Countdown to Ufc 171 - Johny hendricks vs. robbie lawler

Hendricks: GSP HAD WHAT I WANTED. Man: STILL! Hendricks: I WANTED WHAT HE CARRIED AROUND TO EVERY PRESS CONFERENCE, EVERY FIGHT. THAT'S WHAT I JUST EARNED, BUT IT WAS TAKEN AWAY FROM ME. I SWEAR TO GOD THAT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN. St-Pierre: I HAVE TO STEP AWAY FOR A BIT. WE'RE LIKE, "OH, MAN. WHO CAN WE FIGHT NEXT?" I WENT THROUGH THE UPS AND DOWNS. I'VE HAD A LOT OF CHAMPIONS AROUND ME. I'VE SEEN WHAT IT'S LIKE. AND I'M READY. Narrator: JOHNY HENDRICKS WILL GET ANOTHER SHOT AT GOLD AS HE TAKES ON ROBBIE LAWLER FOR THE VACANT WELTERWEIGHT BELT. FORMER UFC INTERIM CHAMP CARLOS CONDIT WILL FIGHT TWO-TIME ALL-AMERICAN WRESTLER TYRON WOODLEY. AND SEVEN-TIME FIGHT OF THE NIGHT WINNER DIEGO SANCHEZ WILL THROW DOWN WITH UNDEFEATED RISING STAR MYLES JURY. THIS IS "COUNTDOWN TO UFC 171." Announcer: THIS IS THE MOMENT UFC FANS AROUND THE WORLD HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR. FIVE ROUNDS FOR THE UNDISPUTED UFC WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE WORLD. Rogan: A GUY THAT'S AS DOMINANT AS GEORGES ST-PIERRE IS FOR SO LONG, THERE'S ALWAYS THE QUESTION -- HOW LONG CAN HE KEEP THIS UP, AND WHO'S GONNA BE THE GUY THAT STOPS HIM? WHEN YOU LOOK AT A GUY LIKE JOHNY HENDRICKS, HE HAS ALL THE SKILLS YOU'RE LOOKING FOR TO DETHRONE A GREAT CHAMPION LIKE GEORGES ST-PIERRE. White: CAN HE TAKE GEORGES ST-PIERRE DOWN? CAN HE STOP GEORGES ST-PIERRE FROM TAKING HIM DOWN? AND DOES THIS TURN INTO A ***-FEST? HE TOUCHES GUYS AND THEY GO FLYING LIKE HE'S GOT MAGIC IN HIS HANDS. IT'S TIME! ARE YOU READY? LET'S GO. COME ON. AND HERE WE GO! OH! HARD SHOT BY HENDRICKS. VERY HARD SHOTS. HARD KNEE BY JOHNY HENDRICKS. HE'S LANDING THESE KNEES OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN. JOHNY HENDRICKS HAD A FANTASTIC FIGHT WITH GEORGES ST-PIERRE. TAKEDOWN. GOOD COUNTER BY HENDRICKS. SO FAR, HENDRICKS, THE LEADER IN SIGNIFICANT STRIKES LANDED. THERE'S ANOTHER STRAIGHT LEFT. GEORGES ST-PIERRE HAS GOT TO BE IN DESPERATION MODE AT THIS POINT. IT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TIMES THAT WE'VE REALLY SEEN GEORGES ST-PIERRE TESTED. OH, COUNTER AGAIN WITH THE LEFT, JOE. HE HIT HIM WITH A HARD LEFT UPPERCUT. GEORGES IS IN TROUBLE. HE'S WOBBLY. ANOTHER ONE. OH, MY GOODNESS! GEORGES IS IN BIG, BIG TROUBLE HERE, MIKE. HE PUT ONE OF THE BIGGEST BEATINGS ON GEORGES ST-PIERRE WE'VE EVER SEEN. GEORGES HAS NEVER BEEN TAKEN DOWN THREE TIMES IN ONE FIGHT. HENDRICKS HAS TAKEN HIM DOWN TWICE. HE BEAT HIM UP. HE MADE HIM LOOK BAD AT TIMES. LOOK AT THIS. HE OUTMUSCLED HIM. HENDRICKS IS STRONG. HE DID EVERYTHING HE NEEDED TO DO. HE IS BUSTED UP