Dana White: Johny Hendricks is next for UFC champ Georges St-Pierre – 'and soon'

NEW YORK – UFC President Dana White doesn’t mind if welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre doesn’t want to move weight classes for a superfight, but the boss said GSP better be ready for a pending matchup with top contender Johny Hendricks.

St-Pierre recently told the “The Joe Rogan Experience” that it’d be easier to move to lightweight, conceivably for a potential fight with champ Benson Henderson, than middleweight, where many fight fans have anticipated a possible showdown with titleholder Anderson Silva.

White, of course, recently has championed for a Silva vs. St-Pierre bout.

Of course, there’s also top welterweight contender Hendricks (15-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC), who’s been chomping at the bit for his long-awaited title shot. When asked what would happen if St-Pierre (24-2 MMA, 18-2 UFC) brushes off the Silva matchup and isn’t into the Hendricks airing, White suggested he should be.

“He’s going to have to get his head into it,” White told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “That’s who he’s going to fight.

“If he doesn’t want to do a superfight, nobody’s going to pressure him to do a superfight. That’s up to him. But Johny Hendricks is next – and soon. He’s next and soon. Soon, soon. Maybe in August.”

White gave no other details for the fight, though he didn’t fully rule out the possibility it could be part of the debut UFC on FOX Sports 1 card in Boston on Aug. 17. However, with St-Pierre reigning as the UFC’s top pay-per-view draw, his future fights are likely to come with a $55 price tag, not on free TV.

Hendricks recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio that if St-Pierre does decide to dabble in other weight classes, he wants him to vacate the title so the division isn’t held up. White, though, previously stated that may not be a requirement.

“I want to fight GSP because I’m a competitor,” Hendricks said. “I want to fight the best guys in my weight class. But also, the belt is more important than GSP, and that’s really what I’m looking at.

“If he wants to go to 185, then by all means, go to 185, and fight Anderson Silva. Yes, it would be a great thing for our sport. But I want the belt. I’d like to fight GSP for it, but if that doesn’t happen, I’m not going to hang my head and say, ‘Oh man, I’m not going to be fighting that guy for the belt.’”

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(Pictured: Georges St-Pierre)