Johny Hendricks is the new UFC welterweight champion after scoring a unanimous decision victory over Robbie Lawler in UFC 171. Both fighters came out fighting as they stood toe-to-toe in all of the bout’s five rounds. Hendrix dominated the first two rounds, hitting Lawler with several clean shots to the head. But Lawler gained the upperhand in the third and fourth rounds, rocking Hendricks with powerful blows of his own that left the latter bloodied. In the final round, however, Hendricks pulled out all the stops, sticking with his numbing jabs to slow down Lawler’s offensive, and completing a crucial takedown as the clock wound down. The championship match comes months after UFC superstar Georges St. Pierre relinquished the belt and stepped away from the UFC after holding the title since 2007. St. Pierre was last in the Octagon in November 2013 against Hendricks, winning a controversial split decision. -- Mornings @ ANC, March 17, 2014.