MMA-URLS

MMA Top 10 Rankings: Georges St-Pierre Out, Carlos Condit Takes Top Spot

With Georges St-Pierre on the sidelines, no scheduled fight in sight, Carlos Condit takes over the No. 1 spot in the welterweight World MMA Top 10 Rankings. Retweet this Share on Facebook • Email • StumbleUpon • Reddit • Digg • Technorati • Instapaper • Tumblr • Google Reader • LinkedIn

Posted in: condit, carlos condit, carlo, georges stpierre, bull

Nick Diaz sues Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), ready to rematch Carlos Condit as soon as possible

Due process? More like overdue process, amirite? Nick Diaz was suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) after testing positive for marijuana metabolites following his five round unanimous decision loss to Carlos Condit at UFC 143, which was held on Feb. 4, 2012 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The former Strikeforce middleweight champion has a prescription for medical marijuana after being diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which is legal in both Nevada and his home state of California. He was going to use that as part of his defense at his hearing in front of the NSAC, too, if they had ever actually scheduled him one. The reason one wasn't scheduled? The State Attorney General requested a copy of Diaz's medical card prior to locking down a date. No card was produced. Instead, Diaz's legal team, led by Ross Goodman, spent their time drawing up a lawsuit for violations of statutory law and Diaz's Constitutional rights to Due Process. MMAFighting.com has the details: Diaz's suit centers on three allegations, two of which relate to statutory complaints for which he seeks injunctive relief -- namely, to have the temporary suspension lifted and to not be required to go any further punitive proceedings. The other allegation focuses on Diaz's due process rights, the NSAC's violation of which entitles Diaz to both injunctive and declaratory relief, according to the lawsuit. Diaz is arguing the NSAC is in violation of two statutory codes. First, statutory code NRS 233B, requires the commission to determine the outcome through proceedings related to the order of a summary suspension within 45 days of the date of the suspension. Diaz and his lawyers argue this term has passed without any date set for a hearing. "Diaz's license has, in effect, been suspended indefinitely," says the lawsuit, "in the absence of any adverse findings having been made against him by the NSAC." ... Diaz's complaint also cites breach of statute NRS 467.117, which requires that a "temporary suspension may be made only where the action is necessary to protect the public welfare". In other words, Diaz's temporary suspension is unlawful because no basis has been established that demonstrates suspending Diaz was done as a matter of preserving public health. Citing the alleged violation of these two statutes by the NSAC, Diaz's complaint asks the court to enjoin NSAC from proceeding with any further punitive proceedings because "the NSAC has lost statutory jurisdiction to proceed with the complaint." For those of you not well versed in legal mumbo jumbo, the gist of the situation is this: Diaz was suspended unlawfully in the first place but even then, the NSAC was required to give him a hearing within 45 days of said suspension. They failed to do so and because of that, the entire case should be dismissed and Diaz should be allowed to go back to work immediately. Now, this would set one hell of a precedent if Diaz is successful, which he could very well be considering his case his solid. We knew hiring Ross Goodman meant the Stockton slugger wasn't playing around but these folks mean business. Or, at least, they just want to let Diaz get back to his business, which is battling it out inside the Octagon for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and its fans. To that end, Diaz has thrown any and all retirement talk out the window. Not only that, he's now ready to rematch Carlos Condit for the right to fight UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre once he's healthy. "On February 7th, 2012, the UFC's President publicly announced that Mr. Condit agreed to an immediate rematch against me. It is my understanding that the winner of that rematch will be offered a contest against Georges St-Pierre, the current UFC welterweight champion. The summary suspension against me, made without any consideration of the merits of the Complaint, is the only reason I am aware of that a rematch against Mr Condit has not been scheduled. If the summary suspension is set aside, I would be prepared to compete against Mr. Condit or against any other opponent deemed suitable immediately." It wouldn't be a day in the life of Nick Diaz if there wasn't some measure of insanity, right?

Posted in: diaz, suspension, rematch, condit, nsac

UFC 145 Video: Rory MacDonald Would Love a Rematch with Carlos Condit

Rory MacDonald would love another crack at Carlos Condit, but mostly he just wants to stay healthy so he can be much busier in 2012. Retweet this Share on Facebook • Email • StumbleUpon • Reddit • Digg • Technorati • Instapaper • Tumblr • Google Reader • LinkedIn

Posted in: macdonald, condit, carlos condit, carlo, bull

UFC 145: Jones Vs. Evans - Rory MacDonald Vs. Che Mills Dissection

Rory MacDonald, one of the top prospects in MMA, returns after an 8-month absence to meet UK slugger Che Mills in the co-main event of Saturday's UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans pay-per-view card. The show's main attraction is the skyrocketing Jon Jones defending the 205-pound strap against the former champion Rashad Evans. It's difficult to refute the hype surrounding Canadian phenom Rory "Ares" MacDonald (12-1). He began his MMA career at the ripe age of 16 and submitted his first 4 opponents in the 1st round, one of which was Strikeforce talent Jordan Mein. He changed gears and implemented his striking prowess for the next 3, finishing each by TKO and picking up both the Canadian and world King of the Cage lightweight championships in the process. After another pair of convincing stoppages -- a submission and a TKO -- MacDonald was elevated to the big show. He first debuted in the Octagon at UFC Fight Night 20 with a flawless 9-0 record and hit a 1st-round armbar on Mike Guymon. Then, in his only display of vulnerability to date, MacDonald drew current UFC interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit and coolly handled the viperous veteran for the first 10 minutes. Down both rounds and in desperate need of a finish, the normally calm and soothing Greg Jackson broke character and launched into a red-faced motivational tirade to light a fire under Condit's ass. It worked. "The Natural Born Killer" laid out the perfect blueprint for a fighter behind on the cards, threw caution to the wind and managed a TKO stoppage with just 7-ticks left on the clock. More UFC 145 Dissections Schaub vs. Rothwell | Torres vs. McDonald | Hominick vs. Yagin | Bocek vs. Alessio While many were outraged at the timing and nature of the stoppage, complaining that the referee robbed him of a guaranteed decision win, MacDonald was all class in his post-fight speech. He didn't blame the ref, gave respect to Condit and took his first career loss like a man. MacDonald would then set up shop with the renowned TriStar Gym alongside Georges St. Pierre with encouraging results. He would rag-doll the ever-game Nate Diaz in a dominant decision and tidy up veteran Mike Pyle by 1st-round TKO in his latest sequence. Che Mills (14-4) is an English terror approaching his 10th year in the fight game. After a mediocre 1-2 start to his career, Mills went on a 9-fight tear with 8 wins (and 1 No Contest to the UFC's Paul Taylor) and 7 stoppages in the 1st round, a pair of which were over eventual DREAM welterweight champion Marius Zaromskis. His opportunity in the Octagon initially arose on the "US vs. UK" version of TUF, but Mills was quickly entangled in a heel hook from eventual winner James Wilks in the elimination round. Later, on the heels of back-to-back losses (Jim Wallhead, Yuya Shirai), Mills mounted a 4-piece surge (that included UFCer Jake Hecht) to earn his shot, proving his worth with a devastating, 40-second shellacking of Chris Cope at UFC 138. Complete analysis in the full entry. SBN coverage of UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans The Match Up Both MacDonald and Mills are well-rounded scrappers with no gaping holes, though MacDonald will have a significant edge in wrestling and Mills has the more polished stand up. Mills gets strong marks across the board but his striking stands out as his best weapon. He's an aggressive kickboxer with accurate punching combinations and brutal knees. He shows veteran savvy in his pace, composure and selection of strikes. Mills can pressure with meaningful flurries -- at the right time and in the right spots -- without becoming overly reckless and exposed to counters or takedowns. Mills has 8 wins via strikes and 3 by traditional submission. He's capable on the floor and has a solid guard, good grasp of position and capable scrambling abilities -- though his submission defense is suspect (3 of 4 losses via sub). While Mills might have the better technique on the feet, MacDonald has been brilliant in phase-shifting between striking and wrestling. There is no better example than the Condit fight: MacDonald's in-and-out movement and angles were on point, he unrolled long, straight kicks from the fringe and blasted tight boxing combinations in close and cleverly mixed in explosive double-leg takedowns. Rather than dive into Condit's BJJ-black-belt level guard, he would hammer down a few memorable strikes, disengage and repeat the cycle. The end result of this ploy is MacDonald hopping into the driver's seat and owning the fight's momentum from start to finish. We often hear praise being heaped on the next generation of fighter who comes up training MMA as a whole as a foundation, as MacDonald did, but "Ares" also excels in the subtle details. His footwork, defense, head movement, posture on the ground, fight I.Q. and submission defense are all rock-solid; not incredible, but very sound. Along with Mark Hominick, MacDonald is the biggest favorite on the betting lines at -600. Mills is a motivated and dangerous welterweight, yet this matchmaking seems like an unusual step down in competition for MacDonald, who many have pegged as a future champion. It's hard to work up a sensible case for Mills, whose best wins are Cope, Hecht and Zaromskis, when MacDonald has blitzed through the likes of Pyle and Diaz while being literally seconds away from defeating Condit. My Prediction: Rory MacDonald by submission. Poll Rory MacDonald vs. Che Mills MacDonald Mills 13 votes | Results

Posted in: ufc, vs, macdonald, condit, mill

MMA News - GSP Talks Return, Says He Has No Issues Fighting Condit

submitted by 10thMoon [link] [2 comments]

Posted in: gsp, issue, condit, return, news

When Georges St. Pierre fights Carlos Condit, Greg Jackson will step out and have a cheeseburger

Lesson learned. Top mixed martial arts (MMA) trainer Greg Jackson, who saw one of his biggest stars walk away from his famed gym in Albuquerque, New Mexico, understands that moving forward, teammates may eventually fight teammates. But he doesn't have to be a part of it. By "stepping out of it," he can help prevent a major internal rift, like the one that forced Rashad Evans to skip town after a young phenom named Jon Jones was being groomed to take over the UFC's light heavyweight division -- right in the midst of "Suga's" title run. Evans will have a chance to exact revenge on his former friend and teammate at UFC 145 this Saturday night (April 21, 2012) at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. That's where Jackson will corner "Bones," but as he explains to Kimura.se, there are new protocols in place for future fights, including the potential title unification bout between Georges St. Pierre and Carlos Condit later this year. "Me and Georges are still tight. It's always been that way he always lived in Montreal, he's always traveled around. I think people are probing for weaknesses now, anything they can get, but that's business as usual for Georges. He's a great guy. Two of my champions are fighting each other and I just step out of it. Let the other coaches get a lot of credit so we have all these protocols now after this situation. Now I step out and those guys will have a lot of fun and I'll be eating a cheeseburger somewhere. Everything's cool, Georges is great and we're the same tight team we've always been. I'm not gonna help either of them against each other." Hear more from Jackson on UFC 145 and "St. Pierre vs. Condit" after the jump. Get up to speed on UFC 145 right here. For more on Georges St. Pierre vs. Carlos Condit click here.

Posted in: jackson, pierre, st, condit, george

Martin Kampmann colliding with Jake Ellenberger for top contendership

When the UFC first announced well-rounded welterweights Martin Kampmann (19-5) and Jake Ellenberger (27-5) were set to meet the MMA community wondered whether or not a title-shot would be on the line. The organization has since addressed that question and the answer is “yes”. According to UFC President Dana White, the bout between Kampmann-Ellenberger will determine a top contender to the divisional title currently being worn by Georges St. Pierre. Factoring into the situation as well is interim champion Carlos Condit who not only has history with both challengers but a future in-ring date with GSP as well. Ellenberger is currently on a six-fight streak including victories over Jake Shields and Diego Sanchez and would be a perfect 7-0 had he not run into Condit in his UFC debut, losing a Split Decision to “The Natural Born Killer” a little less than three years ago. Comparably, Kampmann (who beat Condit via Split Decision in 2009) has also emerged with hand raised in consecutive match-ups against Rick Story and Thiago Alves respectively. Loss to Condit Still Haunts Ellenberger Condit and St. Pierre are expected to fight in November meaning the winner of Ellenberger-Kampmann could have an extended layoff in store. However, if GSP’s recently repaired knee does not heal as expected or he suffers a setback, it is likely Condit will instead defend his belt against the winner of their bout. Ellenberger vs. Kampmann is scheduled to headline the Ultimate Fighter 15 Finale on June 1 in Las Vegas. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

Posted in: ufc, ellenberger, condit, split decision, kampmann

Video: Carlos Condit kills Justin Bieber

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Interim Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit is getting ready to fight one Canadian by murking another. "The Natural Born Killer" lives up to his moniker in this fan-made video, capping off a few dozen rounds into teen pop sensation Justin Bieber. UFC President Dana White is not going to be happy about this. At all. If anything, videos like the one above only further prove that mixed martial arts (MMA) fans don't do well with so much downtime between UFC events. Fortunately we're less than two weeks away from Alexander Gustafsson vs. Thiago Silva at UFC on FUEL TV 2 (April 14), followed by the epic 205-pound title fight of Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans at UFC 145 (April 21). After that? The floodgates are open, including Condit's eventual title unification bout against the surgically-repaired Georges St. Pierre, rumored for UFC 154 in Montreal. Come children ... all welcome.

Posted in: ufc, video, condit, championship ufc, killer lives

Rory MacDonald Not Worried About UFC Title, Just Facing Carlos Condit Again

Rory MacDonald will step into the bright lights of the co-main event position next month at UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans against Che Mills. For MacDonald, he sees the bout as one that will get him a little bit closer to the match he seeks: Carlos Condit. Now, you might be thinking MacDonald wants Condit because he currently wears a piece of the UFC welterweight title. However, that has nothing to do with it, as MacDonald pointed out in a recent blog he is writing for the Canadian network Sportsnet. Given our history, I can’t see anything beyond a Condit rematch at this point in time. I want that fight more than a title fight right now. Maybe one day it could even be for the full welterweight title, but, as of today, I’m just focusing on beating Mills on April 21st and then getting Condit as soon as possible. MacDonald, who is just 22 years old, and Condit squared off in 2010 at UFC 115. MacDonald was winning the fight when Condit finished him with strikes in the third round. The loss was the first – and only to date – for the Canadian. Many in the MMA community have compared MacDonald to an early Georges St-Pierre, which goes to show you how big of a star he could become. The Tristar fighter will be the overwhelming favorite when he meets Mills, but he’ll have to be careful of the knockout ability of Mills, who has seven KOs in his career. Photo credit: Esther Lin/MMA Fighting

Posted in: rory macdonald, macdonald, condit, carlos condit, mill

Rory MacDonald adds name to list of fighters interested in facing Carlos Condit

22-year old welterweight Rory MacDonald has never come off as a boisterous individual, preferring to let his skills do the talking for him as evident in wins over respected veterans such as Nate Diaz and most recently Mike Pyle. However, the one blemish on his 12-1 record appears to still eat at MacDonald to the point the young Canadian has decided to let the world know he wants revenge as soon as possible. “I know exactly how dangerous my next opponent Che Mills may prove to be on April 21, but, at the same time, I’m also planning on beating him within the scheduled distance and then beating Carlos Condit before the end of the year. I’m not looking past Che — I’m just confident, that’s all,” said the typically reserved MacDonald in his blog for SportsNet.CA. MacDonald and Condit met June 2010 where “Ares” nearly outpointed his adversary to pull off a major upset before making a mistake leading to a TKO loss in the last ten seconds of the final frame. Now, with a little more experience under his belt and supreme self-assurance, MacDonald is certain he can wipe the mat with Mills and deliver a much different outcome against Condit than in their first affair. “I’m not bragging, but I would take that same confidence into fights against pretty much all of the welterweight division right now. That is how much faith I have in my ability as a fighter,” explained MacDonald. “Pyle is a seasoned veteran, and a dangerous guy in his own right, but I knew he wasn’t in my league. So long as I show up and perform to the very best of my ability, these guys won’t be able to match me.” In addition to having grown as a Mixed Martial Artist, the 12-1 teammate of welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre, who acknowledged GSP would likely get first crack at Condit and beat him if close to 100% health-wise, is basing some of his self-belief on the interim title-holder’s performance against Nick Diaz in February. “If they fought me the way they fought each other, it would not be a good night for either of them, I’m certain of that,” criticized MacDonald. “Yes, I know they can improve and I know they have both fought much better in the past, but, as far as I’m concerned, you’ve got to try and show your best each and every time you step into that Octagon. I rate Nick and Carlos highly, but I don’t think they really brought it that night.” “Given our history, I can’t see anything beyond a Condit rematch at this point in time,” he continued on “The Natural Born Killer. “I want that fight more than a title fight right now. Maybe one day it could even be for the full welterweight title, but, as of today, I’m just focusing on beating Mills on April 21 and then getting to Condit as soon as possible. I need that rematch to prove to myself and everybody else that what happened the first time around was a mistake and that I am the better fighter. It has to happen.” The Mills-MacDonald match-up is set for UFC 145. The event is headlined by Jon Jones defending his light heavyweight belt against rival Rashad Evans. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: time, welterweight, macdonald, condit, tko loss

Jake Ellenberger: 'I'll finish Martin Kampmann by first or second round TKO'

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight contender, Jake Ellenberger is inching closer to a long desired title shot. With no clear-cut number one challenger, aside from interim 170-pound champion Carlos Condit ready to unify his strap against Georges St. Pierre later this year, the former Marine has definitely made a case for himself. "The Juggernaut" has been on a tear as of late, winning six straight including victories over Jake Shields and most recently, Diego Sanchez. His only loss in the UFC came at the hands of Condit -- a rematch he so desperately wants. The two originally tangled at UFC Fight Night: "Diaz vs. Guillard" over two and half years ago and Condit squeezed out a very close split decision victory. Before Ellenberger can even think about a rematch with "The Natural Born Killer," he will have his hands full against dangerous striker Martin Kampmann as the two will face off on June 1, 2012 at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 15 Finale in a bout that will have major title implications. In his recent appearance on Pro MMA Radio, Jake talked about his road to the top of the 170-pound ladder and gave his thoughts on a future showdown against Condit, his upcoming bout against "The Hitman" and also touches on the sentiments from some mixed martial arts (MMA) fans and media that felt Sanchez would have defeated him if the bout was a five round fight. Make the jump to see for yourself: "Yeah, it's like a baseball team losing in nine innings, and they say, "Yeah well it would have went 12 then we would have won." Well, you know what? It didn't. Or if it was a wrestling match, NCAA finals, "Oh if it would have went to overtime I would have won." Really? Well, that's irrelevant. People have their opinions and I respect Diego as a fighter. That guy is a warrior, I have nothing bad to say about the guy. It's an honor to fight him and people can speculate all they want, but, trust me, I assure you that if I had to go five rounds, I could have. Was I tired? Sure, but I assure you he was just as tired as I was. You can always do so much more than you think you can. When you have to, you will. I know if I had to go five rounds I could have, I would have forced myself. That's one of the things the Marine Corp. taught me." "The Juggernaut" spoke about his close loss to current UFC welterweight interim champion, Carlos Condit and his decision to hold out for Georges. St. Pierre: "I felt I won the fight but the judges saw it the other way. There is nothing I can do about that. Here is the thing I do know, I know I can beat him and he does not want to fight me because he knows the same thing too. Me fighting Condit is out of my control right now but I'm just going to keep moving forward you know? Our job as fighters is to compete and fight when they tell us to fight. We don't choose who we fight and we don't choose when we fight, so, it is frustrating for me because I am wanting to get a rematch with Carlos Condit. But at the same time I can't control that. But I have to agree, what is the point of having an interim champ if they are not active. If the champ is not being active, then that's the point of the interim champion is to stay active and have a contender and seeing who the number one contender is, but it's out of my control, unfortunately. He knows I can beat him and there is a lot of potential of me beating him, so I don't think he wants to risk losing his interim title, which I don't even understand that but, he wants to wait for GSP." On his upcoming clash against "The Hitman:" "He is dangerous, he's got good submissions. He has beaten a lot of guys, a lot of respectable fighters. I cannot take anything away from him and definitely cannot look past him at all. But, I will win the fight by TKO in first or second round." No word on if the Ellenberger vs. Kampmann bout is a number on contender's scrap, but it is safe to assume that should Jake prevail over Martin, he will be top candidate to get next title shot. Rest assured, Ellenberger is not going to sit around and wait: "After June, I definitely want to fight at least one more time here. So, I'm not sure what is going to happen but, I'm going to keep fighting and when it's my time, I'm going to dethrone the champion, whoever it is. I just don't think it is going to be Carlos." With his hands full against Kampmann, Ellenberger has one more tough obstacle to get over, should he receive his long desired chance at obtaining UFC gold against either St. Pierre or Condit. From the sound of it, it makes no difference to him who he faces. Do you see any reason to believe Ellenberger doesn't have what it take to earn a title shot and dethrone the champion, whoever it may be? Or will the dangerous Dane derail all of his hopes and dreams in Las Vegas? Opinions, please.

Posted in: fight, jake, ellenberger, title, condit

Jake Ellenberger says loss to Carlos Condit still bothers him

The last time 26-year old welterweight Jake Ellenberger felt the sting of defeat was September 2009 in his UFC debut. Since then he’s rattled off six straight wins including success against talented opponents like Mike Pyle, Jake Shields, and most recently Diego Sanchez. However, the highs he’s experienced since the initial low have done little to erase the memory of coming up ever so short on the scorecards more than two years ago. The bitter taste is made even stronger by the fact the man who beat him, Carlos Condit, now holds an interim title and guaranteed shot at linear divisional champion Georges St. Pierre. Though GSP is out until November at the earliest, rehabbing from knee surgery, Condit has opted to sit and wait rather than risk his opportunity by taking on deserving challenger Ellenberger. “The Juggernaut” offered up some perspective on how much the Split Decision loss to Condit still bothers him while visiting UFC Tonight last week, saying there was no opponent he wanted to face more than “The Natural Born Killer” regardless of any gold being involved. “Our first fight, I took the fight on two weeks notice,” explained Ellenberger, before peeling back a layer, revealing, “I’m gonna be honest – that’s the fight that really keeps me up at night, makes me wants to work hard and motivates me. I know I can beat him.” Since Ellenberger doesn’t expect Condit to come out of his cocoon unless St. Pierre suffers a setback in training, the idea of taking on Martin Kampmann is one he’s considered given their divisional standing. Kampmann is coming off consecutive wins over Rick Story and Thiago Alves. “Sure, why not,” asked Ellenberger rhetorically when the subject of a scrap with Kampmann came up. “I feel like I can beat anybody at 170 pounds in the world and I’ll continue to prove that.” Watch the full interview with the 27-5 Ellenberger below: PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ellenberger, “ i, condit, carlos condit, rick story

Carlos Condit: “Not every single fight is gonna be a war.”

UFC interim welterweight champ Carlos Condit likes nothing more than entering the Octagon and throwing punches with whomever is standing across from him. However, when it came to defeating Nick Diaz to earn a shot at the actual title, he knew needed to stick to the plan instead of engaging in an all-out war. That’s exactly what “The Natural Born Killer” did, earning a decision victory over Diaz though not necessarily in the most satisfying fashion, at least where fans’ opinions are concerned. Now, instead of worrying about what others thinks, he has his sights set on unifying the titles with Georges St. Pierre later this year. “I don’t think it was the war that everybody was expecting, or even that me or Nick was expecting,” said Condit of the situation in an interview with the UFC’s website. “But it was an entertaining fight and I proved to myself that I can really stick to a game plan and a strategy.” Condit talked about how in the past, as soon as punches were thrown he would abandon the plan going in and just try to win the exchanges. Now, as he grows as a fighter, Condit feels fully believing it what you prepared to do is the better course. “Not every single fight is gonna be a war,” Condit said. “This fight showed me that I’ve matured as a fighter with experience.” The date for Condit-GSP is unknown with St. Pierre continuing to rehab from knee surgery. He apparently has a good cushion of time too with Condit adding he will wait at least until the end of the year for a match with the legendary Canadian. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, fight, condit, war, plan

Carlos Condit vs. Dan Hardy Fight Video

Always exciting welterweights Carlos Condit and Dan Hardy put on a show in England at UFC 120 with Condit scoring a highlight reel knockout. Watch it here.

Posted in: dan, condit, carlo, fight video, reel knockout

Video: Carlos Condit KO’s Dan Hardy

Always exciting welterweights Carlos Condit and Dan Hardy put on a show in England at UFC 120 with Condit scoring a highlight reel knockout. Watch it here.

Posted in: dan, condit, england, carlo, reel knockout

Carlos Condit - Still Hungry

Despite the usual craziness that comes along with becoming a UFC champion, for Carlos Condit, the month after winning the interim UFC welterweight title at UFC 143 in February has been a lot less stressful than the one before it.“Yeah, absolutely,” chuckles Condit, whose five round unanimous decision win over Nick Diaz earned him the interim belt as Georges St-Pierre recovers from knee surgery. Now he’s taking a well-deserved break. “Last year was pretty tumultuous, so I’m staying in shape, but I’m taking time to just enjoy being the champion, enjoy hanging out with my family, and for the most part, I’m just mentally relaxing so I can get back into a camp here in the next couple months and be able to completely dedicated and completely into it.It was a crazy lead up to the Diaz bout for “The Natural Born Killer,” one filled not just with an intense training camp, but the added pressure of having cameras following his every move for the UFC Primetime show.“The weeks leading up to a fight are super stressful anyway, and the cameras didn’t add a whole lot more stress, but any more stress on top of a highly-stressed situation kinda amplifies it,” explains Condit, who, while always accessible to the media, has never been one to chase after the spotlight. So letting the world into not only his life, but that of his family, was something new for him.“It’s hard to put all that stuff out there,” he said. “I am kind of a private person, but that’s what people want to see and what some people connect with. I am just a regular guy. I get up and do the family thing and go and do my job like everybody else, but my job just happens to be training for cage fights.”And then fighting in front of millions. Knowing all this, it made his performance against Diaz, who hadn’t lost in over four years, even more impressive. For five rounds, Condit followed his gameplan to a tee, sticking and moving and never allowing Diaz to get into a rhythm. When it was over, the judges rendered him the victor by scores of 49-46 (twice) and 48-47. “I don’t think it was the war that everybody was expecting or even that me or Nick was expecting,” said Condit when asked his thoughts on the bout. “But it was an entertaining fight and I proved to myself that I can really stick to a gameplan and a strategy. In the past, I’ve gone in there with a strategy and once punches were thrown, I abandoned all that and kinda threw down. This fight showed me that I’ve matured as a fighter with experience.”Coming off consecutive knockout wins over Rory MacDonald, Dan Hardy, and Dong Hyun-Kim, Condit was expected to stand and swing with Diaz until someone fell, but the Albuquerque native impressively turned the tables on his foe. And though it was a close, competitive, and compelling fight, some disagreed with the final verdict, causing an internet firestorm on the Sunday after the fight that surprised many, including Condit.“Initially it did,” he said. “In the cage before they announced the decision, I felt that I had won maybe 4-1. I was positive that I had the decision and thought that I had won at least four of the rounds. Going back and watching it, some of the rounds were pretty close, but some people are completely baffled that anyone would see it for Diaz, and then some people are completely appalled and offended that I got the decision. But pretty much everybody that I’ve talked to enjoyed the fight and thought that I won, for the most part. I don’t know, it’s just one of those things.”And though it was disappointing to see Condit be the focal point for these uncalled attacks on Twitter and other social networks, he takes it with a grain of salt.“I understand it,” he said. “I think when you say MMA fans, you’re talking about a pretty broad spectrum. MMA appeals to a lot of different people, and different people want to see different things in a fight. It makes sense. There’s criticism of the way a person fought and then there’s going a little bit farther than that, and I think that’s uncalled for.”What can’t be denied is that Condit fought an impressive fight over five fast-paced rounds against one of the best welterweights in the game. He had a solid gameplan, executed it perfectly, and got a well-deserved win. Was it the Armageddon in short pants fans screamed for? No. But this isn’t a toughman competition either, and Condit knew that standing in front of Diaz and fighting his fight wasn’t the wisest course of action.“Not every single fight is gonna be like that,” said Condit. “I’ve had 30 fights in my career that were knock down, drag out fights, and if they weren’t, they were brutal knockouts. And the one time that it isn’t, people are a little upset.”But that’s why they call this mixed martial arts, and Condit’s rise from WEC titleholder to UFC champion has been a prime example of a fighter’s evolution. It also showed off a fighter who has to be considered a serious threat to the man who is also at the top, St-Pierre. After an agreed-to rematch with Diaz was scrapped due to the Stockton native's NSAC suspension, Condit is looking forward to finally testing himself against Montreal’s finest.“We had a pretty solid roadmap to what we thought would be a victory over Georges, and that’s something we had to put on the shelf because of his injury and because the fight got canceled,” said Condit, who saw a UFC 137 bout with the Canadian scrapped due to injury, as well as a early 2012 match due to a GSP-Diaz showdown that never happened, again due to a St-Pierre injury. “But it’s gonna be a very similar blueprint when we fight eventually.”Hoping for a late 2012 return to face St-Pierre, who is reportedly ahead of schedule when it comes to rehabbing his knee, Condit will just enjoy his belt and his time with the family until that phone rings. And when it does, he will not go into training camp as a content champion. Instead, he will reprise his role as a hungry challenger.“It’s bigger, but I’m not yet satisfied,” said Condit of life as a UFC champion. “There’s still that pesky word ‘interim’ in my title, and until I’m able to purge myself of that and be the undisputed champion, I’m still hungry.”

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, ’t, condit

Carlos Condit still fine with waiting for GSP to heal up

Don’t mind Carlos Condit if he sits on the sidelines, waiting for a title-unification bout with Georges St. Pierre. Condit, who defeated Nick Diaz earlier this year for the interim belt, plans to remain true to his word in holding off on fighting again before facing linear champ GSP later this year. “Well, the bottom line is, I have my heart set on fighting Georges St-Pierre,” said Condit, while visiting Inside MMA this week. “I’m waiting for Georges and that would be my next opponent.” St. Pierre remains on track to return in November following his recovery from knee surgery. The Canadian suffered the injury in training to face Diaz, prompting the UFC to create an interim champion in his place. However, Condit is willing to wait forever, as “The Natural Born Killer” added that if St. Pierre is forced to sit out past the end of this year he will entertain the thought of fighting someone else. Check out the complete interview below: PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: pierre, st, year, condit, george

Georges St. Pierre 'Road to Recovery' video (Episode 2)

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre, who was forced to put his 170-pound strap behind glass while he rehabs a surgically repaired knee, gives fans another update on his "road to recovery," featuring a training video that has "Rush" doing all sorts of knee-related exercises. The Canadian kingpin currently told fans he's "ahead of schedule," but still concentrating solely on his rehab and not a title unification bout opposite Interim titleholder Carlos Condit later this year, assuming the promotion ignores Jake Ellenberger's cries for a Condit rematch. And "The Juggernaut" isn't the only one looking for another shot at "The Natural Born Killer." Condit was originally expected to rematch Nick Diaz for the right to face St. Pierre in November, but the fiery Stockton slugger was popped for marijuana metabolites in his post-fight drug test and has since been weed-ed out of the 170-pound title chase. For now. To check out episode one of GSP's "Road to Recovery" click here.

Posted in: st, condit, road, canadian kingpin, fans hes

Martin Kampmann: ‘Carlos Condit Has A Target On His Back’

Martin Kampmann says UFC interim welterweight titleholder Carlos Condit has a target on his back and called for a rematch following his UFC on FX 2 submission win over Thiago Alves.

Posted in: ufc, condit, target, kampmann, martin

UFC Quick Quote: Dana White doesn't know what to do with Martin Kampmann, Jake Ellenberger and Carlos Condit

"I have to talk to Carlos about this now. His thing with Ellenberger was that, 'I just fought him. I just fought Ellenberger and I will probably fight him again if I beat GSP.' I don't know, we will see what happens and we got to see what the progression is with Georges. If Georges' recovery doesn't come along like it should, you never know with these things. It could come earlier it could come later. Maybe he (Condit) wants to fight Kampmann now so we will see what happens. He's (Condit) earned the right. When all the drama with Georges St . Pierre and Diaz and this and that. Condit could not have been more of a professional, could not have been more of a stud. I mean I have nothing but respect for this guy. He said anything that we need to do , things were turning on a dime and changing opponents on him, if this guy wants to sit around and wait for Georges. St. Pierre, I'm cool with that, He's earned it. " -- Will he wait or will he fight? That's been the huge question surrounding Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) interim Welterweight champion Carlos Condit. And at last night's (March 2, 2012) UFC on FX post-fight press conference, UFC President Dana White himself could not escape that question. "The Natural Born Killer" earned the right to face UFC 170-pound champion Georges St. Pierre as soon as "Rush" is able to return to action after he defeated Nick Diaz at UFC 143. However, with the uncertainty of St. Pierre's precise return, there are plenty of worthy challengers ready to step up and challenge Condit for his new title. Last night (March 2, 2012) Martin Kampmann , who was the last man to defeat Condit, also threw his name in the hat as a potential opponent by defeating Thiago Alves via submission at UFC on FX 2. The interim champion has stated time after time that he will wait for the return of "Rush" and unify the titles. Now, with the UFC head honcho's blessing to do what he pleases, it seems that other top contenders will have to sit and wait their turn at obtaining UFC gold, or take other fights in the interim. For now, it is good to be the (interim) champ. But, as the fans grow restless, don't be surprised to see Condit pressed into action sooner rather than later.

Posted in: ufc, pierre, st, condit, george

Video: Carlos Condit gets his day in Albuquerque

Every dog has his day and in the case of UFC Interim Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit that was Wed., Feb. 29, 2012, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. "The Natural Born Killer" spent his day doing media, participating in a ceremony with Mayor Richard Berry, and hitting up a basketball game, all while lugging around his belt. Not much in the way of actual MMA content, save for the fact that Condit believes Jake Ellenberger is next in line if Georges St. Pierre doesn't recover from his injury before the year is out. Music to "The Juggernaut's" ears, I'm sure. In the meantime, enjoy a shaky camera following Condit along on a tour of the city he's now champion of. Kind of.

Posted in: jake ellenberger, day, condit, city hes, basketball game

UFC Interim Champ Carlos Condit Waiting For GSP Is Bunk

Carlos Condit just won the UFC interim welterweight championship with a controversial decision win over Nick Diaz at UFC 143. He's now saying that he'll wait for champion Georges St. Pierre to return before he fights again. This means that the interim title will not be defended and really renders the UFC 143 title fight pointless. Obviously Condit is rightfully concerned that a bout against Jake Ellenberger, Josh Koscheck or Johny Hendricks could go badly and he won't get to fight GSP. That's an absolutely rational decision and if I were Condit's manager is exactly what I would recommend he do. However what's good for Carlos Condit and what's good for the sport and the fans are two different things. Here are three reasons why Condit should NOT be allowed to wait: The UFC needs headliners. The UFC had to cancel a planned March pay-per-view in Quebec because of the lack of a headlining fight. While Condit wouldn't have been able to fill in that gap, his decision to wait for GSP means he won't be around to headline or co-main event any PPVs in the summer or fall. The division shouldn't be on hold.There are too many talented fighters who've waited too long for their shot to put the division on the shelf for another 9 months. Jake Ellenberger has earned a title shot. The winner of Johny Hendricks vs. Josh Koscheck at UFC on Fox 3 will have earned a title shot. There's every reason to believe that any of those 3 guys could beat Condit, tough as he is. They all present formidable stylistic challenges to Condit and Ellenberger very nearly beat him in their first bout. What if GSP isn't ready to fight in the fall or if Condit gets hurt?Remember when Rashad Evans chose to sit out nearly a year waiting for Mauricio "Shogun" Rua to heal up from ACL surgery only to be injured himself when his shot finally came? What happens if GSP's recovery is delayed and he can't fight until 2013? What if Condit gets hurt training for GSP? Is the title really supposed to go undefended for a year? UFC president Dana White often pushes the claim that the UFC is about seeing the best fighters fight the best 2 or 3 times a year. Letting Condit wait for GSP means that in the welterweight division in 2012 the UFC is about the best fighting the best once a year, maybe.

Posted in: ufc, fight, title, gsp, condit

Carlos Condit Willing to Wait for 'Michael Jordan of MMA'

SAITAMA, Japan -- MMA Fighting caught up with UFC interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit at UFC 144. Condit talks about how he has been received by fans in Japan, why he is willing to wait for Georges St. Pierre, if he would turn down a potential fight with Jake Ellenberger if the UFC requested it and more.

Posted in: ufc, jake ellenberger, condit, carlos condit, michael jordan

Carlos Condit open to Ellenberger fight, but prefers to wait for "Michael Jordan of MMA" GSP

Interim Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit, who defeated Nick Diaz at UFC 143 to lay claim to the belt, looks back on the match-up and discusses his fighting future. Condit admits that he's open to fighting Jake Ellenberger if the UFC insists, but says he prefers to wait for "the Michael Jordan of MMA" Georges St. Pierre.

