Rhett Butler, UFC – Johny Hendricks likes the serenity of the Oklahoma countryside. The stillness of the country, which can frighten the hardcore city slicker, always soothed Hendricks when he grew up in Ada and Jones, Oklahoma. However, Hendricks also had to grow up fast amid the lush settings to manage his realities: of war, wrestling and determination led by a vision for a career in the fight business.

Thomas Gerbasi, UFC – Frankie Edgar had seen “those guys” before. You know the ones – they can blister the mitts or a heavy bag, but when it comes time to use their striking in sparring or in a fight, all that technique goes flying out the window and something gets lost from the brain to the hands.