Johny Hendricks leaves Team Takedown
When former NCAA Division I wrestling national champion Johny Hendricks got into MMA, he hooked up with management company Team Takedown. Together, Hendricks and the team rose through the WEC and UFC welterweight ranks, ultimately becoming a star and earning a world title.
After nearly a decade, Hendricks is ending that relationship and leaving his management and team. "[Team Takedown] has done a great job with me for the last eight years," Hendricks told MMA Junkie Radio, Tuesday.
"We just couldn't come to an agreement on certain things, and it was time for me to pull away."
The 32-year-old former champion has won two out of his last three contests, but missed his scheduled UFC 192 fight against Tyron Woodley in October after failing to make weight and becoming ill during his weight cut.
Hendricks is unsure what he'll do next, and wants to wait until his contract with Team Takedown ends to make his next move. Hendricks said his contract with them ends in February but sounded as though he hopes to get free from it prior to that.
"I've got to wait until I get cleared out of my management," he said.
"As soon as we break clean, that's whenever it will give me a better understanding. As of right now, that's what I'm shooting for. But if they say no, we want to keep you until February, I'll probably have to fight early March."
Hendricks said he'd been cleared to resume training Oct. 20 after suffering kidney stones before UFC 192. He is unsure if any of his Team Takedown coaches, like grappling coach Marc Laimon, will continue on with him.
For the time being, Hendricks is confident that working with his boxing coach and his alma mater Oklahoma State University will suffice, if he can find a place to work on his jiu-jitsu as well. "I still have [OSU]," he explained.
"As long as I can still go to OSU and [work with] my boxing coach ... all I have to do is find a place where I can roll and do some ground work."
Hendricks, who said he will continue to campaign at welterweight despite struggles to make that weight, sounded eager to fight again. In fact, he was offered the fight against Kelvin Gastelum last week in Monterrey after Matt Brown pulled out with injury.
Hendricks said he was on vacation when the UFC's offer came in, and he would have only had 10 days to prepare for the fight -- which was offered at middleweight.
That was too short notice but Hendricks insisted that with even six weeks of preparation, he would have taken the fight. "You give me six weeks, I'd take that fight in a heartbeat," he said.
