Johny Hendricks explains why he’s returning for bare-knuckle fight: ‘It sounds fun to me’

Photo by Sarah Glenn/Getty ImagesWhen he retired from MMA this past summer, Johny Hendricks had no intention of fighting again in any combat sport — especially not just a few months later. But after WBKFF came calling, bare-knuckle boxing piqued his interest.

Hendricks meets short-notice replacement Dakota Cochrane on Friday night in the main event of WBKFF 1. The fight marks Hendricks’ bare-knuckle debut and is for the promotion’s middleweight title. Hendricks was expected to fight Brennan Ward, but Ward pulled out due to a contract dispute earlier this week.

“It sounds fun to me — that’s the only way I can explain it,” Hendricks told Bloody Elbow. “I love boxing. Obviously, my hands are my…