UFC 141 Results: Johny Hendricks Emerging as GSP's Biggest Threat at 170

For years, Jon Fitch has steadily built a Hall of Fame-worthy rèsumè in Georges St-Pierre's shadow.

Welterweight contender Johny Hendricks needed only 12 seconds at UFC 141 to land the one-punch knockout that would oust one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport and propel himself into the spotlight as perhaps St-Pierre's biggest threat.

"What did I tell everybody? In every interview I did, I said that I had a left hand," a jubilant Hendricks said in his post-fight interview with UFC commentator Joe Rogan. "I knew if I hit him with it, I could lay him out."

After a few seconds of feeling out his opponent, Hendricks lunged forward with a massive overhand left that sent the perennial No. 2 welterweight crashing to the canvas. There was no coming back for the tenacious Fitch, as Hendricks followed up with one final haymaker to put a stamp on his handiwork.

With the win, Hendricks now finds himself positioned behind Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit for a crack at St-Pierre and the undisputed UFC welterweight title.

Diaz and Condit are deserving contenders and two of the top welterweights in the world, but stylistically, Hendricks could very well be one of the toughest matchups of St-Pierre's career.

While Hendricks doesn't possess the finesse of a BJ Penn, Diaz or Condit in the striking department, he has demonstrated one-punch knockout power and the uncanny ability to stand his ground during exchanges in the pocket.

The most interesting aspect of a St-Pierre and Hendricks matchup lies in the grappling.

St-Pierre has long been considered the best wrestler in all of MMA, but Hendricks, a two-time NCAA Division I champ out of Oklahoma State University, should provide strong resistance against the French Canadian's relentless takedowns.

With that said, the skill gap between St-Pierre and the rest of the division seems to grow wider after each fight. The relatively perpetual 170-pound weight class tends to act as St-Pierre's feeding tube, which consistently spews out new opposition for him to devour.

Does Hendricks have the ability to succeed where others have failed, or would he be just another stepping stone in St-Pierre's bid for all-time greatness?

Regardless of the answer, Hendricks has already done something that both St-Pierre and Penn couldn't do.

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"I just beat the number two-ranked guy. GSP couldn't do it in five rounds. B.J. Penn couldn't do it, love the guy to death, he couldn't do it," said Hendricks at the post-fight press conference.

"I just knocked the number two guy out in 12 seconds. Where does that put me? Hopefully for a title, but if it doesn't, I'm going to have to go out there and prove it again."

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