UFC 171: Are You Not Entertained? Hendricks and Lawler Deliver!

UFC fans and MMA fans, we had a show last night.  I must say that I was absolutely entertained by the events from last night.  We saw the undefeated stay undefeated.  We saw a new UFC Welterweight Champion crowned in one of the most entertaining main event fights in a while.  I won't keep you long, for full event card results click here.


Saturday night we witnessed a slugfest in the UFC 171 main event for the UFC Welterweight Division.  We saw a fight in which both men literally gave everything and stood their ground when the bell rang for the fight to begin.  It was a back and forth fight in which both men looked like winners as they put their heart and skills to the test against each other.  In the first round, both men came out strategic, but hungry as they traded shots.  Both men stood right in front of each other with Hendricks gaining the round by a very small margin due to his diversity of strikes.  Hendricks not only threw his excellent hands, but we saw him actually attacking Lawler with leg kicks that threw off Lawler's defense.  In the second round Hendricks continued with more of the same.  Lawler continued to trade with him and land shots of his own, but it wasn't enough to earn the round.

In the third round of the clash, we saw Robbie Lawler fire some of the best blows that I've ever seen landed on Johny Hendricks in the UFC. He was able to halt the offense of Hendricks when he rocked him on a few occasions. Hendricks was in trouble for the first time in his UFC career.  There was a moment in which the crowd that was partial to Hendricks during the first two round, began to cheer for Lawler. In the fourth round, Lawler continued to rain down left and right after left and right. Johny Hendricks also came out more composed in the fourth and was able to regain his rhythm  and composure and go blow for blow with Lawler.

When the fourth round was over you knew that the fight even going into the fifth.  Hendricks took the first two rounds and Lawler taking the third and fourth.  Both men came out swinging and standing toe-to-toe.  Both men exchanged blows and didn't back down.  Neither man was willing to let the other man what they had worked so hard for.  The fight was close and hard to call all the way untile Johny Hendricks landed a successful takedown that would inevitably secure the victory.  Had Hendricks not landed the takedown, it would've been a tough round to judge.

No matter who would have won, it couldn't have been a bad decision as both men put forth their best work.  It was an amazing fight that I recommend everyone watch if you missed it.  You will not be disappointed.  It was a battle between two of the best in the UFC's Welterweight Division.

UFC171: Countdown to UFC 171

Below are the two major portions from the UFC's Countdown to UFC 171.  The event features a battle of two great knockout artists Robbie Lawler and Johny Hendricks clashing for the vacant UFC Welterweight Championship.  Also in the co-main event, Carlos Condit faces rapidly rising star Tyron Woodley.  With a win, Carlos Condit has been guaranteed a title shot.

UFC 171: Raquel Pennington Meets Jessica Andrade

TUF 18 Alumni, Raquel Pennington has now be slated to face Jessica Andrade in place of Julianna Pena.  It was reported earlier this week that TUF 18 winner, Julianna Pena has suffered a serious knee injury that has forced her to pull out of her post-TUF debut at UFC 171.  There are mixed messages about how the injury occurred, but Pena will not be fully recovered by UFC 171.  Pennington made it all the way to the semifinals of the Ultimate Fighter Season 18 in the first ever TUF to feature female fighters.

Pennington is an excellent replacement for Pena.  Pennington already has an impressive resume despite only having seven professional fights in MMA.  She has faced top level competition already such as Kim Couture, Sarah Moras, Cat Zingano, Leslie Smith and most recently a victory over WMMA vet and TUF cast mate, Roxanne Modafferi in her UFC debut.  Pennington matches up well with Jessica Andrade.  Before the UFC announced Pennington as Pena's replacement, both Sarah Kaufman and Shana Baszler wanted the fight with Andrade.

Johny Hendricks the New Middleweight Champion??

Despite the fact that Johny Hendricks hasn't fought Robbie Lawler for the vacant UFC Welterweight Championship, he already has his future all planned out.  He plans on winning the vacant title and defending it a few times and then moving up to Middleweight and earning that title and staying there to defend that belt.  Hendricks believes that the weight cut to Middleweight would be a lot better for his body than the cut to 170 lb as he normally walks around at 220 lbs.  He is also interested in a fight with the current 185 lb champ, Chris Weidman.

