Former UFC welterweight champ Johny Hendricks steadfastly believes he beat Georges St-Pierre and Robbie Lawler when they went to the scorecards at UFC 167 and UFC 181.

Hendricks (17-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC), who faces Tyron Woodley (15-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) on Saturday’s UFC 192 pay-per-view main card at Houston’s Toyota Center, said he out-struck St-Pierre and did the same to Lawler, out-landing the current champ by a margin of 2-1 after the fourth round.

“You out-strike somebody, you pretty much win the fight, and something happens within the last 30 seconds of a fight, even if it doesn’t land, and you lose a fight? I don’t get it,” he told MMAjunkie, referring to Lawler’s last-minute rally at UFC 181.

Hendricks would have no trouble finding a sympathetic ear when it comes to St-Pierre. Nearly all major MMA websites, including MMAjunkie, scored the title fight for him, three rounds to two (via MMADecisions.com). The judges’ verdict was widely viewed as a mistake.

When it comes to Lawler, though, there are slightly fewer in his corner. While the majority of websites scored the fight for him (via MMADecisions.com), several dissented, and judges unanimously scored against him.

But there’s also one very notable time when those three cageside officials ruled in Hendricks’ favor. At UFC 171, when he squared off with Lawler for the belt left vacant by St-Pierre, it was a close contest despite his fifth-round rally.

The judges got it right, awarding him a unanimous call for the welterweight title.

Whatever side of the fence you sit on when it comes to Hendricks’ fights, it’s clear judges have played a massive part in his career. Even Hendricks didn’t think it would be that way.

Now that one decision left him without a belt, he feels even more strongly about that fact.

“I had no idea,” he said. “I guess that’s being naive on my part, because if you beat me, I’m not going to sit there and say you didn’t; I can’t lie to myself like that. I’ve been beat a lot in my life, and whenever I get beat, I’m like, ‘You were better than me that day – how do I stop that from happening?’

“Now, you’re looking at, as a fighter, not only do you have to win the fight, you have to beat your opponent in judging as well. You’ve got to sit there and say, ‘What do they like to see? Whenever I rewatch those fights, it’s hard for me to even sit there and say, ‘What do they like?’ Because is it punches missing? Is that what I need to be doing? Is it not trying for a takedown? What would help me win these fights that I’ve lost? As of right now, I can’t figure it out.”

Hendricks may never, because judging is inherently subjective. Despite a push to refine and educate officials and criteria, some officials favor certain things more than others. The complexity of an MMA fight virtually guarantees one will see an action differently than another, especially in a close fight. The closer you get to the top of the welterweight division, the closer the fights get.

A rubber match with Lawler would give Hendricks a chance to avenge his loss, but it might not satisfy the questions raised by their earlier fight.

And so, Hendricks, who’s ranked No. 2 in the NOS Energy Drink MMA welterweight rankings, is trying to move ahead with his life. He would like to get the fights that win him another shot at the title. His meeting with No. 4-ranked Woodley could be the one. With Woodley’s powerful hands and wrestling ability, it might be a close fight.

Or, as Hendricks would prefer, be one where judges never get involved, in which he knocks out his opponent.

For more on UFC 192, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.