An estimated 200 fans crammed into the Carpenter Ballroom at Dallas’ Hilton Anatole Hotel on Wednesday for an up-close look at five of the featured fighters set to compete at UFC 185, all of whom showed off their skills during open workouts.
Anthony Pettis, Rafael dos Anjos, Johny Hendricks, Carla Esparza and Joanna Jedrzejczyk took turns stretching and demonstrating their abilities, both in the stand up and ground game.
The fans stood behind a security line just a few feet away from the stage where the fighters hit pads. And when local product and former UFC welterweight champion Hendricks came out to perform, the onlookers were treated to an impromptu Q&A session.
“It’s better to get out there and speak to them because these are the guys that showed up to watch us work out,” Hendricks said. “So I like that I get to interact with them that way. I think it was a fun 15 or 20 minutes.”
Hendricks stood at the edge of the stage for almost 10 minutes, talking to fans and answering questions. He broke down the matchup between Robbie Lawler and Rory MacDonald, talked about the difficulties of cutting weight, and even signed and delivered his workout-worn official Reebok training boxing gloves after his performance.
Check out UFC.com for more on the open workouts >>
Thumbnail photo via Stephen R. Sylvanie/USA TODAY Sports Images
