Hendricks improved to 6-1 in the UFC, along with two wins under the WEC banner. His only UFC loss thus far was to Rick Story at The Ulimate Fighter 12 Finale. Pierce drops to 4-2 in the UFC, with his only other loss coming to top-contender Jon Fitch. He was on a three-fight winning streak before last night. The fight took place on the Facebook portion of the broadcast.
What was the high spot of this fight?
Honestly, all of it. This was an extremely solid tactical battle that didn't really have one high point, but was fought at a high pace for all 15 minutes. Perhaps Pierce getting the takedown on Hendricks could be the biggest event of the fight, considering Johny's wrestling pedigree.
Where do these guys go from here?
This bout was huge for both fighters, and the W for Hendricks re-establishes him as an upper-tier welterweight. His loss to Rick Story had taken away some of his shine, but he's right back in contention with a win over a guy as tough as Pierce. The depth of the welterweight division means that there are plenty of good fights for Hendricks out there, but a matchup with fellow UFC 133 winner Rory MacDonald seems like logical booking to me.
Despite Pierce dropping to 4-2 in the UFC, I really don't think this will hurt his momentum that much. Everyone knows he is an ultra tough fighter and likely has the ability to beat almost any welterweight on any given night. That being said, the loss is a step in the wrong direction and he will have to get a couple more wins to get back into contention. A bout with Mike Pyle or Dong Hyun Kim would be a solid test for Pierce.
Watch it now, later, or never?
Now. It did go 15 minutes, and the fight was never in jeopardy of being stopped, but this fight showcased high-level striking and wrestling and was a lot of fun to watch. Perhaps it's a question of taste and people might not be as enamored with this fight as I was, but I found it really entertaining.
More BE coverage of UFC 133 in the full entry.
UFC 133 Results: Vitor Belfort's Illegal Finish Met With Shocking Ignorance - Leland Roling
UFC 133 Results: Vitor Belfort's Back of the Head Shots and Nonsensical Outrage - KJ Gould
UFC 133 Results: Five Fights to Make - Mike Fagan
UFC 133: Why We Love Tito Ortiz, and Why the UFC Needs Him - Fraser Coffeen
UFC 133 Results: Where Do We Go From Here? - Matthew Roth
UFC 133: The Sweet Stench of Homophobia - Mike Fagan
UFC 133 Results: Rashad Evans' Beats Up Tito Ortiz and More Post-Hangover Thoughts - Brent Brookhouse
UFC 133 Results: Rashad Evans vs. Tito Ortiz Post-Fight Recap and Analysis - Mike Fagan
UFC 133 Results: Rashad Evans Stops Tito Ortiz by Punishment - Bloody Elbow
UFC 133 Results: Vitor Belfort Stops Yoshihiro Akiyama in the First - Bloody Elbow
UFC 133 Results: Brian Ebersole Beats the Pants off of Dennis Hallman - Bloody Elbow
UFC 133 Results: Constantinos Philippou Scores a Split Decision Over Jorge Rivera - Bloody Elbow
UFC 133 Results: Rory MacDonald Pounds Mike Pyle to a First Round Stoppage - Bloody Elbow
UFC 133 Results: Alexander Gustafsson Mauls Matt Hamill in the Second - Bloody Elbow
UFC 133 Results: Chad Mendes Puts On A Clinic Against Rani Yahya - Bloody Elbow
UFC 133 Results: Ivan Menjivar Edges a Decision Over Nick Pace - Bloody Elbow
UFC 133 Results: Johny Hendricks Wins the Wrestling Match against Mike Pierce - Bloody Elbow
UFC 133 Results: Mike Brown Outwrestles Nam Phan to a Decision Win - Bloody Elbow
UFC 133 Results: Rafael Natal Punishes Paul Bradley to a Decision Win - Bloody Elbow
UFC 133 Post-Fight Press Conference Video and Updates - Bloody Elbow