Johny Hendricks is ‘eating and drinking everything’ and loving life with move up to 185

Former UFC welterweight champion Johny Hendricks has had issues in the past with making the 170-pound welterweight limit.

Now, with his next fight scheduled this weekend at UFC Fight Night 105 up a weight class against Hector Lombard at 185, Hendricks says he is in a good place both mentally and physically.

“Here’s the thing, I’m killing my body to make 170,” Hendricks said on the UFC Unfiltered podcast (transcribed by FloCombat). “And, you know what? If I’m going to lose by the judges, why not do it at [185 and] enjoy fighting again? I’ve been talking about going to ’85 for a year, year and a half?”

Hendricks said the decision to move up to middleweight has been great thus far with his quality of life.

“Now at ’85, you know, I think I’m 13 over right now eating and drinking everything I want. I’m enjoying life again and enjoying training. I’m training twice a day.”

The former NCAA Division I wrestling champion outlined his history with crazy weight fluctuations from wrestling and mixed martial arts training.

“Look, here’s the thing. For example, when you go to [Oklahoma State University], I can lose, I’ll lose 10 pounds of true weight in three days and I’m going to lose 10 pounds every day. So, I tried to use that to my advantage, and what I did was when I went up there I think I cut like, I think I lost like 23 pounds in two days, and once I did that I was drinking water and doing everything I needed to do, but my body never replenished itself. It never felt like I got back what I lost.

“You know what? In MMA you might lose three, maybe four pounds a practice–at most. When you are doing that two times a day you might lose eight pounds, maybe nine pounds if you push it right. In two hours wrestling practice, you’re going to lose 10 pounds.”

With having to hit 185 pounds in his next bout, Hendricks says that he will have no problem hitting the mark.

“I’m 198, and my goal tomorrow is to hit [1]90,” Hendricks stated. “I’m going to show up on Wednesday, that’s my goal, to show up at 190 so I can still work out, I can still do what I need to do and just have to worry about five pounds. I think that’s going to make it easier on me as well.”

This article first appeared on 2/15/2017.