I'm on the fence about Hendricks moving up in weight.  Hendricks is a large welterweight in terms of natural weight and strength, but Hendricks isn't a large welterweight in terms of height and reach.  I feel that Hendricks would be able to throw more power at middleweight, but the weight cut hasn't been a negative in his performance.  He went five rounds with the champ at a high pace with grappling and striking.  He has figured out a way to make the cut and to make it work without losing explosiveness and cardio.  I would love a fight with Weidman at some point, but I don't want him to stay at middleweight as I feel he wouldn't stand a chance at some of the UFC's large Middleweights that are 6'4" while Hendricks stands at 5'9".  I think right now he should worry about getting through a hungry Robbie Lawler in Dallas at UFC 171.

Woodley Gets Fight w/ Condit

After UFC President, Dana White, stated that they were still seeking another opponent for Carlos Condit, the organizarion has found that man.  Dana White and the UFC have decided to put Tyron Woodley in the cage opposite Condit.  Woodley had been begging White for a fight with Condit and Dana White said that that fight would not happen and that both men would be facing other opponents. The fight will be added to the same card as the fight for the vacant UFC Welterweight title in Dallas at UFC new 171.

Diaz Turns Down Condit Rematch

It has been reported that UFC President, Dana White, has offered a fight that one would assume that Diaz could not refuse, but he did.  Back at UFC 143 in February 2012, the UFC decided to put together a Welterweight fight for the Interim UFC Welterweight Championship in Georges St-Pierre's absence due to injury.

Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit were placed in opposite sides of the Octagon to fight for this title.  Carlos Condit easily out-scored Diaz in a five round MMA fight that was simply a kick boxing fight inside of a cage.  There was not a moment that one of them was truly in danger of the other, but it was inarguably a win for Condit.  Full fight link here courtesy of Carlos Condit's YouTube Channel.  If you watched the fight already then you know that this was one of Diaz's first retirements after he felt that he won the fight.  Any man in their right mind would want to avenge a loss that they felt that they had won, but not Nick Diaz folks.  Diaz was offered a rematch against Condit at UFC 171, but Nick Diaz declined to take the fight.

I think that if this fight were to occur a second time in their current states that it would be another Condit victory, but with a more aggressive Condit than before.  What are your thoughts on the rematch if it were to occur?

GSP's Announcement and it's Effects

Today GSP held a press conference today to announce his future place in the UFC.  Georges "Rush" St-Pierre announced today that he will be stepping down as the UFC's Welterweight Champion and taking some much needed time off from the sport.  He is not retiring and does plan on coming back to the UFC.  With the title being vacated, the UFC has decided to let Johny Hendricks square off with Robbie Lawler to decide the next champion at UFC 171.  The UFC has moved the 205 lb title fight between Jones and Teixeira to UFC 172.  What are your thoughts on the announcements?

UFC 171: Hector Lombard and Jake Shields Set to FIght

It has been announced that two former middleweight champs have been booked to fight each other at UFC 171 in March.  The UFC has announced that former Bellator Middleweight Champion Hector Lombard will be squaring off with former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Jake Shields.  Though both men are former middleweight champions, this fight will take place in the UFC's Welterweight Division where Shields once challenged GSP for the title.

After going 1-2 in the UFC's Middleweight Division, Hector Lombard made his welterweight debut in a contest against Nate Marquardt in which he KO'd Marquardt in the first round.  Shields is coming off of two straight split decision victories over Tyron Woodley and Demian Maia.

This fight joins the UFC Light Heavyweight title fight between the Champ Jon Jones and Glover Teixeia.  Plus another fight at 205 between Thiago Silva and Ovince St. Preux plus TUF 17 alumni Tor Troeng and Bubba McDaniel.

UFC 171 to Be Headlined by Jones-Teixeira

After a hard-fought title defense against Alexander Gustafsson, UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, Jon Jones, is finally ready to put his title on the line in the highly anticipated clash between he and Glover Teixeira. The match was originally targeted for February, but Jones didn't feel physically ready for the fight. Now the UFC has dound a date for the champ and that date is March 15th in Dallas. This will be Jones' seventh title defense.