Posted in: jake ellenberger, nick diaz, condit, carlos condit, michael jordan

History in the Making: Martin Kampmann hands Carlos Condit a rude welcome to the UFC

There's a belief in the mixed martial arts (MMA) game that if it doesn't happen inside the Octagon, it's nothing to crow about. When a fighter experiences any measure of success in Japan, their accomplishments are often minimized due to what is perceived as a lower class of competition. It happened to Jorge Santiago who had not one but two Fight of the Year bouts against Kazuo Misaki in the Sengoku promotion. Still there were detractors who swore up and down once "Sandman" made it back to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), he would be facing a higher caliber of fighter and be exposed. They were right. But for every Santiago, there's a Ben Henderson, an Anthony Pettis or a Carlos Condit. "The Natural Born Killer" was World Extreme Cagefighting's (WEC) last welterweight champion when it was decided the weight class would no longer be contested inside the blue cage. The New Mexico native transitioned over to the Octagon and two and a half years later, an interim title and a date with Georges St. Pierre proves his success in WEC was a result of skill, not a shallow talent pool. He's defeated every opponent the UFC has put in front of him ... except one. Martin Kampmann spoiled Condit's Octagon debut and is the only man to have beaten the interim champion in the past five years. The Dane takes on Thiago Alves in the main event of Friday's (Mar. 2) UFC on FX 2 main event. A win against the Brazilian could score another match with Condit with the stakes being much higher than they were the first time around. Let's take a look back at that bout, the main event of Fight Night 18 in Nashville, TN. Condit opens with some jabs and a high kick before clinching up and landing a blistering body punch to his opponent. Kampmann bullies the New Mexico native against the cage, wraps his arms around him before dropping Condit onto his back. From there, a tight guillotine attempt threatens to end the fight early but Condit remains calm and works his way out of it and back to his feet. Once there, "The Natural Born Killer" almost immediately drops the Dane onto his back, giving "Hitman" a taste of his own medicine. Proving his grappling chops are just as impressive as his striking, Kampmann is able to slide out from under his opponent, ending up on top and landing ground and pound. "Hitman" then attempts a heel hook but Condit is able to turn out of the submission attempt and again winds up on his feet. A huge punch from the top connects with Kampmann's face before the Dane begins to regain his vertical base. As he makes his way to his feet, he makes sure to avoid a knee from Condit by keeping one hand on the ground, rendering any knee thrown to the head illegal. But a split second after "Hitman's" hand is lifted from the canvas, a knee from Condit barrels its way to Kampmann's face and opens up a huge gash under one eye. A combination from the New Mexico native tags Kampmann in the head and on the body. He continues putting together punches, knees and kicks in impressive fashion until the end of the round, not allowing Kampmann any room to fully recover from the devastating knee landed just seconds earlier. Condit starts the second round as he finished the first, stringing together punches and kicks. Less than a minute in, however, Kampmann puts his opponent on the mat and begins to work him over with ground and pound. Condit remains in this defensive position until midway through the round when he is able to kick Kampmann off, create some distance and get back to his feet. On their feet, Condit lands a nice short elbow but it's answered with a huge hook that snaps the Greg Jackson fighter's head back. "The Natural Born Killer" responds with a front kick that finds its mark and follows it up with a stiff punch before dumping the Dane onto the mat. Kampmann quickly gets back to his feet but a hard elbow cracks him in the face. Undaunted, "Hitman" presses forward and sinks in a deep guillotine choke attempt. For the second time in the fight, Condit is forced to fight through the submission and for the second time, he succeeds. They scramble on the mat; the New Mexico native on top at first with Kampmann reversing position to end the round. Just like the previous round, Kampmann opens up the third and final stanza with a takedown. Hard ground and pound from "Hitman" begins to score points as Condit's head bounces off the mat. Two times Condit is momentarily able to get back to his feet but each time Kampmann immediately drags him back down to continue the beating he was already dishing out. "The Natural Born Killer" stays busy on the bottom, attempting submissions and trying to free himself, but the Dane keeps him horizontal nearly the entire time. A last second guillotine attempt from Condit serves as just about the only offense he saw in the last five minutes. The first judge scores the bout for Kampmann, the second for Condit. When the third judge's decision is read, a 29-28 nod to Kampmann, the Dane raises both arms up, lets out an elated "yes" and drops to his knees in joy. The Greg Jackson product walks away, shaking his head in disappointment. Condit wouldn't feel that way for long. Five straight wins inside the Octagon have given "The Natural Born Killer" the chance to unseat the most dominant welterweight champion of all time and by proxy, ensuring his place in the MMA history books. Kampmann's emotional state was also short-lived as a brutal knockout to Paul Daley five months later erased all the goodwill "Hitman" had earned at 170 pounds. His career continued a roller coaster ride for the next couple of years. Consecutive wins over Jacob Volkmann and Paulo Thiago acted as the highs while back to back losses to Jake Shields and Diego Sanchez served as the lows. After the particularly disappointing loss to "The Dream," Kampmann put himself back in the win column by taking out Rick Story. It looks like, at least for right now, his career is experiencing a high. Kampmann will look to ensure it continues against Alves. Will he?

Posted in: time, feet, condit, kampmann, dane

UFC 144: Jake Shields ready to bounce back in 2012, would like to face Carlos Condit again

Riding a 14-fight win streak into his highly anticipated Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut, which included dominant stints under the Elite XC and Strikeforce Banner, Jake Shields' time in the worlds preeminent mixed martial arts (MMA) organization, thus far, has been a rough one to say the least. After narrowly escaping his debut against Martin Kampmann at UFC 121 with a razor-thin split decision victory, Shields dropped his following two bouts to UFC Welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre and current top contender, Jake Ellenberger. Prior to entering his fight with Ellenberger, Shields suffered a personal tragedy, as his father suddenly passed away. A distraught and mourning Shields, showing great composure and fortitude, chose to not drop out of his headlining bought against Ellenberger. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) black-belt was eventually knocked out by "The Juggernaut" in the opening minute of the first round, the first time in 11 years that he had been finished in a fight. It may have been rough rolling in 2011 but the former multi-division champion is ready to get back on the hog and ride in 2012. Speaking to MMAWeekly.com, Shields discusses the hardships he went through the past 10 months, including the tough decision to fight two weeks after his fathers passing, as well as the current state of the UFC's 170-pound division. "No, I don't know, maybe it would have been better to pull out, but you never know how those things are going to go, and at the time I did what I had to do, and I did it. I can't look back and wish I hadn't have done it. Unfortunately, things didn't go my way. I got caught with a knee, that was unfortunate. That was a tough time for me between losing my dad and then that, I wasn't feeling too great after that. I feel a lot better. I'm ready to bounce back and have a good year in 2012." Shields also hopes to one day face the current UFC interim Welterweight Champion, Carlos Condit, to exact some revenge for his good friend and training partner, Nick Diaz, whom Condit defeated to earn the title at UFC 143: "I feel like welterweight is really shook up right now for title contention. It's up for grabs for anyone really. With (Jon) Fitch losing, (Josh) Koscheck's last fight not being the most spectacular; the title's up for grabs right now. He (Condit) was calling me out last year, so I would love to fight him. He has the belt now. I mean GSP's still the true champ, but if there's time to get a fight in, I would love to be the guy to go out there and put on a great win and jump in there. Especially, like I said I beat him before, he just had that controversial win over my teammate. It's someone I'd love to go back and get some payback for Nick." Condit and Shields originally squared off in 2006 in the finals of the Rumble on the Rock 9 Welterweight Tournament. Shields did enough to outwork "The Natural Born Killer" to earn a unanimous decision victory. Now, six months removed from his second consecutive loss, Jake looks to right his ship this weekend (Feb. 25, 2012) in Japan at UFC 144, as he takes on Yoshihiro Akiyama, who looks to end his own three-fight skid in his UFC middleweight debut. What do you say, Maniacs, will Shields return to his winning ways and spoil Akiyama's return to Japan in the process? Or will it be "Sexyama" that reverses his own fortunes this weekend? Opinions, please.

Posted in: ufc, fight, shield, time, condit

Georges St. Pierre not thinking about fighting, only focusing on his knee

That slow but steady whistling sound you hear is probably the wind getting sucked from the sails of the Georges St. Pierre fan club, who's been lobbying for his speedy return following knee surgery. The longtime Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight kingpin recently teased that he was ahead of schedule, giving newly-minted Interim Champion Carlos Condit reason to sit on the sidelines and wait for his return. A recent report from Japan suggests he's not in any "Rush" after all. That means Condit could be looking at a title unification bout in November, at the earliest, unless he opts to defend the temporary strap while waiting for the champ to get his ligaments in order. St. Pierre talks about his long road to recovery with The Star Phoenix, after the jump. "You cannot predict the future. So I take only one step at a time. I don't know if it's going to be Carlos or what's going to happen. In mixed martial arts, there's so many things that happen. You never know. I don't even focus on fighting right now. I don't even focus on that. I don't even think about it. I just focus on my knee. That's the most important thing. I don't want to do the same thing again. I pushed too much the first time and it will not happen again. It was the biggest injury of my career. But I did the right thing, surrounded myself with the right people, and I will come back stronger from it." Nick Diaz, who was a 170-pound monkey wrench in the St. Pierre vs. Condit title fight, is now riding the pine following a suspension for marijuana. That means Jake Ellenberger, who established himself as the next in line with a convincing win over Diego Sanchez earlier this month, could help rally the fans to get Condit back into the cage for a rematch of their 2009 tilt. Lots of puzzle pieces here Maniacs ... who's ready to try and put them together? Sort this thing out in the comments section below.

Posted in: pierre, condit, thing, i dont, dont

Jake Ellenberger: Carlos Condit doesn't want to fight me again -- and I don't blame him

Hard-hitting Welterweight contender Jake Ellenberger has one loss since transitioning to the big leagues of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A close split decision to Carlos Condit. Since that disappointing night back in 2009, which served as his Octagon debut, "The Juggernaut" has won six straight contests with four violent finishes. He recently planished Diego Sanchez in the main event of UFC on Fuel TV earlier this month to put himself "in the mix." Like Ellenberger, Condit has been flawless since they first met in Oklahoma City, recording four straight wins with three (T)KO victories. His unanimous decision victory over Nick Diaz at UFC 143 was good enough to earn him the division's Interim Championship. With Georges St. Pierre rehabbing a surgically repaired knee, it could be several months before "The Natural Born Killer" has the opportunity to unify the 170-pound titles. That leaves him a pretty sizable window to settle some unfinished business with Ellenberger, who tells Sherdog's Beatdown Radio it's a fight Condit doesn't want, and for good reason. Check it out, after the jump. "I think the fans do want it, but at the same time, I don’t know if that’s what the UFC wants or not. I really don’t. If it was up to me, then yeah, we’d probably be fighting in May or June, but I don’t know if that’s what the UFC wants. I think they kind of still put it in Condit’s hands, but I know Carlos. I know his manager, and I know they don’t want that fight. But again, if I put myself in their shoes, I don’t blame them. It’s not even necessarily a personal thing. Carlos right now has the belt, and that’s where I want to be. He’s a fantastic fighter and he’s in the position he’s in for a reason. I was hoping I could get another rematch with Condit, but whether he fights again is going to be up to him. … I wouldn’t blame him if he wants to wait. That’s just the reality of it, but in my opinion, I sure hope I get that fight." Condit is not opposed to fighting prior to St. Pierre's return, but it all depends on how quickly the Canadian can "Rush" back into action. A November or December timetable will likely give Ellenberger the opportunity he's looking for; however, anything sooner than that and Condit will opt to wait. And protect his Interim title in the process. Even if he goes on to defeat St. Pierre, he'll likely cross paths with Ellenberger again anyway. It's (perhaps) just a question of when, not if. Unless some fantasy matchmakers out there in MMA land have a different perspective? Anyone?

Posted in: ufc, fight, ellenberger, condit, donrsquot

Jake Ellenberger: Carlos Condit Doesn’t Want Rematch

Coming off his UFC on Fuel 1 win over Diego Sanchez, Jake Ellenberger would like a rematch with interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit.

Posted in: jake, ellenberger, rematch, condit, carlo

Dana White’s latest vlog takes fans into Nick Diaz’s locker-room moments after UFC 143 loss

UFC President Dana White grants us backstage access to UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit for his first video blog entry pertaining to this Saturday’s UFC 144 extravaganza. His latest edition includes moments with several fighters from the earlier event including Roy Nelson and Nick Diaz. Nelson, who lost a hard-fought decision to Fabricio Werdum, discusses the outcome with Diaz, saying, “I thought I won two rounds.” Sympathetic to his cause, Diaz also complains about the way his loss to Carlos Condit was scored, mentioning that the numerous leg kicks Condit threw did zero damage. Check out the entire video in the player below: PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, diaz, condit, carlos condit, rounds ”

Interim champ Carlos Condit's future decided by Georges St-Pierre's recovery

Ahead of schedule, behind schedule, or right on schedule - Carlos Condit just wants a schedule. As fans continue to weigh in on the state of the welterweight division, the UFC interim champ today released a statement to MMAjunkie.com on his plans for 2012. "I would prefer to be able to fully gauge Georges St. Pierre's recovery time before I make any decisions on my next fight," Condit stated.

Posted in: condit, welterweight division, schedule, fight condit, champ today

Carlos Condit will wait for Georges St. Pierre to return ... but for how long?

Now that three weeks have passed since UFC 143, which saw Carlos Condit become the UFC Interim Welterweight Champion by defeating Nick Diaz, a lot of the drama, which includes the highly debated decision in the main event between Diaz and Condit, and Diaz' post-fight positive drug test, has simmered down, Carlos Condit can get back to enjoying his accomplishment. That accomplishment, is becoming the first World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) champion to successfully win an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) world title since the organization closed up shop in 2010. Prior to "The Natural Born Killer" joining the UFC, he was on an eight fight win streak which included four title fights in the WEC, along with three straight title defenses. His UFC debut, however, was not a successful one, as he lost a razor thin split decision to Martin Kampmann at UFC Fight Night: "Condit vs. Kampmann" on April 1, 2009, in a fight many believed should have gone Condit's way. Since that setback three years ago, Condit has been on a tear, winning five consecutive fights over a who's-who of welterweights including Jake Ellenberger, Rory MacDonald, Dan Hardy and the aforementioned Nick Diaz, winning 13 of his last 14 bouts in the process. Now, Condit finds himself at a standstill. That's because he is currently undecided as to what his next move will be. He can either wait for current UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre to finish up his rehab, or possibly defend his title against perennial top contender Jake Ellenberger, who finds himself on a six fight win streak and has not lost in over two years since dropping a split decision to, you guessed it, Carlos Condit. "The Natural Born Killer" spoke to MMAmania.com about what it's like to be a WEC and UFC champion, as well as his future plans in the UFC's 170-pound division. Check it out: In 2010, after the UFC absorbed all of the WEC's talent into its own roster, the promotion created two new divisions and crowned reigning WEC champions Jose Aldo and Dominick Cruz the first ever UFC Featherweight and Bantamweight champions, respectively, without ever having competed in the promotion. Anthony Pettis, the WEC's 155-pound champion, lost his chance at UFC gold when he was defeated by Clay Guida at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale, ending his hopes of a title unification bout against lightweight kingpin, Frankie Edgar. Condit, the WEC's Welterweight champion, on the other hand, did not receive an immediate title shot nor did he receive a belt. Instead, he reeled off five wins in the promotion, including "Fight of the Night" and "Knockout of the Night" performances in three consecutive bouts before earning his shot at grabbing UFC gold. Making the most of his opportunity, Condit defeated Nick Diaz at UFC 143 to join Frank Shamrock as the only two fighters to win a title in both organizations and the first to do so since the merger, something Carlos says he is very proud of. "It feels great. When I got into the UFC, that was my goal, was to have two belts. I defended every time I fought for the WEC belt, so basically I'm still WEC champ because I never lost it and now I'm the interim UFC champion and it feels great." After winning the interim title at UFC 143, Condit's next move should have been a title unification bout with UFC 170-pound champion, Georges St. Pierre. However, due to all the backlash and criticism received after his victory over Diaz, "The Natural Born Killer" accepted a rematch with the Stockton bad boy in order to silence his critics yet again. However, one failed drug test by Diaz ended all hopes of the rematch. Condit is now, once again, expected to face St. Pierre as soon as "Rush" is deemed fit to return to action and would love nothing more to get his chance at dethroning "GSP" and removing the interim tag. However, if it means too long of a wait, Carlos would prefer to stay active and potentially take another fight in the meantime. "It all depends on GSP and when he will be back. I would like to stay busy. If he won't be back until the end of the year like December, then I may take another fight. But if it's sooner than that then I will wait for him. I'm good health wise, I had some minor stuff I was dealing with before UFC 143, and the fight just kind of aggravated things, but for the most part nothing serious." It's widely believed the Jake Ellenberger punched his ticket to the top of the number one contender's list when he defeated Condit's training partner, Diego Sanchez, at UFC on Fuel TV on Feb 15, 2012. With the uncertainty of GSP's return, Condit will keep playing the waiting game for the foreseeable future as the UFC 170-pound division plays itself out further as Josh Koscheck and Johny Hendricks are scheduled to tangle on UFC on Fox 3 in May in a bout that could produce yet another challenger for the 170-pound title. For now, Condit may be sharing the top of the Welterweight mountain, but has no problems taking on any and all comers in order to prove he deserves to stand at the top all by himself.

Posted in: ufc, fight, title, champion, condit

Exclusive: Greg Jackson opens up about fight strategy, teammates fighting one another and cornering Jon Jones against Rashad Evans

When considering the top mixed martial arts (MMA) camps across the globe, one has to look no further than to Albuquerque, N.M., which is where the famed Jackson-WinkelJohn Mixed Martial Art's gym is located. The facility that operates out of the 505 area code is home to today's top MMA stars such as UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones, UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre, interim UFC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit, Donald Cerrone, Brian Stann, Diego Sanchez and Shane Carwin, among others. With no shortage of superstar power training at his gym, Greg Jackson finds himself at the helm of one of the -- if not the -- top MMA gyms on the planet, with the aid of striking Guru Mike Winkeljohn by his side. However, with so much success coming out of his talent-laden camp, the day eventually comes when a few of his pupils may have to meet one another inside the Octagon. As is the case that led to the rift between former training partners, current 205-pound kingpin Jon Jones and former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Rashad Evans, who flourished under the tutelage of Jackson. Currently, Jackson finds himself in the middle of another dilemma, as two of his top fighters, Carlos Condit and Georges St. Pierre, are currently the interim and reigning UFC welterweight champion, respectively, and are likely to meet down the road to unify the belts. Something Jackson says is one of the hardest things he will have to endure. Greg Jackson recently opened up the doors to his new Jackson's MMA Fitness Gym in Albuquerque to MMAmania.com, talking about the UFC 143 aftermath, his friendship with Nick Diaz, Carlos Condit's next fight and the criticism that often times accompanies his winning game plans. Make the jump to hear from Greg Jackson himself: "I'm not sure. (why game plans are criticized) I will be honest, there have been fights that we have won, that I was like, "Oh man, this one is going to be all over the news." But no one says a word. The Carlos Condit fight was not that controversial. We out struck him, landed more power shots and way more strikes. We had complete Octagon control, we decided when and where the exchanges were going to happen and if we didn't like it, we got away and started again, so you can't really make a case for him (Diaz) doing more damage because we did more damage and you can't make a case for him controlling the fight because we controlled it. So that criticism doesn't bother me that much because It was just more of people's disappointment wanting to see two fighters stand there and swing and last man standing wins. But, you know, fighting is about hitting and not getting hit. We hit him a lot more and we didn't get hit. So I don't feel bad about that one. Listen, there have been times in my 18 years of doing this where I'm like, "How did we win that one?" And I'm like, "What, no one got mad?" No one says a word. A lot of people were just disappointed because a lot of people just wanted Nick to win and because of Nick's style. It is just part of the territory." On Nick Diaz' positive test for traces of marijuana that axed hopes of an immediate rematch between he and Carlos Condit and what is next for "The Natural Born Killer:" "I can't really speak to that. I really actually like Nick Diaz a lot, he's a good friend of mine and I hope he gets himself in a position where he doesn't do those kinds of things so he can really advance his career. Carlos is a warrior he wanted the rematch right away way before he knew all this was going on, so it was disappointing. As far as who is next, I'm not his manager, but it's up to Carlos, if he wants Jake (Ellenberger) we will fight Jake, if he wants to wait for my other guy, GSP, we will wait." On the instances where he will have two of his current fighters fighting each other: "It's very hard, that is why I don not get involved. I can not pick sides, I just can't do it. It will be a tough night for me, I will probably just go hide somewhere and grab a cheeseburger." On how hard it would be to corner Jones against Rashad Evans at UFC 145: "It would be a nightmare to coach against Rashad (Evans) because I still consider him a really good friend. However, I might just have to put my personal feelings aside and do what is best for the team." Jon Jones tweeted yesterday the Jackson will indeed corner him in the much anticipated Light Heavyweight championship showdown between he and Rashad Evans, which is scheduled to go down at UFC 145 in Atlanta, Ga., on April 21, 2012. With the continued success of Jackson's MMA system, it will probably not be the last time he and his training staff will find themselves in this situation, and that can be either a good thing, or a bad thing, depending which side of the fence you stand.

Posted in: ufc, jackson, condit, rashad evans, carlo

UFC Quick Quote: Jake Ellenberger is praying for a fight against Carlos Condit

"I think I should've been clearer on what I want and who I want to fight. I think I can beat Carlos Condit, and that's really the fight I want. That's the fight I'm hoping and praying for - but it's not my decision. It's absolutely what I want, though. I've fought him before, and now I'm a completely different fighter. I know I can beat him and it's definitely the fight I want. Carlos has said he wants to wait, and while I can understand his position, it doesn't stop me from wanting that fight." -- UFC welterweight Jake Ellenberger laments his decision (via Heavy MMA) not to specifically call out UFC Interim Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit following his unanimous decision win over Diego Sanchez at UFC on FUEL TV 1 this past Wed., Feb. 15, 2012, in Omaha, Nebraska. The victory gave "The Juggernaut" six in a row, including consecutive fight night bonus awards. He's got a good a resume as any other welterweight in the division at present time, so if there was ever a moment to lobby for a rematch against Condit, it was this past Wednesday. Unfortunately, he missed his window but now he's playing catch up in the media while hoping and praying the UFC sets up the fight before "The Natural Born Killer" moves on to unify the titles against Georges St. Pierre. Except he's already said that's what he's going to do, a decision UFC President Dana White has said he agrees with. So Ellenberger can keep praying but it looks like he's fresh out of luck. Anyone think it would have made a difference had he called out Condit inside the Octagon after beating Sanchez?

Posted in: ufc, fight, condit, fight i, he

Why Create an Interim Title that Won’t Be Defended?

When UFC President Dana White announced that the bout between Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz scheduled for UFC 143 would be for the UFC Interim Welterweight Title it made sense. Both men were scheduled to face reigning champion Georges St. Pierre at one point in time or another. Diaz lost his first opportunity because of his inability to follow directions and like Condit before him lost an opportunity when GSP was injured. The reason the interim title was created in the first place was because of the severity of the knee injury GSP had suffered. Surgery would force the Canadian to be out of action until late fall of this year. By having Diaz or Condit become interim champion the UFC could keep the title active until St. Pierre was healthy enough to face whoever was champion at the time of his return. It’s not like there was a shortage of competent challengers waiting to face the winner of the UFC 143 match-up. After what many felt was a controversial decision that went in Condit’s favor the talk turned to having the two rematch sometime in the middle of the year. This would allow the title to be defended at least once before GSP was ready to unify the championship. As luck would have it Diaz was popped for smoking pot and is facing a lengthy suspension. There goes a high profile rematch between the two, but does that mean Condit should remain on the shelf for the next 9-10 months? I can name a few legitimate challengers to Condit’s title beginning with Jake Ellenberger. Back in September of 2009 Condit narrowly defeated “The Juggernaut” in his UFC debut. During the first round Condit was floored three times but came back to win a Split Decision. Ellenberger has since won six fights in a row highlighted by a first round knockout over Jake Shields and last night’s thrilling unanimous decision victory over a dangerous Diego Sanchez. Not only is the story line already in place, but Ellenberger is a legitimate threat to both Condit and St. Pierre. Fans and media are both clamoring for the match-up not only to see the title defended but to see what could be a potential fight of the year. Both fighters have been on a tear since they fought and a case could be made that Ellenberger has improved greatly; that if not for some Octagon jitters would have walked away the victor that night in Oklahoma City. If not Ellenberger why not the winner of the Josh Koscheck-Johny Hendricks bout scheduled for May in New Jersey? Koscheck has been near the top of the division for years now and would give Condit all he could handle should he be able to get by the man who knocked out Koscheck’s former teammate Jon Fitch in just twelve seconds. Hendricks is 7-1 in the UFC and 9-1 overall under the Zuffa umbrella. He is a dynamic fighter with power in his hands and an ever growing legion of dedicated fans. Assuming the winner came away injury free they could be ready to face Condit in August or September. That would set up a bout between the winner and GSP for the New Year’s Eve card in Las Vegas. Not only would the UFC be giving fans a great fight between Condit and anyone of the three contenders I have mentioned, but they would allow GSP to be fully prepared to face the winner on a card that has historically been a very successful show. No matter who Condit faces it is completely unfair to ask him to sit on the sidelines for nearly a year while waiting for St. Pierre to rehab his knee. It also is a slap in the face of the fans that paid good money to watch Diaz and Condit vie for a title that will never be defended. What sense does that make? It’s not like everyone is dying to see Condit take on “Rush” anyway. In all likelihood GSP will out-wrestle “The Natural Born Killer” on his way to another dominating decision. Against Hendricks or Ellenberger he would face two very good wrestlers who can use their grappling both offensively and defensively all the while having the ability to land that one punch knockout to the long reigning champion. Obviously the only drawback to having Condit face the Hendricks-Koscheck winner is the possibility of GSP having to face “Kos” for a third time. If that’s the case let Ellenberger and Hendricks go at it with the winner facing Condit. The timing makes sense and so do the match-ups, make it happen Dana! PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, title, face, winner, condit

Dana White puts decision to fight again on Carlos Condit’s shoulders

In the wake of the results from last night’s UFC on Fuel lineup UFC President Dana White has addressed the future of Carlos Condit based primarily on welterweight Jake Ellenberger’s impressive outpointing of Diego Sanchez in the show’s main event. Ellenberger, who picked up his sixth straight win with the performance, fought to a Split Decision with Condit in 2009 and is a legitimate top contender to the divisional title. “I have no idea. We’ll see what happens. Again, tonight’s the night of the fight. Carlos Condit’s sittin home tonight. In three months he might have a different opinion. He might say, ‘You know what, let’s do this.’,” said White on the post-event Fuel TV breakdown. “I think that if I’m Carlos Condit and the Diaz match is available I take the Diaz match,” White continued while alluding to the possibility of Nick Diaz not being suspended by the NSAC for marijuana use. “If not, I probably sit around and wait for GSP. It makes all the sense in the world. He just came off a Split Decision against Ellenberger. He knows if he beats GSP he’s gonna end up facing Ellenberger again. But also on the May 5 card on FOX we have Koscheck fighting Hendricks so we’ll see what happens.” With Georges St. Pierre out until at least November it seems possible Condit may get the itch to defend his interim belt after already having been out of action for the better part of a year leading up to his decision win over Diaz. If Condit does decide to wait and GSP suffers no setbacks while rehabbing from his knee injury a likely eliminator bout could potentially be put in place between Ellenberger and Johny Hendricks if he emerges victorious against Josh Koscheck. As far as Sanchez, who could be moving to lightweight again, White showed nothing but respect, stating, “The kid’s a stud. He brings it every time. He comes to fight. Tell me the last Diego Sanchez that sucked. If the kid wants to fight at 55, 45, 25…he can fight wherever he wants to.” Check out the full interview with White below: PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: fight, ellenberger, diego sanchez, condit, split decision

UFC On Fuel Results: Carlos Condit Shouldn't Wait For Georges St. Pierre

Like it or not, our society is one that thrives on having a short-term memory. This is especially the case in MMA where a fighter's most recent outing is what sticks as reality. Enter Carlos Condit, the UFC interim 170-pound champion fresh off a title-winning performance that was as polarizing a victory as we've seen in the sport in quite some time.Condit now sits on an interesting opportunity: enjoy his accomplishments and wait for a title unification bout against Georges St. Pierre or defend his belt for the first time this summer, either against de facto No. 1 contender Jake Ellenberger or Nick Diaz if his suspension either gets lifted or shortened. Among the writers of this site, media and fans, the opinion is split. Should Condit wait or defend?To me, this is an easy one. Condit should defend his title this summer.When the on-again, off-again title shot malarkey was muddying up the welterweight waters last fall, I thought Condit got screwed out of his then-promised title opportunity because St. Pierre says he demanded he fight Diaz instead. I like Condit and can appreciate how the former WEC Welterweight Champion has slowly evolved into one of the division's top talents. He earned his opportunity against Diaz a few weeks ago at UFC 143 and took advantage of it. However, there's no doubt that his in-cage reputation took a big hit from fans and fighters alike with the win. Even his teammate at Greg Jackson's -- Diego Sanchez -- said that as a fan, he was down on the fight. People accused him of running and unfortunate connections to Kalib Starnes were made. Either you appreciated Condit's game plan or you despised it. Even those like myself who thought Condit won felt a little empty after it was all said and done. It was ok, but was it what we expect out of a championship winning performance?That brings us to last night when Ellenberger survived a fun scrap with Sanchez at UFC On Fuel to win his sixth in a row. With Diaz likely out of the picture for most of the next year, it's hard to deny that he's now in prime position for a title shot of his own. There's simply not anyone else that has the creds right now to justify one, which is why this rematch of their September 2009 split decision makes a lot of sense for June or July.Well, it makes sense to me anyway. I've heard arguments about how St. Pierre/Ellenberger wouldn't be a draw if Condit was to lose and that Condit should wait for his big payday against St. Pierre in a pay-per-view (PPV) hat will draw between 800,000 to 1 million buys. After the jump, here's what I would say to that sentiment. St. Pierre vs. Condit or Ellenberger would draw the same amount of interest. Let's be realistic here: outside of Diaz, all other welterweight challengers to GSP are essentially the same person when it comes to promotion. It's an assumption that GSP will be 100% in November, which is the month Dana White threw out recently. I'll be selfish in saying that I don't want another Cain Velasquez situation where a champion is forced to rush back and then sets his career back further after his return fight. I want one of the best in the world to be healthy for as long as he can. If that means waiting a few extra months, so be it. Yeah, yeah, no one is ever 100% but this is a bit different than a muscle pull or sprain. People pointing to a possible Condit/Ellenberger clash as being a bad PPV draw need to chill out. The UFC will have 30+ shows this year, so the possibility of a poor draw as a main event is something they can shrug off quickly. They have had bad buy rates in the past and will have bad buy rates in the future. With that many events, not putting together a champion vs. an obvious No. 1 challenger because it would be bad for business isn't an option. (Anderson Silva vs. Yushin Okami, anyone?) There's always ways to help support in a co-main event spot. The most important reason this needs to happen: Condit needs it to. Nine months on the shelf is too long to wait. What if he knocks out Ellenberger? That would not only help enhance a fight with GSP, but also erase this bad taste so many have in their mouths from the Diaz fight. A fighter entering the prime years of his career and fresh off achieving his dream of owning UFC gold shouldn't let the embers cool down. It's time for Condit to cement himself as what he feels he is -- the best in the world -- and the way to do that is to fight. SBN coverage of UFC on Fuel TV

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, st, condit

UFC on FUEL TV 1 results recap: What's next for Jake Ellenberger?

On Feb. 15, 2012, two very talented Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweights engaged in mixed martial arts (MMA) combat when Diego Sanchez faced Jake Ellenberger for the main event of UFC on FUEL TV in Omaha, Nebraska. For two rounds, Ellenberger put on a passionate and dominant performance. He dealt Sanchez a broken nose in the first round, and he never took a break from inflicting damage on the same spot. In the third frame, Sanchez turned the tables and came close to finishing the fight. Ellenberger's determination and submission defense proved to be enough to rescue him from the onslaught and deliver him to victory. This fight was an illustration of what happens when an immovable object meets an unstoppable force. You get one of the finer fights of 2012. After the jump, we'll offer our best guesses as to what may be next for UFC on FUEL's big winner, Jake Ellenberger: With a victory over Diego Sanchez, Jake Ellenberger has put himself in a position for a title shot. But is that a possibility? It depends on who you talk to. The whole welterweight picture is so murky right now, in general. Georges St. Pierre is hurt and still recovering from a serious knee injury. Carlos Condit appears to be waiting for "GSP" to be ready so he can get his shot at unifying the interim and actual championship belts. Nick Diaz is in the middle of one of the biggest fights of his life, but it isn't in the cage. After testing positive for marijuana metabolizers after his UFC 143 bout versus Carlos Condit on Feb. 4, 2012. He's now challenging the ruling and hoping to avoid a lengthy suspension. Either way -- didn't he say he was retiring? Johny Hendricks and Josh Koscheck are both interesting possibilities, but they are currently scheduled to face each other at UFC on FOX 3 on May 5 in New Jersey. My preference would be for Ellenberger to finally get his rematch versus Condit. Right now, it makes a ton of sense and sells a lot of tickets. If it's possible and all the parties involved will sign, I don't see how you can argue with that being the best fight. But it's possible that it won't come together. Condit may opt to wait. St. Pierre may recover sooner than we'd originally thought, removing Condit from other options, anyway. If it's not Condit, then who? I'm gonna throw a suggestion out there. If you like it, you can take it. If you don't, send it right on back. Erick Silva. I know, I know. He's still so young and maybe a little green. He's just so good. At least that's my opinion. Maybe I'm wrong, but I'll tell you how we can find out: Put him in there with a top notch fighter. He's technically coming off a loss, but it's the kind of "loss" that Jon Jones suffered at the hands (and forehead) of Matt Hamill. Nobody who is being honest is considering that a legitimate loss. Nobody. Tell me that you wouldn't want to watch Jake Ellenberger vs. Erick Silva. You can't. It may not be the best option, but it's a pretty good "Plan B." Anyway, that's enough of my banter. I'd love to hear some suggestions from you Maniacs. By all means, let us know who you think Jake Ellenberger should fight with a comment (or 10) below!

Posted in: ufc, fight, jake, ellenberger, condit

UFC On Fuel TV: Is Jake Ellenberger Ready For The Championship Rounds?

For the first two rounds of last nights UFC on Fuel TV headliner, Jake Ellenberger looked like the same fighter who had Carlos Condit on the run in the early going of their 2009 bout. Sadly, he had the same issues in the final round of his bout with Diego Sanchez that cost him a decision loss to Condit. Let's face it, in the early going Jake Ellenberger is a true force of nature. He abolished Jake Shields in 53 seconds. He only needed 5:22 to dispose of Mike Pyle. He damaged John Howard's eye enough in the first frame that by the third the fight had to be stopped. But we also have to face the reality that few welterweights fade like Ellenberger. He gave the second half of the Condit bout away and very nearly gave the whole face to Sanchez last night in the third round. Looking at Fight Metric we can see the way the Ellenberger tide roared into the Octagon with big wins in the first and second rounds and the tide slipped out with a big deficit in the third round as Sanchez got top control and rained down punches and looked for the choke. If Ellenberger is going to be challenging Carlos Condit for the UFC interim welterweight title anytime soon, he's going to need to focus on finishing Condit early OR rejiggering his whole game to avoid fading in the late rounds, because a five round fight is a whole 'nother ballgame.SBN coverage of UFC on Fuel TV

Posted in: jake, ellenberger, round, condit, carlos condit

UFC on FUEL Morning After: Jake Ellenberger Deserves a Shot at Carlos Condit

Jake Ellenberger's UFC on FUEL victory over Diego Sanchez on Wednesday night was an entertaining battle, but it was more than that: It was a demonstration that Ellenberger is one of the best welterweights in the world, and a fighter who's ready for a title shot. So let's not wait. Let's see that title shot right away. Let's see Carlos Condit defend the UFC interim welterweight title against Ellenberger as soon as possible. It's not so much that Ellenberger is the clear No. 1 contender as that it's just the right fight to make right now. It makes sense based on timing -- Ellenberger and Condit should both be ready to take the fight by the summer -- and it also makes sense because Condit and Ellenberger have already fought once, in 2009, and it was a split decision. Condit and Ellenberger had a close 15-minute fight last time. Let's see if one of them can finish it within 25 minutes this time. UFC President Dana White said after the fight that he sees Condit waiting to fight until champion Georges St. Pierre is healthy. But Condit said that if GSP won't be ready to go until November or later he'd be up for fighting again in the meantime, and GSP has said he thinks November is as soon as he'll be ready. There's no reason for Condit to be sitting on the sidelines just because St. Pierre is hurt. (Ask Rashad Evans how that usually works out.) Ellenberger was classy after his victory on Wednesday night, praising Sanchez as a tough opponent. But I wish he had also called out Condit and asked for a rematch. The fans in his native Nebraska would have roared for that, and when the fans ask for a fight, the UFC usually delivers. Even if Ellenberger isn't demanding the fight, this is the fight the UFC should book. The UFC has a whole lot of fight cards it needs to fill up on pay-per-view, FOX, FX and FUEL, so it can't afford to pass up booking great fights. And a great fight is just what an Ellenberger-Condit rematch would be. This is the fight that needs to happen. UFC on FUEL notes --I continue to be impressed by the UFC fighters who are commenting on the FUEL, FOX and FX broadcasts. Although Kenny Florian isn't quite as smooth in his delivery as Joe Rogan, he makes up for that by drawing on his experiences as a professional fighter. As UFC newcomer Bernardo Magalhaes walked out to the Octagon before the first fight, Florian talked about the jitters he felt when he made his own UFC debut at the first Ultimate Fighter Finale. And Brian Stann was outstanding as the studio analyst next to Jay Glazer. In other pro sports leagues we're accustomed to former athletes offering those types of perspectives on TV broadcasts, but the UFC has rarely had that. Florian and Stann bring something new to the table. --The planned preliminary fight between UFC newcomers Buddy Roberts and Sean Loeffler was called off at the very last minute when Loeffler suffered an ankle injury while warming up. It's disappointing for both guys, but it happens. The list of fighters who have pulled out on fight day include Ken Shamrock before his fight with Kimbo Slice, Kevin Randleman before his fight with Pedro Rizzo, Matt Riddle before his fight with Luis Ramos and Alessio Sakara before his fight with Jorge Rivera. Not a list Roberts and Loeffler were hoping to join. --Jonathan Brookins had every reason to be excited after knocking out Vagner Rocha, but I wish Brookins would have tempered his celebration: Brookins did a backflip in the Octagon, and when he landed the canvas shook while the referee was trying to check on Rocha. It's not a good idea for one fighter to be jumping around inside the Octagon while another fighter is unconscious, and the UFC should urge fighters to restrain themselves when fallen opponents are being attended to. UFC on FUEL quotes --"I was thinking about Sakuraba and just like, 'What would Sakuraba do in this moment?' And I did it."--Ivan Menjivar on how he withstood a barrage of punches from John Albert. Perhaps "What Would Sakuraba Do" will replace "What Would Jesus Do" in the MMA lexicon. --"Three weeks after the Martin Kampmann fight [Diego Sanchez] was back in sparring. He still had the stitches in his face. The coaches had to tell him, 'Diego, this probably isn't a good idea.'"--Brian Stann, discussing how quickly his teammate Diego Sanchez got back to work after his brutal fight with Martin Kampmann last year. Sanchez was under medical suspension and should not have been sparring three weeks after that fight. The coaches were right to tell him not to spar. --"Anton's a bad dude. ... He's a tough, physical, guy, hard to take down and hits hard, but once I get in my flow of fighting I'll be going all day long."-- Justin Salas after his unanimous decision victory over Anton Kuivanen. Salas looked good in his UFC debut. Good Call I was glad that two judges gave Tim Means a 10-8 round in his unanimous decision victory over Bernardo Magalhaes, and that all three judges gave T.J. Dillashaw at least one 10-8 round in his unanimous decision victory over Walel Watson, with two judges giving Dillashaw two 10-8 rounds. Judges should award 10-8 rounds more often. Bad Call 1. Unfortunately, as much as I'd like to see more 10-8 rounds, I can't imagine how one judge scored a 10-8 round in the Salas-Kuivanen fight. All three rounds were close, and yet one judge scored the fight 29-27, which would mean that judge scored a round 10-8. Hard to understand. 2. Nebraska referee Bo Nesslein was trying a little too hard to create his own catch phrase by starting every round by saying, "Let's make it hot!" Refs shouldn't try to make it about themselves, and Nesslein should simply tell the fighters to start fighting. Stock Up Lightweight Tim Means looked very good in his UFC debut. Means has great height and reach for a lightweight and was able to use it effectively to keep Magalhaes at bay and batter him with jabs, and I particularly like the way Means uses punches to the head to set up punches to the body. Means had 20 pro fights before making his UFC debut, mostly in King of the Cage, and he looked very comfortable and ready to do big things inside the Octagon. Stock Down Aaron Simpson landed one hard uppercut in the first round of his split decision loss to Ronny Markes, but after that Simpson didn't impress me at all: Simpson has a good wrestling pedigree, but it was Markes who was controlling Simpson in the clinch and on the ground. After going 3-0 in 2011, Simpson is off to an unimpressive start in 2012. Fight I Want to See Next Ellenberger-Condit 2. When they fought last time, two judges scored it 29-28 for Condit, and one judge scored it 29-28 for Ellenberger. Condit is 4-0 since then and Ellenberger is 6-0 since then. The time for the rematch has come.

