UFC Boss Dana White Confirms Next Welterweight Title Fight

UFC boss Dana White says Georges St-Pierre vs. Johny Hendricks up next
by John Morgan and Matt Erickson on Mar 17, 2013 at 2:40 am ET

MONTREAL – Johny Hendricks' wait is now over. His next fight will be for the title.

After an impressive "Fight of the Night" win over onetime title challenger Carlos Condit at Saturday's UFC 158 event, Hendricks (15-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) was promised his next fight will be against UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre (24-2 MMA, 18-2 UFC).

"He's the No. 1 contender," White said at the evening's post-event press conference. "Done. No doubt about it. The fight between him and Condit tonight was so sick."

UFC 158, which featured a headliner between Goerges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz, took place Saturday at Montreal's Bell Centre. The evening's main card aired on pay-per-view.

Hendricks' victory over Condit was his sixth straight UFC win, and he's lost just once in 16 professional outings. A two-time NCAA wrestling champion, Hendricks has developed a nasty striking game, as well, and he boasts first-round knockouts of Martin Kampmann and Jon Fitch in his current win streak.

White said there is currently no targeted date for the matchup. St-Pierre, who earned a unanimous-decision win over in the night's main event, said his immediate goal is to take a vacation. Hendricks' also admitted there was concern his left hand may be broken, so the challenger will likely need time to heal before the fight can be booked.

When it does happen, Hendricks wrestling and powerful left hand will be his primary weapons. St-Pierre is widely considered one of the best wrestlers in all of MMA, but Hendricks' pedigree leads him to believe he boasts the skills necessary to upset the longstanding champ.

"I believe I've got better wrestling than him," Hendricks said. "I did it since I was 5. I also go back to Oklahoma State and train all the time. So yeah, I believe I'm a better wrestler. Also, I hit harder than him. That's a proven fact, so I'm just excited for the opportunity. Hopefully I can finish him. That's my goal."