UFC 171’s Johny Hendricks: ‘There’s A Lot Riding On This Fight’

On Saturday, March 15, the UFC will host UFC 171: Hendricks vs. Lawler from the American Airlines Center in Dallas.

In the main event, the promotion’s vacant welterweight championship will be on the line as Johny Hendricks battles Robbie Lawler. Hendricks is looking to claim gold after falling short against previous title holder Georges St-Pierre at UFC 167 in November. The loss snapped a six-fight winning streak for the former national champion wrestler. Lawler, meanwhile, has ascended the 170-pound ladder with three straight wins since returning to the promotion after stints with Strikeforce and EliteXC.

The co-main event will feature former interim champion Carlos Condit against former Strikeforce title challenger Tyron Woodley in a fight that could determine who will be the first to challenge the Hendricks-Lawler winner.

Also on the main card, former Strikeforce title holder Jake Shields faces off with former Bellator kingpin Hector Lombard, lightweight Diego Sanchez faces unbeaten Myles Jury, and light heavyweights Nikita Krylov and Ovince St. Preux square off.

The 13-fight event will kick off Saturday at 6 p.m. ET with four fights streaming on the promotion’s digital network, UFC Fight Pass. Four additional preliminary bout follow on Fox Sports 2 at 8 p.m. ET, with the pay-per-view main card airing live at 10 p.m. ET.

Above is a video interview with Hendricks, who discusses the title fight with Lawler.