Posted in: ufc, fight, ellenberger, round, condit

UFC on FUEL TV results: Carlos Condit vs. Jake Ellenberger rematch must be booked

Last night (Feb. 15, 2012) in American's heartland, Diego Sanchez and Jake Ellenberger stepped inside the Octagon for the main event of the first-ever UFC on Fuel TV main event. Each knew a loss would stall their career for at the very least a year, while a loss meant they were no longer in the ambiguous zone Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White calls "in the mix." A loss meant they would likely go back to the undercard for at least one fight before getting the chance to headline again. But a win? A win would mean everything. Both fighters were coming off huge victories -- an incredible showing of heart on Sanchez's part against Martin Kampmann and a brutal knockout over perennial top five welterweight Jake Shields for Ellenberger -- and while each kept one eye on their UFC on Fuel TV opponent, the other gazed into a future that included a title shot. With Georges St. Pierre nursing a knee injury and on the shelf until late 2012, most title shot chatter revolved around newly crowned interim champion Carlos Condit, a man who both headliners have ample history with. "The Dream" was born and raised in the same city and is a longtime training partner of "The Natural Born Killer." Ellenberger made his Octagon debut against Condit as a late replacement, filling in for an injured Chris Lytle and nearly handed the Greg Jackson-trained fighter his second straight loss that night in Oklahoma City. Both knew a showdown with Condit would be a possibility if their hand was raised in Omaha, Neb., last night. And when it was "The Juggernaut's" name called after three rounds of action, he didn't call out the interim champ, but he didn't exactly shrug off the suggestion of a rematch. The time is now, UFC: give us Carlos Condit vs. Jake Ellenberger 2 for the interim welterweight title. Ellenberger has stepped inside the Octagon seven times and has won six. Tonight he beat a longtime contender in Sanchez and last September "The Juggernaut" did in less than a minute what "Rush" couldn't do in 25: finish Jake Shields. The only time the Omaha native has tasted defeated was in his UFC debut against Condit. In that fight, the New Mexico native survived an early scare but managed to come back in the second and third rounds to take the decision. In losing, Ellenberger impressed almost as much as he would have had he pulled out the win. Over two years later, "The Juggernaut" is sitting on a six fight win streak while Condit is sitting at home with 12 pounds of gold. The only other man it would make sense for "The Natural Born Killer" to step inside the Octagon with is injured and unavailable for another 10 months so why not book a rematch between the two fighters? The post-fight coverage on Fuel mainly centered around the prospect with just about every commentator voicing their approval of a rematch. Analysts Jay Glazer and Ariel Helwani along with middleweight fighter Brian Stann all said in unison: book the fight. Each pay-per-view (PPV) event up to UFC 148 has a main event. Next week Frankie Edgar takes on Ben Henderson in Japan while UFC 145 invades Atlanta with a headliner of Jon Jones taking on Rashad Evans. The next event will likely be Junior Dos Santos defending his heavyweight title against Alistair Overeem which is rumored to be followed by another card in Brazil with the Anderson Silva/Chael Sonnen rematch topping the bill. The annual Fourth of July card will be headlined by The Ultimate Fighter on FX coaches Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber which leaves an August PPV prime and ready to be headlined by an interim welterweight title bout. This isn't merely a suggestion or playing the part of Joe Silva, the UFC matchmaker. This is a plea. The UFC must book this fight in August and allow the winner to take on St. Pierre in December four months later. The timing is almost too perfect; it's as if the mixed martial arts (MMA) goods are willing this plan forward. Condit is too good of a fighter to sit on the sidelines for 10 months. This rematch is too good not to happen. Pull the trigger, UFC.

Posted in: ufc, ellenberger, fighter, rematch, condit

Waiting for St-Pierre is Condit's best move, say White and Ellenberger

OMAHA, Neb. - UFC interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit's choices are a little clearer than before. He can wait until undisputed champ Georges St-Pierre is healthy to fight and try to unify the title, or he can defend his belt before that happens. For now, it looks like Condit will wait, and Jake Ellenberger and Dana White say they understand why. "If you're Carlos Condit, (and) you just fought Ellenberger not too long ago, I'd wait for GSP," White told MMAjunkie.com following UFC on FUEL TV 1.

Posted in: ufc, jake ellenberger, ellenberger, condit, carlo

Defend or unify? Georges St. Pierre's recovery timetable may dictate Carlos Condit's next fight

I think it's safe to assume that the winner of Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger, who battle tonight (Feb. 15, 2012) at the UFC on FUEL TV event in Omaha, Nebraska, will be asking for a welterweight title shot during the promotion's post-fight press conference. They may not get it. That's because Carlos Condit, who was crowned division Interim Champion with a five round unanimous decision win over Nick Diaz at UFC 143, hasn't yet decided if he's willing to put that temporary strap on the line. At least not until he hears from Georges St. Pierre, who may or may not be in a "Rush" to return from knee surgery. If St. Pierre needs until November or December to get back into fighting shape, "The Natural Born Killer" may be willing to accept a mid-year fight to keep the 170-pound contender's pool from overflowing. However, if GSP is ready ahead of schedule, fans could be looking at a title unification bout before anyone else gets their turn. Condit explains his position to Ben Fowlkes of MMA Fighting, after the jump. "Honestly, it depends on the recovery timeline for Georges St-Pierre. If he’s going to be out until November [or] December, then I might consider taking another fight in the meantime just because the timing would work out. I’d have three or four months to train for something mid-year, and then three or four months to train for Georges St-Pierre at the end of the year. If he’s going to be back a little sooner, I’d probably just wait." Condit was expected to rematch Diaz for the right to face St. Pierre, but the fiery Stockton slugger was popped for marijuana metabolites in his post-fight drug test and has since been weed-ed out of the 170-pound title chase. While the winner of "Sanchez vs. Ellenberger" is a likely contender, so too, is the winner of Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks, who throw hands at the UFC on FOX 3 card in just a few months. In short, there's a lot of clutter to straighten out in this division to get a clearer picture of who is fighting whom -- and when they're going to do it. Mr. St. Pierre, I have Joe Silva on line one ...

Posted in: pierre, st, condit, george, georges stpierre

Dana White confirms Carlos Condit will wait for Georges St. Pierre

It appears the welterweight division will have to deal without a title-defense for the bulk of 2012 after UFC President Dana White came forward to reveal interim champion Carlos Condit will twiddle his thumbs until November when Georges St. Pierre is expected to return from a knee injury. Previously it was believed Condit would face Nick Diaz in a rematch based on the controversial nature of their UFC 143 bout. However, with Diaz’s status still in limbo due to his pending retirement/suspension, it looks like no other opponents are on the table for “The Natural Born Killer” other than St. Pierre. “We don’t know when Georges is coming back yet, but Carlos isn’t going to fight another fight,” said White in a conversation with MMAJunkie. White also cleared the air surrounding a rumor Condit only accepted a second fight with Diaz after hearing from a source that the Stockton scrapper had tested positive for marijuana use. “Condit won the fight. He won the right to fight Georges St. Pierre. He won the title. But I swear to God on my children’s lives, if you think there’s some conspiracy here or something, he accepted the f*cking fight.” In the meantime it appears tonight’s tilt between Jake Ellenberger-Diego Sanchez and the recently announced UFC on FOX 3 fight between Johny Hendricks-Josh Koscheck will simply serve to help set up an eventual opponent for the winner of Condit-St. Pierre barring some sort of setback for GSP keeping him out longer than expected. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, fight, pierre, condit, george

Will Carlos Condit Fight or Wait? It All Depends on GSP, He Says

With welterweight contenders like Jake Ellenberger and Johny Hendricks itching to make their case for a shot at UFC gold, interim welterweight champ Carlos Condit could be looking at some tough decisions in the coming months. After winning a unanimous decision over Nick Diaz at UFC 143, the newly-minted interim title-holder seems to have won the right to challenge Georges St-Pierre for the undisputed 170-pound strap. But as he told me when I spoke to him for this SI.com story this week, whether he'll opt to risk another fight in the meantime will likely depend on how long he’ll have to wait. "Honestly, it depends on the recovery timeline for Georges St-Pierre," Condit said. "If he’s going to be out until November [or] December, then I might consider taking another fight in the meantime just because the timing would work out. I’d have three or four months to train for something mid-year, and then three or four months to train for Georges St-Pierre at the end of the year. If he’s going to be back a little sooner, I’d probably just wait."Recent projections from St-Pierre and the UFC seem to be targeting a fall 2012 return to action, though it’s far from a sure thing at this point. With Ellenberger and Diego Sanchez squaring off on FUEL tonight, and Hendricks slated to meet Josh Koscheck in May, there could easily be more than one welterweight with a strong case for a fight against Condit, assuming the interim champ could be talked into it.One factor in his decision-making could be the public’s response to his win over Diaz. Many fans were critical of Condit’s approach in that fight, which might very well encourage him to fight again sooner rather than later in order to answer those critics. Condit admitted to being surprised by the level of vitriol from some fans, but insisted that by demonstrating his ability to stick to a game plan, he’d only made it tougher for future opponents to prepare for him."I employed a strategy to fight my fight, and I guess people don’t really understand that for whatever reason," he said. "And that’s fine, everybody has their own opinion. But honestly? I’m there to win fights. I’ve shown that I’m dangerous, that I can knock people out, that I can finish people, and now I’ve shown that I can stick to a strategy and execute a game plan. I’m a dynamic fighter. In the next fight, you might see something completely different than what you saw in the last fight. I think that’s where I’m going to have a lot of success and where I’m going to be very dangerous to other guys in the division."Against Diaz, Condit said, he expected to have to adjust his approach as the fight wore on, but Diaz "had one gear" from start to finish. If anything, he said, he simply had to keep reminding himself not to be drawn in by Diaz’s mid-fight trash-talk, as tempting as it might have been."There were a couple times where I just wanted to get in there and brawl with the kid. But I knew that that wasn’t the smartest thing to do. My instincts told me to shut his mouth, but I’ve been training to stick to my game plan and do what I did. He did kind of suck me into that briefly, but I snapped right back out of it."As for GSP, who made it known before the fight that he wanted Diaz to win in order to set up a future grudge match, Condit doesn’t have any hard feelings. In fact, he understands perfectly why the champ would rather fight Diaz than him, he said, and he doesn't blame him one bit."Georges has a legitimate personal beef with Nick. Nick disrespected him on live TV in front of millions of people, and Georges is pissed off about that. Honestly, it doesn’t have a lot to do with me."

Posted in: fight, diaz, people, condit, irsquom

What's at Stake: the Consequences UFC, MMA Fighters Face for Wins or Losses

At UFC 143: Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz, more is on the line than a simple interim UFC welterweight title. Each fighter is at a different place in a different moment in their career. What's at stake for each surpasses a simple win or loss on their respective records. Each fight in the UFC is chance to write the future. Let's take a closer look at the match-ups to see the specific predicament tomorrow's competitors find themselves in - and where they hope to go. More Coverage: UFC 143 Fight Card | UFC 143 ResultsWalkout Shirts: Nick Diaz | Carlos Condit | Roy Nelson Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz It's obvious what's at stake here from a superficial level: an interim title and a chance to face reigning UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre (GSP). But that's hardly the end of it. That's particularly true in the case of Condit. For all the well-deserved praise and accolades of 'The Natural Born Killer', he's yet to earn a true signature win in his MMA career. Diaz is, incontestably, the best and highest-ranked fighter he's faced to date. A win over Diaz gives Condit the type of legitimacy that none of his previous victories could hope to offer. For Diaz, a win over Condit would mark the second time in as many fights he's bested a former champion of a Zuffa-owned organization. Should he defeat Condit and eventually GSP (a monumentally difficult task), that would make it three former champions from Zuffa organizations in three fights. Diaz vs. GSP is also the fight fans prefer to see. It's the fight that's better for UFC's bottom line and would likely rally more casual fan interest. Perhaps most importantly, a win over Condit and eventual bout with GSP would be the defining, culminating moment of Diaz's undulating MMA journey. While not exactly nomadic, he's historically bounced around organizations, never quite on the linear path a typical, blue chip contender takes. With a win over Penn, Diaz set his career in motion to finally achieve the ultimate prize. Losing to Condit derails that in the most profound and devastating way. In a division as thick as welterweight, title opportunities are fleeting. If Diaz wants to make good on the promise of his career, a loss to Condit at this moment is simply not an option. Roy Nelson vs. Fabricio Werdum This is one of those bouts where there's as much to lose as there is to gain. Nelson enters this bout having lost two of his last three. He most recently bested Mirko Filipovic at UFC 137, but he's thus far come up short in his Zuffa career to establish himself as a true heavyweight contender. In fact, each time he's faced a top ten UFC heavyweight, he's failed. He typically makes a strong account of himself even in losing efforts, but if he really wants to run with the front of the division, a win over Werdum is frankly a must. Werdum is currently ranked fifth is the MMA Nation/USA TODAY Consensus Rankings. A win over the Brazilian could finally position Nelson in the top 10 and back on track as a true heavyweight contender. Werdum is similarly looking to stay relevant, but has much more to lose. Werdum jumped to the top of the heavyweight division by submitting Fedor Emelianenko in June of 2010. He's only fought once since then, a loss to now number-one heavyweight contender Alistair Overeem. A loss to Roy Nelson (currently ranked #14) could very well bump Werdum out of the top 10. By contrast, a win over Nelson likely keeps Werdum where he's at and sets up a potential showdown with former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir (he's ranked only one spot above Werdum at #4). The winner of that eventual bout would have a legitimate claim to face the winner of Junior dos Santos vs. Alistair Overeem. If not them, then who? Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce Perennial welterweight contender Josh Koscheck is in an unenviable position. Like Jon Fitch (before being billy clubbed by Johny Hendricks at UFC 141), Koscheck is talented enough to beat most top welterweight contenders, but a fairly clear step below GSP. And having lost to St. Pierre twice, few wish to see a third dance between the two. Koscheck is in divisional limbo. He's got to beat Pierce to stay where he is, but where he is isn't exactly going anywhere (for the moment, anyway). The true litmus test will be to see if Koscheck can stay motivated for a predicament so suffocating and an opponent that doesn't truly move him from his Sisyphean position. That isn't to say Pierce isn't a challenge. He assuredly is. The question is whether Koscheck cares enough to continue marking time. For Pierce, the bounty is easy to see. It's not the toughest test of his career (that distinction belongs to Jon Fitch), but it is the most high profile. He's on the main card of a pay-per-view and in the featured bout of the evening. He's never before received this kind of UFC push, this kind of media attention or this kind of opportunity to create visibility for himself (Pierce is not even ranked in the top 25 of all welterweights). Koscheck represents a huge scalp. If Pierce can collect it, he can begin to do wonders for his career. Renan Barao vs. Scott Jorgensen UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz is tied up with Urijah Faber for the immediate future, but it's not as if he's got a ton of contenders lined up should he get past The California Kid. Barao isn't exactly a well-known commodity to the larger public, but what he lacks in popularity he more than makes up for in fighting acumen. Barao is undefeated in his four-fight Zuffa run, dating all the way back to June of 2010. Jorgensen is most certainly his toughest opponent (and is ranked higher), but Barao is riding a huge wave of fan interest and career momentum with the shellacking of Brad Pickett at UFC 138. Jorgensen simply wants another crack at the champ. He lost handily to Cruz at WEC 53, but is on a two-fight win streak and most recently defeated Jeff Curran at UFC 137. This bout with the highly-regarded Barao - at a time when the division is short on contenders - is arguably about setting up a number-one contender to Cruz's (or perhaps soon Faber's) title. Jorgensen is 29, so even if he's derailed here he probably has time to put together another title run. But each time a fighter is stopped short on a title shot path, it's increasingly difficult to start all over again. Jorgensen has a serious opportunity in front of him and needs to strike while the iron is hot. Ed Herman vs. Clifford Starks Herman wants to prove he belongs and can still compete within the UFC middleweight division. A win over the talented if unheralded Starks proves he at least deserves to continue his last-chance ascension. Whether Herman can compete with the upper echelon of middleweights remains to be seen (and he had trouble doing so before his two-year hiatus), but a win over Starks at least affords the chance to try his hand at it one more time. Starks, the wrestling standout from Arizona State University, faces a great moment to kick start his UFC career. Starks holds a win over Dustin Jacoby, one he earned at UFC 137. But Herman is more of a known commodity, a respected grappler and a good test for this juncture of Starks' career. Starks beating Herman fits the model of how prospects become contenders and eventually, how contenders become stars. The unknowns beat the knowns and the knowns beat the greats. Who knows what lies ahead for Starks? I'm not suggesting any future is predetermined. But if he wants to set out on that established journey, a win over Herman is a perfectly good way to start. From the preliminary card: Alex Caceres has the opportunity to build on his drop to bantamweight by besting Edwin Figueroa. After a rough start in the UFC featherweight division, Caceres looked improved at 135 pounds when he topped Cole Escovedo at UFC on Fox 1. Dustin Poirier has got to be on the short list of rising contenders in the UFC featherweight division. A win over Max Holloway won't earn him a title shot against champion Jose Aldo, but it will likely get him the chance to face a marquee name.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, condit, contender, he

For Two Fighters and Their Manager, A Potentially Sticky Situation

On Thursday in Atlanta, Jon Jones and Rashad Evans will share the same stage in an event designed to kick off UFC 145 ticket sales. The two have become the posterboys for the teammate vs. teammate debate which has slowly simmered to a boil over the last few years. As supercamps continue to expand, there is no end in sight to the problems that will be caused by top divisional fighters nearing the top and a potential collision course.But the difficulties don't stop there. What if, beyond teammate vs. teammate, there is an extra element added into the mix? Take for instance a situation that is brewing in the UFC's welterweight division. At Wednesday night's UFC on FUEL event, Diego Sanchez is facing Jake Ellenberger in the main event. If Sanchez wins, he could possibly vault to the front of the division, setting up a potential bout with his teammate, interim champion Carlos Condit.To make matters more complicated, both Sanchez and Condit have their careers overseen by the same manager, Malki Kawa, which means he will be placed into a situation where he must lobby for a Sanchez title shot while protecting Condit's best interest as the interim belt holder. On its surface, those two scenarios seem at best diametrically opposed and at worst a conflict of interest. But Kawa disagrees, saying the situation will work itself out."The best way to answer it is very simple," he recently told MMA Fighting. "They're both guys who are in the gym, who see each other on a daily basis, who both live in New Mexico. So it's not like they haven't discussed this or aren't going to be able to discuss this. But what I think about that situation is, when Diego Sanchez wins this fight, my job is to put him in position as the No. 1 contender. That's the way I look at it with every one of my clients. My job is to get him his title shot."On the other hand, if I have a client that is the champ, and he says to me, 'I'm not interested in that fight, I want to move on and look for a fight with say, Georges St. Pierre,' considering that client is the champion, he owns all the cards in the deck," he continued. "He's the one that has the preference. [The UFC] is going to decide based off of him. If he says we fight Sanchez in the interim, let's fight. It's not going to be my decision of what they do. I can only advise both of them independently of the other."That could still leave a high-pressure environment for both members of Team Jackson-Winkeljohn. Consider a scenario where Sanchez wins impressively and is declared the top contender, only to see Condit decide he's going to wait until the end of the year to face St. Pierre. Condit is certainly well within his rights to do so, but couldn't that decision lead to resentment? After all, both Condit and Sanchez have already said they'd have no issue fighting each other."We both want the same thing, and that's UFC gold," Sanchez said on a recent edition of The MMA Hour.If that is the case, and one party is willing to fight and the other isn't, that doesn't sound like a comfortable situation for either of them. Neither does it sound like an easy road to navigate for Kawa. To be fair, boasting too many contenders in your stable is the type of problem many managers only wish they could have. But imagine fielding a call from one client asking what your other client is going to do. It's all one big game of dominos, one simple decision affecting everything else behind it."If Diego wins this fight, I'm going to push for Diego to be No. 1 contender and next in line for the championship," Kawa said. "I'm not going to go back to Carlos and convince him to fight one guy or another. I'm going to explain to him what his options are, what's in his best interests financially, fight-wise and career-wise. And if he says, 'I think you're wrong, or I want to wait for Georges or I want to fight Diego or Ellenberger,' it will ultimately be his decision at the end." Condit has already done that once, deflecting Kawa's advice to decline a rematch with Nick Diaz before Diaz's failed drug test scuttled those plans.The funny thing is, if Sanchez wins and is declared No. 1 contender, tension is likely to build regardless of the decision Condit makes. If he declines the fight, Sanchez certainly wouldn't be thrilled. And even if Condit does agree to fight him, you're faced with a situation where the camp is split in half. At least Evans made a clean break from the New Mexico team in order to fight Jones; for a possible Condit-Sanchez fight, it's just the loyalties that are likely to be divided.Winning might seem like enough for Sanchez on Wednesday night, but it creates a wave that will lead to ripples. From that point, there will be no easy answers as a manager and his two fighters attempt to navigate two separate courses towards the top. Condit and Sanchez both have the same dream. What happens when they intersect at the same point? You don't have to know the inner dynamics of fight camps to realize that when mutual aspirations collide, there is bound to be some collateral damage.

Posted in: fight, diego, sanchez, condit, situation

Carlos Condit Plans To Wait For Georges St. Pierre, Dana White ‘Bummed Out’ Over Nick Diaz

Carlos Condit has decided to wait for Georges St. Pierre now that a rematch with Nick Diaz is off the table. Dana White informed MMA Junkie of the news earlier today. “We don’t know when Georges is coming back yet,” White said. “But Carlos isn’t going to fight another fight.” If there was an obvious contender lined up behind Condit, I’d bet we see Condit defend his interim title this summer, but there just isn’t. Dana also voiced his disappointment in Nick Diaz for testing positive for marijuana and blowing the opportunity to potentially beat Condit and face GSP for the title. “I’m bummed out because I think that this kid, because of the ‘Primetime,’ people actually started to like Nick Diaz and started to turn,” White said. “People who hated him turned around and started to like him. I think he gained a lot of fans, and a lot of people are interested, and he blew a huge [expletive] rematch. He could have had the opportunity to fight Condit again and possibly get another opportunity to fight Georges St-Pierre. Condit was going to do it. “Nick Diaz is still a UFC employee, but nobody hurts Nick Diaz worse than Nick Diaz does. I don’t even know what to say. It’s just disappointing. It’s very disappointing.” Truer words have never been spoken. Nick Diaz is without a doubt his own worst enemy. Image via Esther Lin for MMA Fighting

Posted in: diaz, nick diaz, nick, condit, george

UFC on FUEL TV's Diego Sanchez promises to deliver what Nick Diaz vs Carlos Condit didn't

And that's a dogfight! Just about everyone and their mother expected the interim welterweight title fight between Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit at UFC 143 on Feb. 4, 2012, to be a knock-down, drag-out war of attrition. That's because both men are proven finishers, earning rightful reputations within the mixed martial arts (MMA) community as outright bad asses. However, Condit flipped the script on fight night, executing a very smart -- albeit uncharacteristic -- counter-striking strategy. It was the perfect antidote to Diaz's aggressive hunt 'em down, box 'em up and get 'em out attack. In fact, Diaz, along with most fans watching, was completely puzzled and failed to make any significant in-fight adjustments that got the "Natural Born Killer" to exchange on his terms. The result was a disappointing (and to some, controversial) decision in favor of Condit. For the fans who shelled out $45 to watch "Diaz vs. Condit," only to be let down and frustrated, Diego Sanchez promises to make it up to them by putting on a memorable, exciting performance against Jake Ellenberger in the UFC on Fuel TV 1 main event, which takes place at the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Neb., tomorrow night (Feb. 15, 2012). Best of all, MMA fans don't have to fork over one red cent because the fight will be included in FUEL TV's free preview weekend. His vow: "The switch goes on and once they lock that door, it's battle mode. I know he's going in there to knock my head off and I have to go in there and try and knock his head off, too. We're going to do what we do -- we're true, true warriors. And we're going to bring the dogfight that you didn't get to see in the last pay-per-view." Watch "The Dream" and "The Juggernaut" talk more about their important -- an hopefully thrilling -- 170-pound showdown after the jump: I kind of believe him. Probably because he makes me feel like I don't have much of a choice.

Posted in: jake ellenberger, diaz, vs, fight night, condit

UFC boss says Condit waiting for St-Pierre but was willing to face Diaz prior to failed test

OMAHA, Neb. - Wednesday night's UFC on FUEL TV 1 main event has big implications in the UFC's welterweight division, but don't expect either Diego Sanchez or Jake Ellenberger to be scheduling a fight with UFC interim champ Carlos Condit anytime soon. UFC president Dana White today told MMAjunkie.com that Condit will wait until champ Georges St-Pierre is completely healed from knee surgery and then face-off to unify the titles. "We don't know when Georges is coming back yet," White said. "But Carlos isn't going to fight another fight."

Posted in: ufc, fight, condit, knee surgery, face diaz

UFC 143 gate totals $2,389,975 with 6,727 tickets sold for 'Diaz vs Condit' on Feb. 4 in Las Vegas

UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit," which took place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Feb. 4, 2012, tallied a live gate of $2,389,975, according to official figures from the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) released earlier today. The final attendance of 9,015 was the result of 6,727 tickets sold and 2,288 complimentary tickets, while 752 seats remained empty. UFC 143 featured a main event between Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit, former welterweight Strikeforce and World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) champions, respectively, vying for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) interim 170-pound title while division kingpin, Georges St. Pierre, recovers from recent knee surgery. Diaz and Condit battled for five full rounds to a disappointing (from a pre-fight expectation perspective) and controversial decision, with "The Natural Born Killer" getting the nod from all three judges sitting ringside. It was so divisive, in fact, that Diaz prematurely (or perhaps immaturely) retired from mixed martial arts (MMA) on the spot. That's not all. Heavyweights Fabricio Werdum and Roy Nelson collided in the "Fight of the Night," with "Vai Cavalo" battering "Big Country" with blood-letting knees to the nose and other areas about the face. Nelson somehow absorbed everything that Werdum dished out, surviving -- and even fighting back -- valiantly, but ultimately went on to drop a painful unanimous decision. Also on the card, Josh Koscheck barely got passed Mike Pierce after their three-round fight ended with a razor-thin split decision, while Renan Barao established himself as a serious threat to Dominick Cruz's bantamweight belt with a solid decision win over Scott Jorgensen. For all the information you need to know from the UFC 143 event hit up our comprehensive wrap-up right here.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, decision, ticket, condit

Carlos Condit fine with UFC 143 criticism, just wants to fully enjoy welterweight belt

On Feb. 4, 2012, something happened in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) that had not occurred in more than four years: A new Welterweight champion was crowned. And he wasn't named Georges St. Pierre. Granted, it has an interim tag attached to it, but the fact still remains, Carlos Condit is the new 170-pound interim champion, which, oddly enough, has kind of flown under the radar. All of the drama that followed UFC 143 may have something to do with that. Specifically, the highly debated decision in the main event that saw judges award Condit a unanimous win over Nick Diaz, after "The Natural Born Killer" and his camp imposed a not-so fan-friendly gameplan to earn the nod. And then the news shortly thereafter that Diaz had tested positive for marijuana in his mandated drug test, ending all hopes of an immediate rematch, which was unofficially announced before the weed fiasco. Everyone from fans, media and even a hall of fame mixed martial artist (MMA) legend in Royce Gracie, voiced their opinions on the strategy Condit used during the UFC 143 main event, which many felt robbed them of what should have been (and very well could have been) a very exciting fight. Condit himself has not really commented on the backlash he received post UFC 143; however, appearing on "The MMA Hour" today (Feb 12, 2012) he took the time to address all of the post-event drama, detailing how it has all overshadowed his time to shine. Check it out: "There's been a lot of criticism, a lot of people talking trash and some are just disappointed at the fight and that's fine. Then, you have a lot of people giving me praise and respect, so it's all even. Most of the people don't care if I win or get knocked out; they just want to see an entertaining fight. Ultimately they don't care if I get beat down or knocked out. I got to fight the way that I need to in order to win. I am proud of the way I fought. It was very close fight and a lot of the rounds were super close and could have gone either way. People connect with Nick. He is real, he goes out there and throws down, so I think a lot of people they love Nick, win or lose and I think that's great. On the other hand, I think I have caught a lot of undeserved flack because of that. It has taken the joy out of it (winning my first UFC title). There have been a lot of ups and down that last couple of days. That's the name of the game, I'm a pro fighter. Along with all the benefits, there is a lot of shit that comes on the negative side too, so it just comes with it." On how he reacted when he found out Diaz tested positive for pot: "I was disappointed because, honestly, I felt right after the fight, I felt like I won and dominated. Going back and watching it, I saw how close it was and I understand how people thought that nick got robbed. So I was looking forward to getting back in there and doing it again. I talked to Dana Tuesday Morning. We talked about the rematch, and he said it is a fight a lot of people want to see and I agreed with him. I was motivated to get in there and shut people up. So I told him we would discuss the details when he got back into the Country, (from Brazil) and I was up for it. Then Tuesday night, I got the news from Dana that he had failed the drug test. We have to wait to see what disciplinary action he gets, but I would love to give him a rematch." On fighting training partner Diego Sanchez or Jake Ellenberger should Georges St. Pierre be out for an extended period of time because of rehab: "I would not have any problems fighting Diego; he is one of the best in the world. Since coming back to Albuquerque he has gotten back to the old Diego Sanchez. If that's who they want me to fight then we can do it for sure. The dude (Ellenberger) has been on a run, he is definitely one of the best welterweights, we had a hell of a fight a couple of years ago, but we will see how the fight goes on Wednesday and the picture as far as who I'm fighting and the title contention might be cleared up after the fight." With Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger set to headline UFC on Fuel TV this Wednesday (Feb. 15, 2012) in Omaha, Neb., and Josh Koscheck set to do battle with Johnny Hendricks at UFC on Fox 3 on May 5, 2012, in N.J., a possible contender to Condit's title may arise in the next few days and months to follow. Of course, there is a certain French Canadian who still reigns supreme over the promotion's welterweight division, but having a few back ups in case his rehabilitation from knee surgery takes longer than expected, is not a bad thing. For now, Condit can stake his claim as the top dog at 170 pounds and is willing and ready to take on all comers, including Diaz, depending on how hard the Nevada State Athletic Commission's (NSAC) hammer comes down on the Stockton slugger. But, don't hold your breath.

Posted in: ufc, fight, people, condit, lot

Carlos Condit was totally down for that rematch

It's kinda a moot point at this moment, but for the record Carlos Condit would like you to know he was going to take that Nick Diaz rematch. Here he is telling Sports Illustrated about his conversation with Dana: "So I called him," Condit said. "...We talked about [the fight] a little bit. He said he thought that I won, but at the same time a lot of people were calling for the rematch and it would be a huge fight. The day before I had told my manager that I'd be into a rematch, and I told Dana White the same thing. I said I'm down. Let's just figure out the details and we'll do it."Condit's manager, Malki Kawa, had sounded considerably less enthusiastic about a rematch the day before, telling MMAFighting.com that it was "not something we're looking to do," but to Condit, it made sense. Even after going home and watching the fight on tape he felt he'd earned the decision, he said, "but I could see how it was somewhat of a controversial decision. It was close."So he told White he'd do it. And why not? As he explained, "I don't think I need the rematch. I won the fight; I think I'd win a rematch. But the thing about it is, I want to be in big fights, fights where there's a lot of buzz, a lot of people wanting to see the fight, and a rematch with Nick Diaz fits the bill." There's ton's of reasons why not. But it seems like Carlos Condit will do anything the bosses ask of him. Give up a title shot? Okay. Give it up again and rematch the guy you just beat? Okay. Give Zuffa brass oral pleasure? Okay. This just goes to show you why managers are supposed to take these kinds of calls. And why the UFC pulls a runaround on them.

Posted in: fight, title shot, rematch, condit, carlos condit

Carlos Condit Wanted Nick Diaz Rematch All Along

Interim UFC welterweight champion Carlos Condit refuted Monday a recent claim from the "Diaz Brothers" Twitter account that he accepted a rematch against Nick Diaz only after learning of Diaz’s drug test failure. On the contrary, Condit, speaking to host Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, said he’s disappointed that Diaz tested positive for marijuana following their UFC 143 fight since it jeopardizes a potential rematch. Condit on the night of the fight felt he dominated and won a well-deserved decision. But after watching it on tape, he reconsidered that the fight could have gone either way and since it was so close, "I was looking forward to doing it again," Condit said. Condit recalls receiving a phone call Tuesday morning from UFC president Dana White."We talked about a rematch," Condit said. "It’s a fight a lot of people want to see. And I agreed with him. After the criticism and flack I took, I was motivated to shut people up." Condit told White he'd "love" a rematch, but received another phone call that evening from White, this time informing him of Diaz's drug test failure.Feedback from the fight has been across the board and Condit admits he's new to the criticism, as he feels he usually wins over the crowd by the end of the night. "Whether you’re a fan of my opponent or a fan of me, after the fight, I’m [generally] a fan favorite," he said.After heavy promotion for an exciting finish, Condit won by unanimous decision, the second time in his 28 wins where he did not finish with a (T)KO or a submission. He acknowledges he might have won some fans at UFC 143, but also lost some fans."It’s been a process dealing with all the criticisms and even the praise," Condit said. "The thing about it is, most of these people, for the most part, they don’t care about me. They don’t care whether I get knocked out, whether I win the fight. They want to be entertained." Condit said he had to fight the way he did to win and is proud of the way he implemented his team's gameplan of constant movement to avoid wild exchanges with Diaz."I thought I fought a damn good fight," he said.It remains uncertain the extent Diaz will be disciplined. But if Diaz is available to fight and if Georges St-Pierre takes longer to recover than anticipated, Condit's up for another five rounds with the former Strikeforce champ."I’m in this game to fight big fights and to fight the best in the world," Condit said. "Nick’s one of the best in the world. It’s something the fans would like to see. I’m willing to give Nick a rematch."

