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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Johny Hendricks did just about everything in his power to defeat Georges St-Pierre at UFC 167, and in the eyes of most that's just what he did. Unfortunately for him, the decision went to St-Pierre, but a reasonably upset Hendricks isn't letting the opinions of two judges take away what he feels he did.
"I am the champion," Hendricks said at the post-fight press conference. "I out jabbed him, I out struck him, I out wrestled him, I did everything to win the fight except for those two judges that didn't give it to me. I didn't prove it to them, that won't happen again, I'm gonna come back stronger, I'm gonna come back faster and I'm gonna bust my butt to get that belt."
"You know it sucks right now that the belt is not sitting right here, but it is what it is like I said, I'm gonna come back. That's nothing, a little mild stump. I just beat the pound for pound best fighter in the world, you know what I mean? Like just look at him and look at me. You know what I mean, my hands are busted up from hitting him in the face you know and the belts not here, it sucks but I promise you that belt will be mine."
Hendricks reiterated his comments about St-Pierre potentially walking away, making it clear he's already done his job against GSP, he just wants the belt.
"Dude I don't care about Georges. That's what I said from the very get go, I beat him anyway, okay?" Hendricks said. "I just want the belt. That's all I want, that UFC belt right here in front of me. That's the only thing that's pushing me, that's the only thing that's motivating me, I don't care about who has it, who doesn't, I need to get that, and that's really my drive and I thought I got it tonight, but I guess I didn't."
"You know that was my first five round fight. I thought I did excellent, but you know there's a lot of things I can pull from this fight, you know what I mean? I'm only gonna get better, that was my first five round fight, I took it to the champ and it didn't go my way to the judges but guess what, I'm gonna come back, this happened to me before and I'm gonna be better, and that belt will be around my waist."
Hendricks took some criticism from Dana White at the press conference after saying he was only hitting St-Pierre at 70% early in the fight. White said had he gone 100% they might not have been in that position after the event.
"Well, yes, yes. Thank you Dana White. Ouch," Hendricks responded. "But you know what, here's the thing, I knew that was my first five round fight and everybody's questioning is my cardio gonna be enough, right? So I went out strong and I thought I did everything I could to win. You know 70%, I was rockin' him, I was hurtin' him, I was doin' it and there were some shots that I threw a little bit harder that were hittin' his gloves, he was doing great defense, take nothing away from Georges St-Pierre he did an excellent job, just not tonight."
Penick's Analysis: This is a learning experience now for Hendricks, who will almost assuredly come back much stronger in what will be a rematch with St-Pierre. I think most thinking about it at this stage believe he'll win the rematch given how that first fight went, and seeing St-Pierre declining, albeit slightly, before our eyes. He's got to keep his focus on leaving nothing to question, because if he can't stop St-Pierre, he'll need to be even more convincing in three, four, or all five rounds to leave even less doubt this time around.
Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_19287.shtml
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