BIG-TIME. AND HENDRICKS BARELY HAS A MARK ON HIS FACE. I THINK WE MAY HAVE A NEW WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION. AND STILL THE UNDISPUTED UFC... Stets: HENDRICKS IS CRUSHED. Announcer: ...WELTERWEIGHT... Stets: CROWD WAS BOOING. Announcer: ...CHAMPION OF THE WORLD... PEOPLE WERE JUST SHOCKED. Announcer: ...GEORGE "RUSH"... IT WAS A FIGHT THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE FELT JOHNY HENDRICKS WON. THE PEOPLE WHO REALLY MATTER, THE JUDGES, SAID THAT GEORGES ST-PIERRE WON. Hendricks: I WANT THAT BELT. THAT'S WHAT I JUST EARNED, BUT IT WAS TAKEN AWAY FROM ME. I SWEAR TO GOD THAT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN. I WAS LIKE, "YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING ME." THAT WAS THE WORST HE'S EVER LOOKED AFTER A FIGHT. YOU'RE GOING, "MAN, THAT'S THE CHAMP. "THAT'S THE GUY WHO STILL HOLDS THE BELT, "AND I'M PERFECTLY FINE. I COULD FIGHT THE NEXT DAY IF I HAD TO." I HAVE TO STEP AWAY FOR A BIT, AND THAT'S ALL I CAN SAY RIGHT NOW. I HAVE SO MUCH STRESS, SO MUCH STUFF GOING ON IN MY LIFE. I LEFT EVERYTHING I HAD. LIKE, I LEFT IT ALL IN THE OCTAGON. I'VE BEEN FIGHTING FOR A LONG TIME. I HAVE 22 FIGHTS IN THE UFC. 15 OF MY FIGHTS IS FOR WORLD TITLES. IT'S A LOT OF PRESSURE, A LOT OF CRITICISM. ONE DAY, YOU KNOW, WHEN I FEEL LIKE IT, I MIGHT COME BACK. BUT RIGHT NOW, I NEED A BREAK. I DID. I GAVE IT ALL. Morgan: NOBODY WANTS TO SEE GEORGES ST-PIERRE WALK AWAY, BUT IT REALLY INVIGORATES THE WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION. ♪ WHOA, WHOA, WHOA-OH ♪ Narrator: UFC 171 WILL FEATURE 4 TOP WELTERWEIGHTS SEEKING TO CAPITALIZE ON GEORGES ST-PIERRE'S DEPARTURE. ♪ WHOA, WHOA, WHOA-OH ♪ ♪ I CAN'T...FAST ♪ ♪ YOU'RE JUST TOO GOOD TO LAST ♪ ♪ YOU'RE ROLLIN' LIKE THUNDER ♪ ♪ ROLL AND TAKE OVER ♪ Condit: THE BELT'S BASICALLY UP FOR GRABS. IT'S A VACANT TITLE. ♪ BAD NEWS TRAVELS FAST ♪ Narrator: PERENNIAL CONTENDER CARLOS CONDIT WILL FACE OFF AGAINST TYRON WOODLEY IN WHAT HAS THE LOOKS OF A NUMBER-ONE CONTENDER BOUT. Woodley: I'VE ALWAYS SAW THAT BELT. I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO HOLD IT, SEE HOW HEAVY IT IS. ♪ 'CAUSE I'M ABOUT TO LAST YOU, AND I AIN'T LOOKIN' AT YOU ♪ ♪ I'M LOOKIN' PAST YOU ♪ Hendricks: I'VE BEEN WRESTLING ALL MY LIFE. I HATED BEING RANKED NUMBER TWO. I WANT TO BE NUMBER ONE BECAUSE I WANT EVERYBODY TO BE COMING AFTER ME. ♪ ROLL AND TAKE OVER ♪ Narrator: JOHNY HENDRICKS WILL GET HIS SECOND CONSECUTIVE SHOT AT GOLD, THIS TIME AGAINST RESURGENT KNOCKOUT ARTIST AND 13-YEAR VETERAN OF THE SPORT ROBBIE LAWLER. ♪ YOU'RE ROLLIN' LIKE THUNDER ♪ Lawler: I PUT MYSELF IN THE SITUATION THAT IF GSP STEPS DOWN, THAT I'M RIGHT THERE AT THE