Posted in: fight, diaz, fan, rematch, condit

UFC Champ Carlos Condit On Nick Diaz' Failed Drug Test

UFC interim welterweight champ Carlos Condit won a tough 5 round decision against Nick Diaz at UFC 143. A week later he was ready to do it all again, agreeing to rematch Diaz while they waited for champ Georges St. Pierre to recover from ACL surgery. Unfortunately Diaz failed his drug test after UFC 143, coming up positive for marijuana use. Condit spoke to Sports Illustrated about the Diaz situation: "I don't care (about Diaz using marijuana before the fight)," Condit said. "The thing about it is, it's something they test for. It's against the Nevada [State] Athletic Commission [rules]. I don't really consider it to be a performance-enhancing drug, but the fact is, they're testing for it. And you know they're testing for it. Whatever you do in between camps, if you know they're testing for this stuff then you've got to figure something out. In the past, he's said, 'Oh, I can smoke and I can pass these tests no problem.' That attitude kind of came back and bit him in the ass." Now Condit is expected to wait for GSP to recover from surgery so they can put on a title-unification bout in the fall. Condit was originally going to face St. Pierre last fall at UFC 137, but GSP strained his left knee and had to bow out of the bout. More On Nick Diaz In Defense of Diaz's Weed Habit | Diaz Is to Blame, But So Are Meaningless Marijuana Tests | Diaz Should Be Released By The UFC | Diaz' Drug Test Failure Was Inevitable |White: 'I Am Beyond Disappointed' | Fighters React to Diaz's Positive Drug Test | Nick Diaz Tests Positive For Marijuana Condit was next scheduled to face Josh Koscheck at UFC 143 but got bumped up to the main event against Diaz when GSP tore his right ACL.SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit

Posted in: ufc, diaz, condit, test, theyre testing

Carlos Condit: Nick Diaz's marijuana-minded attitude bit him in the ass

If it was up to Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Interim Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit, his next fight would be a score-settling rematch against Nick Diaz. Not because the mixed martial majority was butt-hurt over "The Natural Born Killer's" unanimous decision win against the Stockton slugger (they were), but because "he wanted it," and was ready to prove that he could do it again. Hopefully he still feels that way in 2013 after Diaz finishes up what's expected to be a yearlong suspension for drugs of abuse. The 170-pound trash-talker was popped for "marijuana metabolites" following the UFC 143 pay-per-view (PPV) event back on Feb. 4, 2012, in Las Vegas, Nevada, effectively eliminating himself from a Condit rematch as well as the division title chase. Live by the sword, die by the sword, according to Condit. Hear that and more from the Interim champ (via SI.com) after the jump. "I don't care. The thing about it is, it's something they test for. It's against the Nevada [State] Athletic Commission [rules]. I don't really consider it to be a performance-enhancing drug, but the fact is, they're testing for it. And you know they're testing for it. Whatever you do in between camps, if you know they're testing for this stuff then you've got to figure something out. In the past, he's said, 'Oh, I can smoke and I can pass these tests no problem.' That attitude kind of came back and bit him in the ass." For Diaz, the infraction marked the second time he's been popped for the green stuff in Nevada, having flunked his exam after strangling Takanori Gomi at PRIDE 33 nearly five years ago. And let's not overlook the drug test he bailed on prior to his planned fight against Jay Hieron in California. While Diaz has the right to appeal, he's expected to face a steep monetary fine, as well as a lengthy suspension that could last as long as one year. As for Condit? He's expected to fight Georges St. Pierre later this year to unify the titles, but if the Canadian is in no "Rush" to return from rehabbing his surgically repaired knee, there's always that rematch against Jake Ellenberger. Stay tuned.

Posted in: diaz, condit, he, theyre testing, performanceenhancing drug

UFC on Fuel: Welterweight Division State of the Union

With so many fights coming up spread across eight different weight classes, it's easy to lose track of what's happening in every division. Here, we take a look at where a particular division stands right now, and where it's headed. It's funny how quickly a division can fall into such turmoil. For a few years now the Welterweight division has been a stable place, with Georges St. Pierre calmly dispatching all challengers to his dominance. Now, in the span of 2 months, GSP has gone down to injury, Carlos Condit is the Interim UFC Welterweight champion, Nick Diaz has seen his star rise and fall... In short, the division is a crazy place right now. All bets are off and anything can happen, and that makes it a thrilling time. So what is on deck at 170? Let's see. Next in Line: The next Welterweight title shot hinges entirely on GSP's recovery time. He's hoping for a return near the end of 2012, and the obvious fight will be a title unification bout with the Interim champion. Right now that's the #4 ranked Carlos Condit. But the question is - will Condit defend that belt before GSP comes back, and if he does, against who? It looked like he would face #2 Nick Diaz in a rematch of their controversial UFC 143 fight, but Diaz's positive test for marijuana seems to have ended that idea. And so now we get a big question mark here. What is next for Condit? For GSP? For the belt? We may have to wait awhile before we know. Key Match Ups: Still, there's no shortage of Welterweights who are itching to take advantage of GSP's absence and get a shot at Condit, which makes these upcoming fights that much more appealing. And one of the best of these fights comes later this week: #3 Jake Ellenberger vs. #12 Diego Sanchez (UFC on Fuel TV) - When I ran through the division in December, I said the winner here was my pick for next challenger after Condit vs. Diaz, and I stick by that. Ellenberger has a stronger case - he's on a great run and a main event win over Diego would give him that extra boost. But Sanchez has more name value, and while he may not really have "earned" the shot in the eyes of many, that name will likely propel him to a shot with a win over Ellenberger. #7 Jake Shields vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama (UFC 144) - A tough fight here between two very similar UFC careers. Both men came to the UFC with a lot of hype, both barely won in their debuts, and both have failed to win since. A loss here will be Shields's 3rd straight in the UFC, Akiyama's 4th. Hard to see the loser sticking around, but the winner will be right back in it. #10 Martin Kampmann vs. #11 Thiago Alves (UFC on FX 2) - At first this looked like nothing more than a highly entertaining fight, but with all the turmoil above these two in the rankings, it's not inconceivable that the winner would suddenly find himself right in the title hunt. Aside from that this should just be a great fight. #19 Paulo Thiago vs. Siyar Bahadurzada (UFC on Fuel TV 2) - In all honesty, this probably shouldn't be up here, as both men are still a few fights away from title contention. But I like Siyar and am excited to see what he brings to the UFC, and Thiago is one of those "always dangerous, always in the mix" kind of fighters. #13 Rory MacDonald vs. Che Mills (UFC 145) - This one is primarily about MacDonald. The young rising phenom is ready for big things in the UFC. With his only loss coming against Condit, he'd make a great challenger, but I don't think this is the fight to get him there. It's a shame, as he's a teammate to GSP, so once the champ returns, that will put the young MacDonald at a bit of an impasse. #5 Johny Hendricks vs. #6 Josh Koscheck (UFC on Fox 3) - This was just announced, and is a big one. Winner here could make a fine substitute for Ellenberger/Sanchez if that winner is injured. Hendricks is red hot after his shocking KO of Jon Fitch, while Kos struggled against Mike Pierce. Another big win for Hendricks will put him at the very top. In The Mix: This is rare, but for the moment, I think everyone who is truly in the mix of title contenders at 170 has a fight scheduled. Again, it's an exciting time. Others to Consider: Finally, a few names from outside the title picture that should be mentioned: #7 Jon Fitch - Maybe he deserves to be in the "In the Mix" category, but that loss to Hendricks really tanked him. Fitch was struggling for contender status when he was winning. Now with a 0-1-1 record in his last two, he's definitely on the outside. He has a tough road ahead if he wants a second title shot. #14 Rick Story - Story had great momentum in 2011, but he's slipped away after two straight loses. He still has the tools to get right back in there, but he needs a few wins. Erick Silva - The disqualification loss to Carlo Prater at UFC 142 was a shame, but this young fighter still has a very bright future ahead of him. I think he's a future title contender, and look forward to his next fight. Stephen Thompson - Yeah yeah, he's only 1-0 in the UFC and his opponent didn't look good, but Thompson has big momentum going for him right now. His unique style makes him stand out from the pack, and his highlight reel KO earned him a lot of fans. He's facing Matt Brown at UFC 145 - a second KO of the Night could fast track him to the upper levels of the division. Whether or not that would be a good thing for the young fighter remains to be seen. Rankings based on the USA Today / SB Nation consensus rankings, dated January 27, 2012. Poll What will be the next Welterweight title fight? Condit vs. GSP Condit vs. Ellenberger Condit vs. Sanchez Condit vs. Hendricks Condit vs Koscheck Other 38 votes | Results

Posted in: ufc, fight, title, vs, condit

Jake Ellenberger focused on Diego Sanchez but still wants Carlos Condit rematch

Georges St. Pierre's knee injury and subsequent lengthy rehabilitation process has created quite the conundrum for the UFC welterweight division. Because "Rush" has been (and will continue to be) out for so long, the powers that be felt the need to create an interim championship that Carlos Condit won when he defeated Nick Diaz at UFC 143 this past Sat., Feb. 4, 2012, in Las Vegas. Now, "The Natural Born Killer" is in the unenviable position of deciding whether or not to wait for St. Pierre to get healthy -- which may not be until November -- or to fight a top contender. Someone like, say, Jake Ellenberger. Indeed, "The Juggernaut" is streaking through the 170-pound division, having won five consecutive fights since losing in his debut with the promotion. That loss was a razor thin split decision to -- you guessed it -- Condit. Ellenberger desires a rematch and likely has the best case for a title shot of any welterweight in the weight class right now. There's just one man standing in his way, a man he tells USA Today has all his attention for the time being. "I would definitely like (a rematch with Condit), but right now, I really haven't thought much past Diego at all. He's an extremely tough challenge for me right now and that's really all I've been focused on. After this fight, we can go back and evaluate the situation, but really, Diego's all I've been focused on. ... Diego's always been an exciting fighter and a tough cat too. He's just another guy I have to get past and prove I'm one of the best." Assuming he gets past Sanchez, that would mark six consecutive victories with at least four coming by way of stoppage. His last win was also his most impressive, having knocked out Jake Shields in just 53 seconds. There isn't another welterweight on Earth who can make such a claim and have it actually be true. Of course, it's entirely possible Condit will want to wait for St. Pierre to get healthy because why risk a shot at unifying the belts for a what would promise to be a tough fight against Ellenberger? Again, though, that's assuming "The Dream" doesn't go all "Nightmare" again and spoil the party. Let's assume Ellenberger wins next Wednesday night (Feb. 15, 2012) in Omaha, Nebraska, at UFC on FUEL TV 1. Should UFC try to book a rematch against Condit while St. Pierre gets healthy? Or maybe Ellenberger vs. Johny Hendricks makes more sense? Opinions, please.

Posted in: ufc, ellenberger, pierre, condit, st pierre

Georges St. Pierre: “I want to fight the best man, and the best man is Condit.”

UFC welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre is finally speaking out on the fallout from last weekend’s main event match-up at UFC 143 between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit. As has been beaten to death, Condit narrowly outpointed Diaz in the bout with many feeling the wrong outcome had been rendered. Plans for a rematch were in the works but quickly scrapped after Diaz tested positive for marijuana use, potentially putting him on the sidelines for a year. Now that St. Pierre has had some time to reflect on things he has re-evaluated how interested he actually is in fighting Diaz, at least when it comes to an expected defense of his title in November. “I want to fight the best man, and the best man is Condit,” said the 22-2 champion in an interview on Bruce Buffer‘s Sherdog show , adding emotion had clouded his judgment beforehand. Still, that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t mind settling the score with Diaz at some point down the road. “As far as Diaz, of course I would like to fight him because he thinks he’s better than me (and) I think I’m better than him,” explained St. Pierre before turning talk to the controversial Californian’s future. “But I think he should not retire. He did all of the sacrifice in his life to be where he’s at right now. He’s at the highest point of his career, and if he retires now, he’s left a lot of money on the table that could pay for all of the sacrifices he has made during all those years. I think the sport of mixed martial arts needs a guy like him.” Diaz has not commented since saying he was retiring from MMA after his disgust with the judges’ decision in his fight with Condit. The 28-year old was the more aggressive, less technical of the two this past Saturday night and paid for it with the defeat. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: diaz, pierre, condit, man, st pierre

Georges St. Pierre Wants To Fight Carlos Condit Now

It looks like Georges St. Pierre has finally come around to the idea of fighting Carlos Condit and not Nick Diaz next. During an recent interview on Sherdog Radio, GSP explained that while he hopes Diaz won’t retire so they can fight down the road, he wants to fight Carlos Condit now because he’s the “best man” in the division. “As far as Diaz, of course I would like to fight him because he thinks he’s better than me,” St. Pierre told the Sherdog Radio Network’s “It’s Time” show with Bruce Buffer. “I think I’m better than him. But I think he should not retire. He did all of the sacrifice in his life to be where he’s at right now. He’s at the highest point of his career, and if he retires now, he’s left a lot of money on the table that could pay for all of the sacrifices he has made during all those years. I think the sport of mixed martial arts needs a guy like him.” “I wanted to fight him because of what he was, not because of what he said,” St. Pierre explained. “He was ranked No. 1 before that fight. … As much as we dislike each other, I like the guy in a way that I need a guy like him to motivate me and to make me a better martial artist.” “Of course because of the emotion I wanted to fight Diaz, but now I want to fight Condit,” St. Pierre said. “I want to fight the best man, and the best man is Condit.” That’s good, because it really doesn’t matter now since Diaz got popped for pot. Condit is clearly the number one contender in the division now. The only question is whether or not he will be once St. Pierre is healed up and ready to fight again. Here’s GSP’s cageside reaction to the Diaz-Condit fight in real-time. Image via Esther Lin for MMA Fighting

Posted in: fight, diaz, pierre, st, condit

Georges St. Pierre Cageside At UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit

Georges St. Pierre has not fought since his UFC 129 bout with Jake Shields due to a knee injury while training for a title defense. That defense was originally scheduled to be against Nick Diaz, but Diaz skipped press obligations and the UFC punished him by giving the title shot to Carlos Condit. Then GSP got injured and the Condit fight was postponed while Diaz ran through B.J. Penn so impressively that Dana White and the UFC brass decided to move Diaz back into the title shot. GSP would then suffer a major injury to his ACL, shelving him until mid to late 2012. So when the UFC decided to put Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz against the cage from each other for the interim welterweight title, with the winner to face GSP upon his return, it's no surprise that Georges was cageside. The UFC released video of Georges at the fight, and that can be seen here: I'd be interested in seeing these videos continue for future title contender bouts. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit

Posted in: ufc, diaz, nick diaz, title, condit

Georges St. Pierre's cageside reaction to Diaz vs. Condit at UFC 143

Last Saturday night, from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, top Welterweight contenders Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz went head to head for the 170-pound interim title and a shot at reigning division champion Georges St. Pierre.

Posted in: saturday night, diaz, nick diaz, pierre, condit

Carlos Condit Needs A Challenger

The top of the Welterweight division has been the topic of discussion since UFC 143 this past Saturday. From the methodical nature of Carlos Condit's decision win and Nick Diaz's lack of adaptability to Diaz's failed drug test. For now, I'm going to bypass those subjects and focus on the immediate future of the Interim Title. Considering the controversial nature of the decision, regardless of which side of the debate you fall on, a rematch with Nick Diaz was the best course of action. Now that a rematch is impossible we need to look forward. Personally, I don't see any reason to have an interim title if you're not going to keep the division moving in the meantime, so I'm discounting the possibility of Carlos waiting until he can fight Georges St. Pierre and looking at who should challenge him before GSP's return. Winner of Jake Ellenberger vs. Diego Sanchez This is the most relevant bout scheduled at the top of the division and is slated for UFC On Fuel 1 on February 15. Diego is on a two fight win streak. The first was against Paulo Thiago at UFC 121 where he recovered after a rough first round and out-paced Thiago to win a decision. The second win is highly contested. Diego took a unanimous decision against martin Kampmann in a fight many people thought he should have lost. However, Diego Sanchez has been a UFC mainstay since TUF 1 and at 30 years old probably does not have much longer to compete at the top of the division. Those factors and a win against Ellenberger could be enough to get him the nod for a shot at Condit's belt. It will be no easy task for Diego to upset Jake Ellenberger though. Jake has been on a tear of his own since his split decision loss to Carlos Condit at UFN 19. He's won his last five outings, the last coming against former contender Jake Shields in a 53 second TKO victory. While Shields may not have been overly impressive in his three outings as a UFC fighter, his record speaks for itself and that win definitely puts Ellenberger at the top of the division. On top of that, the split decision loss adds some drama to the potential rematch. If Jake manages to defeat Sanchez, especially if he does it in impressive fashion, there is no reason not to make this fight while awaiting St. Pierre's return. Follow after the jump to see the rest of the contenders. Johny Hendricks Despite BJ Penns best efforts, Johny Hendricks became the man to dethrone Jon Fitch as the Welterweight Division's purgatorial number two. In only 12 seconds, Hendricks managed to TKO Fitch, who's only previous career loss was to reigning champion Georges St. Pierre. That alone puts him "in the mix". To add to it, Hendricks is on a solid 3 fight win streak including a win of Mike Pierce, who just took Josh Koscheck to a controversial decision and lost a split decision to Jon Fitch, as well. If the time allowed, I would prefer a match up between Hendrick's and the winner of Ellenberger vs. Sanchez, but with GSP's imminent return, there's not enough time for an interim title eliminator. Winner of Martin Kammann Vs. Thiago Alves Both of these fighters have been competing at the top of the division for some time now. However, Alves has already lost a decisive victory to the champ and Kampmann has had difficulty against top tier MMA talent. Barring extenuating circumstances, I don't see either of these guys getting the nod to fight Carlos for the interim belt. However, for Kampmann, his split decision win over the Condit would provide a back story for the match. And Alves returned with in impressive fashion with a first round TKO of Papy Abedi. Honorable Mentions: Rory MacDonald - Rory started his UFC career with a TKO loss to Carlos Condit. But, especially in this case, the record doesn't tell the whole story. Rory impressively stole two rounds from the veteran fighter before succumbing to a vicious third round beating that ended in a stoppage with only six seconds left in the bout. Since then, MacDonald has looked unstoppable as he put beatings on both Nate Diaz and Mike Pyle. It seems the UFC wants to take it slow with Rory's development at this point as he's already slated to face Che Mills at UFC 145. I'm a huge RoryMac mark, but I cannot argue that it's important for the 22 year old fighter to get some more experience before he's thrown in to deep waters again. Josh Koscheck - Aside from the Diaz/Condit story of UFC 143, Koscheck also picked up a victory Saturday night. There's no doubt that Kos can still compete on the elite level, despite his lackluster win over Mike Pierce. Yet, Koscheck just lost to GSP in a one-sided orbital smashing that lasted 25 minutes. I don't see any way the UFC sets Koscheck up for another title fight any time soon. Poll Who Should Challenge Condit For The Interim Title Jake Ellenberger Diego Sanchez Johny Hendricks Other 0 votes | Results

Posted in: ufc, decision, division, condit, hendrick

Georges St. Pierre ringside at UFC 143, reacting to Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit fight (Video)

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre was sitting cageside at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Feb. 4, 2012, when Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit battled for five rounds for the 170-pound interim world title. And the camera was by his side all night long to get his immediate in-fight reactions. "Rush" is on the mend from recent knee surgery, meaning the former Strikeforce and World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) champions, respectively, went toe-to-toe in the UFC 143 main event to determine who would lead the division until the Canadian sensation is ready to return to mixed martial arts (MMA) action later this year. St. Pierre, like many people inside the arena that night in "Sin City," appeared to side with the judges, awarding the controversial decision, reluctantly, to Condit. He made no bones about it that he preferred to fight Diaz because of personal reasons. "The Natural Born Killer" did indeed go on to get the nod from the judges, which set of a firestorm of backlash from Diaz and his supporters. He abruptly retired, his camp called for a rematch, Condit eventually agreed, UFC President Dana White prematurely announced that it would happen, and then Diaz failed his post-fight drug test because of his marijuana use. What a long strange trip its been. There's no word at this time when Georges St. Pierre vs. Carlos Condit will be booked to unify the 170-pound world titles. St. Pierre is expected to return in the fall, which means that Condit could be asked to take another fight -- perhaps against the winner of Jake Ellenberger vs. Diego Sanchez -- before that happens. Stay tuned.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, pierre, st, condit

Why an Immediate Rematch Between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit Would Have Been Bad

Nick Diaz may have urinated into a cup and destroyed his income potential for the next twelve months, but this article isn’t about that. No, it’s about how, if the UFC had made an immediate rematch between Diaz and Carlos Condit – so soon after their UFC 143 scrap that the Stockton native’s marijuana-infused piss was likely still warm as it sat on a shelf in the lab – that it would’ve been bad. “Bad” as in, pointless. “Bad” as in, disingenuous. “Bad” as in, please, Dana White, give us a freakin’ break. When Diaz spent five rounds chasing after an elusive Condit for the interim welterweight title, unable to unload his patented (and it really is patented – I checked with the United States Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, Virginia) barrage of Pitter-Patter Punches of Doom ™, a few things were proven to the world. First, that, unlike those before him, Condit had devised a foolproof plan to avoid getting destroyed, and he was more than able to stick to it. Second, that when faced with an opponent he couldn’t trap against the cage or taunt and insult into standing and trading, Diaz didn’t have the wherewithal to change it up and shoot for takedowns (maybe he was too high?). And third, no matter how much Diaz chases someone around the cage and puts his triathlon experience to good use, that mileage is not going to count towards any kind of love on the judges’ scorecards. This is all stuff that we learned on Saturday night, when we were promised nonstop, pulse-pounding action and instead got a big dose of “I eschewed Dungeons & Dragons night for this?!” Then there’s the little fact that, if, by hook or by crook, Diaz had won the decision, talk of an immediate rematch would’ve been shushed with a quickness. Because why the hell would the UFC want to upset the best laid plans of mice and men, plans they’d laid out that involved the “villainous” Diaz taking on the “heroic” Georges St. Pierre with a fair amount of pay-per-view cheese (i.e., dollars) for everyone? The answer is, no way would the UFC want that. Diaz vs. St. Pierre was the money match all have been clamoring for, and if a razor-thin decision in favor of the Stockton Bongmaster was what it took to make it happen, so be it. But once Condit got the maddening decision nod, then came the talk – talk that gravitated towards White practically assuring us this was something the fans wanted, and that it was just about a done deal. Phooey on that. The UFC wanted to milk a rematch, and hopefully get the Diaz/St. Pierre matchup back on track. What fans (myself included) wanted after UFC 143 was over was their money back. Which leads us to the last point of this discussion, the “give us a freakin’ break” part of why Diaz vs. Condit II would’ve been bad. When BJ Penn lost the decision to Frankie Edgar the first time around (at UFC 112), the Hawaiian got an immediate mulligan (at UFC 118). Sure, there was likely a rematch clause somewhere in Penn’s contract that was the impetus behind the redo, but so what? We got a rematch between Penn and Edgar, and the second time around the wrestler from New Jersey beat Penn even worse than before. Think we want to see Condit do the five-round Riverdance with Diaz? No way. Give us – all of us, including Diaz and Condit – a break. Diaz lost, let’s move on with our lives. In a way, it’s good that Diaz put his fate in the hands of a bag full of Chronic and smoked his career like some cheap Skunk Weed. At least this way, it’s out of White and the UFC’s control. Now Diaz’s rematch with Condit doesn’t get to happen until the Nevada State Athletic Commission is done blazing.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, way, rematch, condit

Dana White On Nick Diaz Failed Drug Test: 'I Am Beyond Disappointed'

Earlier today, Keith Kizer of the Nevada State Athletic Commission announced that Nick Diaz tested positive for marijuana after his UFC 143 fight with Carlos Condit. It's been a turbulent few days for Diaz. After losing a close and controversial decision to Condit in the main event of UFC 143, a frustrated Diaz announced his retirement from MMA. Yesterday, word leaked of the UFC's plans for a Condit vs. Diaz rematch as Condit's first defense of the UFC Interim Welterweight Title, but those plans were immediately called into question at the same time that Kizer announced one fighter had failed a drug test. Many assumed it was Diaz, and those suspicions were proved to be correct. Now, the UFC has issued a statement from Dana White, and it is short and clear: I am beyond disappointed that he tested positive for marijuana. It is now in the hands of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. This is not the first time Diaz has tested positive for marijuana. After his 2007 defeat of Takanori Gomi in one of the final Pride shows, Diaz also failed a drug test, resulting in that victory being overturned into a No Contest. This is also the second time in his recent UFC tenure that Diaz has caused the company massive headaches. His failure to show up for press conferences in the lead-up to UFC 137 caused them to pull him from the planned Diaz vs. GSP main event, and now this news will surely derail any plans for Condit vs. Diaz 2 happening anytime soon. For more on this story, check out all our Bloody Elbow coverage: Nick Diaz Tests Positive For Marijuana After UFC 143 Carlos Condit Vs. Nick Diaz Rematch In Jeopardy, Was Never 'Official' Carlos Condit Vs. Nick Diaz Rematch Becomes Official Amid Managerial Confusion NSAC Boss Keith Kizer Confirms One Positive Drug Test SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit

Posted in: ufc, diaz, nick, vs, condit

Nick Diaz Tests Positive For Marijuana After UFC 143

The speculation can now end. Nevada State Athletic Commissioner Keith Kizer has emailed the media to confirm that Nick Diaz tested positive for a drug of abuse after his UFC 143 loss to Carlos Condit: From: Keith Kizer Date: Thu, Feb 9, 2012 at 4:16 PMSubject: UFC 143 - steroid/drug tests The following athletes were tested: Nick Diaz, Carlos Condit, Fabricio Werdum, Josh Koscheck, Renan Barao, Ed Herman, Dustin Poirier, Max Hollaway, Matt Riddle, Henry Martinez, Edwin Figueroa, Alex Caceres, Matt Brown, Chris Cope, Rafael Natal, Michael Kuiper, Stephen Thompson and Dan Stittgen. All results received thus far have been negative, except Mr. Diaz tested positive for marijuana metabolites. A complaint for disciplinary action against Mr. Diaz has been filed. This is bad news for Diaz, bad news for the UFC, and bad news for the fans. More on this story from Bloody Elbow: Carlos Condit Vs. Nick Diaz Rematch In Jeopardy, Was Never 'Official' Carlos Condit Vs. Nick Diaz Rematch Becomes Official Amid Managerial Confusion NSAC Boss Keith Kizer Confirms One Positive Drug Test SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit

Posted in: ufc, diaz, nick, condit, mr diaz

Nick Diaz Tests Positive for Marijuana

The Nevada Athletic Commission has confirmed that Nick Diaz tested positive for marijuana at UFC 143 and will face disciplinary action, almost certainly canceling his planned rematch with Carlos Condit and throwing his future into question. "Mr. Diaz tested positive for marijuana metabolites. A complaint for disciplinary action against Mr. Diaz has been filed," Nevada Athletic Commission Executive Director Keith Kizer wrote in a statement distributed to the media. After losing to Condit by unanimous decision, Diaz was expected to get a rematch before it became clear that there was an issue with Diaz's drug test. Now Diaz is likely to be suspended at least six months, and possibly longer because he's a repeat offender: Diaz was also busted for marijuana after his upset submission victory over Takanori Gomi in Pride, and that result was subsequently changed to a no contest. Diaz's future is in doubt not only because the Commission may suspend him, but also because the UFC may decide he's more trouble than he's worth. UFC President Dana White has repeatedly lamented Diaz's refusal to "play the game," and if Diaz can't pass a drug test at the biggest fight of his career, the UFC may not trust him to participate in big fights going forward. There's also the matter of Diaz's post-fight comments, when he said he doesn't know if he even wants to fight anymore. It's also unclear what will happen with Condit, who was declared the interim welterweight champion for his victory over Diaz. At the moment it appears likely that Condit will sit out until Georges St. Pierre has sufficiently recovered from knee surgery and can return to the Octagon, which is tentatively planned for November.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, condit, carlos condit, marijuana

UFC 143: NSAC Boss Keith Kizer Confirms One Positive Drug Test

The rumors have been swirling that someone on the UFC 143 card failed his post-fight drug test. Now we have confirmation via an email from Nevada State Athletic Commission Executive Director Keith Kizer that SOMEONE on the card did indeed fail a drug test. Here's an email sent from the NSAC commission to members of the MMA media: From: Keith Kizer Date: Thu, Feb 9, 2012 at 12:16 PMSubject: UFC 143 Thank you for the many email and phone calls. I am still waiting for all the steroid and drug test results to come back. We did have at least one positive test. I will send out an email later today on that matter. Keith KizerExecutive DirectorNevada Athletic Commission Things to keep in mind: There is no indication as to who is the fighter in question. There is no indication as to whether the drug test failure is for performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) or drugs of abuse. But this does tie in neatly to the rumors that have swirled around the on-and-off nature of the Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit rematch. Here's another clue for you all, SI reporter Josh Gross tweeted this earlier: @JoshGrossESPNJosh Gross I asked Cesar Gracie yesterday re: rumor about an issue w/ Nick Diaz's drug test. His answer: "I have been told not to comment on anything." Feb 09 via web Favorite Retweet Reply More on this story from Bloody Elbow: Carlos Condit Vs. Nick Diaz Rematch In Jeopardy, Was Never 'Official' Carlos Condit Vs. Nick Diaz Rematch Becomes Official Amid Managerial Confusion SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit

Posted in: diaz, condit, test, drug, email

Cesar Gracie says rematch between Diaz-Condit is no longer taking place

The roller-coaster ride of the proposed rematch between Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz continues as now word has surfaced saying it is no longer a go, at least according to Diaz’s head trainer Cesar Gracie. UFC President Dana White recently reported an immediate rematch between Diaz and current UFC interim welterweight champion Condit would be scheduled to take place before Georges St. Pierre returned from injury. Just as quickly as the rematch was reported, rumors started that someone from either Diaz or Condit had decided against the bout. According to a report by MMAJunkie it may have been Gracie himself who nixed things though he did not offer much more than to say the match would not go down, leaving those around the MMA world to sit and wonder. Gracie’s comments are just the latest in a string of twists and turns surrounding the scrap. Condit is still expected to be in Las Vegas on Friday to meet with White. Until then fans will continue to have to wait and see what happens next if anything at all. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, diaz, rematch, condit, gracie

UFC 143 pay-per-view buys estimated at 400,000 for 'Diaz vs Condit' event on Feb. 4 in Las Vegas

The results of the event may not have been what UFC desired but surely they're happy to see the buyrate. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer (subscription required) is reporting that UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit," which took place on Sat., Feb. 4, 2012, from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, did 400,000 pay-per-view buys in preliminary estimates. That's a pleasant surprise for an event lacking star power in the traditional sense. Nick Diaz is an Internet darling, sure, but his main event bout against B.J. Penn -- a far bigger star than Carlos Condit -- did just 280,000 buys. Then again, a championship was on the line this time around (even if it was an interim title), and the event took place on Super Bowl weekend. Add in a three-part Primetime series airing on FX and the "Prelims" special on the same channel garnering a highly respectable 1.4 million viewers on average for a two hour broadcast and maybe this shouldn't be such a surprise. The event featured Carlos Condit winning a five-round unanimous decision over Nick Diaz in what some consider controversial fashion, as all three judges awarded "The Natural Born Killer" the victory and in turn, the interim UFC welterweight championship and the promise to fight Georges St. Pierre later this year. But it's gotten wacky ever since. Diaz abruptly quit the sport in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan before his management team took to Twitter to campaign for an immediate rematch. Initially, the Condit camp refused and proclaimed they're preference was to wait for St. Pierre to recover from a knee injury that will sideline him until November. Then, suddenly, word got out that the rematch was booked. Indeed, UFC President Dana White confirmed that the bout was in the works and even said Condit was the one who asked for it. That seemed strange enough but then things got even stranger. Gracie, who had been so vehemently asking for the rematch, quickly changed his tune and said the fight would not be taking place. He refused to elaborate any further but emphatically stated multiple times to multiple media outlets the bout will not occur. But, again, we still don't know why. Now, we're in a holding pattern, waiting on more news. But in the meantime, everyone can rejoice with the news that the show performed better than expected at the box office. Yippee.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, event, condit, carlos condit

UFC 143 initial PPV buy rates and other ratings

Dave Metzler of the Wrestling Observer reported the initial PPV buy rate for UFC 143 were approximately 400,000 buys. The numbers seem to be a pleasant surprise for the overall viewership for UFC 143 which includes improved prelim ratings on FX. MMA Junkie reported that the UFC 143 prelims on FX earned 1.4 million viewers. While the prelim numbers still do not compare with Spike TV’s version of the prelims, its a significant improvement from 142 and the FX version is a 2 hour show. Also, the UFC 143 weigh-ins on Fuel TV scored 38,000 viewers for the fighters just getting on the scale. As for the success of UFC 143, Metzler indicated that the UFC Primetimes aided in the buy rate. Also, the Nick Diaz factor helped the buy rate as well since none of the other matches were heavily promoted. Payout Perspective: The 400K buy rate blows away my expectation of 250K buys. The buy rate is surprising and while the Diaz factor definitely helped, I also have to think the new marketing and promotion (including the new shows on Fuel) from the Fox deal was a factor. If indeed, Diaz carried this PPV, it will be interesting to see what happens with him next. Certainly, the UFC hoped that Diaz would have won which would set a great matchup with GSP. A rumored rematch with Condit was on and off most of Wednesday. Frankly, it makes no sense for Condit to grant a rematch until he faces GSP to unify the titles. For Condit, he was originally forced to step aside for Diaz at 143 and then reinserted when GSP went down. Unless, the UFC forces the rematch, it makes no sense for Condit to do it. From the UFC’s perspective, Diaz is a talented, but temperamental star on the rise. Arguably, the buy rate can be attributed in large portion to his persona. So, if you are the UFC, what do you do?

Posted in: ufc, diaz, condit, prelim, rate

Read the full article at MMA Payout

Nick Diaz Gets His Way Again but Was It the Right Call?

Tell me if you’ve heard this one before – Nick Diaz bitches and Dana White hands him the keys to the castle. For the second time since UFC 137, Diaz has thrown a fit with the UFC President giving him his way. After blowing his initial shot at the UFC Welterweight Championship because he decided that the pre-fight press conferences were unnecessary, White still granted Diaz main event status against B.J. Penn. Of course the UFC was in a bind because an injury sustained by champion Georges St. Pierre caused him to bow out of his title defense against Carlos Condit, but the point remains. Diaz would go on to defeat Penn via Unanimous Decision and called out St. Pierre in a profanity laced attack claiming that GSP wasn’t really injured and instead was ducking a potential fight with him. At the UFC 137 post fight press conference White claimed that GSP was as angry as he had ever seen him and demanded his next fight be against the Stockton, CA resident as opposed to Condit. White also stated that Condit was okay with the situation and instead would face a yet to be named opponent at UFC 143 in the co-main event. As we would learn later on, Condit was not happy with the situation. Of course, as luck would have it, GSP’s knee injury would turn out to be much more severe than anyone first thought and he would require surgery keeping him out until the fall of 2012. The natural thing to do for the UFC was to match-up Diaz and Condit which was scheduled for the main event of UFC 143 and would be for an interim title. The winner would then face “Rush” once he was healthy for the right to become the undisputed 170-pound champion. The anticipation for Diaz-Condit was incredible as the UFC marketing machine was in full effect. White was telling anyone who would listen that this bout could be one of the best the UFC had ever seen. Based upon both fighters’ histories he wasn’t off as both men liked to stand and bang. They also brought a lot of intensity, toughness, and heart into every one of their fights. GSP felt uncomfortable rooting against the fellow Greg Jackson trained Condit, but still harbored a lot of ill will towards Diaz and made no secret of who he was pulling for. The much anticipated tilt took place this past Saturday night and did not go anywhere near as well as planned. Condit fought a methodical, well-planned fight. He avoided Diaz’s pressure by keeping his feet moving at all times and landed a great deal of leg kicks and seemed to be ahead on the judges scorecards. When Bruce Buffer announced “The Natural Born Killer” as the winner it did not sit well with Diaz or his legion of fans who felt that Condit was awarded for avoiding Diaz at all costs and doing the bare minimum to take home the victory. As Joe Rogan interviewed Diaz after the fight he went into full tantrum mode and claimed he was done with MMA; that he no longer needed to be part of the sport. It seems as though his threats and promises have worked to his advantage once again as word leaked out yesterday that Condit had not only agreed to, but asked for a rematch with Diaz before his scheduled bout with St. Pierre. Apparently Diaz was able to get under the skin of Condit in much the same way he did with GSP. The entire thing just goes to show you that self promotion is just as important as the fight you put on inside of the cage. The real story here is whether or not the UFC is hoping for a Diaz win so they can finally get the money bout everyone wanted in the first place, but has been canceled on two separate occasions – St. Pierre vs. Diaz. Diaz lost the bout on all three judges’ scorecards. He won just one round on two of the judges’ cards and was awarded two rounds by the third judge. No one is arguing the fact that Condit fought a safe fight, but is there really a need for an immediate rematch based upon the outcome of the first fight? However, to be honest, this is the best call the UFC could make. Without trying to placate Diaz who seems to know how to push White’s buttons along with his opponents, if this fight doesn’t take place there is a potential nine-month gap between fights for Condit. If that is the case then what was the need to create the interim title in the first place if it was just going to be held up for nearly a year anyways? The fight was close enough to get these two guys back in the cage as soon as possible. As we have learned in the past the judges aren’t always the most educated, responsible people in the arena at any given time. It’s certainly not fair to ask Condit to wait a minimum of nine months before GSP is ready to fight. This fight will kill three birds with one stone, it keeps Diaz happy, even if it means bowing down to his demands once again, it keeps Condit fresh and it gives more meaning to the interim title. For once the UFC is making the right call. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, gsp, condit

Post-UFC 143 Roundtable - Did Carlos Condit Run His Way To Victory?

