Contenders line up to fill Georges St-Pierre’s void at UFC 171

(This story appears in today’s edition of USA TODAY.)

Ever since Georges St-Pierre announced his intention to “step away” from MMA and vacate his UFC welterweight title, the throne has been sitting empty, just waiting for someone tough enough to claim it.

UFC executives have been waiting, too. The loss of the man UFC President Dana White once branded as the “king of pay-per-view” left a giant dollar sign-shaped hole in the roster, and at a time when superstars are in short supply.

These days, the king isn’t dead, but he isn’t exactly available, either. It’s time to find someone new to wear the crown, heavy though it may be.

That’s what Saturday night’s UFC 171 event at American Airlines Center in Dallas (10 p.m. E.T., pay-per-view) is all about, and in more ways than one. The main event pits St-Pierre’s most recent challenger, Johny Hendricks (15-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC), against veteran slugger Robbie Lawler (22-9 MMA, 7-3 UFC) in a battle for the vacant 170-pound title.

In case that’s not enough to pique the interest of fans, the undercard also features a potential No. 1 contender bout between former interim welterweight champ Carlos Condit (29-7 MMA, 6-3 UFC) and former University of Missouri wrestling standout Tyron Woodley (12-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC), as well as another welterweight tilt between onetime title challenger Jake Shields (29-6-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC) and former Bellator champ Hector Lombard (33-4-1 MMA, 2-2 UFC).

In fact, of the 12 men’s fights slated for UFC 171, five take place in the welterweight division. That seems fitting, seeing as how the whole event has the feel of an open audition to replace the most dominant welterweight champion in MMA history.

What both the UFC and fighters vying to replace St-Pierre have to wonder, however, is to what extent that’s even possible, especially with the current candidates.

For example, take Lawler, a veteran knockout artist who’s long been a favorite of hardcore fight fans, but who has a knack for treating each interview like its own painful inquisition. Here’s a guy who seems like he’d rather than bleed than talk, which might help explain why he became a pro fighter at 18. Now 31, he’s known as one of the greatest power punchers in the sport, but he’s still about as media friendly as the Loch Ness Monster.

In the other corner, there’s Hendricks, who many thought deserved the win over St-Pierre in the champ’s last UFC fight. A former NCAA national champion wrestler, he’s remade himself in the UFC as a one-punch finisher, and he does possess a certain folksy Oklahoma charm that might appeal to the “Duck Dynasty” crowd (his beard alone would fit right in at the Robinson family dinner table). At the same time, it’s hard to see him filling GSP’s shoes, especially for the female fans who could be counted on to tune in whenever St-Pierre was scheduled to take his shirt off on TV.

Then again, maybe a little change at the top isn’t such a bad thing. While neither Hendricks nor Lawler seem to have the immediate charisma or star power of St-Pierre, both have their own unique selling points, and both have a knack for putting on exciting, violent performances.

Maybe that’s what the new guys bring to the table that St-Pierre didn’t. The former champ’s polished look and squeaky-clean style played well with advertisers, but his risk-averse style wasn’t always a hit with fans. In Lawler and Hendricks, the UFC has found two potential successors who are known more for knocking opponents out than for taking them down.

It might not fill the void overnight, but at least it’s a start. Now it’s just a matter of finding out which one of them will still be standing when the dust clears in Dallas.

For the latest on UFC 171, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Tyron Woodley)