Johny Hendricks - GSP loss was a 'blessing'

One might not expect a knockout artist to be so bright and cheery. Yet, the key to Johny Hendricks psychologically getting over a controversial decision loss to Georges St. Pierre last year was the welterweight's positive attitude that is just as much a trademark of his as his wrestling skills or powerful punching.

According to his nutrition coach and former UFC fighter Mike Dolce, Hendricks has a special mindset that doesn't allot him to stay down for too long. As Hendricks heads into another championship fight this Saturday at UFC 171, this time against Robbie Lawler for the vacant welterweight world title, he's doing so with a smile on his face.

"For Johny, [disappointment] lights a fire," Dolce recently told USA Today.

"He's a two-time, division I national champion wrestler. You don't get there without having a different type of mentality. Johny certainly has that so, when he walked out of that Octagon vs. GSP, Johny had his head up the whole time. He was rust rated that he didn't get the gold belt around his waist but in the locker room, in the back, he was cheering up his coaches. Johny was all smiles and high fives. And when we woke up the next day, it felt as if we were waking up after a victory performance."

For his part, Hendricks was shocked that he was able to stay composed and classy after the judges scored the fight for St. Pierre last fall despite the former wrestler appearing to have controlled almost every round with striking and wrestling.

"Man, the good Lord," Hendricks told USA Today in regards to how he kept it together and stayed positive.

"Man, I prayed about it. I think a lot of my fans did, too. Because, realistically, I thought I was going to flip out. I really did. Whenever Joe grabbed that mic to me, man, I thought I was just going to go on a rampage. But something came over me, man. It was just like, 'boom.' Stay calm. You know? It wasn't our moment. And, look, in return, I get to fight here in Dallas...it turned out to be a blessing."

Hendricks takes Lawler on Saturday from his home town of Dallas at UFC 171 on pay per view.

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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/johny-hendricks---gsp-loss-was-a--blessing-171834554.html

Marcus Davis  Tony DeSouza  Edwin Dewees  Nick Diaz 

Johny Hendricks coach explains weight mishap

UFC welterweight contender Johny Hendricks reportedly walks around in between fights near 220 pounds (fifty pounds over the 170 pound welterweight limit) but that's alright because he has a personal nutrition/weight coach and a really, really expensive scale that he carries around with him. Well, maybe not.

Despite those pricey assets, Hendricks struggled to make weight Friday for his UFC 171 title fight against Robbie Lawler in Dallas tonight. Hendricks initially missed weight by 1.5 pounds, weighing in at 171.5 pounds, before hitting the mark an hour and a half later.

Hendricks' nutrition coach, former UFC fighter Mike Dolce, explained the problems that went down leading up to weigh-ins for Hendricks to MMA Junkie.

According to nutrition guru Mike Dolce, Johny Hendricks carries around a $1,500 scale that?s calibrated on fight week to exactly match a UFC scale used to keep fighters on weight. Dolce believes that spendy item went a little haywire the night prior to and day of Hendricks? biggest fight, and he blames Dallas locals for making it that way.

'We had gone to a local gym to do some weight cutting in the hot tub during fight week..Unfortunately, while we were in the hot tub, and the scale was unattended, attendees of the gym were hopping on and off of it. We think the scale might have been damaged because the weight started reading inconsistently.

'At one point, he was 171.8 [pounds] before he went into the bathtub, and we did a 20-minute in the bathtub, where we?ll lose [sixth-tenths of a pound] to a pound in that time...I?m sitting with him, and he?s sweating profusely. We go back and we step on, and it says he gained [two-tenths of an ounce] in that session. That was when he said, ?[Expletive]. This scale is off.? That was probably going to be our last one or two sessions of the day.'

Dolce said Hendricks was 174 pounds on that Thursday night at the local gym. He said the scale, a Tanita brand device which the fighter 'travels the world with in a very secure lockbox,' was working fine earlier today when Hendricks checked his weight. But as the day progressed, he said, its readings grew more inconsistent. To complicate matters, Dolce said, the entire weight-cutting process was delayed so Hendricks could attend a 2 p.m. 'medical meeting' that changed their planned schedule.

Yeah, so, Hendricks' team spent over a grand on a scale, carry it in under lock and key while traveling around the world with it, but once they took it out, they paid such little mind to it that random gym-goers were able to jump up and down on it and break it? We're guessing that next time, they'll pay better attention to that investment.

Mishaps or none, the heavy Hendricks clearly suffered to make weight this time around, as evidenced by his uncontrollable shaking while on the scale Friday. It is impossible to know for certain how that struggle may or may not affect his health and endurance during the fight tonight against Lawler.