Matthew Roth: So UFC 143 is over and the new champion was crowned. What I want to know from you guys is did the judges get the decision right and why? Did Carlos Condit run away or was he remaining elusive while breaking down Nick Diaz for 25 minutes? Fraser Coffeen: Condit won. He avoided Diaz's shots while landing strikes of his own. That is counter striking, and it's a perfectly acceptable and legitimate aspect of striking. Condit did it beautifully. Tim Burke: What Condit did was very smart. Did it make for a very good fight? No. Was he on his bike a lot? Yes. I don't believe that was simply counterstriking though. He was literally running across the cage at some points. Still, you can't argue with effectiveness. I believe the bout could have gone either way. Diaz has a case for 1, 2 and 5. I scored it 48-47 Condit, but it was close. Josh Nason: I thought the judges got it right and if there were 10-10 rounds actually given, I think the fifth round was that even that it would be a draw. Instead of calling out Condit for a rematch though, Diaz decided to "retire" when there's a great case to see them hook it up again. Some of the MMA community calling out Condit for "running" was a little nuts though, especially from fellow fighters. It's a really polarizing fight which should mean rematch. Matthew Roth: I've read a bunch of people saying what Condit did was bad for the sport. Which is ridiculous to me. Lots more after the jump... KJ Gould: Condit won. He aimed to hit without getting hit. You know, 'Sweet Science' stuff. And some of the combos he landed were absolute doozies. That left hand, left leg kick, right head kick combo? Fans of striking got semi-hard watching that. You can't win fights from just running. Kalib Starnes infamously ran, and I think he lost every round 8-10 on almost every judge's scorecard as a result. Fans that were disappointed are likely the victims of UFC promising something they never have control over in delivering. Lesson learned: don't believe the hype. TP Grant: Condit won, the judges got this right. Condit came in with a very smart game plan, and I don't think that game plan here is a dirty word. Diaz has good hands but he is flat footed and really goes to work once he has trapped his victim on the fence. Condit wanted to keep Diaz just out of range and land sharp leg kicks, which Diaz doesn't check. And if he found himself on the cage he looked for an opening to escape. Accusations of running thrown at Condit are over blown, the man was ripping off combinations and landed over 150 strikes. I was entertained by the fight and found it exciting, and my only thought afterwards was wanted to see more rounds of it. I though the main problem here was that Diaz had no Plan B, Condit had a more diverse striking game mixing together kicks, punches, knees and elbows while Diaz limited himself to just punches and the occasional b*tch slap. Josh Nason: I hope all the fighters that are giving Condit crap on the interwebs go balls out their next fight Leonard Garcia style. Something tells me they won't. Condit won, Diaz lost. I think this is simply residual bitterness from not getting to see GSP vs. Diaz. Blame GSP's knee for that folks, not the new interim 170-pound champ. David Castillo: Dave Walsh put it best: 'controlling where the action is taking place is not the same as controlling the action itself'. And lo and behold, the numbers from fight metric illustrate this basic fact, which is that Condit, despite being elusive, was still active, and effective. The only reason this fight has garnered such a reaction is that a) Nick Diaz has a large devoted fanbase and b) it didn't meet the expectations we all built up or it. On first watch, I felt like Diaz had a stronger case (though I had it a draw as a result of Diaz taking the 1st and 5th, with Condit taking the 3rd and 4th with the second being a draw). On repeat viewing, that was not the case, as Nick looked more effective than he actually was. Josh Nason: It's pretty nuts (and indicative of our culture to run those we perceive as wronged) that suddenly the MMA community is rallying around Diaz when they've been just fine to treat him as a pariah for the past few years. Tim Burke: I think a lot of people are just analyzing the fight the way they would analyze any fight. I've torn a strip off Diaz multiple times, but he DOES have a case for winning three of the five rounds. A case doesn't mean I'm saying he won the fight. But it was close. KJ Gould: I don't understand how anyone could give Condit the last round though. That's bats*it crazy. TP Grant: Well there are people out there who don't reward position, they want a fight to "do something with it". KJ Gould: Understandable when you take someone down and stall in guard. Diaz took Condit down, took his back and had complete control. In MMA that's the best position because in Condit's position he has the least number of offensive options. Even from under mount Condit had more punching and elbowing options available to him - even if strategically it'd be a bad idea giving someone like Diaz a limb. Out of concerted efforts to finish a fight, Diaz had it when he had Condit's back with over a minute left. Clearly, Condit was on the defensive. TP Grant: Oh I agree, mostly the people who argue position shouldn't be scored are those who say the only measure of a fight is damage and also seem to think that Pride rules never resulted in bad decisions. Matthew Roth: Cage side I thought that Condit fought an amazing fight. There have been other talented fighters who have abandoned their game plans because of Nick's taunting and shenanigans. Carlos didn't. He forced Nick to fight his fight and the stats prove that. A minute of back control doesn't negate four minutes of getting out struck. And even on the ground, Carlos was still throwing strikes which is why he ended the fight with top position throwing elbows I'm okay with the judges decision though the media room was pretty split on the matter. Dallas Winston: Diaz taking Condit's back has more to do with effective grappling than "control" or "position". Effective striking and grappling are the main two credentials and significantly outweigh the lower categories. That means Diaz clearly won effective grappling in the 5th and that Condit would have to noticeably out-strike him to compensate. It's disturbing that there's an argument for either fighter in rounds 1-3 and everyone agrees they were close rounds, but almost no one scored any of them 10-10. I think this fight is a classic fit for 10-10 rounds. I just don't get the reluctance in using that score for what everyone agrees were competitive rounds with no clear-cut winner. Overall, I walk away from Diaz vs. Condit with the feeling that the fighters were extremely evenly matched and neither really proved themselves superior to the other. Even Pierce vs. Koscheck from this card and other fights like Rampage vs. Hendo and Shogun vs. Hendo awarded one winner in matches I thought could've gone either way.

Posted in: fight, diaz, round, condit, dont

Diego Sanchez would be willing to fight teammate Carlos Condit

While both men may have their hands full in the coming months, UFC welterweights Diego Sanchez and Carlos Condit could eventually cross paths down the road depending on how 2012 plays out. Though the two are teammates at Greg Jackson’s gym in New Mexico, Sanchez recently made it clear there is no controversy to be had when it comes to the possibility of the training partners facing off inside the Octagon with a title on the line. Straying from the attitude causing a rift between Jon Jones-Rashad Evans, as well as the one seeing Evans refuse to face Keith Jardine a few years back, Sanchez spoke to The MMA Hour earlier this week where he said he’s already discussed such a scenario with “The Natural Born Killer”. “We’ve all talked about this, the coaches, me and Carlos, we are absolutely fine fighting each other,” said the original Ultimate Fighter. “We both want UFC gold, that’s what we want for our family and have always wanted even as little kids, we have always wanted this. We are willing to do that.” He also made it clear he wouldn’t pull any punches against Condit and would expect the same treatment in return, stating, “Me and Carlos would be a war; we both know our strengths and weaknesses and it would be a great fight. If it happens, it happens.” Up next for “The Dream” is a February 15 date with top contender Jake Ellenberger in headlining action at UFC on Fuel 1. Comparably, Condit has been embroiled in the fallout from his hard-fought, albeit awfully close decision win over Nick Diaz this past Saturday night. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, sanchez, condit, carlo, fighter “

Nick Diaz vs Carlos Condit rematch kills a few birds with one stone but it sends the wrong message

By now you should know that Nick Diaz is not retiring and Carlos Condit's next fight will not be against Georges St. Pierre. Instead, a rematch has been booked with the papers set to be signed and the bout officially announced this Friday (Feb. 10, 2012). We don't know when and we don't know where but we do know that it's happening. And according to UFC President Dana White, "Carlos wanted it." This seems like an odd declaration, especially considering the fact that Condit's representatives were absolutely singing a different tune in the immediate aftermath of the UFC 143 main event this past Sat., Feb. 4, 2012, in Las Vegas, Nevada. They were saying Condit was going to wait for St. Pierre to get healthy because why risk losing out on the shot to unify the titles? After all, they felt the result of the first fight was definitive. There are plenty who disagree, including Diaz, of course, but his entire camp, as well. That includes Cesar Gracie, never one to mince words and a guy we can always count on for a sound byte or two. He campaigned publicly for a rematch, rallying the Stockton troops and social media blasting those with influence enough to make a rematch come to reality. And now it's happened. Unfortunately, this may be sending the wrong message, in more ways than one. Before Diaz vs. Condit 1, Dana White had been saying that St. Pierre's rehabbing was so far ahead of pace that he could return in the summer and he would have no problem making the fight between Diaz and the welterweight champ at that time. Then Condit spoiled the party, just like he said he would, and suddenly St. Pierre's injury is still bugging him and he re-injured his knee jumping up watching UFC 143 and now he's still going to be out until late this year. Uh-huh. Because of the promotional tactics employed in the lead-up to Diaz vs. Condit, we can safely assume that the powers that be wanted Diaz to win the fight. Who can blame them? With Georges St. Pierre showing some fire we haven't seen from him since the Matt Serra rematch, hype was building to a fever pitch for GSP vs. Diaz, the good guy vs. the bad guy. With Brock Lesnar retired, this would have been the UFC's best -- and likely only -- chance to have a pay-per-view crack the million buy mark. But Condit screwed that up by teaming up with Greg Jackson to create a strategy that Diaz had no clue how to deal with. A strategy fans the world over despised and decried for its lack of action. "The Natural Born Killer" has made his name by being just that, a man who brutalizes his opponents before finishing them off with no prejudice. Not a guy who "runs away from a fight" and "plays the game" just to "win on points." So when that happened, fans revolted and Diaz took his ball and went home. This, of course, put the UFC in a highly undesirable position. A 28-year-old potential superstar had just quit, a championship bout they wanted to put together disappeared into thin air, the guy who took said superstars place is getting smeared in the media (both by pundits and even fellow fighters), and the champion on the sidelines, St. Pierre, is apparently saying he'll give up his title just to fight the superstar who just quit. Creative solution? Rematch. This sets a dangerous precedent, though. Essentially, it's the UFC admitting that the outcome of the first fight was not what they desired and they're making the fight again in the hopes they get what they originally hoped for. It would be naive to think otherwise. Dana White himself admitted to scoring the fight for Condit and feeling as though there was no controversy. And really, that's the only reason to make an immediate rematch of this nature, if the result of the first fight wasn't definitive. The good news for UFC is they can make the argument that it wasn't, even though the mouthpiece of the organization said it was. The other issue with making this immediate rematch is the UFC has now become the parent who caved to the crying child that didn't get his way. After losing to Condit, Diaz went from a bad boy boxer to an immature fighter and stomped off in a huff, proclaiming he was done. Now that UFC has come calling with the promise of a rematch to make it all better, what does that say to the rest of the talent on the roster? That if you cry long enough and hard enough -- and find a little bit of support from an online community that adores you -- you'll get your way. Tsk-tsk. As our friend Zach Arnold at FightOpinion.com opined, we're basically being asked to forget the outcome of the first fight. But now that the rematch has been made, it raises a simple question Arnold touched on: I understand why Carlos Condit wouldn't mind a rematch with Nick Diaz - because he thinks he can beat him again. I understand why Nick Diaz wants a rematch. What I don't see is how the rematch is going to produce a dramatically different outcome unless Condit gives up the Greg Jackson counter-strategy that we saw at UFC 143 and decides to go for broke in order for Nick to have a better chance to knock him out. So, if you hated the outcome of the first fight and the way the judges scored it, what makes you inclined to believe that you want to see the rematch if the fans were bored with the way the fight played out the first time? And therein lies the rub. What on Earth makes anyone think a rematch will look any different? What information do we have to make us believe Diaz will come with a dramatically different game plan, one good enough to counteract the game plan Condit will surely resurrect? The biggest criticism of Diaz throughout his career has been his inability to adjust. Indeed, instead of figuring out the best strategy to defeat what Condit was doing in the first fight -- even something as simple as using footwork to cut off the cage to force exchanges -- Diaz threw his hands up and started trash talking in the hopes that would coax his opponent into engaging on his terms. When that didn't happen and he lost, he quit. Unless he suddenly becomes a different person by the time they step inside the cage to do it again, we're likely looking at five more rounds of the same thing we witnessed at UFC 143. Who knows, maybe this time the judges feel the pressure and side with Diaz. But if it's another close decision would they do a third bout? Sadly, the feeling is that if Condit wins, it will be considered. If Diaz wins, he'll move on straight to St. Pierre, no matter how he gets there. Is the wrong message being sent here? Yes. Will it matter to MMA fans? I doubt it. Am I wrong?

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, rematch, condit

Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz II already a no-go, says Cesar Gracie

Almost as soon as it seemed a reality, a rematch between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit is not happening. When contacted today by MMAjunkie.com, Diaz manager Cesar Gracie said "no" when asked if a rematch recently announced is a reality. He declined further comment. UFC president Dana White issued a tweet late Tuesday that said Condit had accepted a rematch with Diaz and was headed to Las Vegas on Friday, presumably, to finalize a contract for the fight.

Posted in: diaz, las vegas, rematch, condit, cesar gracie

Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz Rematch Rumored to be Off

A rematch between Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz appears to be off just hours after UFC President Dana White said Condit had agreed to face Diaz again despite narrowly outpointing him this past Saturday at UFC 143 to win the interim welterweight title and a shot at champion Georges St-Pierre. Diaz’s manager, Cesar Gracie, told The MMA Show this afternoon that he believes the rematch won’t take place and promised on Twitter that “everything will be out soon.” Meanwhile, Condit’s manager, Malki Kawa, told The MMA Show that as far as he knew a rematch was still in the works, but if it was off it was on Diaz’s side. Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for further updates on this breaking news… Pictured: Nick Diaz

Posted in: diaz, rematch, condit, carlos condit, mma show

Carlos Condit Vs. Nick Diaz Rematch In Jeopardy, Was Never 'Official'

Let me start by apologizing for my wording on the post this morning, I ran a post with the headline "Carlos Condit Vs. Nick Diaz Rematch Becomes Official Amid Managerial Confusion." The bout was not official at that point, Dana White had simply confirmed that Condit had agreed to the bout. That was sloppy on my part and I apologize for any confusion caused by it. It now appears, from reports coming from a variety of different directions, that the rematch will not happen due to an "issue" in the Diaz camp. No one has yet been quite willing to say what the "issue" is, but I've heard it from enough people that it does seem there is something that is keeping the Diaz camp from being able to accept the fight. The first person I saw reporting that there was a problem was Front Row Brian on Twitter (some tell me he also beat everyone to news of Condit agreeing to the fight yesterday). Cesar Gracie hinted that something was also going on a few moments ago via his Twitter: @CesarGracieBJJCesar Gracie We greatly appreciate our fan support. Everything will be out soon. Feb 08 via Twitter for iPhone Favorite Retweet Reply We'll follow up on the story as more details emerge. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit

Posted in: diaz, condit, morning i, diaz camp, retweet reply

UFC books Nick Diaz-Carlos Condit II for future event

The story surrounding last Saturday night’s main event match-up between UFC welterweights Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit took another strange twist last night when UFC President Dana White went online to announce his organization had received verbal agreements from both men to face off a second time later this year. Previously it had been thought Diaz would take some time off before getting the itch to fight again and Condit would wait for bout with injured champion Georges St. Pierre. The catalyst for the change may have occurred over the weekend when St. Pierre was quoted by Kenny Florian on UFC Tonight as saying he would give his belt up to fight Diaz, a rival who has gotten under the French-Canadian’s skin with a number of inflammatory comments and his attitude in general. Condit’s Camp Says They Don’t Want Second Fight with Diaz So Soon All told, the situation has been a rollercoaster kicked off by a closely contested decision at UFC 143 seeing Condit emerge with his hand raised despite his counter-pointing strategy in comparison to Diaz’s aggression and ring control. Shortly thereafter Diaz announced his retirement, White said he would be open to a rematch, and Condit’s camp changed their tune from saying he would be willing to defend the interim title he’d just won to wanting to wait for Diaz. Whether the ride has ended remains to be seen. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, condit, event matchup

MMA Top 10 Rankings: Barão & Condit Move Up

The latest MMAWeekly.com World MMA Rankings are out and Renan Barão and Carlos Condit are working their ways to the top.

Posted in: condit, ranking, carlos condit, bar, ão

Rematch!

After the Condit / Diaz fight on Saturday night, Dana White teased us with a quote where he said Condit / Diaz 2 could happen immediately, but both guys would 'really have to want that fight.' Between Nick 'retiring' and Carlos not being stupid, that didn't seem very likely. Add in all the chatter from everyone and I had an immediate rematch on par with a snowball's chances in hell. From Lorenzo Fertitta: Just spoke to @lorenzofertitta. He said @CarlosCondit has definitely earned title shot/right to wait for GSP. No rematch. @lorenzofertitta told me GSP was upset and wanted him to make rematch but he said, "I can't do that to Carlos." From Condit's management Malki Kawa: "At this point, [a rematch] is not something we’re looking to do," he said. "We're looking for Georges. People forget, Carlos waited a long time to get this fight. He was moved around, and shuffled around between fights. He won the fight. It doesn't interest us at all. I think clearly and decisively, he won the fight. Even [UFC president] Dana [White] scored it for him. All of the opinions that matter scored Carlos as winner." From Condit himself: "I'd give Nick Diaz a rematch. Just maybe not right away." And now the only evidence you need that a rematch is indeed going to happen: Dana White's twitter. the rumor is true. Carlos did accept the fight today and Carlos is coming on Friday not thur. With that, we are apparently getting Condit / Diaz 2. This is the second time the UFC has called Carlos Condit up and asked him to do something incredibly stupid for them. The first time is when they asked him to step aside so Nick Diaz and GSP could fight. Now they're asking him to step up again ... in the hopes that Nick Diaz and GSP can still fight. I'm one of those people who thought Diaz won rounds 1, 2, and 5, but I don't know about this. What's the point of #1 contender fights if they get redone whenever 'the wrong guy' wins?There are a lot of reasons this fight makes sense though. The entire world is split down the middle between fighters as to who really won. Stats point to Condit edging Diaz on strikes, but as Hitler would say "Diaz doesn't give a sh*t about pussy ass kicks!" Georges ain't doing nothing til November and it's not like there's another welterweight contender out there looking super-sayan that Condit just has to fight. So ... are you excited about Condit / Diaz 2? Or are you looking forward to Condit / Diaz 3, 4, or maybe 5? However many til the UFC gets the results they want.

Posted in: fight, diaz, rematch, condit, carlo

Joe Rogan re-watched UFC 143 at home, now believes Nick Diaz defeated Carlos Condit (Video)

"Going back to the Diaz/Condit fight, my point about missing things, is I watched the fight at home and when I watched the fight at home, I had a slightly different opinion. When I watched it live I thought that Carlos Condit won it. In the fourth round I said that Condit was winning this fight and when I said that, I was a little bit out of school, because on the scorecards maybe necessarily he wasn't winning, in my head even, but, there was a trend in round three and four where Condit was scoring way more than Diaz was, that's why I was saying that Condit was winning that fight. The bottom line is when I watched it at home I gave Nick Diaz round one, round two and round five. At home when I watched it, I thought Nick Diaz won that fight." UFC color commentator Joe Rogan talks about why he originally thought Carlos Condit "might have edged" Nick Diaz on the scorecards in "The Natural Born Killer's" five round unanimous decision win at the UFC 143 pay-per-view (PPV) event last Saturday night (Feb. 4, 2012) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Rogan also explains the difficulty in accurately predicting the outcome of a fight while simultaneously deconstructing it for the viewing audience at home, therefore leading to a change in opinion when he re-watched the Interim Welterweight Championship title fight at home, in a more controlled environment. He also names specific rounds that he believes should be scored in favor of Diaz, but is this an effort to bolster the company's decision to announce a possible rematch? Or does he simply make a convincing argument for a Diaz win?

Posted in: fight, diaz, round, condit, home

Condit vs. Diaz rematch in the works

New UFC interim welterweight champ Carlos Condit has accepted the challenge from Nick Diaz for a rematch, according to president Dana White.

Posted in: diaz, nick diaz, rematch, condit, president dana

Condit OK's rematch; Diaz coach says no-go

New UFC interim welterweight champ Carlos Condit has accepted the challenge from Nick Diaz for a rematch, according to president Dana White.

Posted in: diaz, nick diaz, rematch, condit, president dana

MMA Top 10 Welterweights: Carlos Condit Creeps Up on Georges St. Pierre

Carlos Condit has won the UFC interim welterweight title, and he's moved up to No. 2 on my list of the Top 10 welterweights in MMA. Champion Georges St. Pierre remains No. 1, but Condit is as close to GSP as anyone has been in the last four years. Condit has now won 13 of his last 14 fights, and I think he'll be the best opponent GSP has ever fought when the UFC welterweight belts are unified late this year. See how I have the rest of the welterweight Top 10 ranked below. Top 10 welterweights in MMA (Editor's note: The individual fighter's ranking the last time we did welterweights is in parentheses.) 1. Georges St. Pierre (1): GSP remains on top, but no athlete stays on top forever, and GSP's reign may be coming to an end soon. He's on the wrong side of 30 and coming off a serious knee injury, and Condit is going to pose a big challenge to him. 2. Carlos Condit (5): Many fans disliked Condit's elusive style against Nick Diaz, but most of the time Condit is one of the best finishers in the welterweight division. He has 28 wins in his career, and only two of those wins (over Diaz and Jake Ellenberger) have gone to a decision. 3. Nick Diaz (2): I don't think there's any chance that Diaz will really retire, as he suggested he would after losing to Condit. I think we'll see Diaz in a lot of big fights in the future, and I wouldn't be surprised if another one of them is a welterweight title fight. 4. Johny Hendricks (NR): At UFC 141 Hendricks became the first man to finish Jon Fitch. I think a fight with Josh Koscheck next would make a lot of sense. 5. Josh Koscheck (4): Koscheck's win over Mike Pierce was tougher than most people expected it to be, and leaving his longtime training camp of AKA may make for a difficult time in his career. We may be witnessing the beginning of the decline for the 34-year-old Koscheck. 6. Jake Ellenberger (6): Ellenberger's main event fight with Diego Sanchez at the upcoming UFC on Fuel event is a great opportunity for him to show that his win over Jake Shields was no fluke, and that he deserves to be considered one of the real elites in the welterweight division. 7. Jon Fitch (3): His loss to Hendricks pretty much guaranteed that Fitch will never fight for the welterweight title again, but he's still a dangerous opponent to anyone at 170 pounds. The UFC will have a tough time picking the right fights for Fitch at this point because he still has the wrestling ability to make a good young prospect look really, really bad. A fight that would make a lot of sense for Fitch is Koscheck, but the two longtime friends and training partners have said that won't happen, even after Koscheck left AKA. 8. Mike Pierce (NR): Pierce is 5-3 in the UFC, with the three losses coming to Fitch, Hendricks and Koscheck -- and all three losses were close decisions. He hasn't yet earned the kind of signature win that would put him in the Top 5, but he has earned his place in the Top 10. 9. Rory MacDonald (NR): MacDonald shouldn't have much trouble getting by Che Mills at UFC 145. MacDonald is a great fighter worthy of taking on Top 10 opponents, but he's only 22 and the UFC isn't rushing to give him top-notch opposition. 10. Jake Shields (9): After back-to-back losses to GSP and Ellenberger, Shields will head to Japan to take on Yoshihiro Akiyama in a fight that could be just the thing to get his career back on track.

Posted in: ufc, fight, koscheck, welterweight, condit

Carlos Condit Vs. Nick Diaz Rematch Becomes Official Amid Managerial Confusion

Last night on The Underground, a story broke that Carlos Condit had accepted a rematch with Nick Diaz following Condit's decision win at UFC 143. The news set off a small chain of tweets that have left some wondering if the UFC bypassed the management of the fighters (especially Condit manager, Malki Kawa) in getting the fight done. It's something that the UFC has done in the past, so it wouldn't be shocking. First, the news on The Underground: However, sources close to the deal just confirmed with The Underground that Carlos Condit has accepted a rematch with Nick Diaz, with the UFC Interim Welterweight title again on the line. Condit said 'Yes, I accept the rematch' and will be in Las Vegas on Friday to finalize the deal. First, Ariel Helwani had a tweet reacting to the news: @arielhelwaniAriel Helwani . @theug is reporting the Diaz-Condit rematch is on, however, Condit's manager @malkikawa says: "Far from true. We haven't accepted nything" Feb 08 via web Favorite Retweet Reply Something Malki quickly backed up on his own Twitter: @malkikawamalki kawa Rumors about carlos and nick are not true. We haven't been offered any fight nor accepted anything. Feb 08 via UberSocial for BlackBerry Favorite Retweet Reply More after the jump... SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit Malki would reverse course thirty minutes later: @malkikawamalki kawa Well, the powers to be just called. @CarlosCondit and myself will be in vegas and hope to have an announcement on fri... :) Feb 08 via UberSocial for BlackBerry Favorite Retweet Reply As I said earlier, it's not unheard of for the UFC to bypass managers and try to get the fighters to agree to certain bouts directly as it is usually much easier for negotiations. A manager worth his salt would almost certainly go into negotiations for a rematch trying to get some sort of rematch clause added to the agreement, ensuring that if their fighter lost and the "series" became 1-1 they would be granted an immediate rematch. If the UFC could simply go to Carlos and get an agreement to take the fight for just a small bump in pay or something along those lines, it basically kills the whole negotiating process and lines up the Diaz vs. Georges St. Pierre fight that they really want. The phrasing on Dana's twitter confirming the bout would seem to back that up to a degree: justScrap85 DJ Brown @CarlosCondit and @nickdiaz209 rematch?! @ufc @danawhite @malkikawa any truth in this? @MMAjunkie Feb 08 Favorite Retweet Reply in reply to @justScrap85↑ @danawhiteDana White @justScrap85 @carloscondit @malkikawa the rumor is true. Carlos did accept the fight today and Carlos is coming on Friday not thur. Feb 08 via Twitter for iPhone Favorite Retweet Reply While it's certainly a difficult game to try to read into language, for Dana to say that the fight was accepted by Carlos "today" and not "just accepted" or "accepted tonight" makes me think that they did go directly to Carlos earlier in the day to work things out. The end result is good for us fans though, Diaz and Condit stepping back into the cage for another go-round.

Posted in: ufc, rematch, condit, carlo, reply

Dana White confirms Carlos Condit-Nick Diaz II set for later this year

And the saga continues… Trainer Cesar Gracie recently came forward to express his belief that fans hadn’t seen the last of Nick Diaz inside the Octagon or any cage for that matter. While Gracie thought it would take Diaz a year or so before getting the itch to fight again, it appears it will actually only be a matter of months after UFC President Dana White went on Twitter to confirm Condit had agreed to fight Diaz again and clear up any confusion surrounding the outcome of their first bout. White did not go into specifics but did say that Condit wanted the match-up to occur. Today’s news came as a complete 180 from comments made this week by Condit’s manager who said his client would wait for Georges St. Pierre rather than face Diaz again in an immediate rematch. This past weekend, Diaz was handed a decision loss at the hands of Carlos Condit in the main event of UFC 143. The bout was for the interim UFC welterweight title and Diaz, along with numerous fans, fellow fighters, and media members, felt like he deserved to have his hand raised when things were done. During the post-fight interview, the Stockton native announced he was done with MMA and was moving on, citing the judges’ approach to scoring as the reason for his departure from the sport. The news shocked just about everyone watching in attendance and live on pay-per-view, including Joe Rogan who was conducting the post-fight interview. When Rogan continued to push for more from Diaz, the controversial welterweight explained he felt all Condit did was run from him. PHOTO CREDIT – HDNET/UFC

Posted in: diaz, nick diaz, condit, decision loss, postfight interview

Cesar Gracie puts the brakes on Condit vs. Diaz II discussion

Just hours after receiving confirmation that the newly crowned Interim Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit had accepted, it now appears that the rematch between he and Nick Diaz will not happen.UFC President Dana White announced late Tuesday evening that Condit had, in fact, agreed to face Diaz in a rematch, revealing that the Jackson's MMA fighter would be headed to Las Vegas on Friday to finalize the bout.However, contrary to such reports, Diaz's manager, Cesar Gracie, has already put the brakes on any

Posted in: diaz, nick diaz, condit, cesar gracie, face diaz

Dana White Says Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit II Is Happening and Condit Wants It

Forget what Carlos Condit said about waiting for Georges St. Pierre. Forget about what his manager Malki Kawa said about not wanting the rematch. Forget about what Nick Diaz said about retiring. And forget about what Cesar Gracie said about Nick not fighting until next year. Why? Because Dana White just revealed on Twitter that the rematch is on and both fighters want it. @justScrap85@carloscondit@malkikawa the rumor is true. Carlos did accept the fight today and Carlos is coming on Friday not thur. @TheJRF83 nick wanted the rematch the same night @GrossiMMA Carlos wanted it Not to throw a bucket of cold water on a hot flame, but I should note that this doesn’t mean the fight is signed, sealed and delivered. At least not yet. As of now, both camps are denying it, but if Dana is confident enough to talk about it on Twitter, then it’s most likely going to happen. Assuming it is on, the next question is where and when? I would hesitate to put it on FOX (not that there’s been any indication that that’s where it’s going to happen) just because of how the first one went down, but if Condit really does want the fight now, maybe that means he’s tired of all the backlash and will throw the gameplan out the window in the rematch and give us the fireworks we expected all along. That’s what I hope happens at least and if it does, FOX would be the perfect place for it.

Posted in: fight, nick, rematch, condit, carlo

Dana White: Carlos Condit Accepts Rematch With Nick Diaz

One day after Carlos Condit's management insisted that Nick Diaz was in his rearview mirror, there seems to be a change of course for the new UFC interim welterweight champion. Late on Tuesday night, UFC president Dana White tweeted that Condit accepted the proposal for a rematch, and would travel to Las Vegas on Friday in hopes of finalizing the deal. "The rumor is true. Carlos did accept the fight today and Carlos is coming on Friday not [Thursday]," he wrote.Early Wednesday morning, White told MMA Fighting via text that he had no timetable yet for the bout's date, as he's currently in Brazil filming an international version of The Ultimate Fighter. However, he returns on Thursday and will meet with Condit about making the rematch a reality.As recently as Monday, Condit's manager Malki Kawa told MMA Fighting that he would advise his client to focus on a potential championship unification with linear title holder Georges St-Pierre."At this point, [a rematch] is not something we’re looking to do," he said. "We're looking for Georges.But apparently, Condit was swayed by the outcry over the decision. The three cageside judges scored the bout 49-46, 49-46, 48-47 for Condit. Reaction to the decision was split, with Diaz supporters noting that he was often the aggressor, moving forward and initiating the action, while Condit supporters believed he employed an effective counterstriking style that allowed him to land more blows during the course of the five-round bout. Regardless of the outcome, it was a departure from his usual style. Known for his aggression and finishing instincts, Condit had stopped opponents in 26 of his 27 career wins prior to UFC 143.Afterward, Diaz said he would retire, voicing frustration with the judging system. Meanwhile, White said he would allow Condit to chart his own course and wait for GSP if that was his wish. But now it appears that instead of hanging up his gloves, Diaz will get the chance to avenge his loss, and instead of preparing for St-Pierre, Condit will spend the next few months getting ready to face Diaz one more time.

Posted in: diaz, nick diaz, rematch, condit, carlo

UFC 143: Dana White Confirms Carlos Condit Vs. Nick Diaz Rematch

In the wake of UFC 143, the primary focus of discussion throughout the MMA community has been the legitimacy of Carlos Condit's win over Nick Diaz. Throughout the fight, Condit frustrated Diaz as he constantly circled away and forced Nick to chase him. After the fifth round, the judges awarded Condit the unanimous decision. Aside from fight fans arguing the merits of Condit's technical performance, the story this week has been whether or not there will be a rematch between the two. After the fight, Dana White himself came out in support of a rematch, saying: You know, people are bitching and thinking it was close or whatever, we can do that fight again before GSP comes back. Nick Diaz's camp seems to be in support of this, as Diaz's manager Cesar Gracie himself came out blasting the NSAC judges for their scoring Saturday night. Gracie went as far as to say that the judges had and have had a bias against Diaz personally for his style and in-fight antics. He did not specifically call for the rematch, but playing up the drama to this extent definitely shows that Gracie doesn't want to let the issue pass. In pretty much direct response, Condit's manager, Malki Kawa released a statement today: "At this point, [a rematch] is not something we're looking to do," he said. "We're looking for Georges. People forget, Carlos waited a long time to get this fight. In a surprise turn of events, it seems Dana White found the right price tag to change the mind of Condit and his management team. Via his twitter, White responded to a fan asking if rumors of the rematch were true. Dana responded:

Posted in: fight, diaz, nick, rematch, condit

Carlos Condit Reportedly Agrees to Verbal Rematch with Nick Diaz

UFC interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit has reportedly agreed to a rematch with Nick Diaz following their close fight Saturday night. While it was initially believed that Condit would wait for UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre to get healthy, it appears that he will now rematch the recently “retired” Diaz. Rumors about the fight spread earlier this evening with UFC President Dana White later confirming via twitter. Diaz and Condit battled in an extremely close fight that split the MMA community when it came to who won the fight. While this is not too uncommon in a judgement based sport, this fight stood out since those that agreed on who won seem to give each fighter different rounds. When the bout is signed it will end the brief retirement of Nick Diaz after he expressed his anger about the decision following Saturday’s fight. The fight would also give Diaz a second shot at fighting champion Georges St-Pierre when he comes back from knee surgery. No timetable was given on when the fight would occur, though it could likely happen during the summer and could possibly headline a traditional Independence Day weekend card. Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy for more on this developing story and all things MMA.

Posted in: fight, diaz, nick diaz, mma community, condit

Carlos Condit Reportedly Agrees to Rematch with Nick Diaz

Posted in: fight, diaz, nick diaz, mma community, condit

UFC Pres Dana White Says Condit vs. Diaz 2 Set

Just when it appeared that Carlos Condit was willing to sit out for several months and wait for Georges St-Pierre to get healthy... well, that’s not going to happen.

Posted in: ufc, condit, carlos condit, georges stpierre, pre

We're pretty sure Dana White just announced the Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz rematch

Everyone out there, pat yourself on the back. With the endless comments across the internet and the innumerable message board threads that appeared just after UFC 143's Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz bout have finally paid off. Your influential voice has been heard by the top brass at ZUFFA, and now it looks like Carlos Condit has accepted a rematch against Nick Diaz at some point in 2012. No need to smash anymore flat-screen televisions in disgust -- Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit II is on the horizon. Here's what Dana White said on Twitter just minutes ago when an eager fan asked about a potential rematch. What Dana White is referring to at the end of his Tweet is essentially Carlos Condit is coming to Las Vegas to take part in an 'announcement.' There you have it folks, now get the popcorn ready -- and don't be scared to put butter all over it, homie. Props to LiverKick.com writer, Rian Scalia, for the find.

Posted in: diaz, nick, condit, carlos condit, carlo

UFC summons Carlos Condit to Las Vegas, announcement expected this Friday

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Interim Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit has had less than three days to enjoy his shiny new belt. No matter, he's apparently headed back to the scene of the crime, quite literally if you're a Nick Diaz fan, to talk business. Condit's manager, Malki Kawa, tonight (Feb. 7, 2012) took to Twitter, revealing that the presence of the "Natural Born Killer" was requested in Las Vegas, Nevada, and an "announcement" is expected by the end of this week. Here's the full snip: Well, the powers to be just called. @CarlosCondit and myself will be in vegas and hope to have an announcement on fri... :) Of course, one would immediately imagine that Condit could return to "Sin City" to negotiate a possible rematch against Diaz sometime this spring/summer. Condit earned a unanimous decision over the Stockton, Calif., scrapper in the UFC 143 main event this past weekend (Feb. 4, 2012) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. But, the lopsided decision, for most mixed martial arts (MMA) fans, went over like a led balloon. Many felt that Diaz, who chased Condit for nearly 25 minutes of their five-round fight, as well as nearly finished him in the waning seconds of it, deserved the nod. At the very least, a split decision. However, Condit's accurate counter-striking, backpedaling attack was enough to win the bout in the eyes of the ringside judges, as well as earn him a date with the true division champion, Georges St. Pierre, later this year. Prior to the bout, St. Pierre -- who can't compete until much later this year because of a knee injury -- made it clear that he wanted to fight Diaz, a bout that was originally scheduled to go down at UFC 137 back in Oct. 2011. But, it never happened for a ridiculous amount of reasons. And with Condit's win, combined with Diaz's hasty/bratty post-fight decision to retire from MMA altogether, it may never happen. Then again, if Condit is in town to negotiate a Diaz rematch, one that his trainer, Greg Jackson, and even UFC President Dana White, felt wasn't warranted because the judges got it right on fight night, then that possibility still lives. Maybe. Time will tell. This Friday, actually.

