The Edmond Sun

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May 30, 2007

Former wrestler Johny Hendricks switches sports

Ryan Piersol

Johny Hendricks always did have a little of the wild side in him.

The former Edmond Memorial wrestler and Oklahoma State University star known for his enthusiasm on the mat has opted for a new career route. And, like Hendricks, it’s anything but tame.

Last month, Hendricks signed with Team Takedown, a mixed martial arts fighter management group. He’s currently training in Las Vegas and could one day soon find himself a competitor in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, a no-holds-barred kind of sport that has found increased popularity in the United States.

“I actually had this on my mind for a while, I just never got the opportunity,” Hendricks said. “When Team Takedown came around, I was ready to sign up. It was what I was waiting for.”

Hendricks finished up a memorable career at OSU in March with a national runner-up finish at 165 pounds. During his four years with the Cowboys, he won two national championships and went 127-13, including a remarkable 63-2 his last two seasons.

In the past, successful collegiate wrestler at the end of their careers had just two ways to go professional in the sport — they could coach, or enter the circus of pro wrestling. With the increased success of the UFC, however, Hendricks and others now have another option.

“It’s really not that much different than wrestling,” Hendricks said. “You go in there, you train your butt off, you do everything they tell you to do, and you go home. That’s what’s going to make me the best, just shut up and do everything they ask of me. It’s just like wrestling.”

The one most obvious difference between wrestling and mixed martial arts fighting is the way in which competitors win. While wrestlers go for pins, fighters in the UFC go for knockouts.

Hendricks, though, doesn’t appear to be too worried about this new wrinkle.

“I really don’t even think about, because in wrestling you take knees to the head, split your eye open all the time,” he said. “I got a lot of cuts in wrestling, just like here. You really can’t think about that part.

“I really wanting to learn striking. Because, as long as you know how to throw a punch and not get hit, that’s the main thing. I just need to learn how to throw a punch.”

Fellow OSU wrestler Jake Rosholt signed with Team Takedown the same time Hendricks did. The pair is currently training in Las Vegas with UFC world champ Randy Couture. Hendricks said he expects to train for three to four months, before his first match.

“It’s been pretty good so far. I’m just trying to break down everything that I’ve seen and get an understanding of everything that people throw at us,” he said. “Right now, all I know is wrestling, and I know how to fend off all of those things. But it’s difficult getting out of some of these things.”

Hendricks said the main styles he’s focusing on right now are boxing and jujitsu.

“It’s all about having confidence, just like wrestling. Right now, it’s hard to have a lot, because I don’t know anything besides wrestling. But in a month, I think I’ll be about 10 times more confident. I expect my learning curve to go straight up,” he said.

“I know if I put my focus into this the way I did wrestling, I’ll be where I need to be in three or four months.”

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