Hendricks says 'GSP' loss a blessing, Dolce reveals locker room attitude

DALLAS – The look of shock on Johny Hendricks‘ face after his controversial loss to Georges St-Pierre at UFC 167 was clear. But after the initial disbelief subsided, an entirely new emotion overtook the welterweight contender.

Surprisingly, Hendricks says the loss may have actually been a blessing, and Mike Dolce – a key figure in the top-ranked 170-pounder’s entourage – said his fighter was able adopt that attitude almost instantly.

“When he walked out of that octagon vs. ‘GSP,’ he had his head up the whole time,” Dolce told USA TODAY Sports. “He was frustrated that he didn’t get the gold belt around his waist, but in the locker room in the back, he was cheering up his coaches. Johny was all smiles and high fives.”

Hendricks (15-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) now meets Robbie Lawler (22-9 MMA, 7-3 UFC) in the headlining bout of Saturday’s UFC 171 event, and with St-Pierre taking a break from the sport, the former champ’s now-vacant title is on the line at Dallas’ American Airlines Center.

To hear how Hendricks immediately put the past behind him, check out the video above.

And for the latest on UFC 171, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.