Hendricks was the first to throw a strike, a low leg kick that landed but didn't do much damage. It didn't take long for Lawler to find an opening and bum rush his opponent, pressing him against the cage and unloading with shots.
They looked good, but "Bigg Rigg" weathered the storm.
Hendricks continued firing off kicks, all low and a little lazy. When he moved in to clinch, "Ruthless" caught him with a left hand. They did some battling against the fence, but there was little give on either side.
Stalemate.
Hendricks had a knee blocked on his next clinch up but found his way in with another not long after. Then they reset in the center. There, "Rigg" landed a nice left hand that had his foe smiling.
Lawler responded by popping a stiff jab that sent Hendricks' head back.
More kicks came from the bearded bully, but they acted as a lead-in to yet another clinch. There, Hendricks scored with some dirty boxing and knees to the legs.
That ended round one.
For more on "Hendricks vs. Lawler" click here, and for complete UFC 171 results and blow-by-blow coverage of all the night's action click here.
Get the latest gear