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, decision, condit

Dana White confirms Condit vs. Diaz II

submitted by fsckerdot1q [link] [7 comments]

Posted in: diaz, vs, condit, ii, fsckerdot

Cesar Gracie Thinks Nick Diaz Will Take A Long Break Before Returning To The UFC

“I think Nick will miss fighting when he’s not doing it for long enough, so I do see him coming back at some point. Not now, but maybe end of the year, 2013, something like that… He’s had breaks before. I think it was good for him. He focused on his triathlons. I think he does get antsy after a while. After about six months, the guy wants to fight. I think he’s been fighting too many times, and I don’t think he’s got that in him right now. So I think an extended layoff would be a great idea for him… What people forget is Nick is only 28 years old. He’s a young guy at the peak of his career. He’s a polarizing figure. But whether you love the guy or hate him, you want to see the guy fight. That’s the biggest thing. He’s definitely not boring. He puts people in the seats, and that’s the bottom line… So a guy like that, he’s going to be around, and I think the GSP fight will eventually happen someday.” — Cesar Gracie, via MMA Junkie, commenting on Nick Diaz’s retirement comments at UFC 143 I’m sure we’ll see Nick Diaz back one way or the other, but I think it would be a mistake to take too long of a layoff. The momentum and buzz behind Diaz was at an all-time high coming into the Condit fight. He lost, sure, but Condit didn’t exactly beat him up and smash his aura like Antonio Silva did to Fedor Emelianenko. In fact, exactly one half of the people who voted in the “Who won?” poll on UFC.com believe Nick won that fight. In other words, the Condit fight may have slowed down the Diaz bandwagon but it didn’t run it off the road. In a perfect world, I’d say Nick should fight again sometime this summer whether it be against Condit, Koscheck or someone else to keep that momentum going, but if his heart isn’t in it right now, then maybe it’s best he just lay low for awhile. Image via Esther Lin for MMA Fighting

Posted in: fight, diaz, guy, nick, condit

Carlos Condit okay with fighting Nick Diaz again…just not until 2013

It looks like Carlos Condit will indeed twiddle his thumbs for nine months while waiting for welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre to fully recover from knee surgery instead of taking to the Octagon again, risking the interim belt and title-shot he earned by beating Nick Diaz by way of a controversial decision this past weekend at UFC 143. Condit’s camp had originally come out to say he would be open to another match-up as opposed to remaining inactive, and UFC President Dana White had mentioned an immediate rematch with Diaz to settle any debate over who the more deserving fighter was, but it appears neither scenario will play out in the end. “Listen, Nick Diaz is up in arms, Cesar Gracie is up in arms, and I understand that, you want to win, it’s a championship fight. That’s what you’re in this business for and I can appreciate all the passion and support for those guys,” said Condit’s manager Malki Kawa to MMAWeekly when asked about his client fighting Diaz again before GSP. “Believe it or not, I’m a fan of Nick Diaz. I like the Diaz brothers; I like the way they fight. I think they’re true fighters and good for the sport, but when you look at it, Carlos Condit won that fight. Two judges scored it four rounds to one, one judge scored it three to two; It wasn’t a split decision; it was a unanimous decision across the board.” “That rematch can happen later on in the future,” Kawa continued. “No one’s afraid of Nick, but we have to do what’s best for (Carlos’) career and in my opinion and the people around me and the advice that we’ve been taking, the best fight and the only fight is Georges St. Pierre.” Gracie: “It takes two to make a dogfight.” Condit and St. Pierre are expected to fight in November. Diaz’s future remains uncertain after hastily retiring from MMA based on his disgust with the judges’ decision. Many people felt Diaz deserved the decision based on aggression and ring control while others, including those keeping an official score of the fight, gave the nod to Condit based on his ability to “stick and move”. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

Posted in: fight, diaz, nick, condit, carlos condit

Royce Gracie: 'Every fighter should be a true mixed martial artist like Nick Diaz'

By now, everyone and their mother has an opinion about the much talked about decision at UFC 143, which saw Carlos Condit awarded a unanimous decision victory over Nick Diaz after their five round fight in Las Vegas, Nevada, this past weekend (Feb. 4, 2012). The decision left many fans outraged and screaming bloody murder at the judges' call to award Condit the UFC Interim Welterweight Championship and the opportunity to face Georges St. Pierre somewhere down the road. In what should have been one of, if not the best moments of Carlos Condit's career, his performance was quickly met with criticism by fans, fighters and media alike due to his evasive stick-and-move strategy, which was good enough to earn sway the scorecards. Unfortunately for "The Natural Born Killer," the backlash against him still continues, with UFC Hall-of-Famer and all around mixed martial arts (MMA) legend Royce Gracie being no exception. The Octagon's founding father is a family member of Cesar Gracie, Nick Diaz's head trainer, and is another spectator who has voiced his opinions on the UFC 143 main event as well as praising the style of Diaz at the expense of Condit. Check out the comments he sent out via his official Twitter account, after the jump. @nickdiaz209 won that fight in my.opinion. he is what every fighter should be a true martial artists who comes to fight. Well prepared and with a gameplan. Not one that envloves running from a fight. Why come to fight if you gonna run. Hackney was running when we fought and I had to take the fight to him, Shamrock showed up not to lose in our rematch its a shame really. I for one am proud of Nick and happy he is part of Grace Jiu-jitsu family." As an MMA fighter, you would be hard pressed to find any greater opinion, compliment and approval of your fighting style than that of MMA legend and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Hall-of-Famer, Royce Gracie. Gracie, who competed in the very first UFC event ever, UFC 1, back on November 12, 1993, began his legendary MMA career with 11 straight wins, including winning the first two UFC tournaments along with winning the UFC 4 tournament by defeating much bigger and stronger opponents using the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) style that had not yet been seen stateside. However, the fact still remains, Carlos Condit is the promotion's Interim Welterweight Champion, and no one, not even the opinions of MMA legends, can take that away from him. Any of you Maniacs think the backlash against Condit, which is apparently picking up steam instead of slowing down, is unwarranted? Perhaps a convincing win over Georges St. Pierre will erase any and all doubt and put to rest the memories of the controversy surrounding UFC 143.

Posted in: ufc, fight, mma, condit, gracie

Why Carlos Condit will be the most dangerous man Georges St. Pierre has ever fought

FanPost edited and promoted by MMAmania.com. With UFC 143 in the books, many fight fans are bemoaning the loss of the much-anticipated match-up between UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre and former Strikeforce Champion Nick Diaz, but is it because they've been blinded by the emotional build-up and the Diaz mystique? An unbiased comparison of the resumes between the Stockton slugger and new Interim 170-pound champion, Carlos Condit, clearly shows what St. Pierre himself said in the now-infamous Diaz no-show press conference: "The Natural Born Killer" is a tougher challenge for him. And a more deserving contender. Condit may not have the polarizing charisma to sell as many tickets as Diaz, but realistically, he poses a much more serious threat to the throne. This is also a better fight. As a die-hard St. Pierre fan, this fight makes me nervous, whereas the Diaz fight looked like a cakewalk, comparatively. Lets look at some key facts the Diaz bandwagon seems to overlook: Condit has as many finishes as Diaz has total wins. With 13 KOs and 13 submissions, Condit is the most well-rounded guy GSP has fought since Penn, maybe ever, and he's much bigger and more powerful than Penn was. There's nowhere GSP can take this fight and feel safe.Condit's only loss in the last six years was a split decision to Kampman in his UFC debut. Condit finished his last five UFC opponents, all but Hardy are current UFC contenders, not Strikeforce wannabes. Diaz has only one meaningful win over UFC-level talent. And we all know how inconsistent Penn is, especially at anything over 155-pounds. Before that, Diaz's biggest win was over Robbie Lawler EIGHT YEARS AGO! Diaz has NEVER beaten a serious wrestler or takedown artist. In his previous UFC stint, he lost to Karo Parisyan, Sean Sherk, and Diego Sanchez. He hasn't faced a serious wrestler since. Condit finished Dong Hyun Kim and Rory MacDonald, both undefeated before and since they lost to Carlos. He also finished Jake Ellenberger who hasn't lost in four years -- except to Condit. That's three contenders who haven't lost a fight in the UFC to anyone but "The Natural Born Killer."I honestly think Carlos Condit could well be THE MOST DANGEROUS FIGHTER GSP HAS EVER FOUGHT! Add to that the fact that GSP will not have his master game-planner Greg Jackson in his corner and that many of his coaches are currently coaching Carlos, and the fact that GSP will be coming off a VERY long layoff and major surgery that could seriously hinder his explosiveness and power, and I see this as very possibly the toughest test of St. Pierre's career. Agree or disagree? Sound off in our poll. Poll Who is the biggest threat to the title reign of Georges St. Pierre? Jake Ellenberger (5-0 since Condit) Rory MacDonald (12-0 except for Condit) Dong Hyun Kim (15-0 except for Condit) Nick Diaz (1-1 in the UFC) Carlos Condit (who recently beat all of the above) 50 votes | Results

Posted in: ufc, diaz, pierre, condit, carlo

Fight Watching 101: How (And How Many Times) Do You Watch A Fight Before Confidently Scoring It?

The aftermath of the Nick Diaz vs Carlos Condit fight at UFC 143 has seen some incredibly good fan posts around the SBnation community: My early favorite was this post by Bloody Elbow community member "crazybones", in which he bemoans the separation of violence and sport that has gradually been taking place in MMA. Dallas Winston asked people to share their scores, which provided a great sampling of opinions and insights for seeing it one way or the other. I'm sure you've all read it by now, but another BE member, KGNLuc, took the time to transcribe what was said in Nick's corner during the fight. Above all else, It's a fascinating look into the relationship between Nathan and Nick. If you haven't or don't read it you will definitely be missing some key information when trying to evaluate the fight. Finally, Monte Fisto opens up his fight watching toolbox and shares a concept that everyone who cares about MMA should know: "The Rule of Trembling Shock". Just go read it. Throughout those (and other) threads, it emerged that a large portion of those who saw it for Diaz felt he clearly won and a large portion of those who saw if for Condit felt he clearly won. How so many people can look at a singular event and have wildly differing accounts is generally known as "The Rashomon effect", named after Japanese film maker Akira Kurosawa's film "Roshomon", which depicted a crime seen in mutually contradictory ways through the eyes of four people. In applying the concept to MMA, passion clearly plays a large role; Diaz fans will tend to see the fight for Diaz, while Condit fans will tend to see the fight for Condit. Another contributing factor is the tendency for opposing factions to attempt to discredit each other while at the same time trying to get their point across. A great example of this in everyday life is the political debate over the de-criminalization of marijuana. Those in favor of de-criminalization would have you believe that it is a miracle plant with countless benefits and no negative side effects. Those who are against de-criminalization, on the other hand, claim that, among other bad things, it turns all who use it into worthless, unmotivated slobs and often leads to more serious drug use. Of course there are grains of truth on both sides but neither will ever admit it, in fear that their position will then be dismissed entirely. Back to fighting though. By now, having heard the countless arguments from both sides, I think most reasonable members of the MMA community would agree that the Diaz/Condit fight was an incredibly close affair. Judging that fight live must have been an exceedingly difficult task and I wonder how many times the judges went back and forth in their heads before settling on Condit. Fortunately for us, we do not have to render our verdict in the two minutes immediately following the fight. We have the benefit of being able to watch the fight multiple times, of looking at the CompuStrike and FightMetric stats, of listening to the opinions of many many educated observers, before we come to a conclusion, if we even do. (I'm okay with saying, "That particular fight was so close, I'm not exactly sure who I think won". I've said it before and will probably say it again.) With the number of close fights happening in the past few years, I've spent a lot of time thinking about how I watch and evaluate fighting and this fight has convinced me that it was time for me to ask how the members of this esteemed community watch and evaluate. After the jump I'll share my fight watching evolution from noob to whatever I am now (potentially still a noob) and hopefully a handful of people will do the same. When I started watching the sport, I was generally not really sure what I was looking at. I would alternate between watching one fighter or the other every few seconds, mostly their faces and it was impossible for me to tell what happened during standing exchanges unless a fighter was noticably effected by a strike. Even then all I could really tell was that one guy hit the other with either a punch or a kick. When the fight hit the ground I was even less sure what was happening. During this phase of watching fights I relied on the play by play and color to fill me in on what was happening and I took their opinions as the gospel truth. Since I, like most sports fans, had already been exposed to stand-up striking through boxing and of course, Bloodsport, I was most concerned with learning about the ground game. Luckily for me I started watching a little bit after a couple of my close friends did, so they knew the basics. I can still remember asking "did he just pass to half guard?". After I had the positional aspect of the ground game down, I learned what a few of the submissions looked like and I would just keep track of the positions and submission attempts. At that point I wasn't big on giving the guy on top the advantage. My next stage of evolution was in how I watched the stand-up. I'm not sure if someone tipped me off to this method, or if I just came up with it on my own, but I stopped watching the fighters faces and bodies and started focusing on the space in between them. I found watching like this made it far easier to identify what strikes were being thrown by who and while I still had a bit of a tough time keeping track of prolonged exchanges, I felt I had a much better idea of who was winning. I continued watching fights this way until I started grappling, about two years ago. This greatly changed the way I viewed the ground game. I started to appreciate how difficult it could be to keep top control. I began to be able to tell when a fighter was looking to advance position and do damage or just preventing their opponent from doing so. I went from seeing the battle for grappling position that often takes place up against the cage as boring to a critical aspect of the match. Around this time I also began to make it a priority to keep the unified scoring criteria in mind at all times. The most recent steps I have taken in my fight watching evolution are watching without sound and watching multiple times. I don't do this for every fight, certainly not fights that end by stoppage, but I have taken to watching close fights a total of four times before I come to a decision. The first time I watch it live, with friends, fully in the moment, absorbing as much as I possibly can and coming up with a decision at the end of the fight, before the judges scores are read.The second time through I watch only one of the fighters, from start to finish. I watch their eyes, their arms and legs, their body language. Then I do the same for the other fighter. I find that this allows me to see things I might have missed and also to identify which fighter is dictacting the fight and which is reacting. Sometimes exchanges happen so fast that it's hard to tell who got the better of them and this method helps me narrow it down. I might make some notes on what I feel were key moments for each guy. Finally, I watch the fight again, alone, with no sound. By this time I have a pretty clear idea of how I think the fight went in my head but I just want to make sure that I haven't been swayed by something the broadcast team said or the way the crowd reacted during the fight. And that about does it. How many of you think this is going way overboard? Anyone have a similar routine? I learned today that Monte Fisto looks for "trembling shock" when watching stand up action. What do you look for in a fight? I'm not sure anyone will want to admit it on the internet, but even after watching like I do, I'm occasionally still unsure of my determination of who won. How confident are you in yours? (Note: I haven't finished my viewings of the Nick Diaz/Carlos Condit fight, but I'm working through it. Just in case anyone wanted to come along and accuse me of making all this up in an effort to justify my giving the fight to one guy or the other) Poll How many times do you watch a close (or not) fight in the aftermath of it? Just once. Twice. Three or more times, all in the same night as the fight Three or more times, leaving at least 24 hours between the first and subsequent viewings 0 votes | Results

Posted in: fight, time, fighter, condit, im

Condit’s Manager: Rematch With Diaz Can Happen But GSP Is First

Carlos Condit's manager Malki Kawa says they aren't afraid of rematching Nick Diaz, but right now the fight that makes the most sense is facing Georges St-Pierre.

Posted in: diaz, gsp, condit, manager, kawa

According to UFC, this is what the world thinks of the Diaz vs. Condit decision...

This geographical breakdown of the planet's opinion of UFC 143's Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz decision just proves that Peruvians are too irresponsible to make their own decisions. It also illustrates what I've suspected for quite some time now: Egyptians are diehard Carlos Condit fans and they will stop at nothing to show their loyalty to the UFC interim welterweight champion. If you visit UFC.com and venture to the 'Who do you think won the Diaz vs Condit fight' poll, you'll have the ability to participate in planetary-wide social experiment to see who truly won at UFC 143. The following screen shot was captured at 1:00 pm PST on February 7th (today). For UFC to place this on the front page of their site, you would be naive to not believe a Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit rematch will go down at some point in 2012. We all know it's going to happen, folks.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, condit, carlo

Cesar Gracie: “One guy running away is not a dogfight.”

Last weekend’s main event offering from Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz at UFC 143 was far from what many fans expected to see based on the typically tough-nosed style of each as well as the pre-fight comments from both camps. It was also unlike the bout Cesar Gracie anticipated unfolding, at least to a certain extent. Gracie, Diaz’s head trainer and manager, recently called Condit’s counter-pointing strategy into question after “The Natural Born Killer” avoiding engaging in the “dogfight” he’d implied he was up for during the weeks leading up to Saturday night’s scrap. “Carlos was running at one point, and Nick slapped him in the face said, ‘Quit running.’ We were there for a dogfight. Carlos said he’d provide for the fans a dogfight, a great fight where they were going to go at it. That was not a dogfight. It takes two to make a dogfight. One guy running away is not a dogfight,” said Gracie on Monday in an interview with The MMA Show. However, Gracie doesn’t fully fault Condit for taking the smarter, less aesthetically pleasing route instead of catering to the expectations of others, and actually blames the coaching staff at Greg Jackson’s gym for the gameplan. “It’s one thing to avoid standing in the pocket, it’s one thing to know how to dodge punches and kicks, and be somewhat elusive and have great defense. It’s another thing to turn your back and run from a fighter. That’s completely different,” said Gracie of Jackson’s approach to fighting. “You shouldn’t be telling your fighter to fight like that. I think it’s a disgrace and a shame. I’ve said this before: I don’t like that camp. I’m not going to take that back.” The future of both Diaz and Condit appear a bit hazy at the moment, as Diaz said he was retiring after the loss and Condit is likely waiting 9-10 months for Georges St. Pierre to heal up from a knee injury rather than take another fight as his management implied he would prior to his closely-contested win over Diaz. PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE/UFC

Posted in: diaz, condit, gracie, dogfight, dogfight ”

The Forward Roll: UFC 143 Edition

UFC 143 was supposed to clear up a few things in the welterweight division. Define a No. 1 contender. Move another name forward. Chart the course towards Georges St-Pierre. Instead, we're left with chaos after a unanimous but controversial decision win by Condit which left many clamoring for a rematch, Diaz saying he was ready to hang up his gloves, and the UFC unsure of what will come next. Nowhere near as bad but also troubling: Josh Koscheck barely squeaked by Mike Pierce in a decision that also had many observers voicing objection. So there's plenty to think about, and plenty to project in this edition of The Forward Roll. Carlos ConditIt was bad enough that both Diaz and Georges St-Pierre significantly overshadowed Condit on the way to UFC 143, but even after Condit won and snapped Diaz's lengthy 11-fight win streak, he was almost immediately cast aside for criticisms of his performance, claims of a judging robbery, and Diaz's retirement talk. Let's get one thing straight: Condit didn't run from Diaz; he moved to the center of the cage and re-set. He engaged Diaz many times, as Diaz didn't get the marks on his face by accident. It may not have been a typical Condit performance, but neither is it worthy of the scorn he's received from many. This is a fighter who has only two decision wins in 28 career victories. You may find fault with the judges' decision, but Condit came in with a plan and executed it, choosing to live with the results. Now the question is whether or not he'll defend the interim belt or wait for St-Pierre.Prediction: Condit faces St-Pierre in the late fall.Nick DiazDiaz said he'd walk away from the sport after feeling robbed by the judges yet again. It had to be frustration talking, but who knows how long the sentiment will continue. Diaz is still just 28 years old, near his athletic and earnings prime, and unlikely to drop very far in the rankings as the result of a contested loss. After fighting seven times in the last 24 months -- including five scheduled five-round bouts -- perhaps he simply hit a breaking point. Either way, he's due some time off. Diaz should take a couple of months to indulge his non-MMA interests, from triathlons to sport jiu-jitsu, and make his decision with a clear head. But the smart money expects to see him back at some point this year.Prediction: Jon Fitch and Diaz were both top five ranked for the last couple of years. Both are coming off losses. That sounds good.Fabricio WerdumWerdum's striking game looked excellent in his three-round destruction of Roy Nelson, with major advancements to his Muay Thai clinch and kicking. Add those new tools to his brilliant jiu-jitsu and the 34-year-old has to be considered near the top of the division. Prediction: He faces Frank MirRoy NelsonNelson continues to reshape his body, weighing just 246 for the fight against Werdum. Now it will be interesting to see if he drops more weight, in which case he can probably drop to 205, or stays in the same ballpark. Regardless, losses to Werdum, Mir and Junior dos Santos put into question his ability to rise to the upper echelon of the division. Prediction: He faces the Mark Hunt-Cheick Kongo loser Josh KoscheckIt's hard to raise Koscheck's stock after escaping with a razor close win, even if Pierce is a solid opponent. But afterward, Koscheck explained that he had issues with his training camp, and is leaving his longtime home at American Kickboxing Academy. That would certainly affect his preparation, so we'll have to give him a pass on a mediocre performance. Prediction: He faces the Jake Ellenberger vs. Diego Sanchez winnerMike PiercePrior to the bout, I thought Pierce had a legitimate chance to beat Koscheck, and I feel that Pierce won the bout. According to FightMetric, he landed more strikes in both the first and second rounds. But it was not to be, as Koscheck's takedowns and takedown defense might have swayed the judges. The loss shouldn't affect Pierce's standing much in the organization, as even company president Dana White said he scored the fight for Pierce. Prediction: He faces Brian EbersoleRenan BaraoAnother impressive win from Barao, who swept the judges' scorecards against top 10 featherweight Scott Jorgensen. The victory puts Barao in good position, as the only top featherweight who has yet to face current champ Dominick Cruz. Cruz, however, is locked in to fight Urijah Faber around summertime, so Barao will have to fight and win at least once more before challenging for the belt. Prediction: He faces the winner of Michael McDonald vs. Miguel TorresDustin PoirierThe 23-year-old easily handled a low-reward matchup with the debuting Max Holloway, winning by first-round submission. Poirier remains one of the featherweight division's best young talents, and prior to the Holloway bout, had been scheduled to face Erik Koch. That's still a fight worth making.Prediction: He faces Koch

Posted in: fight, diaz, decision, prediction, condit

UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit's Camp Wants GSP, Not Diaz Rematch

After beating Nick Diaz by mildly controversial unanimous decision at UFC 143, Carlos Condit was put into a difficult spot. UFC president Dana White suggested that a rematch between the two might be the way to go, an idea our own Kid Nate supported. Condit already lost his scheduled title shot against Georges St. Pierre after the UFC took it away and gave it to Diaz following his win over B.J. Penn. When GSP got hurt, it gave Condit a chance to face Diaz and the win gave him a version of a championship and guaranteed a shot at Georges St. Pierre and the legitimate welterweight title. So for his camp, the idea of fighting Diaz again is not that appealing right now. Or at least that's what Condit's manager, Malki Kawa, told MMA Fighting: "At this point, [a rematch] is not something we're looking to do," he said. "We're looking for Georges. People forget, Carlos waited a long time to get this fight. He was moved around, and shuffled around between fights. He won the fight. It doesn't interest us at all. I think clearly and decisively, he won the fight. Even [UFC president] Dana [White] scored it for him. All of the opinions that matter scored Carlos as winner." They have told other sites that they're willing to wait until roughly November to fight GSP, any longer than that and Condit will need another fight to keep busy. At that point a rematch could be talked about. Thoughts on this after the jump... SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit As for me? I completely understand not wanting a rematch here. Diaz is a tough fight for anyone and Condit did his job and won the bout. He has already been pushed aside because of Diaz once, why should he not get his shot at GSP (assuming he is ready in time) again? And what if Diaz pulls off the win the second time out? Does he get a shot at GSP right away? If so, why? It would seem the only fair thing to do in a 1-1 split would be to have the rubber match. Of course, that wouldn't happen because the UFC wants a fight between GSP and Diaz, it's something they felt they could market easily and is a bigger fight than Condit/GSP. So Kawa is completely in the right to say that they don't want to rematch Diaz. There is almost nothing to gain and everything to lose in a rematch. Condit beat Diaz the first time around by sticking to a disciplined strategy, he isn't likely to suddenly engage in a firefight the second time around, so if he wins the same fight it's not going to do wonders for his reputation with people who hated the first fight. And if Diaz can make the correct adjustments to cut the cage off rather than chase, Condit loses and almost certainly doesn't get a rubber match as Diaz gets the title shot. I can see no reason not to hold out for his shot at St. Pierre.

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, rematch, condit

Champ Carlos Condit on UFC 143 win: In battles, 'you want to pick the battleground'

submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [15 comments]

Posted in: ufc, champ, condit, mattyblayze, battle

Forget About Diaz, GSP Now Has to Focus on Carlos Condit

UFC President Dana White knows that Georges St-PIerre wanted to fight Nick Diaz, but that's not happening now, so his advice is to get focused on Carlos Condit cause that's who he's facing when he returns.

Posted in: diaz, condit, carlo, georges stpierre, diaz gsp

UFC 143 Fighter of the Night: Carlos Condit Edges Fabricio Werdum

Put your scorecard away. Carlos Condit stuck to a game plan at UFC 143 and it worked out for him.

Posted in: ufc, condit, carlos condit, carlo, game plan

Carlos Condit’s camp not interested in rematch with Nick Diaz, ready to wait for GSP

In a change of direction, new interim champion Carlos Condit appears ready to wait for Georges St. Pierre to return from injury before fighting again inside the Octagon. Condit defeated Nick Diaz this past Saturday at UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit, securing himself a piece of UFC gold for the first time in his career. Last week it was reported by Condit’s management team that if he was to beat Diaz for the interim title he would likely stay active, defending the belt once before potentially facing GSP. However, Condit’s manager, Malki Kawa, changed his tune on those claims earlier today. “At this point, (a rematch) is not something we’re looking to do,” said Kawa, in an interview with MMAFighting. “We’re looking for Georges. People forget, Carlos waited a long time to this get fight. I think clearly and decisively, he won the fight. All of the opinions that matter scored Carlos as winner.” Diaz’s trainer/manager, Cesar Gracie, was a guest today on the MMA Hour, said in response to Kawa’s statements, “Of course they’re not interested in a rematch. They lost the first one.” There was talk of an immediate rematch between Condit and Diaz taking place based on the bout being scored very closely, though that could have been difficult to work out as Diaz announced his retirement from MMA immediately after the fight. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: diaz, nick diaz, rematch, condit, carlo

Diego Sanchez: 'Carlos Condit and I are fine with fighting each other'

Never mix business with friendship. In the world of mixed martial arts (MMA), that can be related to the fact that fighting, like any other sport, is a business, but friendships are often forged among fighters and training partners throughout their careers. However, what happens, when that same person you have shared your blood, sweat and tears with, reaches the next level, is now the king of the hill? What then? Do you dare compete against the very person who trained countless hours side by side with you to help reach the pinnacle of the sport? Is it worth it to risk your friendship to obtain the very thing he has and you want, which is a world title? Many fighters and MMA camps of today have emphatically stated that they will never, ever, fight against one of their training partners, even if it comes at the expense of never capturing Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) gold. You need not look further than the whole Jon Jones and Rashad Evans friendship gone bad to see just how quickly a good relationship can turn sour when there is championship glory at stake. Yet, not all fighters seem to share the same sentiments that one should not fight their friends and training partners. Diego Sanchez and Carlos Condit, both members of the famed Jackson-WinkleJohn Mixed Martial Arts gym in Albuquerque, N.M., are two of them. Appearing on The MMA Hour today, Sanchez revealed that should the opportunity arise for he and "The Natural Born Killer" to scrap for Condit's UFC interim welterweight title, they would have no issues doing so: "We've all talked about this, the coaches, me and Carlos, we are absolutely fine fighting each other. It is something that has always been talked bout. We are willing to cross that bridge if that bridge presents itself. We both want UFC gold, that's what we want for our family and have always wanted even as little kids, we have always wanted this. We are willing to do that. This all started with Rashad and Jon Jones. If we have to fight each other we will fight each other. Me and Carlos would be a war, we both know our strengths and weaknesses and it would be a great fight. If it happens it happens." Straying away from the popular believes of such camps as American Kickboxing Academy (AKA), in which top-flight welterweights Josh Koscheck, Jon Fitch and Mike Swick have always stated that not even the chance to win UFC gold would make them fight each other, Jackson's camp seems to take the "fighting is a business" approach. Condit became the interim UFC welterweight champion by defeating Nick Diaz this past weekend (Feb. 4, 2012) at UFC 143 via unanimous decision and is expected to take on Georges St. Pierre upon his return from surgery rehab. Sanchez, on the other hand, is penciled in to take on Jake Ellenberger on UFC on Fuel TV on Feb. 15, 2012, in Omaha, Neb., and a win could possibly get him closer to a meeting with Condit should GSP's return be prolonged. What's your take maniacs, do you find it refreshing to see training partners willing to put friendship aside for 25 minutes inside the Octagon? Or do you feel that nothing is worth risking true friendship ties? Opinions, please.

Posted in: ufc, jon jones, training partners, condit, friendship

Camp Condit Wants Georges St. Pierre, Not A Rematch With Nick Diaz

Carlos Condit’s decision victory over Nick Diaz at UFC 143 has been so controversial, it wouldn’t be that far-fetched of an idea to do an immediate rematch while Georges St. Pierre continues to rehab his knee. Dana White was open to the idea after the fight. Cesar Gracie said they would “probably” be interested in doing that today. But, Carlos Condit and his management, not so much. Condit told Ariel Helwani right after the fight that he would rather just wait for GSP and his manager, Malki Kawa, more or less echoed that sentiment today on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, basically stating that they’re moving past Nick Diaz. “At this point, [a rematch] is not something we’re looking to do,” he said. “We’re looking for Georges. People forget, Carlos waited a long time to get this fight. He was moved around, and shuffled around between fights. He won the fight. It doesn’t interest us at all. I think clearly and decisively, he won the fight. Even [UFC president] Dana [White] scored it for him. All of the opinions that matter scored Carlos as winner.” “It was a performance that was excellent,” Kawa said. “He picked apart a very formidable fighter. Two judges saw it four rounds to one, and one saw it three to two. The fact that he didn’t stand and bang with him? I’m sorry, not every fighter has to do that. He did what he had to do, and that goes to show me that this guy is mature, he’s fighting fights that are smart. People are like, ‘Oh, Carlos is not a finisher.’ The guy threw how many spinning elbows? How many spinning back fists? He threw a flying knee. He tried to finish Nick Diaz when the time and the opening was there. I can’t find a flaw in his performance.” “Carlos is a fighter,” Kawa said. “At the end of the day, this is not a guy who wants to sit around and wait. He wants to fight. You never know. Right now, the idea is that we want Georges St-Pierre. The goal is to fight Georges St-Pierre. He wants to be the best in the world, so that’s the fight that interests us at this moment.” You can’t really blame them. Condit doesn’t have much to gain and lot to lose by getting back in the cage with Nick Diaz before taking his shot at Georges St. Pierre. To be honest, other than really wanting to see GSP vs. Diaz and a rematch being the only possible avenue to that at this point, I really don’t want to sit and watch Condit “stick-and-move” (Greg Jackson’s words) for another 25 minutes while Nick chases him around the cage. And I sure as heck don’t want to pay for it. Condit played it smart and got the win. Good for him, but I’d rather spend my $50 on guys who are gonna get after it no matter what’s on the line. Image via Twitter.com/danawhite

Posted in: fight, diaz, condit, george, carlo

UFC 143: Can Carlos Condit Defeat GSP Without Greg Jackson?

At UFC 143, Carlos Condit became the UFC Interim Welterweight champion by defeating the toughest opponent of his career. Nick Diaz was on a powerful winning streak and seemed destined for a fight with Georges St. Pierre, but Condit got in the way. The result of that fight is not without controversy. Many think Diaz should have won, and many think Condit only got the win by running away in a boring performance. Yet the results speak for themselves – in the end, it was Carlos Condit who had his hand raised, Carlos Condit who became the new champion, Carlos Condit who now moves on to face GSP. But when he does face St. Pierre, he’ll be doing so without one of the best tools in his arsenal. Greg Jackson, the long-time coach to Condit and occasional trainer for St. Pierre, is in all likelihood going to sit this fight out, choosing to corner neither man. In the lead-up to UFC 137, during the period when it looked like GSP vs. Condit would headline that show, Jackson addressed this issue with MMA Fighting: Ariel Helwani: Greg, two of your star fighters are going to fight each other in October. What will do you? Greg Jackson: Teammate protocols are pretty clear in this situation so everybody knows what happening. I step out, the other coaches -- John [Danaher], Phil [Nurse] and Firas [Zahabi] -- will take care of GSP and probably [Mike] Winkeljohn and some of the other guys here will take care of Carlos. But I step out of it, so I won't be cornering either guy. They'll fight each other. Those are the new teammate protocols. We knew this would be coming -- it will probably be coming again --but this time we are very well prepared. Carlos trains in Albuquerque full-time, while GSP's home base is in Montreal, so how will you not offer advice when you see him in the gym? Carlos is still training with a team. I am just not going to do game plans and private lessons and everything that I normally do for the guys because usually it's a pretty intense process -- I give them private lessons all the time -- heavy on the game planning, heavy on the personal growth plan, and for this, I'll just let the other coaches do that for both Georges and Carlos. So I'll just step out. They're all amazing coaches. Geez, I'm the worst coach on the team. They'll all do their thing. Though he has not yet spoken about this in the aftermath of UFC 143, it seems likely that Jackson’s stance will be the same, and that Condit will find himself without his head trainer’s services during the fight. And that is a serious blow to the new champion. In his defeat of Diaz, Condit’s greatest strength was his game planning, led by Jackson. Jackson and Condit figured out how to deal with Diaz’s unorthodox striking and successfully nullified the high-volume puncher over the course of 25 minutes. It was clear they studied tapes and formulated a plan that would lead to victory. Without that gameplan, expect a very different result from Condit vs. Diaz. Against GSP, Condit will need an even greater emphasis on strategy. St. Pierre is one of the most cerebral fighters in the game, a champion who always forces his opponents into their areas of weakness, while never showing any weaknesses himself. Unlike some champions, and some great fighters, GSP doesn’t have an obvious hole in his game. That’s not to see he is unbeatable – no one is – but finding the path to victory against him will be difficult. Greg Jackson is the kind of master strategist and coach who perhaps can find that path – but he won’t. This past weekend, Carlos Condit took the biggest step up in competition of his career, and he succeeded largely on the strength of his strategic approach. Against GSP, he’ll take an even greater step up, and his key partner in that strategic planning will be taken away from him. I said after the Diaz win that I was finished underrating Condit, and I am not going to go back on that now. But the loss of Jackson will make an already difficult mountain to climb just that much harder. This will be the true test of what Carlos Condit is made of. Can he pass? For more on this issue, check out "Carlos Condit and Greg Jackson Solved Nick Diaz" by Kid Nate. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit

Posted in: diaz, jackson, gsp, condit, carlo

Rematch?

One of the big hopeful headlines coming out of UFC 143 was Dana White saying there could possibly be an immediate Diaz / Condit rematch before GSP comes back: "Carlos Condit won this fight. No matter how much Georges and Nick hate each other, Carlos Condit won, and I think the fans are mad at the way Carlos Condit fought. Too f------ bad. He came in with a game plan and stuck to it and won.""It's crazy, but, I was thinking it after the fight. You know, people are bitching and thinking it was close or whatever, we can do that fight again before GSP comes back. It depends on Carlos too, he's really gotta say, and Nick's gotta say I want to fight him again too." Well, Carlos Condit was sitting right next to Dana White during the press conference and he seemed non-plussed at the idea of basically giving Nick Diaz another chance at not screwing up the big money fight everyone wants to see. It's not like Carlos can just pull the same gameplan out and use it again. A large amount of it's success relied on Nick Diaz being dumb, and as a fellow idiot once said, "Fool me one, shame on you. Fool me, I ain't gonna get fooled again!"Piling on the obvious 'No' answer is Condit's management, who said this today: "At this point, [a rematch] is not something we’re looking to do," he said. "We're looking for Georges. People forget, Carlos waited a long time to get this fight. He was moved around, and shuffled around between fights. He won the fight. It doesn't interest us at all. I think clearly and decisively, he won the fight. Even [UFC president] Dana [White] scored it for him. All of the opinions that matter scored Carlos as winner."In addition to pointing out the unanimous judges' decision as well as White's opinion, Kawa noted that fight statistics showed Condit out-landing Diaz. FightMetric stats had Condit landing 159 total strikes, and Diaz landing 117."It was a performance that was excellent," Kawa said. "He picked apart a very formidable fighter. Two judges saw it four rounds to one, and one saw it three to two. The fact that he didn't stand and bang with him? I'm sorry, not every fighter has to do that. He did what he had to do, and that goes to show me that this guy is mature, he's fighting fights that are smart." Condit had a lot of success taking a page out of the playbooks of Dominick Cruz and Lyoto Machida (circa 2007 before his daddy demanded more aggression). Unfortunately for him, most fans think those playbooks suck. He made his bed, now he has to lie in it. His bed full of money and title shots. Poor Carlos!

Posted in: fight, diaz, condit, carlos condit, carlo

UFC 143 Salaries: Nick Diaz Makes $200K in Loss to Carlos Condit

Nick Diaz took home a paycheck for $200,000 for his five-round loss to Carlos Condit in the main event of UFC 143 on Saturday. Condit made $110,000 for the win.

Posted in: condit, carlos condit, carlo, fiveround loss, saturday condit

Carlos Condit: “I’ve got a lot of work to do and a lot more improvement to be made.”

