MMA’s Greats of the States | Oklahoma: Johny Hendricks

Mixed martial artists come from every corner of the globe, bearing a variety of styles. Sometimes, fighters are products of their environment, favoring disciplines prevalent in the country or state from which they hail. Various regions of the United States are considered factories for great fighters, though that certainly is not the case with each state. In this weekly Sherdog.com series, the spotlight will shine on the best mixed martial artist of all-time from each of the 50 states. Fighters do not necessarily need to be born in a given state to represent it; they simply need to be associated with it.

***
In a state known more for its crude oil and natural gas, Johny Hendricks stands head and shoulders above the crowd in mixed martial arts.

A four-time NCAA All-American wrestler and two-time national champion at Oklahoma State University, Hendricks burst on the MMA scene on Sept. 28, 2007, won his first five fights -- two of them in World Extreme Cagefighting -- and arrived in the Ultimate Fighting Championship a little less than two years later. “Bigg Rigg” went 10-1 inside the Octagon before earning a shot at then-welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre at UFC 167 in 2013. Hendricks wound up on the wrong side of a contentious split decision in a bout many felt he won.

When St. Pierre vacated the title and left the sport, Hendricks captured the undisputed UFC welterweight championship by outdueling Robbie Lawler across five rounds in a terrific back-and-forth battle on March 15, 2014. The close nature of the fight prompted an immediate rematch at UFC 181 in Las Vegas. There, Hendricks surrendered the crown to Lawler in another close split decision.

An Ada, Oklahoma, native, Hendricks has since fallen on hard times, his March 2015 victory against Matt Brown overshadowed by consecutive defeats to Stephen Thompson, Kelvin Gastelum and Neil Magny. Nevertheless, the 33-year-old remains the standard by which all other Oklahomans are judged in MMA.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Zac George, Shane Roller, Matt Grice