Hendricks has not missed weight in the past and appeared to have excellent conditioning throughout his entire five-round fight against Georges St. Pierre. Do you think Hendricks will have recovered by main event time tonight at UFC 171?

Let us know in the comments section.

Follow Elias on Twitter @EliasCepeda & @YahooCagewriter

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/johny-hendricks-coach-explains-weight-mishap-163549471.html

Terrance Aflague Yoshihiro Akiyama  Gilbert Aldana  Jose Aldo 

Renan Barao looks to return in summer, eyes Raphael Assuncao

UFC men's bantamweight champion Renan Barao wants to get back into action by this summer, according to a new interview. The champ last fought and won via TKO in February in his rematch with Urijah Faber.

?I think I?d probably like to fight at the end of June, early July,? Barao told MMA Junkie.

?Starting June, I?ll be ready to fight and keep this belt.?

As for who he'll face when he steps back into the Octagon, Barao believes that his countryman Raphael Assuncao should get the title shot.

?I think Raphael Assuncao is probably the top contender right now,? Barao went on.

?He?s been working hard for this, and he should get his shot. He?s coming off six wins, and he?s beat many guys. He deserves this. But whoever the UFC puts there, I?m prepared to go out there and do my best.?

Assuncao has won six fights in a row. Barao has, not lost since his first pro fight, in 2005.

The champion is currently on a 32 fight win streak. Who do you think would take a Barao vs. Assuncao bout?

Let us know in the comments section.

Follow Elias on Twitter @EliasCepeda & @YahooCagewriter

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/renan-barao-looks-to-return-in-summer--eyes-raphael-assuncao-164409095.html

Ed Herman Heath Herring Branden Lee Hinkle Tank Abbott

TUF Nations Episode 11 Preview

Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/TUF-Nations-Episode-11-Preview

Cyril Abidi  Daniel Acacio Bernard Ackah  Terrance Aflague

MMA Training Gear

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Source: http://www.ufcrundown.com/blog/mma-training-gear/

Murilo Bustamante  Grant Campbell  Gesias JZ Calvancante  Luiz Cane 

Thiago Santos Stuns Ronny Markes At UFC FN 38

Thiago Santos didn’t seem phased by the weight or home-Octagon advantage that Ronny Markes held Sunday night at UFC Fight Night 38. Behind a devastating liver kick, Santos earned his initial UFC victory and stunned the Natal, Brazil crowd by finishing Markes. “At first, I did not notice how hurt he was,” Santos said. “He […]

The post Thiago Santos Stuns Ronny Markes At UFC FN 38 appeared first on Five Ounces of Pain.

Source: http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2014/03/24/thiago-santos-stuns-ronny-markes-at-ufc-fn-38/

Zelg Benkei Galesic Mauro Galvao Arman Gambaryan Manvel Gamburyan

Anderson Silva now willing to fight friends, teammates

Anderson Silva always said that he would never fight teammates and friends like Lyoto Machida and Rondaldo "Jacare" Souza. Now, the former middleweight king has changed his tune.

"I always said I wouldn?t fight teammates, but it?s not mutual," Silva told TV show "Altas Horas" in Brazil, according to a report from Guilherme Cruz.

Indeed, when pressed, Machida didn't rule out fighting his friend Silva one day in the future. "The Spider" says that the principle of not fighting teammates is an important one to him but since it evidently one that is reciprocated, he is now willing to fight "The Dragon" or "Jacare."

"We take that very seriously at Team Nogueira, but Lyoto is not from Team Nogueira, neither is ?Jacare?, so it?s a little vague. In every interview they gave, they said they would fight [me], so I can?t be any different," the former middleweight champ said.

"I don?t plan to fight any friend of mine, especially Lyoto, but if I earn a title shot in the future and we have to fight each other, we will."

Machida doesn't seem to have any problem knocking out training partners and friends, as he did to Mark Munoz last year. For his part, Silva is still in the early stages of his recovery from the horrific leg injuries he sustained against Chris Weidman at UFC 168 in late 2013.

Silva is resigned to the fact that he won't fight again this year, but has consistently been making improvements and ratcheting up his training post-surgery, and is confident that he will return to action.

Follow Elias on Twitter @EliasCepeda & @YahooCagewriter

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/anderson-silva-now-willing-to-fight-friends--teammates-224659551.html

Dan Bobish Vagam Bodjukyan Kotetsu Boku  Tony Bonello