TOP. ♪ BAD NEWS TRAVELS FAST ♪ NOW IT'S MY TIME. Morgan: IT'S CRAZY TO THINK HOW LONG AGO ROBBIE LAWLER STARTED IN THE UFC. I MEAN, IT WAS 12 YEARS AGO AND THE GUY'S ONLY 31 YEARS OLD RIGHT NOW. Man: THIS GUY IS READY TO THROW BOMBS, A K.O. PUNCHER, PHYSICALLY POWERFUL, AND A PRODUCT OF THE MILETICH CAMP. IT'S A REALLY GREAT STORY BECAUSE IT'S A RESURGENCE OF ONE OF THE OLD GUARDS OF MIXED MARTIAL ARTS. THAT GUY CAME UP IN THE MILETICH CAMP AND HE WAS A HIGHLY TOUTED PROSPECT. Rogan: LOOK AT THAT. LOOK AT ROBBIE LAWLER. HOW ABOUT THIS? WHAT IS GOING ON HERE? Man: THIS KID'S CRAZY. Keefer: THE THING EVERYONE ALWAYS NOTICED ABOUT ROBBIE LAWLER FROM THE BEGINNING WAS HIS POWER. OH! BEAUTIFUL RIGHT HAND! HE'S GONE! "RUTHLESS" ROBBIE LAWLER! WHAT A COMBINATION! OH! BIG RIGHT HAND! BIG RIGHT HAND! IT'S OVER! HE HAS 22 CAREER VICTORIES, 18 OF THEM HAVE BEEN BY KNOCKOUT OR T.K.O. OH! OH, MY GOODNESS! HE'S GONE! HE'S GONE! HERB DEAN STEPPING IN! IT'S OVER! AND A COMBINATION BY LAWLER, BEGINNING TO PICK APART -- MURILO "NINJA" RUA ON THE CANVAS. HE DESTROYED GUYS, INSANE HIGHLIGHT-REEL KNOCKOUTS. AND AT 170 POUNDS, HITS ABOUT AS HARD AS ANYBODY ON THE PLANET. PUTTING A GUY LIKE LAWLER IN WHO'S A LIVE, GAME OPPONENT, YOU'RE REALLY GONNA SEE AN EXPLOSIVE STANDUP BATTLE BETWEEN HIM AND HENDRICKS. Keefer: MOST OF IT IS GONNA BE SPENT ON THE FEET, AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT FANS OF THE UFC ARE READY FOR. Rogan: THAT'S THE KIND OF POWER THAT ROBBIE LAWLER BRINGS TO THE OCTAGON. I STARTED DOING MARTIAL ARTS AT 8 YEARS OLD. I STARTED DOING TAE KWON DO. AND THEN I WRESTLED ALL THE TIME. WHEN, I THINK, I WAS A SOPHOMORE IN HIGH SCHOOL, PAT MILETICH BROUGHT SOME FIGHTERS UP TO THE GYM. SO, I'M LIKE, "OKAY, SO THIS IS BOXING, KICKBOXING, "AND WRESTLING AND SUBMISSIONS ALL ROLLED INTO ONE. SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING I WANT TO BE INVOLVED IN." I GO STRAIGHT FROM HIGH SCHOOL, AND I COME IN DURING THE SUMMER AND I SEE MARK COLEMAN THERE TRAINING, GETTING READY FOR HIS PRIDE GRAND PRIX, AND I SEE MATT HUGHES OVER THERE, JENS PULVER. YOU JUST DIVE RIGHT IN AND TRY TO LEARN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. Narrator: ROBBIE LAWLER SHOWED MASSIVE PROMISE DURING HIS INITIAL UFC RUN... ...BUT A PAIR OF LOSSES FORCED HIM OUT OF THE PROMOTION IN 2004. LAWLER THEN FOUGHT FOR SEVEN OTHER PROMOTIONS IN AS MANY YEARS. WHILE HE WON THREE CHAMPIONSHIPS ALONG THE WAY... ...LAWLER ALSO STRUGGLED TO FIGHT WITH CONSISTENCY AND HAD A CHALLENGING ROAD BACK TO THE LARGEST MIXED MARTIAL ARTS PROMOTION IN THE WORLD. BUT AFTER RETURNING TO THE UFC IN 2013, IT SEEMED AS IF LAWLER HAD FINALLY REACHED HIS TRUE POTENTIAL. Lawler: