Bigg Rigg rejigs outlook ‘because I see an end’
In less than two weeks, we’ll meet the new Johny Hendricks.
This version, call it Bigg Rigg 2.0, will have many of the same attributes — a heavy left hand, a willingness to throw down and elite wrestling skills — as those that made the previous one the UFC welterweight champion.
But there will be one big difference in the mental approach to the fight game Hendricks is taking these days, a switch the 32-yearold Oklahoman hopes will take him back to the top of the division.
He wants to shed all the whatifs that would rattle around his head between fights.
“I’m to the point where I want to enjoy the ride,” Hendricks told Postmedia last week. “I got too caught up in everything instead of sitting here saying it’s time to stay focused on the task at hand and also enjoy it. … I used to enjoy fighting. I’ve got to get back that.” Simple, no? Hendricks wants to make the journey, not the destination, the important thing. He has three fights left on his UFC contract, including his meeting with Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 200 July 9 in Las Vegas, and will evaluate his place in the division during that time.
Retirement? Sure, that’s a possibility. Hendricks, ranked sixth in the weight class, is too proud to stick around and be another exchamp used by up-and-coming fighters to build a reputation.
But depending on what happens in his next two fights, a title shot could be waiting for him.
“I told my wife ... ‘Let’s see where the good Lord puts me after those three,’ ” Hendricks said. “If I win my next two, I’ll get a title shot. They can’t keep me from a title shot at that point, right? That’s sort of where my head is at. If it’s lose-lose, then it’s time to pack it up and say I’m over it.
“I’m not going to sit here and be a stepping stone for somebody, I’m just going to move forward. That’s where my head is at, and that’s actually clarified a lot for me. I think it’s making me train better because I see an end.”
Until the end actually comes, Hendricks is going to do everything in his power to prevent the decline in skills that goes with advancing age. He hired nutritionist Louis Giordano early this year to help him manage his body better and deal with his weight cut, which has always been pretty extreme.
Hendricks had to pull out of his fight with Tyron Woodley at UFC 192 when he got so dehydrated “my organs could have dried up” and he got an intestinal blockage.
“I know how to cut weight; I know how to lean up,” the former NCAA wrestling champion said. “I’ve done it all my life. Now I’m at a different point in my career, I’m not 22 or 25 or 28 anymore, I’m 32. Now I have to do it the right way, and it will further my career. The thing with me now is trying to further my career.”
Next up for Hendricks (17-4) is a crucial fight with Gastelum (11-2), a 24-year-old former TUF winner who has beaten UFC veterans Rick Story, Jake Ellenberger and Nate Marquardt during his climb to No. 12 in the welterweight rankings.
Hendricks isn’t worried about how a loss would affect his legacy. The father of four would prefer to be remembered for what he has done outside the octagon.
“My legacy has always been what would people say about me,” he said. “If they meet my kid, what are they going to say? That’s the difference between my legacy and everyone else’s. I think (people) are saying I’m a genuinely nice person, and that’s what I want. What I’ve tried to do this whole time is lead by example.”