Johny Hendricks Believes He Should Have Gotten the Title Shot Instead of Carlos Condit

Former welterweight champion Johny Hendricks felt slighted when the UFC opted to line champion Robbie Lawler up against fourth-ranked Carlos Condit at UFC 193 instead of him.

“You know what, realistically it’s not the first time [I’ve been passed over]. You know what I’m saying? Yeah you’re a little upset, but realistically you just look at it and say man, it is what it is,” the top-ranked 170-pound contender recently told Submission Radio.

Hendricks and Lawler have fought twice before, each winning one. Hendricks is ranked as the top contender in the UFC’s official rankings.

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“I understand rankings. And there’s a place for them. Now it would be different if I was 0-2 against Robbie. If I was 0-2, then you sit there and say ‘okay, how do I get back to being number one’, or I’ve got to hope that somebody beats him. If somebody beats him, then I can go back into another title fight. But this is 1 and 1. I just feel like no matter what it was, nobody should have jumped me,” he said.

While not getting a title shot was a disappointment, Hendricks remained positive and knows what he has to do to ensure that he can’t be denied another title fight.

“Get one more win and move forward,” said the 31-year-old former champion. “You just sit there and start beating everybody until there are no more number one contenders except for me.”

As much as Hendricks desires another crack at the belt, he refuses to talk trash in order to get one.

“Here’s what I’ve learned, do not try to think too much. Do not try to think too much. Do your job. And my job is to fight. And the way that I look at it and the way that I’m thinking of it is that sometimes you’ve got to take it in your own hands,” he said.

“But I’m never going to talk trash or call somebody something or do anything to get a fight. I mean I have kids. I’ve done so good so far letting my fighting do the talking. And if that’s what I have to do to get a fight [talking trash], then I’m not going to do it,” added Hendricks.

“I’m just going to keep beating people and beating people and beating people until there is no one left.”