Over the past half decade the MMA game has changed for fighters in the UFC. A combination of institutional, and less definable social, pressures have pushed the culture of the sport in directions the UFC has long railed against. Whether it’s uniforms, drug testing, or just a Conor McGregor-led understanding of potential value, fighters have become more vocal about managing their match-ups in the Octagon and their long-term trajectory in the UFC.
And it’s all these things that sound like they have Johny Hendricks glad to be done with his MMA career. The former UFC welterweight champion announced that he had finished with the competitive portion of his career back in June.