Johny Hendricks facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Johny Hendricks
Hendricks in 2017
Born	(1983-09-12) September 12, 1983 (age 41) Ada, Oklahoma, U.S.
Other names	Bigg Rigg
Height	5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight	185 lb (84 kg)
Division	Welterweight (2007–2016) Middleweight (2017–2018)
Reach	69 in (175 cm)
Style	Wrestling
Stance	Southpaw
Fighting out of	Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
Team	Team Takedown Jackson Wink MMA Academy
Rank	Purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Wrestling	NCAA Division I Wrestling
Years active	2007–2018 (MMA)
Mixed martial arts record
Total	26
Wins	18
By knockout	8
By submission	1
By decision	9
Losses	8
By knockout	3
By decision	5
University	Oklahoma State University
Medal record Collegiate Wrestling Representing the Oklahoma State Cowboys NCAA Division I Championships Gold 2005 St. Louis 165 lb Gold 2006 Oklahoma City 165 lb Silver 2007 Auburn Hills 165 lb Big 12 Championships Gold 2005 Omaha 165 lb Gold 2006 Ames 165 lb Gold 2007 Columbia 165 lb Silver 2004 Ames 157 lb

Johny Hendricks, born on September 12, 1983, is a former American mixed martial artist and college wrestler. He competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He was once the UFC Welterweight Champion, which is a title for fighters in a specific weight class.

Early Life and Wrestling Career

Johny Hendricks grew up in Ada, Oklahoma. He was an amazing wrestler in high school. He won three state championships in Oklahoma. He also won two national high school championships. His final high school wrestling record was very impressive: 101 wins and only 5 losses.

After high school, Johny went to Oklahoma State University (OSU). In 2004, he finished 5th in the nation in his weight class. For the next three years, he moved up to a heavier weight. He won the Big 12 Conference titles and two NCAA Division I national championships in 2005 and 2006.

In 2007, he had a perfect record of 34 wins and no losses before the national championship final. However, he lost that final match and finished 2nd. Johny was a four-time All-American at OSU. He ended his college wrestling career with a record of 159 wins and 13 losses.

Mixed Martial Arts Journey

After college, Johny Hendricks decided to try mixed martial arts (MMA). This sport combines different fighting styles. He moved to Las Vegas to train. Later, he joined Team Takedown in Texas. This team helps fighters with their training and careers.

Starting in MMA

Johny had his first professional MMA fight in September 2007. He won by TKO (Technical Knockout) in the third round. A TKO happens when the referee stops the fight because one fighter can't defend themselves well. He won two more fights in 2007 and 2008.

World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC)

Johny then signed with World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC). This was another big MMA organization. He won two fights there. One was against Justin Haskins in December 2008. The other was against Alex Serdyukov in March 2009. After this, WEC decided to focus on lighter fighters. So, Johny had to find a new place to fight.

Joining the UFC

In 2009, Johny Hendricks joined the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). This is the biggest MMA organization in the world.

His first UFC fight was in August 2009 against Amir Sadollah. Johny won very quickly, knocking Sadollah down in just 29 seconds. Some people thought the fight was stopped too early, but the referee said Sadollah was not able to continue safely.

Johny continued to win his next fights in the UFC. He defeated Ricardo Funch and T. J. Grant by decision. A "decision" means the judges decide who won based on points. He also beat Charlie Brenneman by TKO.

First UFC Loss and Comeback

In December 2010, Johny faced Rick Story. This was his first loss in the UFC, decided by the judges. But Johny didn't give up!

He started a winning streak. He beat TJ Waldburger by TKO and earned a "Knockout of the Night" bonus. This bonus is given for the best knockout performance. He then won against Mike Pierce.

In December 2011, Johny fought Jon Fitch. He knocked Fitch out in just 12 seconds! This was a huge win and earned him another "Knockout of the Night" bonus. He continued his winning streak by beating Josh Koscheck and Martin Kampmann. His knockout of Kampmann was very fast, only 46 seconds, earning him another bonus.

Fighting for the Welterweight Title

Johny's impressive wins led him to a title shot. In March 2013, he beat Carlos Condit in a tough fight. Both fighters earned "Fight of the Night" honors for their exciting performance.

This win meant Johny would fight for the UFC Welterweight Championship. In November 2013, he faced the champion, Georges St-Pierre. It was a very close and exciting fight. Many people, including the UFC president, thought Johny won. However, the judges gave the win to St-Pierre by a "split decision." This means some judges thought Johny won, and others thought St-Pierre won.

Soon after, Georges St-Pierre took a break from fighting. This meant the championship belt was empty. Johny Hendricks got another chance to fight for the title. In March 2014, he fought Robbie Lawler for the vacant championship. It was another back-and-forth battle. Johny won by unanimous decision, becoming the new UFC Welterweight Champion! This fight also earned him a "Fight of the Night" bonus.

Losing the Title and Later Fights

Johny had to defend his title against Robbie Lawler again in December 2014. After a strong start, Johny lost the fight by split decision. He lost his championship belt.

After losing the title, Johny continued to fight. He beat Matt Brown in March 2015. However, he started having trouble making the weight limit for the welterweight division. He even had to cancel a fight because of health issues related to weight cutting.

In February 2016, he lost to Stephen Thompson by TKO. This was the first time Johny had been stopped in an MMA fight. He then lost two more fights by decision. Because of his struggles with weight, Johny decided to move up to a heavier weight class: middleweight.

Middleweight Division

Johny's first fight in the middleweight division was in February 2017 against Héctor Lombard. He won this fight by unanimous decision. However, he missed weight again for his next fight against Tim Boetsch. He lost that fight by TKO. His last UFC fight was in November 2017 against Paulo Costa, which he also lost by TKO.

In June 2018, Johny Hendricks announced he was retiring from professional mixed martial arts. He decided to focus on coaching wrestling instead.

Bare Knuckle Boxing

A few months after retiring from MMA, Johny tried a new sport: bare knuckle boxing. This is boxing without gloves. His first fight was in November 2018 against Dakota Cochrane. Johny lost this fight by knockout in the second round.

Personal Life

Johny Hendricks is married to Christina, and they have four children. He has been sponsored by Reebok, a well-known sports brand.

His nickname, 'Bigg Rigg', came from his jiu-jitsu coach. The coach said Johny hit like a Mack truck. Johny also owned a large Ford F350 truck, which fit the nickname.

Johny is part German, Dutch, and Native American. He is a member of the Otoe–Missouria Tribe of Indians. His great-great-grandfather was even a tribal chief!

After retiring from fighting, Johny Hendricks started a new career. He became a police officer in Texas.

Championships and Achievements

Johny Hendricks achieved a lot in both wrestling and mixed martial arts.

Collegiate Wrestling

• He was a four-time NCAA Division I All-American at Oklahoma State University.
• He won the NCAA Division I 165 lb Championship twice (2005, 2006).
• He won the Big 12 Conference Championship three times (2005, 2006, 2007).

Mixed Martial Arts

• He was the UFC Welterweight Champion one time.
• He earned "Knockout of the Night" bonuses three times in the UFC.
• He earned "Fight of the Night" bonuses three times in the UFC.
• He was recognized for having some of the best fights and knockouts by UFC.com and other MMA news sites.

See also

In Spanish: Johny Hendricks para niños