This past Saturday night, UFC welterweight Carlos Condit did what no opponent had more than four years by taking down Nick Diaz. However, the performance left a lot to be desired based on the 27-year old’s inability to do any significant damage to the Stocktonian, instead opting to pick him apart from the outside while constantly moving laterally/backwards. After the fight the newly crowned interim champ admitted he even knows he has room to grow, especially if hoping to take out an opponent the caliber of Georges St. Pierre. “I’ve got a lot of work to do and a lot more improvement to be made,” said Condit to UFC cameras a few moments after his victory at UFC 143. “Georges is a true champion and he’s the best in the world.” As far as his fight with Diaz, Condit appeared pleased with the outing even if it wasn’t necessarily a dominant win. “This is just another step towards my ultimate goal of being among the best Mixed Martial Artists in the world. He was talking, I was landing punches. I think I was winning. No matter how much he talked, I was hitting him hard, I was hitting him solid, and that’s what I came here to do. I didn’t come to talk.” Dana White Feels Condit Won but Open to Rematch to Clear Up Any Confusion Condit’s immediate future remains cloudy, as it’s possible he could be asked to fight Diaz again in a rematch while St. Pierre heals from a knee injury, face a different opponent like Johny Hendricks/Jake Ellenberger, or wait until November when GSP is expected to return. Check out the full interview below: PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

Posted in: ufc, condit, lot, ” dana, return check

Carlos Condit's Camp Not Interested in Nick Diaz Rematch

In the hours after Carlos Condit's close but unanimous decision win over Nick Diaz at UFC 143, UFC president Dana White seemed to warm up to the possibility of a rematch between the two. After all, it may be nine months or more until division champion Georges St-Pierre returns to fight the interim champion, a lengthy wait. But at least for now, the Condit camp seems uninterested in the possibility of Condit-Diaz II. On Monday afternoon, his manager Malki Kawa told MMA Fighting that the new interim champion would be much more likely to set his sights on unifying the interim and linear titles. "At this point, [a rematch] is not something we’re looking to do," he said. "We're looking for Georges. People forget, Carlos waited a long time to get this fight. He was moved around, and shuffled around between fights. He won the fight. It doesn't interest us at all. I think clearly and decisively, he won the fight. Even [UFC president] Dana [White] scored it for him. All of the opinions that matter scored Carlos as winner." In addition to pointing out the unanimous judges' decision as well as White's opinion, Kawa noted that fight statistics showed Condit out-landing Diaz. FightMetric stats had Condit landing 159 total strikes, and Diaz landing 117. "It was a performance that was excellent," Kawa said. "He picked apart a very formidable fighter. Two judges saw it four rounds to one, and one saw it three to two. The fact that he didn't stand and bang with him? I'm sorry, not every fighter has to do that. He did what he had to do, and that goes to show me that this guy is mature, he's fighting fights that are smart. "People are like, 'Oh, Carlos is not a finisher,'" he continued. "The guy threw how many spinning elbows? How many spinning back fists? He threw a flying knee. He tried to finish Nick Diaz when the time and the opening was there. I can't find a flaw in his performance." Even in defeat, Diaz managed to steal the spotlight from Condit by saying he would retire due to his frustration with the judging. Kawa said that was no concern of Condit's, whose only goal has been to be the champion. After a six-month training cycle due to various opponent switches, Condit will take some time off before he finalizes his next move. "Carlos is a fighter," Kawa said. "At the end of the day, this is not a guy who wants to sit around and wait. He wants to fight. You never know. Right now, the idea is that we want Georges St-Pierre. The goal is to fight Georges St-Pierre. He wants to be the best in the world, so that's the fight that interests us at this moment." And as for a rematch first? For now, forget it. Though it's ultimately Condit's decision, his manager and advisor isn't keen on it. "The fans disagree [with the decision] because they got hyped up to see Nick & Georges fight each other," Kawa said. "Well, let them fight each other. We’ve moved on."

Posted in: fight, diaz, condit, carlo, kawa

Georges St. Pierre vs Carlos Condit odds: 'Rush' open as -350 favorite

Carlos Condit, who defeated Nick Diaz via unanimous decision at UFC 143 last Saturday night (Feb. 4, 2012) in Las Vegas, Nevada, cleared his final hurdle en route to a Georges St. Pierre title fight later this year. We think. "The Natural Born Killer" secured the Welterweight Interim Championship with his five-rounder in "Sin City," and is now expected to face the Canadian kingpin in November of this year, assuming St. Pierre can stick to his tentative recovery schedule. Regardless of when and where he returns, St. Pierre will do it as a -350 favorite, according to our fiscal friends over at Best Fight Odds. Condit will join him as the +270 underdog. For now. A lot can affect those lines as we move forward. Much of it depends on the stability of St. Pierre's knee, which was recently reconstructed after Georges ruptured his ACL in training camp. Time will tell. In the meantime, let's hear your initial reactions to these preliminary odds. Too high? Too low? Let's talk turkey in the comments section below.

Posted in: pierre, st, odd, condit, george

UFC 143 Salaries: Diaz, Condit, Koscheck Lead The Way

The Nevada State Athletic Commission has released the salary information for UFC 143, and there aren't a lot of surprises. Nick Diaz was the top earner, making 200k to show. Meanwhile, the man that beat him earned 110k, and that was with a 55k win bonus. Next on the list was Josh Koscheck who earned 146k. Fabricio Werdum was the only other fighter to break 6 digits with a 100k payday.The total payout was $880,500. On a side note, It is immensely saddening that Matt Riddle makes more than Roy Nelson, Mike Pierce, and two top 10 bantamweights. Here is the full list: Carlos Condit: $110,000 (includes $55,000 win bonus)def. Nick Diaz: $200,000 Fabricio Werdum: $100,000 (no win bonus)def. Roy Nelson: $20,000 Josh Koscheck: $146,000 ($73,000 win bonus)Mike Pierce: $20,000 Renan Barao: $22,000 ($11,000 win bonus)Scott Jorgensen: $20,500 Ed Herman: $62,000 ($31,000 win bonus)Clifford Starks: $8,000 Dustin Poirier: $24,000 ($12,000 win bonus)Max Holloway: $6,000 Edwin Figueroa: $16,000 ($8,000 win bonus)Alex Caceres: $8,000 Matt Brown: $30,000 ($15,000 win bonus)Chris Cope: $8,000 Matt Riddle: $30,000 ($15,000 win bonus)Henry Martinez: $6,000 Rafael Natal: $20,000 ($10,000 win bonus)Michael Kuiper: $6,000 Stephen Thompson: $12,000 ($6,000 win bonus)Dan Stittgen: $5,000 SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit

Posted in: matt riddle, diaz, josh koscheck, matt, condit

UFC 143 payouts and salaries for 'Diaz vs Condit' event fighters on Feb. 4 in Las Vegas

UFC 143 fighter payouts for those who competed at the "Diaz vs. Condit" pay-per-view (PPV) event this past Saturday night (Feb. 4, 2012) from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, were released to MMAmania.com earlier today by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC). As expected, headlining fighters Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit were the top earners of the night. "The Natural Born Banker" is now depositing $110,000 for taking home a unanimous decision victory over his befuddled foe, who will be cashing his check for $200,000 in the Stockton Security Exchange later this week. UFC import/export extraordinaire Fabricio Werdum was also in triple figures ($100,000) thanks to the Muay Thai clinic he put on Roy Nelson. "Big Country" can buy a lot of Whoppers with the $20,000 he earned in defeat. Rounding out the big bucks was welterweight bad boy Josh Koscheck ($146,000) and middleweight Ed Herman ($62,000). But that's not all. Here is the complete list of UFC 143 salaries and payouts: Carlos Condit: $110,000 ($55,000 to show, $55,000 to win)Nick Diaz: $200,000Condit def. Diaz via unanimous decision Fabricio Werdum: $100,000 (no win bonus)Roy Nelson: $20,000Werdum def. Nelson via unanimous decisionJosh Koscheck: $146,000 ($73,000 to show, $73,000 to win)Mike Pierce: $20,000Koscheck def. Pierce via split decisionRenan Barao: $22,000 ($11,000 to show, $11,000 to win)Scott Jorgensen: $20,500Barao def. Jorgensen via unanimous decisionEd Herman: $62,000 ($31,000 to show, $31,000 to win)Clifford Starks: $8,000Herman def. Starks via submissionDustin Poirier: $24,000 ($12,000 to show, $12,000 to win)Max Holloway: $6,000Poirier def. Holloway via submissionEdwin Figueroa: $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 to win)Alex Caceres: $8,000Figueroa def. Caceres via split decisionMatt Brown: $30,000 ($15,000 to show, $15,000 to win)Chris Cope: $8,000Brown def. Cope via technical knockoutMatt Riddle: $30,000 ($15,000 to show, $15,000 to win)Henry Martinez: $6,000Riddle def. Martinez via submissionRafael Natal: $20,000 ($10,000 to show, $10,000 to win)Michael Kuiper: $6,000Natal def. Kuiper via unanimous decisionStephen Thompson: $12,000 ($6,000 to show, $6,000 to win)Dan Stittgen: $5,000Thompson def. Stiigen via knockout The total disclosed payroll for UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" was $880,500. Keep in mind the salaries listed above do not include fight bonuses, sponsorships, percentages and other unofficial payments such as PPV bonuses, among others. It also does not include deductions for expenses such as insurance, taxes, etc. For example, the UFC often hands out extra cash for "Fight of the Night," "Knockout of the Night" and "Submission of the Night." To check out these figures for UFC 143 click here. For complete UFC 143 results and blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action click here.

Posted in: ufc, night, diaz, show, condit

Greg Jackson thinks Carlos Condit won every round against Nick Diaz

Figuring out how Cecil Peoples scores a fight could be analyzed by understanding how well he fares in a spirited session of playing Angry Birds. If a red bird takes out a couple of pigs in one swift swipe of the finger, he looks positively towards the fighter from the red corner. However, if the flight trajectory of a blue bird (the one that splits into 3 separate birds) takes out the entire house of pigs in gratifying display of handheld destruction, the round goes in favor of the blue corner. Whether or not Cecil Peoples actually watches the fights or he’s busy playing Angry Birds is uncertain, but he did give Nick Diaz the 3rd round, while awarding the 5th round to Carlos Condit - which at the very least makes the analogy plausible. In a world where that scoring makes sense to anyone, there lives Cecil Peoples and his collection of addicting smartphone games. I suppose we should all be thankful that Greg Jackson isn’t a judge, because in an interview with Sherdog, he says he feels that Condit clearly won every minute of every round; then compares Condit’s performance to Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard. [Source]

Posted in: nick diaz, round, condit, carlos condit, bird

UFC 143: Main Card Recap

I thought the events of last night deserved to marinate in my brain for 24 hours before I formulated any thoughts, thus the late (by net standards) recap but here goes: UFC 143 ended up being a great night of technical mixed martial arts. It was promoted as though it was sure to be filled with violence and instead we saw technique and strategy, above all else, prevail. From the opening fight, which featured Ed Herman falling behind on the feet only to apply swift and deadly jiu jitsu technique once he hit the ground with Clifford Starks, through to Carlos Condit's masterful main event performance against Nick Diaz, the card was a perfect example of a common martial arts tenet: Attack your opponent where they are weakest. Full recap of all five fights on the main card after the jump. Ed Herman vs Clifford StarksHerman won this by rear naked choke at 1:43 of the second round. He had lost the first round, after taking a handful straight right hands from Starks throughout the course of the round and generally finding little success with his own striking attack, which was largely a right hand uppercut. Joe Rogan pointed out that it was with that punch that he had knocked out Tim Credeur so perhaps Starks was ready for it. Either way, he struggled to land it. Following a clinch against the cage early in the second round, Herman used a neat outside leg sweep to take Starks to the mat, immediately moved to mount and when Starks rolled over Herman sank in the rear naked without much resistance. He was fairly measured in his post fight interview, hoping to get a big name fight in the middle weight division while at the same time acknowledging that he had been hurt a little by Starks in that first round. Unfortunately for Herman, I see Rousimar Palhares as being a real possibility for him if he wants a step up. Palhares needs another win to cement himself as a title contender and Herman is looking to break into the top 10, so the match makes sense for both parties. Oh yeah, they are on equal 3 fight win streaks. If Herman wanted to go the conservation route he might look at someone like Costa Philippou, who has two fights of his own but might not be the ground fighter that Herman is. Renan Barao vs Scott JorgensenThe first of four action filled decisions, Barao controlled the distance masterfully with kicks, both to the leg, body and head, forcing Jorgensen to shoot for take downs well outside of range, which Barao then defended. It was an excellent strategy against a wrestler and proved that you can incorporate kicks into your attack without being at risk of the take down. Barao worked his kicks into his combination's and only used threw them once he had Jorgensen moving backwards. I think Jorgensen was close to getting a take down once, in the first round. Every other attempt was easily stuffed by Barao, who will now get serious attention as the next title challenger at 135. Could he end up having another fight before meeting Cruz? Maybe the winner of Miguel Torres vs Michael McDonald but other than that I don't see many credible fights for him at this time. Josh Koscheck vs Mike PierceWhile this fight was a fairly close one, it was probably the least "technical" in terms of the techniques and strategies used. Both Koscheck and Pierce have fairly basic stand up games, predicated on landing big power strikes, pretty typical wrestle-boxer stuff. I would say that Pierce had the heavier punches, as Koscheck didn't look comfortable with a couple of the shots he took. Koscheck looks remarkably uncomfortable with his stand up, still not fully confident in himself since the GSP fight. He barely threw his right hand, which could have been for a strategic purpose that I didn't grasp (facial protection, take down defense) and he won the fight almost surely because he landed a takedown in the third round, giving him two in the fight to Pierce's one. I had not realized that Koscheck was already 34, which I found a little surprising. I think he has one more run in him though and would like to see him take a high stakes fight with Jake Ellenberger, were he to defeat Sanchez, or Johny Hendricks. Fabricio Werdum vs Roy NelsonWerdum had the most surprising performance of the card, actually coming through on his promise to trust the striking that he showed against Alistair Overeem. I didn't think he would find success going that route against Roy Nelson, who has a granite chin and a big right hand but Werdum was far to tall and strong for Nelson. He overwhelmed him in the clinch in much the same manner that Frank Mir did, only Mir turned the dominance into takedowns, while Werdum struck Nelson repeatedly with knees and punches. I think Roy found out his true potential in the division: A high level gate-keeper, who will never beat the top 5 or 6 fighters in the division. I'd like to see Roy fight Shane Carwin when Carwin returns from injury to test this theory and to see where Carwin stands. As for Werdum, it would appear he is going to fight Mir in a title eliminator. I can't really see how any other fights make sense except for the winner of Mark Hunt/Chieck Kongo, but either of those men would likely be no big challenge for Werdum. The one thing working against Werdum is that he has lost to Junior Dos Santos and Alistair Overeem, so the desire to see him get a chance at the title isn't great right now. Nick Diaz vs Carlos ConditI wasn't incredibly surprised by Carlos Condit's choice of strategy against Nick Diaz. I had seen openings for both BJ Penn and Paul Daley to escape the bad situations they got themselves in against Diaz (on the cage, shelled up eating punches) and undoubtedly Greg Jackson and Condit had also seen them. I suspect that this was the way that GSP would defeat Nick Diaz, should he have been able to do so. Going to the ground with Diaz is almost sure to end in a submission, so staying on the feet and avoiding the Diaz trap by circling away from the cage is the best way to take him on. Georges would have used jabs to score, while Condit used kicks, mostly to the leg, to do his damage. I'll leave you with a couple of in-depth thoughts that I have on the way the fight played out and the way it was evaluated: This match-up is absolutely perfect for a potential trilogy. I highly doubt we're going to get one, since I take Nick Diaz at his word that he is going to retire, but if he stays on I hope we see an instant re-match. In fact, I'm shocked that the idea wasn't brought up far more often in the post fight discourse. Boxing has a lot of rematches, particularly when two highly ranked and evenly matched fighters fight to a close decision the way Diaz and Condit did. Would Diaz go to his ground game sooner? Would he be smart enough to figure out how to counter Condit's stand up strategy? Would Carlos open up much sooner and with more commitment with the knowledge that he can escape a bad position against Nick? It's not often MMa can take a page out of boxing's book but now is a great time for Dana to do it and make a re-match. The UFC Primetime and the countdown shows are great theatre but they are getting stale, especially when every fight is billed as a knock out waiting to happen. The reason the fight had so much controversy attached to it is because we were yet again sold a bill of goods that didn't match the produc description. No one told us Condit was going to use a tailored game plan to win. We were told he was going to challenge Nick in an epic striking match. Somehow the UFC needs to find a way to promote their fights without relying solely on the prospect of unconsciousness to make it seem attractive. After all, good MMA is so much more than that, as the fight showed. We just expected one thing and got another and that always leads to unhappiness in the ranks, even if what we got was better, in many ways, than what we were expecting. I see a few people praising Condit as putting on a performance for the ages. He did not. He fought with a very singular strategy that was predicated on avoiding exchanges with Diaz. He retreated constantly, which differs from Frank Edgar's in and out style that was used as a comparison in more than a few places, and any time Diaz attacked him Condit countered with the intention of moving away, not to do damage. I would describe his striking as disruptive more than dangerous and I thought it was telling that most fighters saw the fight for Diaz. Diaz came forward the whole time, thus rendering Condit's striking as fairly ineffective. All that being said, it was enough to win the judges nod. But let us not trip over ourselves to call Condit's fight one of the all time great displays. And that does it for UFC 143. Thanks for reading!

Posted in: fight, diaz, way, condit, herman

UFC 143 Monday Morning Wrap Up

The Event UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit Wins Interim Welterweight Title Over Nick Diaz In Thrilling Affair - Tim Burke UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Live Results And Play-By-Play For PPV Main Card - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Live Results And Play-By-Play For Undercard Fights - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143 Results: Fabricio Werdum Beats Up Roy Nelson, Takes Unanimous Decision - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Josh Koscheck Picks Up Razor-Thin Split Decision Victory Over Mike Pierce - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Renan Barao Takes Unanimous Decision Over Scott Jorgensen - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Ed Herman Submits Clifford Starks In Round Two - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Dustin Poirier Submits Max Holloway - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Edwin Figueroa Beats Alex Cacares By Split Decision In Weird Fight - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Matt Brown Stops Chris Cope In The Second Round - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Matt Riddle Picks Up Split Decision Victory Over Henry Martinez - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Rafael Natal Wins Unanimous Decision Over Michael Kuiper - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Stephen Thompson Knocks Out Dan Stittgen With Deadly Head Kick - Tim Burke Multi-Media Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 132: UFC 143 Results Review - Matt Bishop UFC 143 Post-Fight Press Conference Video And Coverage - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results Video: Dana White Talks Condit Vs. Diaz, Koscheck Vs. Fitch, More At Post-Fight Scrum - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Nick Diaz Vs. Carlos Condit Event Fight Video Highlights - Anton Tabuena UFC 143: Condit vs. Diaz Full Fight Video Highlights - Brent Brookhouse Analysis & Aftermath UFC 143 Results: Dana White Talks Carlos Condit's Next Fight, Nick Diaz' Retirement - Josh Nason UFC 143 Results: Mike Pierce Tolls A Warning Bell For Josh Koscheck Like He Did For Jon Fitch - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: The Career Of UFC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit - Fraser Coffeen UFC 143 Results: Sunday Morning Perspective - T.P. Grant UFC 143 Results: Does Fabricio Werdum's Mauling Of Roy Nelson Mean He's Ready To Contend In The UFC? - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit, Gameplanning And The MMA Fan - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit And Greg Jackson Solved Nick Diaz - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Winners, Losers, And Other Thoughts - Matthew Roth UFC 143 Results: Thompson, Poirier, Werdum And Nelson Take Home $65,000 Fight Night Bonuses - Kid Nate UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit Results And Post-Fight Analysis - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143 Results: Judges' Score Cards From Carlos Condit Vs. Nick Diaz - Kid Nate Nick Diaz: 'I'm Outta This S**t', Retires From MMA After UFC 143 Loss To Carlos Condit - Kid Nate

Posted in: ufc, result, condit, tim, burke

UFC 143 Results: Dana White Is Right, A Nick Diaz Vs. Carlos Condit Rematch Is The Way To Go

There have been a lot of complaints about Carlos Condit's unanimous decision victory over Nick Diaz at UFC 143's interim welterweight title fight on Saturday. Most notably, Nick Diaz vowed to retire from MMA after the decision was read. Diaz, and many fans, were frustrated with Condit's counter-strike and circle away strategy, but Diaz had no answer for it inside the cage. UFC president Dana White expressed his hope for a rematch between the two fighters as the best solution: "I know (Georges. St. Pierre) wanted that Diaz fight bad, but it's not going to be Diaz so he better get angry with Carlos Condit or focus on Carlos Condit or whatever he needs to do. Carlos Condit won this fight. No matter how much Georges and Nick hate each other, Carlos Condit won, and I think the fans are mad at the way Carlos Condit fought. Too f*cking bad. He came in with a game plan and stuck to it and won. You know what's funny man, is that when he said that, I was thinking the same thing. It's crazy, but. I was thinking it after the fight. You know, people are bitching and thinking it was close or whatever, we can do that fight again before GSP comes back. It depends on Carlos too, he's really gotta say, and Nick's gotta say I want to fight him again too." If White can persuade the volatile Diaz to reconsider retirement, this is the way to go for three reasons: It will give Diaz a chance to adjust to Condit's tactics. A truly great fighter would have been able to respond in-cage but I'd like to see what Diaz and his team come up with given a few months to prepare. Diaz' entire flat-footed arm-punching style is a response to his frustration with the way MMA fights are judged on the ground and his serial losses to better wrestlers in the UFC. I look forward to seeing if he can adapt to Condit's game plan and if so, how. It will give prevent the division from being entirely on hold while champion GSP recovers from ACL surgery. Sure it means a log jam at the top of the division, but that's fine as the new wave of contenders (Johny Hendricks, Jake Ellenberger, Rory MacDonald, etc) need time to sort themselves out and build up their names with fans. It will ease the pressure on GSP to return from surgery prematurely. He'll already be coming back in a title fight after an 18 month layoff and major surgery, the pressure to get back into the Octagon early makes a bad situation worse. Hopefully Diaz' coach Cesar Gracie can talk him back into the cage for one more go at Condit. What do you think? SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit Poll Should Condit give Diaz an immediate rematch? YUS! No, the first fight sucked I don't want to see 2. Yes but Diaz is gone. No, let's wait on GSP 98 votes | Results

Posted in: fight, diaz, condit, carlos condit, carlo

UFC 143 Fighter Salaries: Nick Diaz and Josh Koscheck lead the pack

The Nevada State Athletic Commission has released the final salary figures for the fighters competing on Saturday’s UFC 143: Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit fight card from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The top earner was Nick Diaz who took home $200,000 in a five round losing effort to Carlos Condit ($110,000). Condit’s win earned him the interim UFC Welterweight Championship, while Diaz implied he was going to walk away from mixed martial arts following the loss. The second

Posted in: diaz, las vegas, condit, nevada state, salary figures

UFC 143 ‘Reaction from the Action’ for “Diaz vs. Condit”

The concept of sport is to take advantage of opportunities and to invoke a method or strategy to win any way possible. Often, that strategy neutralizes an opponent’s strength more so than showing off your own strength. In this past weekend’s UFC 143 main event, Carlos Condit did just that, as he swiftly moved around the cage throughout the five round match against Nick Diaz. Diaz’s past opponents often remained stationary throughout their matchups, but Condit did not want to be drawn into Diaz’s strength, which is to put pressure on his opponent with his boxing and not allowing them to move out of his pocket. While Condit was moving around non-stop, which is often seen as a sign of weakness, it is not his responsibility to fight exactly how Diaz wants him to. Yes, Condit should implement his own offensive gameplan on Diaz more, but statistics show that Condit landed more strikes throughout the fight. That defeats the opinion that Condit did nothing and only moved away from Diaz. For Condit, who fought to a decision for just the fourth time in his career, he knew fighting to his usual style would work in Diaz’s favor. A 49-46 score in favor of Condit, which two judges scored it as, is not how I scored it. The third score, 48-47 Condit is how I felt the fight took place. However, following the fight, many MMA fighters took to Twitter to declare the fight as a robbery. A robbery this certainly was not. While those fighters are complaining about the decision, they are only doing that. They state Condit did not deserve to win the fight, but are not stating a reason why Diaz did deserve to win. The term Octagon control has come up quite a bit in defending the victory for Diaz. While that is certainly a true sense of scoring a fight, it cannot be used as a reason to give a round to Diaz when Condit outlanded him in total strikes in four of the five rounds. Previous fights have had similar scenarios pan out, such as Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Lyoto Machida at UFC 123 in November 2010. Jackson was awarded the victory, even though Machida landed more significant strikes. Jackson landed more total strikes, but never had Machida in any danger. Condit won both categories on Saturday, outlanding Diaz in both significant and total strikes. Regarding Diaz’s retirement during the post-match interview, I certainly hope that is not the case. Diaz brings a fantastic style that is not often seen throughout the sport. Fighters and fans alike easily gravitate to wanting to watch a fighter of that style. While his demeanor outside of the Octagon is often criticized, it is far too misunderstood to be what is remembered most about his career. Inside the cage, Diaz has a personality similar to Anderson Silva. While Diaz is more brash, they both will taunt their opponent, hoping to draw a reaction in their favor. The top three fighters in the welterweight division seems evident, with Georges St. Pierre, Condit, and Diaz pinned at the top. With St. Pierre and Condit set to fight later this year, if Diaz decides against retirement, where does he go from here? A rematch between Condit and Diaz has been brought up, but the UFC doesn’t seem to be particularly interested in that, especially with UFC President Dana White scoring the fight in Condit’s favor himself. Biggest winner: Carlos Condit Condit implemented a strategy nearly to a T. His prize? Another five round championship fight, this time with a completely different style in Georges St. Pierre. Fabricio Werdum must be brought up here as well, as he looked very impressive against Roy Nelson. His striking looked the best it ever has during his career, as he locked in a strong muay Thai clinch on multiple occasions. An eventual rematch with champion Junior dos Santos is not out of the question if he continues to look like he did on Saturday. Biggest loser: Las Vegas crowd It is understandable that a city that hosts so many UFC events will not be overly ecstatic for every card. However, even with an excellent fight going on between Condit and Diaz, the crowd was heard booing during the affair. The Las Vegas crowd routinely fails to show up until the main card, and even then, they can barely be heard throughout the night. With so many cities around the world hoping to host future UFC events, the organization could look into bringing fewer events to its home. Keeping the New Years, Super Bowl, Independence Day, and Ultimate Fighter events there, while mixing up the schedule, would be a good start. Biggest question: Should there be a guideline for refereeing decisions? During the event, two fights saw multiple infractions, yet only one was punished. During the preliminary card, Alex Caceres incidentally kicked Edwin Figueroa in the groin twice. On the second instance, referee Herb Dean penalized Caceres two points. That cost Caceres the fight, as he went on to lose a split decision. On the main card, Josh Koscheck was warned multiple times about open-handed punches against Mike Pierce. Koscheck was first warned in the second round, then late in the third round, Herb Dean again warned Koscheck, but did not penalize him for the infraction. Deducting points is not uncommon, but deducting two points is a rarity. What is most perplexing is that the same referee decided not to punish a fighter for multiple infractions at the same event. Future matchups to make: Georges St. Pierre vs. Carlos Condit: With the victory, Condit is now set to challenge St. Pierre for the welterweight championship. St. Pierre’s return is expected to take place in November, with Condit unlikely to fight before then. Fabricio Werdum vs. winner of Cheick Kongo vs. Mark Hunt: Unfortunately for Werdum, the heavyweight division is still looking for overall depth. Frank Mir or Cain Velasquez would be excellent opponents, but the pair could possibly be set up against each other. He already holds a win over Antonio Silva, and the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix final still has not been set up. The winner of Kongo/Hunt, which takes place at UFC 144 later this month, will be sporting a three fight win streak. Josh Koscheck vs. Nick Diaz: Koscheck is also in a tough spot, as he already holds two losses to champion Georges St. Pierre. He is now leaving his longtime camp at American Kickboxing Academy, choosing to train on his own in Fresno. I suppose it truly is “team me,” as he declared at the pre-fight press conference. He mentioned that getting motivated for Pierce was tough, so getting motivated for Diaz should be a lot easier. Of course, this all hinges on Diaz deciding not to retire. Renan Barao vs. Brian Bowles: Barao looked impressive against the always tough Scott Jorgensen. For Barao, it was important to challenge himself against a strong wrestler. He was able to stuff Jorgensen throughout the match, even though he seemed to slow down in the last round. In Bowles, he would receive yet another tough challenge. Winning that challenge could possibly set up a bantamweight title fight for Barao later this year. Dustin Poirier vs. Chang Sung Jung: Poirier himself mentioned this matchup during post-fight interviews, and I have to agree with him in setting this one up. He seems against taking on Jose Aldo immediately after this win, hoping to continue to work on his skills as he works his way up the ladder. A matchup with “The Korean Zombie” would almost guarantee an exciting fight and determine who really is ready to take on the featherweight champion.

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, vs, condit

UFC 143 Results: Nick Diaz And His Rage Irrespective Of The Machine

"Like autumn leaves, his sense fell from him. An empty glass of himself, shattered somewhere within. His thoughts like a hundred moths, trapped in a lampshade. Somewhere within, their wings banging and burning. On through endless nights. Forever awake he lies shaking and starving, praying for someone to turn off the light." What follows from this verse is one of the meanest riffs Tom Morello ever produced. But the lyrics also feel like they apply to the most "enigmatic" figure in mixed martial arts: the one and only, Nick Diaz. Minus, of course, any sense of meaning, social context, or political direction (however disagreeable you might find that direction). Still, Nick makes very clear in interview after interview that if there's a constant to Nick's mind it's that his attitude validates the idea that the human brain is a ‘team of rivals', and Nick's brain is in constant rivalry. I feel this is part of what makes Nick so elusive to us as a personality. We know what it's like to understand the paradox of controlling the impulse to shout an obscenity at someone who means us no harm (an experience typical in the workplace where we occasionally have to stand next to the incompetent). Nick does not. When I watched Nick's interview at the press scrum with our very own Matt Roth, it's as If even the most simple, and trivial questions demand a full body search. Nick's mind perceives a world where curiosities wear black hats, and inquiries display their own Schutzstaffel insignia. So what happens when an opponent he respects doesn't fight the way he would like, and he ends up on the wrong end of a close decision in a title fight for a shot at a larger money fight with Georges St. Pierre? When Diaz exclaims he's "outta of this s**t", and threatens retirement, I believe him. That doesn't mean it'll happen. It doesn't mean he won't change his mind. It doesn't mean Dana White won't throw him more money to keep him knowing he's an elite fighter, and still a draw with the potential for a future match with GSP given that Nick is only 28. But it does mean that Diaz is sincere with his frustration. And it does mean that if ever there were a figure in MMA to make good on such a wild, dramatic prediction, it would be Diaz. It also means Nick is a big fat sore loser. SBN Coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit I've never been one to romanticize the thesis that mixed martial arts is all about respect, honor, and some cheap more-ploy-than-philosophy idea of "the way of the warrior". To his legion of fans, Nick is certifiably a ‘warrior'. But what kind of warrior treats defeat like a hexagonal conspiracy? What kind of warrior responds to loss like some bubble gummer on her 16th birthday, throwing a hissy fit over the fact that she got a brand new Taucoma instead of a Lexus? The fight itself failed to live up to its expectations, but I find it downright bizarre that Carlos Condit has received any flack at all. Not that he has, but in the way that he has. I feel stupid for giving very stupid opinions the oxygen of publicity, but why the distinction between fighting and game planning among fans? Condit was more than willing to strike with Diaz. The numbers reveal as much. He just didn't want to strike with Diaz with his back against the cage. The criticism that Condit fought "smart" instead of simply fighting is utterly hollow. Nick's very specific and calculated method to get Condit against the cage was just as much of a ‘gameplan' as Condit's to stay outside and strike from distance. There's no doubt in my mind that if Nick stood in the center of the octagon, Carlos would have too. But just as Nick didn't fight to his opponent's strength, neither did Condit hence why the fight was so close. If Nick is angry about the way his opponent fought, then his failure to adapt will be his downfall, and he will have nobody to blame but himself. I suspect the blame will never fall on his shoulders, in his mind. He'll never ask himself why he couldn't have thrown more kicks, or attempted more takedowns. It'll just be his own insular chorus of what Condit didn't let him do inside that lampshade of his.

Posted in: fight, diaz, nick, condit, mind

UFC 143 results recap: Nick Diaz vs Carlos Condit event wrap up from Las Vegas

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returned to pay-per-view this past Saturday night (Jan. 28, 2012) with UFC 143 "Diaz vs. Condit," featuring "The Natural Born Killer" Carlos Condit busting his hump to earn a unanimous decision victory over Nick Diaz and the interim UFC welterweight championship. And a date with Georges St. Pierre later this year. Fabricio Werdum impressed in his three-round beatdown of Roy Nelson, showcasing a far more diverse game than we've come to expect from the Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace. And what's there to say about Josh Koscheck's performance against Mike Pierce? No, really, what's there to say? In cased you missed any or all of it -- or just want to keep the discussion alive -- below are links to all the major storylines borne from Saturday night's event in Las Vegas. In we go. UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" Results and live fight coverage Recap and morning after discussion Post-fight press conference video Bonuses and awards Event photos gallery Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit fight video highlights Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit fight metric report "Prelims" results and recap Fight recap: Ed Herman submits Clifford Starks Fight recap: Renan Barao cruises past Scott Jorgensen Fight recap: Josh Koscheck decisions Mike Pierce Fight recap: Fabricio Werdum beats down Roy Nelson Fight recap: Carlos Condit defeats Nick Diaz to win interim welterweight championship Fight review and analysis: Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit Fight review and analysis: Fabricio Werdum vs. Roy Nelson Fight review and analysis: Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce Fight review and analysis: Renan Barao vs. Scott Jorgensen Fight review and analysis: Ed Herman vs. Clifford Starks UFC 143 post-fight fallout Big winners and lowly losers Event report card Video of the new UFC intro Nick Diaz says he's done with MMA because he doesn't need this shit MMA scoring is an inexact science but doesn't change Carlos Condit's wins over Nick Diaz Carlos Condit critics need to get real because Nick Diaz didn't win Carlos Condit emerges as a clear cut contender to Georges St. Pierre but does it matter? Carlos Condit came to Las Vegas to punch Nick Diaz in the face, not talk trash inside the cage What's next for Nick Diaz, assuming he doesn't retire? What's next for Carlos Condit? Dana White is not opposed to a Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit rematch Is Nick Diaz a bad boy boxer or just an immature fighter? Carlos Condit and his wife celebrate his win over Nick Diaz Rashad Evans breaks down Carlos Condit vs. Georges St. Pierre Fabricio Werdum batters Roy Nelson into gatekeeper status Dana White would make Josh Koscheck vs. Jon Fitch if it made sense Josh Koscheck would win fans if he wasn't so busy alienating them Josh Koscheck is done with being nice to MMA boo birds, will keep being a dick Dustin Poirier calls out Chan Sung Jung, says he's not ready for a title shot yet Ed Herman shows off his busted up eye the day after Clifford Starks drilled him in it That, my friends, should be enough to keep you talking -- at least for the time being. What gets your vote for the biggest story coming out of UFC 143? Sound off, Maniacs.

Posted in: fight, diaz, nick, condit, carlo

Morning Report: Silva-Sonnen II Finally Set, The Condit-Diaz Debate Rages On

Well, that was an interesting weekend. While the rest of the sports world was whipped into a Super Bowl frenzy, the mixed martial arts community was still decidedly abuzz from UFC 143's polarizing main event. Plenty of fallout arrived amid Diaz vs. Condit, so catch up on everything you might have missed and everything you need to see on today's edition of the Morning Report. 5 MUST-READ STORIES TO START YOUR DAY: Dana White believes Carlos Condit deserved to win. Ariel Helwani and the UFC President discuss whether the judges made the right call, before being interrupted by a shirtless Mike Goldberg. Judges' scorecards from Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz. Take a look at how the three ringside judges -- including fan-favorite Cecil Peoples -- scored the action, round-by-round. UFC 143 morning after: Condit has what it takes to beat St. Pierre. Michael David Smith weighs-in with his thoughts from Saturday night, from Condit vs. GSP, to Kim Winslow's perfect stoppage. Video of the new UFC intro. Catch a replay of the new pay-per-view lead-in video that cost an "obscene amount of money," according to Dana White. Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen agree to UFC title rematch. Lost amongst the judging hysteria was the fact that the one of the UFC's most anticipated rematches has officially been set. THIS WEEKEND'S MEDIA GUMBO: Relieve Saturday's action with this Fox Sports highlight package. Video: Highlights: UFC 143 This man clearly did not agree with Sensei Cecil Peoples. (HT: Bloody Elbow) With that out of the way, afford yourself a look ahead at UFC 144, featuring fighters so strong they knock the pigment off their opponent. Somewhere, Stephen Thompson is smiling. (HT: Bloody Elbow) Carlos Condit's other, more tangible prize for beating Nick Diaz. (via Kevin Iole) Surprised she didn't armbar her. @RondaRouseyRonda Rousey I had a crazy dream last night involving a Japanese invasion,me shooting Rihanna w/ a glock 22(she was a traitor!)&a rest stop in the desert Feb 03 via Twitter for iPhone Favorite Retweet Reply I don't think Japan is ready for a second dose of Rampage. @Rampage4realQuinton Jackson It b a lot of horny chicks n this gym n the morning....not complaining just saying Feb 03 via Twitter for BlackBerry® Favorite Retweet Reply Anyone else holding out for "RESPECT THE VADGE!" to become the female version of "Don't be scared homie?" @julesk_fighterJulie Kedzie Hey @ikevallieflagg I am going to f*** you up if we fight, you punk b****... RESPECT THE VADGE! (is my trash talk improving?) @seanshelby Feb 03 via Twitter for iPhone Favorite Retweet Reply Miguel Torres gets it. @MiguelTorresMMAMiguel Angel Torres At the end of the day I'm just a man with an awesome haircut who gets paid to crush another mans hopes and dreams. Jan 29 via txt Favorite Retweet Reply FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS Here's what was announced over the weekend (Friday, Feb. 3, 2012 - Sunday, Feb. 5, 2012): UFC on Fox 3: Louis Gaudinot (5-2) vs. John Lineker (19-5) UFC on FX 3: Brandon Vera (12-5, 1 NC) out with injury, Thiago Silva (14-2, 1 NC) expected to receive new opponent UFC on Fuel TV 1: Yoislandy Izquierdo (6-0) out, Tim Means (16-3-1) in against Bernardo Magalhaes (11-1) Bellator 63: War Machine (12-4) out, Chris Lozano (9-2) in against Karl Amoussou (13-4-2) Tachi Palace Fights 12: Casey Olson (13-3) vs. Cody Gibson (5-2) FANPOST OF THE DAY: Today's FPOTD belongs to MMA Mania reader Wooly Shambler: As the "Godfather of MMA," how proud would Bruce Lee be of what MMA is today? Referred to as the godfather of MMA , Bruce Lee envisioned martial arts as truly becoming mixed. He felt that at the pinnacle of martial arts one should "be like water," meaning fluid and able to adapt instantly around an object or obstacle. While alive and teaching these beliefs he was met with strong opposition from many masters and disciples of the old guard. Bruce was challenged and scoffed at for believing that not one single martial art or form was best or sufficient. It seems however that not only through his demonstrations and victories, in both form and film, but also in the evolution of martial arts after his death that Bruce was right. DON'T FORGET to follow @MMAFighting on Twitter and 'like' us on Facebook. Found something informative, entertaining, brutal, or just plain bizarre for the Morning Report? Hit me at @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's post.

