"Welterweight champion Johny Hendricks is set to make his first title defense, this Saturday, December 6, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, as he faces Robbie Lawler in the main event of UFC 181.
"Returning to action after surgery to repair a torn bicep, Hendricks (16-2, 11-2 UFC) first claimed the title in March at UFC 171, scoring a unanimous decision over Lawler (24-10 1 NC, 9-4 UFC). The two now meet for a highly anticipated rematch, after Lawler worked his way back up the divisional ranks with a pair of wins.
"'More than anything I'm just excited to be back in the Octagon,' explains Hendricks. 'Now that I'm healthy... I'm super excited. The rematch with Robbie... is gonna be huge for my career for multiple reasons... because I have a feeling I might have a couple more rematches in my future.'
"A four-time NCAA Division-I All American at Oklahoma State University, Hendricks is an elite wrestler with tremendous knockout power in his left hand, who displayed improved boxing and low kicks during his last outing against Lawler. For Hendricks, this will be his third consecutive title fight, having dropped a contentious split decision to Georges St-Pierre at UFC 167 before winning the belt."