WHEN I WAS OUTSIDE OF THE UFC, THERE WAS A REASON I WAS OUTSIDE OF THE UFC. I WAS EVOLVING MY SKILLS, WORKING ON STUFF. I WASN'T READY FOR THE HUGE SPOTLIGHT. I DIDN'T WANT TO HYPE MYSELF UP. I'M READY TO DO IT NOW. WHEN I GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME BACK IN THE UFC, I WAS VERY EXCITED, AND IT WAS LIKE A WHOLE NEW CAREER GOT STARTED. Rogan: ROBBIE LAWLER AT 170 POUNDS IS A VERY, VERY DANGEROUS AND EXPLOSIVE FIGHTER. Man: HE HAD A NEARLY NINE-YEAR ABSENCE FROM THE OCTAGON. BUT SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE FOUND HIS MATURITY AS A FIGHTER. THE KOSCHECK FIGHT VALIDATED WHO I WAS. NASTY KNEE TO THE BODY BY LAWLER. AND ANOTHER ONE. LAWLER'S ON TOP HERE. OH, BIG PUNCH. OH! LOOKING TO FINISH IT. IT IS ALL OVER! ROBBIE LAWLER VICTORIOUS IN HIS UFC RETURN! WOW. DANA WHITE JUST SAID, "HE'S BACK." NICE FLYING KNEE. HEAD KICK KNOCKOUT! "RUTHLESS" ROBBIE LAWLER! OH, MY! KNOCKS HIM DOWN WITH A COMBINATION! Announcer: "RUTHLESS" ROBBIE LAWLER! A HUGE VICTORY! Narrator: WHILE ROBBIE LAWLER SPENT MUCH OF HIS CAREER TRAINING IN HIS HOME STATE OF IOWA, HIS RESURGENCE CAN PARTIALLY BE ATTRIBUTED TO JOINING ONE OF THE MOST WELL-RESPECTED CAMPS IN MIXED MARTIAL ARTS. DIRECTLY BEFORE HIS COMEBACK AT UFC 157 AGAINST JOSH KOSCHECK, LAWLER BEGAN TRAINING AT AMERICAN TOP TEAM IN COCONUT CREEK, FLORIDA, AND SAW IMMEDIATE SUCCESS. AMERICAN TOP TEAM HAS ALLOWED ME TO GROW AS A FIGHTER. THEY'VE PUSHED ME. EVERYONE'S WILLING TO DO THINGS TO MAKE YOU BETTER, AND IN TURN, YOU MAKE THEM BETTER. 1, 2, 3. All: ATT! NICE WORK. 5, 6, 7, 8. Lawler: I FEEL LIKE WHEN I FIRST STARTED IN THE UFC, THEY WANTED THIS STORY, AND THERE WAS REALLY NO STORY. I WAS JUST A YOUNG KID COMING OUT, TRYING TO FIGHT. WITH THE LONG ROAD I'VE HAD, THERE'S A STORY THERE. IT'S ABOUT FALLING DOWN AND GETTING BACK UP. WHEN I'M FIGHTING JOHNY, I NEED TO HURT HIM -- PLAIN AND SIMPLE. Narrator: EACH FIGHTER HAS HIS OWN WAYS OF DEALING WITH THE BUMPS AND BRUISES OF A LONG TRAINING CAMP... ...SOME MORE UNIQUE THAN OTHERS. OH, GEEZ. Narrator: SEVERAL TIMES PER WEEK, TITLE CONTENDER JOHNY HENDRICKS USES CRYOTHERAPY, A PROCESS WHICH INVOLVES ENTERING A CHAMBER COOLED WITH LIQUID NITROGEN TO TEMPERATURES NEARING MINUS 200 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. Hendricks: I CALL IT THE FREEZING TUBE. WE PUNCH A LOT. YOU KNOW, YOUR HANDS AND STUFF GET SORE. THERE'S A LOT OF TIMES THAT YOU'LL HAVE INJURIES AND ACTUALLY TRAIN THROUGH THEM BECAUSE THAT THING HELPS HEAL THEM FASTER. I'M DONE. TWO TO THREE MINUTES LATER, YOU'RE OUT. WITHIN 20 MINUTES, YOU'RE DETHAWED AND READY TO GO. Wagenheim: JOHNY HENDRICKS CAME UP AS A WRESTLER. HE WAS A TWO-TIME