UFC 181 Free Fight: Georges St. Pierre Squeaks By Johny Hendricks

On Saturday, December 6, UFC welterweight champion Johny Hendricks will finally return to defend his belt against rival No. 1 contender Robbie Lawler in the main event of the UFC 181 pay-per-view (PPV) from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“Bigg Rigg” famously won the belt with an exciting back-and-forth match with “Ruthless” at March 15’s UFC 171, but was forced to the sidelines with a torn biceps after the fight. Meanwhile, Lawler went on a tear and beat both Jake Ellenberger and Matt Brown to earn another shot at Hendricks’ belt.

But before “Rigg” was the hunted, he was the hunter who wanted nothing more than to take former longtime 170-pound champ Georges St. Pierre’s title. And he very nearly did at last November’s UFC 167, battering “Rush” in the main event only to lose a highly controversial split decision. Have a second (or third) look at the fight courtesy of the UFC:

After the fight, St. Pierre cited mental exhaustion and vacated the title to take an extended hiatus from MMA. There have been many rumors abound of his return, but St. Pierre still sits on the sidelines apparently waiting drug testing reform in MMA.

Regardless, Hendricks’ performance with St. Pierre, although technically not a win, ushered in a new era for the UFC welterweight division, one that is much more wide-open and fraught with exciting possibilities than it was while “GSP” ruled with an iron fist.

Hendricks and Lawler will have their rematch, and St. Pierre’s protégé Rory MacDonald will get his shot at the winner in Canada sometime in 2015. Who are you picking to emerge with the belt in this highly exciting time for the stacked 170-pound landscape?

Photo Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie for USA TODAY Sports