Hendricks (photo) will make his first title defense at UFC 181. Photo: Disclosure/UFC
Away from the octagon since March, John hendricks is preparing for a fight for the first time as the UFC welterweight champion, as he faces Robbie Lawler next Saturday (6) in what will be his first title defense. So what has changed since your last fight until now? According to the fighter, nothing.
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The title holder stated that he refuses to see himself as the champion, as this prevents him from feeling comfortable, and that his preparation was carried out as if his title was not at stake. “In all this time I don’t look at myself as a champion. As soon as I signed a contract to fight, the belt was on the line. I don't take my last fight into account. This keeps me motivated. When you start to believe the 'yay wow' that is done to you, it's time to retire”, explained Hendricks, in an interview with the North American newspaper “Las Vegas Review”.
Hendricks highlighted that he tried to stay psychologically focused, since, in the position, it is easy for the fighter to feel more relaxed than usual. “I think when you're the champion, sometimes people say 'yes' to you too much and you end up not pushing yourself the way you used to. Do you think my coach cares who I am? That's what I like. He kept telling me off: 'Get your ass moving and get ready for training.' I still like it,” he stated.
The fight between Hendricks and Lawler will be the main attraction of UFC 181, which will take place in the city of Las Vegas (USA). The fight will not be the only title fight of the night: in the co-main fight, Anthony Pettis defends the lightweight title for the first time against Gilbert Melendez.
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