NATIONAL CHAMPION WRESTLER IN COLLEGE. Morgan: HE HAS A WRESTLING BASE THAT'S JUST ABOUT UNMATCHED. I MEAN, THERE'S VERY FEW PEOPLE IN MIXED MARTIAL ARTS THAT CAN SAY THEY HAVE THE TYPE OF COLLEGIATE WRESTLING BACKGROUND THAT JOHNY HENDRICKS DID. SO, HE CAME INTO THE UFC WITH THOSE CREDENTIALS. Hendricks: MY FIRST UFC, UFC 101, I WAS FIGHTING AMIR SADOLLAH. Announcer: THIS FIGHT IS THREE ROUNDS IN THE UFC WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION. HERE WE GO! GOOD UPPERCUTS BY JOHNY HENDRICKS. SADOLLAH'S HURT. OH, NO. JOHNY HENDRICKS! CERTAINLY HE'S GOT THE BACKGROUND IN COLLEGIATE WRESTLING. THAT'S WHERE HE STARTED. BUT HE'S ADDED AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS PUNCHING ARSENAL TO THAT, AS WELL. FITCH AND HENDRICKS -- AND HERE WE GO. OH, MY! JUST LIKE THAT! JOHNY HENDRICKS KNOCKS OUT JON FITCH! Stets: JOHNY HENDRICKS WANTS TO KNOCK YOU OUT. HE MAKES THAT CLEAR. YOU KNOW IT GOING IN. HE'S COMING TO TAKE YOUR HEAD OFF. Erickson: THOSE ONE-PUNCH KNOCKOUTS AGAINST FITCH AND KAMPMANN LET EVERYBODY KNOW, "LOOK. "I'M A GUY WHO CAN REALLY ABSOLUTELY DESTROY YOU WITH ONE PUNCH." AND I THINK THAT'S WHY HE HAD SO MUCH MOMENTUM GOING INTO THE FIGHT AGAINST GSP. I THINK I WON THE FIGHT WITH GEORGES. I RE-WATCHED IT TWICE NOW. I THINK HE WAS LIKE, "IF I WIN THIS FIGHT, I'M DONE." I ACTUALLY TALKED TO DANA. HE CALLED ME AND WAS LIKE, "HEY, GSP's RETIRING "AND YOU'RE GONNA FIGHT ROBBIE LAWLER FOR THE BELT IN DALLAS." IT IS ABOUT THE BELT. IT WASN'T ABOUT GSP. COMING BACK, I'LL GET THAT BELT. IT'S MINE. GSP JUST HAD WHAT I WANTED. ♪ I DON'T NEED IT ♪ ♪ I JUST WANT IT ♪ ♪ DON'T YOU WORRY ABOUT ME ♪ ♪ I'LL FIND MY OWN WAY ♪ ♪ DON'T ASK A QUESTION ♪ ♪ YOU KNOW THE ANSWER ♪ I NEVER REALLY HAD A DOUBT. THIS IS THE WAY IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE -- PLAIN AND SIMPLE. ♪ I'LL FIND MY OWN WAY ♪ ♪ AND DON'T YOU WORRY ABOUT ME ♪ ♪ I'LL FIND MY OWN WAY ♪ EVERY FIGHT IS GONNA BE A FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE. ♪ I'LL FIND MY OWN WAY ♪ Lawler: I'M JUST SO EXCITED TO BE FIGHTING FOR A WORLD TITLE IN THE UFC -- PLAIN AND SIMPLE. YOU GOT A GUY WHO'S BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME, A GUY WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THAT NEVER WAS BUT KEPT GRINDING AND FOUGHT HIS WAY BACK UP TO THE TOP. AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S MY TIME. ♪ DON'T YOU WORRY ABOUT ME ♪ ♪ I'LL FIND MY OWN WAY ♪ Lawler: I NEED TO BE SHARP. I NEED TO BE EXPLOSIVE. AND I NEED TO HURT HIM. Hendricks: THE WAY THAT ME AND ROBBIE FIGHT, IT COULD BE A FIRST-ROUND FIGHT, IT COULD BE A THIRD-ROUND FIGHT, IT COULD END THAT WITH A ***. ♪ I'LL FIND MY OWN WAY ♪