Hendricks needs to shape up or ship out
A move to middleweight was supposed to be a fresh start for Johny Hendricks. Instead, another failed battle with the scale has his UFC career hanging by a thread.
On Saturday, the former welterweight king came in over the 185-pound limit for a co-main event bout opposite Tim Boetsch at UFC Fight Night 112. That's a new low in what has already been a harrowing three years for Hendricks, and if he can't get his diet under control, the UFC has to consider cutting him regardless of if he wins his next fight.
Hendricks spiraled into a 2-3 slump after losing a controversial split decision to Robbie Lawler at UFC 181 which cost him his championship belt. But that losing record doesn't encapsulate just how dramatically Hendricks' fortunes have reversed.
During that five-fight stretch, he missed weight twice and was forced out of a potential No. 1 contender's bout vs. Tyron Woodley when his attempts to beat the scale led to medical complications with his kidneys and intestines. He reluctantly made the move up to middleweight in February, which seemed like a wise decision initially as he managed to outpoint Hector Lombard while supposedly leaving his weight-cutting problems behind him.
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But those woes are back, and in a weight class that allows for 15 more pounds than the previous one Hendricks competed in. Regardless of one's opinion on extreme cutting as a practice, it's obvious that Hendricks only has himself to blame for his struggles with the current process.
He's cited age and the lack of a division between welterweight and middleweight as reasons for his issues, but if he can't even get his 5-foot-9 frame down to 185 pounds, then it's doubtful that any weight in that range will be easy for him to hit until he sorts out his diet, discipline, and dedication.
Not only has Hendricks been unable to replicate his peak performances inside the Octagon, he is now consistently stumbling before he even gets there, and that's something UFC officials and fans have little patience for.
Barring a spectacular knockout that goes viral or a Fight of the Night effort against Boetsch, Hendrick's decline from champion to outcast could reach its logical conclusion this weekend.