hand, they say is as good as my left, and they say is better than my left, I just never use it, if I can believe that before Georges, then we might be seeing a different finish,” said Hendricks.
This next one, guys don’t like it so much that I’m working out with cause I’m using all the power I have, I’m training as hard as I can. So only exciting things can come.”
The fight stills needs an official nod from the champ, and as far as Hendricks is concerned, he’s pretty much already signed the papers himself. “As soon as I see him sign it, I’m gonna sign it,” said Hendricks. “That’s really what it all boils down to. As soon as he says yes, I’m yes. That’s why I tell everybody that they’re gonna find out before I will.”
“One thing he cannot prepare for is my heart, my speed, and my determination to win,” said Hendricks. “So he says that to everybody, ‘you’ve never faced anybody like me.’ Well guess what, ‘you’ve never faced a 208 pound 170 welterweight that has power,’ and a true wrestler.”