UFC 141 Fight Card: Why Johny Hendricks Should Not Be Overlooked
When it was announced that Jon Fitch would be meeting Johny Hendricks at UFC 141, the matchup was met with umbrage from fans of the long-time welterweight contender.
Undefeated in his last six fights, Fitch is considered by many to be one of the best 170-pound fighters in the world. As you can imagine, a bout against an opponent who is still working his way up the ladder didn't sit well with some. Some of that anger may be a results of apprehension, though, as Hendricks possesses the tools to mount an upset against the American Kickboxing Academy product.
While Fitch's wrestling has led him to many victories over the years, his pure wrestling ability doesn't match that of Hendricks, who was a two-time NCAA champion at Oklahoma State University. It has been quite a while since Fitch has been forced to stand or fight off of his back for an extended period of time, but both of those situations could arise against a wrestler of Hendricks' caliber.
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While Hendricks is still developing as a striker, he has already displayed knockout power by finishing half of the opponents he has defeated inside the Octagon. If Hendricks lands cleanly, he could become the first fighter to finish Fitch since December 2002.
For the most part, Fitch has had his way with opponents on the ground. In one of the few instances Fitch was out-grappled, he suffered the only loss of his UFC career in a title fight against Georges St-Pierre. While comparing Hendricks to St-Pierre would be absurd at this point, he does present some of the same problems for Fitch.
If Hendricks can turn this fight into a wrestling match, he would have a very good chance of coming away with a victory, which would catapult him into title contention in the welterweight division.
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