Former champ Johny Hendricks announces move to Jackson-Wink MMA

It wasn’t all that long ago that Johny Hendricks stood out as the best welterweight alive.

After coming up short in a hotly-debated split decision opposite Georges St-Pierre, he captured welterweight gold in a thrilling fight with Robbie Lawler, cementing himself as the true king of the welterweight division.

Unfortunately, Hendricks then endured a quick and brutal decline marred by tough losses and failed cuts to the welterweight division’s 170-pound limit.

In the wake of this unfortunate skid, Hendricks opted to head north to the 185-pound welterweight division. Though it was believed that he’d be undersized in this heavier division, the appeal was that he’d be faced with a much less taxing weight cut.

Initially this move to 185 looked like it might be just what the doctor ordered for Hendricks; a career-revivifying change of scenery. In his first fight in the division, he picked up a nice win over former Bellator champ Hector Lombard.

Regrettably, Hendricks’ second fight in the division was something of a disaster, as he missed weight, only to be knocked senseless by his hulking opponent Tim Boetsch.

Now, Hendricks is scheduled for what could be a do-or-die fight, as he’s set to take on surging knockout artist Paulo Borrachinha at UFC 217. In anticipation of this crucial showdown, Hendricks is apparently relocating the world-renowned Jackson-Wink MMA in Albuquerque, NM.

The former champ announced this move on Twitter

Heading to @JacksonWinkMMA today can’t wait to train pic.twitter.com/eWGiMgFzTp

— Johny Hendricks (@JohnyHendricks) October 1, 2017

“Loading up, heading to Jackson-Wink MMA,” Hendricks said in his video post. “I’m super excited, I can’t wait to get there. I’ll keep y’all posted.”

Do you think a move to Jackson-Wink MMA, a camp that is often applauded for its clever game planning, will be enough to help Johny Hendricks turn things around? Join the debate in the comments section!

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 10/2/2017.