Introduction
UFC 171: Hendricks vs. Lawler. March 15, 2014. American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas. Johny Hendricks won the vacant UFC Welterweight Championship with a unanimous decision over Robbie Lawler (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) in five rounds. It was the first undisputed WW title fight without Georges St-Pierre since 2008. Hendricks had been denied the belt at UFC 167 by a controversial split decision and now received it via the vacant title route.
The fight drew 19,324 fans and was widely considered one of the year’s best. Lawler won rounds three and four clearly and came close to stopping the fight; Hendricks controlled rounds one, two, and five. Tyron Woodley stopped Carlos Condit by TKO in round two. Myles Jury defeated Diego Sanchez by unanimous decision. Hendricks required surgery post-event for a torn bicep he had suffered during the fight.
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Quick Stats
3. The Build-Up
4. Main Event
5. Co-Main Event
6. Full Results
7. Bonuses & Awards
8. Records & Milestones
9. Legacy & Impact
10. FAQ
11. References
Quick Stats
Date: March 15, 2014
Venue: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas, USA (record Dallas UFC crowd)
Attendance: 19,324; Gate: $2,600,000; PPV: 300,000
Main Event: Johny Hendricks vs. Robbie Lawler — Vacant UFC WW Championship (5 rounds; first WW title without GSP since 2008)
Result: Hendricks def. Lawler — UD (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) — Hendricks first WW champion since GSP; R5 takedown sealed the fight; Hendricks had torn bicep during fight
Notable: 19,324 fans (Dallas record); Woodley TKOs Condit R2; Jury def. Sanchez; Strickland UFC debut; Andrade UFC win; $50k bonuses
The Build-Up
Georges St-Pierre vacated the WW title on December 13, 2013. The division’s clearest hierarchy pointed to Hendricks, who had been widely regarded as the moral winner of UFC 167. Dana White matched him with Lawler, who had won three straight since 2013. It was the division’s first legitimate title fight in five years without St-Pierre’s shadow.
Main Event
Johny Hendricks vs. Robbie Lawler — Vacant UFC WW Championship
Hendricks controlled rounds one and two with leg kicks and a high output combination game. In round three, Lawler landed a left uppercut that hurt Hendricks and followed with a swarming attack; Hendricks survived but was in trouble. Lawler won rounds three and four clearly. In round five, Hendricks clinched and attempted takedowns. With 30 seconds remaining, he secured a takedown that Lawler could not reverse before the final bell. The three judges scored it 48-47 for Hendricks.
Co-Main Event
Tyron Woodley vs. Carlos Condit — Welterweight
Woodley landed a right kick in round two that caught Condit's leg at an angle that caused a knee injury. Condit could not continue and the fight was stopped at 2:00 of round two. The stoppage was contested by some who felt Condit's injury rather than Woodley's striking effectiveness determined the outcome. The result counted in Woodley's official record.
Full Results
Preliminary Card
Sean Strickland def. Bubba McDaniel — Submission (Rear Naked Choke) — R1, 4:33 — MW; Strickland UFC debut
Daniel Pineda def. Robert Whiteford — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 — FW
Justin Scoggins def. Will Campuzano — Decision — R3 — Flyweight
Francisco Trevino def. Renee Forte — Decision — R3 — LW
Alex Garcia def. Sean Spencer — Decision — R3 — WW
Jessica Andrade def. Raquel Pennington — Decision (Split) — R3, 5:00 — WBW
Dennis Bermudez def. Jimy Hettes — TKO (Knee) — R3, 2:57 — FW; POTN ($50k to Bermudez)
Kelvin Gastelum def. Rick Story — Decision — R3 — WW
Main Card
Ovince St. Preux def. Nikita Krylov — Submission (Von Flue Choke) — R1, 1:29 — LHW; POTN ($50k to St. Preux)
Hector Lombard def. Jake Shields — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00 — WW
Myles Jury def. Diego Sanchez — UD (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) — LW
Tyron Woodley def. Carlos Condit — TKO (Kick/Injury) — R2, 2:00 — WW; Co-Main; Condit knee injury; controversial
Vacant UFC WW Championship (5 rounds) — Main Event
Johny Hendricks def. Robbie Lawler — Decision (Unanimous) — R5, 5:00 (48-47 x3) — WW Championship; close war; Lawler won R3-R4; Hendricks sealed with R5 takedown; FOTN ($50k each); Hendricks had torn bicep
Bonuses & Awards
Fight of the Night: Johny Hendricks vs. Robbie Lawler — $50,000 to each fighter.
Performance Night: Ovince St. Preux — $50,000.
Performance Night: Dennis Bermudez — $50,000.
Records & Milestones
First undisputed WW title change since GSP beat Serra at UFC 83 in April 2008 — Hendricks was the first new undisputed UFC WW champion since Georges St-Pierre reclaimed the belt in 2008. (Carlos Condit briefly held the interim title in 2012.)
Johny Hendricks — suffered a torn bicep during the fight; required surgery post-event; title defence was delayed as a result.
Sean Strickland UFC debut — Strickland won his debut; he became UFC MW Champion in 2023.
Legacy & Impact
UFC 171 was the WW division’s formal opening under new management. Hendricks had been cheated out of the title at UFC 167 by most accounts. He won the vacant title cleanly at UFC 171 against a dangerous Lawler who came within one round of winning the fight. The war gave the division’s new era an appropriate beginning.
Myles Jury’s decision win over Diego Sanchez underlined Jury’s unbeaten run. Woodley’s TKO of Condit was decisive but partially circumstantial. The card’s three title-adjacent WW fights — the main event, Woodley vs. Condit, and Jury vs. Sanchez — confirmed Dallas as a natural UFC PPV market.
FAQ
Why was the UFC 171 WW title vacant?
Georges St-Pierre vacated the title on December 13, 2013, after stating he needed to step away from MMA. His last fight had been the controversial split decision over Hendricks at UFC 167. The UFC matched Hendricks with Lawler for the vacant belt.
How did Hendricks win the UFC 171 main event?
Hendricks controlled the first two rounds with leg kicks and combination striking. Lawler rallied strongly in rounds three and four. In the final round, Hendricks secured a late takedown that the three judges credited him for, scoring all three cards 48-47 in his favour.
Did Hendricks injure himself at UFC 171?
Yes. Hendricks suffered a torn bicep during the fight with Lawler. He required surgery post-event and did not compete again until a title defence against Lawler at UFC 181 in December 2014.
Was the Woodley vs. Condit stoppage legitimate at UFC 171?
The stoppage came after Woodley's kick caused a knee injury to Condit. Condit could not continue. Technically the TKO was correct, but critics felt the result was determined more by the injury than by Woodley's dominant striking performance.
Was UFC 171 the first UFC in Dallas?
No. UFC Dallas events had been held previously. UFC 171 at the American Airlines Center drew 19,324 fans, which was a record-breaking attendance for Dallas.