Greg Jackson Enjoyed Studying Johny Hendricks Ahead of UFC 158 Bout Against Carlos Condit

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Johny Hendricks scored two devastating knockouts in his last three fights, but he also left video evidence of his striking prowess and one of the best trainers in the game has been studying him.

Greg Jackson was impressed watching Hendricks take out Jon Fitch in 12 seconds and Martin Kampmann in 46 seconds. On Saturday, the trainer will corner Carlos Condit against Hendricks at UFC 158.

“One of my favorite things about Johny is that swinging left hand that he does, that he’s catching everybody with,” Jackson told the Sherdog Radio Network’s “Beatdown” show. “What’s really cool about it is it starts out circular and then it catches everybody because when it ends, it’s actually almost straight. It’s such an unorthodox, interesting punch. I love it to death. Just studying it, I was like, ‘Wow, look at this.’ It’s a really, really cool shot. I really like the way he throws that punch.”

Hendricks isn’t just a big puncher, of course. He was a two-time NCAA champion wrestler at Oklahoma State, which usually lets him decide if the fight will take place standing or on the ground.

“For him it’s really good because he can either bomb you, and if you start dealing with that, he can take you down, or if he tries to take you down and you start dealing with that, he can bomb you,” Jackson said. “It’s a great combination he’s got. You have to address that. You have to take both of those things very seriously because he’s very good at both of them.”

Hendricks has won five straight in the UFC. In Condit, though, he’ll be facing an opponent who can also do it all.

“I really feel it’s going to be a super tough fight for both guys,” Jackson said. “I think it’s going to be the old cliché [of] who has the better night. I hope it’s us. But with that being said, I have a lot of respect for Hendricks. I think he’s a really great fighter.”

Listen to the full interview (beginning at 1:40:07).

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