Johny Hendricks won’t fight again unless the title is on the line
Johny Hendricks feels he’s earned a shot at the welterweight title and he’s not stepping back into that Octagon until he gets it. Well, that’s at least what he said on MMA Junkie Radio.
“I’m not going to fight unless it’s for a belt,” Hendricks on Friday told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). “Nothing else matters but the belt. 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.”
Hendricks does have a point. Against Martin Kampmann and Jon Fitch, the heavy handed fighter put them both to sleep in less than a minute. He scraped by Josh Koscheck but he’s earned his spot as the top dog in the division and a shot against Georges St-Pierre should come next. However, with the possibility of GSP facing Anderson Silva in Spring of 2013, this could mean that Hendricks would have to sit on the shelf for nearly a year. Not to mention that some interest has been generated in a St-Pierre vs Nick Diaz fight. Somehow, The Bigg Rigg could find himself at the back of the line. But Hendricks doesn’t care what’s in the way, all he wants next is a crack at that title. Nothing more, nothing less.
“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.”
The fact that GSP may not be in his immediate future seems to ruffle the beard of Hendricks. So much so that he is starting to think that the champ is ducking him.
“He’s trying to keep money from my kids,” Hendricks said. “If I win that belt and take it from him, my life changes. He’s trying to not give me the fair shot. That’s crazy to me to think this guy is trying to control my future. That makes me want to win that much even more.”
We’ll have to wait and see how long it takes for Hendricks to get what he wants.