Posted in: ufc, vs, condit, feb, art

Carlos Condit's camp wants Georges St. Pierre, not Nick Diaz rematch

Don't expect to see Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz II any time soon. At least, not if Condit's camp has anything to say about it. According to his manager, Malki Kawa, it's simply not a fight that interests the new UFC interim Welterweight champ. Instead, Kawa says that after his decisive victory over Diaz, Condit is focused solely on his showdown with reigning 170-pound kingpin, Georges St. Pierre.

Posted in: diaz, welterweight champ, condit, diaz condit, condits camp

UFC 143 Results Recap: Nick Diaz Vs. Carlos Condit

In the main event of UFC 143, Carlos Condit stuck to a very intelligent gameplan and picked up the UFC interim welterweight title by defeating Nick Diaz by unanimous decision. The scores were 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47. The bout was closer than the scores made it appear, with Diaz having a case for winning three of the five rounds. Fans have been bitterly divided over the opinion of Condit's gameplan, which involved him landing strikes and circling away from being cornered by an oncoming Diaz. Either way, it's impossible to deny that the gameplan was effective. The first two rounds were close, with Diaz coming forward and landing strikes while Condit threw leg kicks and avoided damage. Condit seemed to pull ahead in the third and particularly the fourth, while a visibly frustrated Diaz started throwing less strikes. Condit was controlling the fifth as well until late in the round when Diaz managed to get his back, lock up a body triangle, and attempted to submit Condit. "The Natural Born Killer" held Diaz off until the final bell though, and claimed the decision What was the high spot of this fight? Probably either Diaz trash-talking Condit in round two, or Nick's back control and attempted subs in the final stanza. Where do these guys go from here? Whether you were a fan of his style or not, Condit is now the UFC interim welterweight champion. He has two choices - he can wait until Georges St. Pierre is healthy (likely in the fall) and unify the titles in a bout with the current champion. Or, he can choose to defend his interim title in the meantime. A rematch with Diaz would be a possibility, along with bouts with Josh Koscheck or the winner of Jake Ellenberger vs. Diego Sanchez. Diaz announced his retirement after the bout, believing he had won decisively and showing his disgust with the final scores. Whether Diaz goes through with that remains to be seen, but it doesn't seem likely. A rematch with Condit is a possibility, as is a next bout with Josh Koscheck or a whole host of top contenders. Will we see Diaz in the octagon again? My guess would be a definitive yes. Watch it now, later or never? Now. While it wasn't even close to what people expected excitement-wise, watching Condit implement his gameplan and frustrate Diaz has to be seen to be believed. Plus, you can decide for yourself whether Diaz has a legitimate gripe regarding the scoring or not. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit More Bloody Elbow coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit in the full entry. UFC 143 Results: Dana White Talks Carlos Condit's Next Fight, Nick Diaz' Retirement - Josh Nason UFC 143 Results: Mike Pierce Tolls A Warning Bell For Josh Koscheck Like He Did For Jon Fitch - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Nick Diaz Vs. Carlos Condit Event Fight Video Highlights - Anton Tabuena UFC 143 Results: The Career Of UFC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit - Fraser Coffeen UFC 143 Results: Sunday Morning Perspective - T.P. Grant UFC 143 Results: Does Fabricio Werdum's Mauling Of Roy Nelson Mean He's Ready To Contend In The UFC? - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results Video: Dana White Talks Condit Vs. Diaz, Koscheck Vs. Fitch, More At Post-Fight Scrum - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit, Gameplanning And The MMA Fan - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit And Greg Jackson Solved Nick Diaz - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Winners, Losers, And Other Thoughts - Matthew Roth UFC 143 Results: Thompson, Poirier, Werdum And Nelson Take Home $65,000 Fight Night Bonuses - Kid Nate UFC 143: Condit vs. Diaz Full Fight Video Highlights - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit Results And Post-Fight Analysis - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143 Results: Judges' Score Cards From Carlos Condit Vs. Nick Diaz - Kid Nate Nick Diaz: 'I'm Outta This S**t', Retires From MMA After UFC 143 Loss To Carlos Condit - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit Wins Interim Welterweight Title Over Nick Diaz In Thrilling Affair - Tim Burke Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 132: UFC 143 Results Review - Matt Bishop UFC 143 Post-Fight Press Conference Video And Coverage - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Fabricio Werdum Beats Up Roy Nelson, Takes Unanimous Decision - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Josh Koscheck Picks Up Razor-Thin Split Decision Victory Over Mike Pierce - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Renan Barao Takes Unanimous Decision Over Scott Jorgensen - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Ed Herman Submits Clifford Starks In Round Two - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Dustin Poirier Submits Max Holloway - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Edwin Figueroa Beats Alex Cacares By Split Decision In Weird Fight - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Matt Brown Stops Chris Cope In The Second Round - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Matt Riddle Picks Up Split Decision Victory Over Henry Martinez - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Rafael Natal Wins Unanimous Decision Over Michael Kuiper - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Stephen Thompson Knocks Out Dan Stittgen With Deadly Head Kick - Tim Burke UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Live Results And Play-By-Play For PPV Main Card - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Live Results And Play-By-Play For Undercard Fights - Brent Brookhouse

Posted in: ufc, diaz, result, condit, burke

UFC 143 Results Recap: Fabricio Werdum Vs. Roy Nelson

In the co-main event of UFC 143, Fabricio Werdum battered Roy Nelson around the cage for three round and picked up a unanimous decision victory. All three judges had it 30-27 for Vai Cavalo. Werdum's muay thai was on point all night, and he landed a gaggle of solid punches and knees from the thai clinch. He opened a large cut on Nelson's face in the first round with a knee and just kept going from there. Nelson landed his big right had a couple of time and staggered Werdum at least once, but was unable to capitalize on it. He did manage to cement his image as a fighter with an iron chin, though. The bout was Werdum's first in the UFC in over three years, and he returned in style. He immediately positioned himself as a top contender in the division, and will likely get a top-five opponent in his next bout. Meanwhile, Nelson has lost three out of his last four (all against top guys) and while his slimmed-down physique has helped his cardio a bit, UFC president Dana White still wants Nelson to move down to 205. What was the high spot of this fight? The first-round knee that bent Nelson's nose sideways and opened up a large cut. Where do these guys go from here? Werdum looked extremely impressive against Nelson, and it was his best performance since his submission victory over Fedor Emelianenko. As stated above, he will be a contender for the UFC heavyweight title right away. A bout against former champions Cain Velasquez or Frank Mir could definitely be in his future. It's tough to see where Nelson goes from here. It's clear that he doesn't have the tool to be an elite heavyweight, but will he be satisfied with a gatekeeper role? Despite the push from many to get Big Country to drop to 205, it doesn't seem to be a likely scenario for a 35-year-old with somewhat limited standup. A bout with the winner of the Ben Rothwell vs. Brendan Schaub matchup (Nelson defeated Schaub to win TUF 10) could be a good fit. Watch it now, later or never? Now. I was tempted to go with later because it went to decision, but Werdum put an epic beating on Nelson for 15 minutes and it was pretty entertaining. Plus, it won fight of the night. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit More Bloody Elbow coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit in the full entry. UFC 143 Results: Dana White Talks Carlos Condit's Next Fight, Nick Diaz' Retirement - Josh Nason UFC 143 Results: Mike Pierce Tolls A Warning Bell For Josh Koscheck Like He Did For Jon Fitch - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Nick Diaz Vs. Carlos Condit Event Fight Video Highlights - Anton Tabuena UFC 143 Results: The Career Of UFC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit - Fraser Coffeen UFC 143 Results: Sunday Morning Perspective - T.P. Grant UFC 143 Results: Does Fabricio Werdum's Mauling Of Roy Nelson Mean He's Ready To Contend In The UFC? - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results Video: Dana White Talks Condit Vs. Diaz, Koscheck Vs. Fitch, More At Post-Fight Scrum - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit, Gameplanning And The MMA Fan - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit And Greg Jackson Solved Nick Diaz - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Winners, Losers, And Other Thoughts - Matthew Roth UFC 143 Results: Thompson, Poirier, Werdum And Nelson Take Home $65,000 Fight Night Bonuses - Kid Nate UFC 143: Condit vs. Diaz Full Fight Video Highlights - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit Results And Post-Fight Analysis - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143 Results: Judges' Score Cards From Carlos Condit Vs. Nick Diaz - Kid Nate Nick Diaz: 'I'm Outta This S**t', Retires From MMA After UFC 143 Loss To Carlos Condit - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit Wins Interim Welterweight Title Over Nick Diaz In Thrilling Affair - Tim Burke Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 132: UFC 143 Results Review - Matt Bishop UFC 143 Post-Fight Press Conference Video And Coverage - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Fabricio Werdum Beats Up Roy Nelson, Takes Unanimous Decision - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Josh Koscheck Picks Up Razor-Thin Split Decision Victory Over Mike Pierce - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Renan Barao Takes Unanimous Decision Over Scott Jorgensen - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Ed Herman Submits Clifford Starks In Round Two - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Dustin Poirier Submits Max Holloway - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Edwin Figueroa Beats Alex Cacares By Split Decision In Weird Fight - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Matt Brown Stops Chris Cope In The Second Round - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Matt Riddle Picks Up Split Decision Victory Over Henry Martinez - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Rafael Natal Wins Unanimous Decision Over Michael Kuiper - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Stephen Thompson Knocks Out Dan Stittgen With Deadly Head Kick - Tim Burke UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Live Results And Play-By-Play For PPV Main Card - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Live Results And Play-By-Play For Undercard Fights - Brent Brookhouse

Posted in: ufc, diaz, result, condit, nelson

UFC 143 Results Recap: Josh Koscheck Vs. Mike Pierce

In the third bout of the UFC 143 main card, Josh Koscheck didn't look great but he managed to squeak out a split decision victory over a game Mike Pierce. Pierce outstruck Kos over the course of the fight, but Josh used timely takedowns and a few power shots to get the razor-thin victory. While some people were screaming robbery, the fight just came down to an extremely close second round that honestly could have gone either way. The final scores were 29-28, 28-29, 29-28 in favor of Koscheck. The bout sets up Koscheck for a possible shot at interim champ Carlos Condit (who he was originally scheduled to meet on this card) if Condit chooses to defend his title before Georges St. Pierre returns from injury. One of the biggest pieces of news in terms of Kos came after the fight though, when he stated that he had left American Kickboxing Academy. Pierce can't seem to get over the hump when he faces top-level opponents, and where he goes from here is somewhat unclear. What was the high spot of this fight? It was a battle of grinders, and not a lot was going on. The most interesting part was probably when Koscheck poked Pierce in the eye after receiving an earlier warning, but referee Herb Dean elected not to take a point from him. It ended up making a big difference on the outcome. Where do these guys go from here? Koscheck didn't look very good at all, but he picked up the W anyway. He has now won two straight bouts since his return from a long orbital injury layoff, and has re-established himself as a top contender. Could he get a shot at Condit's interim belt? Maybe. Now that he has left AKA, the possibility of a Josh Koscheck vs. Jon Fitch fight was floated as well, but seems unlikely. A bout with Nick Diaz (if doesn't choose retirement) is a definite possibility as well. Pierce is now 5-3 in the UFC, with all his losses being in close fights with top-shelf talent. He is clearly a guy that can give almost any 170 pounder fits, but a combination of some bad luck and coming up a tiny bit short has slowed his ascent in the division. A bout with former training partner Rick Story would be very interesting and the bad blood would definitely add some flavor to the matchup. Watch it now, later or never? Never. Koscheck's post fight speech (where he flipped off the crowd) was the only entertaining thing that happened. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit More Bloody Elbow coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit in the full entry. UFC 143 Results: Dana White Talks Carlos Condit's Next Fight, Nick Diaz' Retirement - Josh Nason UFC 143 Results: Mike Pierce Tolls A Warning Bell For Josh Koscheck Like He Did For Jon Fitch - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Nick Diaz Vs. Carlos Condit Event Fight Video Highlights - Anton Tabuena UFC 143 Results: The Career Of UFC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit - Fraser Coffeen UFC 143 Results: Sunday Morning Perspective - T.P. Grant UFC 143 Results: Does Fabricio Werdum's Mauling Of Roy Nelson Mean He's Ready To Contend In The UFC? - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results Video: Dana White Talks Condit Vs. Diaz, Koscheck Vs. Fitch, More At Post-Fight Scrum - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit, Gameplanning And The MMA Fan - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit And Greg Jackson Solved Nick Diaz - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Winners, Losers, And Other Thoughts - Matthew Roth UFC 143 Results: Thompson, Poirier, Werdum And Nelson Take Home $65,000 Fight Night Bonuses - Kid Nate UFC 143: Condit vs. Diaz Full Fight Video Highlights - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit Results And Post-Fight Analysis - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143 Results: Judges' Score Cards From Carlos Condit Vs. Nick Diaz - Kid Nate Nick Diaz: 'I'm Outta This S**t', Retires From MMA After UFC 143 Loss To Carlos Condit - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit Wins Interim Welterweight Title Over Nick Diaz In Thrilling Affair - Tim Burke Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 132: UFC 143 Results Review - Matt Bishop UFC 143 Post-Fight Press Conference Video And Coverage - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Fabricio Werdum Beats Up Roy Nelson, Takes Unanimous Decision - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Josh Koscheck Picks Up Razor-Thin Split Decision Victory Over Mike Pierce - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Renan Barao Takes Unanimous Decision Over Scott Jorgensen - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Ed Herman Submits Clifford Starks In Round Two - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Dustin Poirier Submits Max Holloway - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Edwin Figueroa Beats Alex Cacares By Split Decision In Weird Fight - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Matt Brown Stops Chris Cope In The Second Round - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Matt Riddle Picks Up Split Decision Victory Over Henry Martinez - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Rafael Natal Wins Unanimous Decision Over Michael Kuiper - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Stephen Thompson Knocks Out Dan Stittgen With Deadly Head Kick - Tim Burke UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Live Results And Play-By-Play For PPV Main Card - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Live Results And Play-By-Play For Undercard Fights - Brent Brookhouse

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, result, condit

UFC 143 results recap: Bidding farewell to the 'Diaz vs Condit' event in Las Vegas

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) put its best foot forward by wrapping up another campaign of mixed martial arts (MMA) action this past Sat., Feb. 4, 2012, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada with the UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" event. In a somewhat controversial headliner, Carlos Condit won a unanimous decision victory over Nick Diaz to earn himself the interim welterweight title and a crack at Georges St. Pierre's belt. Former Strikeforce heavyweight and Brazilian jiu-jitsu expert practitioner Fabricio Werdum made his return to the Octagon by delivering three rounds of punishment to Roy Nelson en route to a decision victory. The action earned both Werdum and Nelson "Fight of the Night" honors, and left fans with an image of a bloody and battered "Big Country" that we're starting to get a little too familiar with. Those are just some of the highlights. Let's take a look at the rest of the mental scrapbook pages that made up UFC 143. If you watched the build up to the fight between Diaz and Condit, you might have assumed that it was a foregone conclusion who was going to advance. Diaz would need to get past the "Natural Born Killer" to get his title fight versus "GSP" that he'd long been demanding. It wouldn't be easy, but certainly, he'd be able to scrap, trashtalk and bully his way to a victory and then we'd get the fight we all wanted to see. Diaz thought he was going to win. St. Pierre wanted him to win. UFC President Dana White may have said he was impartial, but be serious. Think of the potential payday. "St. Pierre vs. Diaz" sells itself. All that went out the window on Saturday night when Condit came out, stuck to the gameplan, fought a smart fight and took home the win. He played spoiler. He said he was going to. He's a man of his word. But not everyone felt so sure that he should have been given the nod from the judges. Diaz was the biggest critic of the decision, and in the heat of the moment, he announced to Joe Rogan that he was so upset, he would be retiring from the sport of MMA. No word on whether his retirement will actually come to fruition. There is also no word on whether or not Condit will wait until November to fight St. Pierre, or if he will take a sooner fight to bridge the gap. We'll keep you posted. Read a full recap with in-depth analysis of the Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit fight at UFC on 143 here. For full fight video highlights of "Diaz vs. Condit," click here. Fabricio Werdum was once employed by the UFC before. In a little over a year, Werdum went 2-2 in the Octagon, losing his last fight via KO to current UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior dos Santos at UFC 90 on Oct. 25, 2008 in Rosemont, Ill. He was cut immediately afterwards. Since that point in time (leading up to UFC 143), "Vai Cavalo" went 3-1 under the Strikeforce banner, most notably defeating Fedor Emelianenko with a triangle choke that MA fans (and Fedor himself) will never forget. In his UFC re-entry bout, Werdum was given a tough opponent in Roy Nelson, who is known for his big belly and his granite chin (among other things). It would not be a cakewalk (pun intended), but it would certainly but Werdum in a favorable light if he were able to win. For three rounds, Werdum absolutely battered "Big Country" with muay thai striking that has clearly improved in leaps and bounds since his last stint with the UFC. His stand up was crisp, clean and brutal. He never even really had to use his world class jiu-jitsu, and that's a scary premise for the rest of the heavyweights in MMA, worldwide. Nelson will probably now be in a position where he will be in danger of being cut if he doesn't win his next fight and look good doing it. Werdum should now get a high profile opponent, and has successfully placed himself "in the mix." Check out an informative synopsis of the Fabricio Werdum vs. Roy Nelson fight at UFC 143 here and here. The main pay-per-view (PPV) card also showcased a welterweight mash up between big mouthed bad boy Josh Koscheck and Mike Pierce. Originally, Koscheck was slated to fight Condit, until an injury to "GSP" forced a shake up of the card. Koscheck never really appeared to give Pierce a lot of respect. He clearly felt insulted that he was even having to fight him. Either way, the fight ended up being a lot closer than Koscheck or anyone else probably expected it to be. "Kos" did end up receiving the split decision, but it really could have gone either way. Next for Koscheck? Dana White said he wouldn't mind seeing him fight Nick Diaz or Carlos Condit. MMAmania.com will certainly keep you informed and updated on those scenarios. Read a full fight breakdown of the Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce fight at UFC 143 here. The preliminary fights were fought on FUEL TV as well as two early fights that were streamed on the UFC's Facebook fan page. The Facebook portion of the card featured the emergence of a bright and shining prospect in karate expert Stephen Thompson, who grabbed hold of the spotlight with a fantastic head kick KO over Dan Stittgen. His combined professional kickboxing and MMA record is now 26-0. "Wonderboy" is 28 years old and appears to have a tremendous upside. Read a recap of the Dan Stittgen vs. Stephen Thompson fight at UFC 143, as well as a rundown of all the other UFC 143 prelims here. For his big time breakthrough fight finish, Thompson was given a check for $65,000 for the "Knockout of the Night" award. Not a bad way to introduce yourself to your bosses and the fans. He wasn't the only one lucky enough to take home a big check. Read the list of fight bonus award winners, including "Knockout of the Night," "Submission of the Night," and "Fight of the Night" here. Those are the bright spots and dark corners of UFC 143 that stand out in our memories. How about you? What would your recap look like? Give us your rundown in the comments section. For complete UFC 143 results and a detailed recap of all the action click here. To check out a recap of the UFC 143 prelim fights that were seen on FUEL TV, click here. And just in case you want to get up to speed on the entire UFC 143 fight card from top to bottom click here.

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, condit, werdum

UFC 143 Results Recap: Renan Barao Vs. Scott Jorgensen

In the second bout of the UFC 143 main card, Renan Barao picked up a solid unanimous decision victory over Scott Jorgensen. All three judges had it 30-27 for Barao. He showed off a combination of flashy striking and effective counterfighting, and managed to shrug off all of Jorgensen's attempts to take the fight to the floor. Barao even forced Jorgensen to pull guard at one point in the second round, but couldn't get anything going there either. The win for Barao leaves him as the most logical contender for the UFC bantamweight title after Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber meet for a third time. He is now 3-0 in the UFC and 5-0 under the Zuffa banner, taking out increasingly strong competition along the way. It's back to the drawing board for Jorgensen, who picked up his first loss in the UFC but has a few guys ahead of him in the bantamweight pecking order now. What was the high spot of this fight? Nothing really stands out, though Barao did throw a few spinning kicks that looked pretty cool. Where do these guys go from here? As stated above, Barao is the most likely candidate to meet the winner of Cruz vs. Faber 3 later this year. If that bout doesn't go down for a while and the UFC wants Barao to fight again before then, a bout with Brian Bowles would make the most sense. Jorgensen's hopes for another shot at the title were dashed with this loss, and his place in the division isn't clear at this point. With two other top contenders moving down to flyweight, he's unlikely to drop much in the rankings. But at the same time, there aren't a lot of big-name opponents out there for him either. A do-or-die matchup with Eddie Wineland could be very interesting. Watch it now, later or never? Later. Barao is a very interesting fighter and all that, but neither fighter does much damage in the bout, and there's not a ton going on most of the time. It's worth taking a pass on. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit More Bloody Elbow coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit in the full entry. UFC 143 Results: Dana White Talks Carlos Condit's Next Fight, Nick Diaz' Retirement - Josh Nason UFC 143 Results: Mike Pierce Tolls A Warning Bell For Josh Koscheck Like He Did For Jon Fitch - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Nick Diaz Vs. Carlos Condit Event Fight Video Highlights - Anton Tabuena UFC 143 Results: The Career Of UFC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit - Fraser Coffeen UFC 143 Results: Sunday Morning Perspective - T.P. Grant UFC 143 Results: Does Fabricio Werdum's Mauling Of Roy Nelson Mean He's Ready To Contend In The UFC? - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results Video: Dana White Talks Condit Vs. Diaz, Koscheck Vs. Fitch, More At Post-Fight Scrum - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit, Gameplanning And The MMA Fan - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit And Greg Jackson Solved Nick Diaz - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Winners, Losers, And Other Thoughts - Matthew Roth UFC 143 Results: Thompson, Poirier, Werdum And Nelson Take Home $65,000 Fight Night Bonuses - Kid Nate UFC 143: Condit vs. Diaz Full Fight Video Highlights - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit Results And Post-Fight Analysis - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143 Results: Judges' Score Cards From Carlos Condit Vs. Nick Diaz - Kid Nate Nick Diaz: 'I'm Outta This S**t', Retires From MMA After UFC 143 Loss To Carlos Condit - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit Wins Interim Welterweight Title Over Nick Diaz In Thrilling Affair - Tim Burke Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 132: UFC 143 Results Review - Matt Bishop UFC 143 Post-Fight Press Conference Video And Coverage - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Fabricio Werdum Beats Up Roy Nelson, Takes Unanimous Decision - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Josh Koscheck Picks Up Razor-Thin Split Decision Victory Over Mike Pierce - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Renan Barao Takes Unanimous Decision Over Scott Jorgensen - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Ed Herman Submits Clifford Starks In Round Two - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Dustin Poirier Submits Max Holloway - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Edwin Figueroa Beats Alex Cacares By Split Decision In Weird Fight - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Matt Brown Stops Chris Cope In The Second Round - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Matt Riddle Picks Up Split Decision Victory Over Henry Martinez - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Rafael Natal Wins Unanimous Decision Over Michael Kuiper - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Stephen Thompson Knocks Out Dan Stittgen With Deadly Head Kick - Tim Burke UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Live Results And Play-By-Play For PPV Main Card - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Live Results And Play-By-Play For Undercard Fights - Brent Brookhouse

Posted in: ufc, diaz, result, condit, burke

UFC 143 results: Nick Diaz vs Carlos Condit event photos gallery from Las Vegas

UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" took place last night (Sat., Feb. 4, 2012) from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, featuring Carlos Condit winning his first UFC championship -- even if it's just an interim title -- with a close unanimous decision victory over Nick Diaz. Look out, Georges St. Pierre, "The Natural Born Killer" is coming. Fabricio Werdum showcased a brand new Muay Thai skill set we previously hadn't seen in a decision win over Roy Nelson in the co-main event of the evening, as the Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace used his knees to pummel "Big Country" and put himself in contention in the UFC heavyweight division. Finally, Josh Koscheck started slow and finished slower but managed to eek out a decision victory over powerful wrestler Mike Pierce. A photo gallery (via MMAFighting.com) is available for your viewing pleasure after the jump. For complete results and blow-by-blow coverage of all the night's action click here and here. Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit Fabricio Werdum vs. Roy Nelson Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce Renan Barao vs. Scott Jorgensen Ed Herman vs. Clifford Starks Dustin Poirier vs. Max Holloway Alex Caceres vs. Edwin Figueroa Matt Brown vs. Chris Cope Matt Riddle vs. Henry Martinez Rafael Natal vs. Michael Kuiper Stephen Thompson vs. Dan Stittgen

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, condit, decision victory

UFC 143 Musings - Condit vs. Diaz

NOT AS ADVERTISED, BUT POSSIBLY THE BEST TACTICAL DISPLAY OF 2012 TO DATEAnyone who read my pre-fight breakdown knows that I was seriously salivating over what appeared to be a surefire barnburner between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit. I really thought the matchup had all the necessary ingredients for a “Fight of the Year” performance. The fight certainly didn’t live up to the hype from an all-action standpoint, but that does not, in any way, detract from what was a near flawless performance by Condit.“The Natural Born Killer” committed to a game plan that consisted of sticking and moving with the use of constantly changing angles. He never varied from that attack, not even for a minute. Sure, Diaz trapped him a few times, forcing Condit to fight with his back against the cage. But those exchanges lasted only a few brief seconds before the new interim champion circled away from the cage and resumed his tactical approach. Diaz pleaded with him over and over to stand and fight, using vitriolic trash talking, taunts with his hands at his side, and doing just about everything else he could think of to try and goad his foe into a brawl. Condit never gave in to temptation, despite the fact that his natural inclination is to plant his feet and go to war with opponents. Anyone who believes that is easy to do should go back and watch Diaz’s career over the last four or five years. Every one of his opponents, except for British slugger Paul Daley, entered the cage with the same game plan. Only Condit was able to successfully implement it.While the end result wasn’t a “Fight of the Year” battle, it was a virtuoso tactical performance, arguably the best of 2012 so far.DEFEND OR NOT TO DEFEND, THAT IS THE QUESTIONCondit’s win over Diaz brought him a share of the championship that he so desperately coveted, but the belt comes with a dilemma. UFC President Dana White revealed after the fight that champion Georges St-Pierre is nowhere near being ready to resume full mixed martial arts training. The current estimate is the champion will finish his rehabilitation sometime in June, which means he won’t likely return to competition until November, at the earliest. GSP’s health leaves Condit in a precarious position. He has to decide whether to wait for GSP and unify the belts in his next fight or take an optional defense while the Canadian standout is on the mend. That may seem like an easy choice, but this is anything but an easy decision. Let’s look at both sides of the issue. The argument in favor of waiting is an easy one to make. First and foremost, Condit knows that his title is only a placeholder until GSP returns. He will forever be able to refer to himself as a UFC titlist, but not a champion, until he defeats GSP (or GSP fails to return from his current injury exile). Thus, he hasn’t really accomplished his goal of reaching the pinnacle of the sport. Not yet anyway. Taking an interim fight in the unpredictable world of the UFC, where there is no such thing as a tune-up or keep-busy championship bout, creates a risk that he will never actually receive the opportunity to challenge for the true championship. Thus, the risk created by defending the interim belt outweighs the reward, in terms of building Condit’s legacy in the sport. Second, if there is ever a time to face GSP, who is one of the best fighters on the planet, pound for pound, it is right after he returns from a major injury. GSP will have to deal with the dreaded cage rust when he returns. I’m not listening to any argument to the contrary. There is no way that he will be as sharp in his first fight back as he was in his last bout. The issues caused by the time away from active training and actual fighting are compounded by the mental hurdle associated with getting over an ACL tear is no joke. It takes most athletes some reps in actual competition, even once fully healed and rehabilitated, to subconsciously believe that the knee is ready for game speed. I will be shocked, if GSP is any different.GSP, therefore, should have holes in his game that might not otherwise be present, if Condit faces him at any other point in their respective careers. Why risk blowing that opportunity, just to take an interim fight?The argument for taking an interim fight is also pretty straightforward. Any advantage that Condit has over GSP due to the champion’s injury-forced exile is tempered by the interim champion self-exiling himself for a long period of time. Keep in mind that the longest layoff of Condit’s career is 269 days. If he fights GSP on November 1, he will break his personal inactive mark by two days, and there is no guarantee that the true champion will be ready by November 1. Any little setback in his rehabilitation or preparation could postpone the fight even further, which means cage rust will be just as big of a problem for Condit as it is GSP. Think otherwise? Talk to Rashad Evans about hanging around and waiting for an opportunity, rather than remaining busy. He will quickly admit that long stretches away have affected his subsequent performances. Again, why would Condit be any different?Equally relevant is the fact that the fight game is as much about earning a living as it is competition. Condit doesn’t get paid to sit on the sidelines. He gets paid when he fights. Does it make financial sense to wait until November or possibly later for his next payday? Remember, we are talking about a guy with a wife, baby and new mortgage. I’m a firm believer that fighters need to maximize their earnings during their brief time in sport. All fighters have very limited shelf lives. The question of “what’s next” once their career reaches its expiration date is a daunting one for all but the wealthiest of fighters, particularly since the expiration date arrives at different times for different fighters. It is a date that is nearly impossible to predict. So, passing up lucrative paydays, even in the face of risking a potentially more lucrative one down the road with GSP, seems like financial suicide to me.Equally important, however, is the mental aspect of opting to sit on the sidelines. Think about it for a minute. If Team Condit attempts to talk their man into waiting for GSP, I question whether that would create a little doubt in the back of his mind. After all, if he isn’t good enough to defeat whomever the UFC puts in front of him, what makes anyone think he is good enough to defeat the man who many believe to be the single best fighter in the world? Will that self doubt cause hesitation when he actually receives the opportunity to fight GSP?I’m a firm believer that Condit should take an interim defense of the interim title, based on GSP’s protracted timetable. Not only will it help maximize his short-term earnings, it will also put him in the best possible position, in my opinion, to remain at the top of his game for when the opportunity to face GSP does finally arise.What would you do, if you were advising “The Natural Born Killer”? Let me know in the comment section below.PAY NO MIND TO THE RETIREMENT TALKNick Diaz announced after the loss to Condit that he was hanging up the vale tudo gloves. To quote Public Enemy, “don’t believe the hype.”Diaz isn’t going anywhere. Not after that loss, anyway. His words inside the Octagon were those of a deeply frustrated fighter who believed that, once again, he was treated wrongly by the system. I’m not so sure that he will continue to hold that belief when he goes back and watches the tape of the fight.For the record, I scored the fight 3-2 for Diaz, giving him the nod in rounds one, two and five. The first two rounds were easy to score, in my opinion, as were rounds three and four. The final round was a bear, and I’ll admit that I still go back and forth on that one. On one hand, Condit definitely landed more in terms of striking volume and significant strikes. He also showed far better Octagon control by darting in and out, while Diaz continually and ineffectively chased him around. On the other hand, the takedown followed by the back mount was the single most dominant position of the round for either fighter. Condit was in more danger of getting stopped in those moments than Diaz was at any point in the fight. Of course, Diaz didn’t actually come very close with any of his submission attempts, so there is a school of thought that says I shouldn’t give so much weight to the takedown and back mount. It is a completely subjective question, one that I actually don’t feel that strongly about. In fact, after re-watching the fight, I am actually starting to lean toward Condit for the final round.Whatever your scoring philosophy, the bout was close enough that it wasn’t highway robbery for either man to drop the decision on Saturday night. Diaz should not feel as if he has been wronged by the establishment. He should instead ask himself why he was unable to cut off the cage when Condit was on his bicycle, or why he didn’t get off first when Condit came into range. It was a very un-Diaz-like performance, one that I chalk up to a bad night mixed with a virtuoso effort by Condit. Diaz isn’t going anywhere, folks. Trust me on that one. In fact, I think he is probably just one win away from re-asserting himself as the number one contender. Dana White mentioned in a post-fight interview that Diaz versus Josh Koscheck would be an interesting next fight. I agree. I think that is an excellent way to shake out who stands behind Condit, if he opts to wait for GSP. If Condit decides to take an interim challenge, I think Diaz has a strong argument that he deserves a rematch. Either way, my guess is that Nick Diaz will be back in action inside the Octagon before summertime.

Posted in: fight, diaz, ’t, gsp, condit

UFC 143 Results Recap: Ed Herman Vs. Clifford Starks

In the first bout of the UFC 143 main card, Ed Herman overcame some solid shots from his opponent and picked up a second round submission victory over Clifford Starks. Herman got off to a shaky start, looking to land uppercuts but eating big straight rights over and over from Starks. He was doing okay in the clinch, but at range he was getting busted up. He finally got a takedown late in the first, but was quickly reversed by Starks, who easily took the first round. The second round was a different story though. Starks once again pushed it against the fence, but Herman scored a nice trip takedown, quickly advanced to mount, and once Starks flipped over Herman had it well in hand. The tap came soon thereafter. Starks looked quite impressive in the fight though, and the stock of both fighters is likely to go up in the aftermath of the bout. What was the high spot of this fight? Herman's beautiful trip that led to the finishing sequence. Where do these guys go from here? Herman has now won three bouts in a row since his two-year injury layoff, and has finished all three of the fights. He definitely had some trouble with Starks early, but weathered the storm and looked extremely impressive once he created an opportunity for himself. You'd have to expect that he'll get a fringe top-25 fighter for his next bout. The winner of the Aaron Simpson vs. Ronny Markes bout at UFC on Fuel 1 seems like a solid next opponent for Short Fuse. Starks proved that he can hang (at least for a while) with a talented middleweight, and his striking looked much better than it did in the Jacoby fight. Perhaps he wasn't ready for a main card fight yet, but he does have the ability to be a solid mid-tier 185er in the UFC. A matchup with fellow Michael Kuiper, who also dropped his bout at UFC 143, would be interesting. Watch it now, later or never? Now. This was the only finish on the main card and maintained a good pace throughout. It's worth 10 minutes of your time. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit More Bloody Elbow coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit in the full entry. UFC 143 Results: Dana White Talks Carlos Condit's Next Fight, Nick Diaz' Retirement - Josh Nason UFC 143 Results: Mike Pierce Tolls A Warning Bell For Josh Koscheck Like He Did For Jon Fitch - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Nick Diaz Vs. Carlos Condit Event Fight Video Highlights - Anton Tabuena UFC 143 Results: The Career Of UFC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit - Fraser Coffeen UFC 143 Results: Sunday Morning Perspective - T.P. Grant UFC 143 Results: Does Fabricio Werdum's Mauling Of Roy Nelson Mean He's Ready To Contend In The UFC? - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results Video: Dana White Talks Condit Vs. Diaz, Koscheck Vs. Fitch, More At Post-Fight Scrum - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit, Gameplanning And The MMA Fan - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit And Greg Jackson Solved Nick Diaz - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Winners, Losers, And Other Thoughts - Matthew Roth UFC 143 Results: Thompson, Poirier, Werdum And Nelson Take Home $65,000 Fight Night Bonuses - Kid Nate UFC 143: Condit vs. Diaz Full Fight Video Highlights - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit Results And Post-Fight Analysis - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143 Results: Judges' Score Cards From Carlos Condit Vs. Nick Diaz - Kid Nate Nick Diaz: 'I'm Outta This S**t', Retires From MMA After UFC 143 Loss To Carlos Condit - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit Wins Interim Welterweight Title Over Nick Diaz In Thrilling Affair - Tim Burke Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 132: UFC 143 Results Review - Matt Bishop UFC 143 Post-Fight Press Conference Video And Coverage - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Fabricio Werdum Beats Up Roy Nelson, Takes Unanimous Decision - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Josh Koscheck Picks Up Razor-Thin Split Decision Victory Over Mike Pierce - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Renan Barao Takes Unanimous Decision Over Scott Jorgensen - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Ed Herman Submits Clifford Starks In Round Two - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Dustin Poirier Submits Max Holloway - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Edwin Figueroa Beats Alex Cacares By Split Decision In Weird Fight - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Matt Brown Stops Chris Cope In The Second Round - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Matt Riddle Picks Up Split Decision Victory Over Henry Martinez - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Rafael Natal Wins Unanimous Decision Over Michael Kuiper - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Stephen Thompson Knocks Out Dan Stittgen With Deadly Head Kick - Tim Burke UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Live Results And Play-By-Play For PPV Main Card - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Live Results And Play-By-Play For Undercard Fights - Brent Brookhouse

Posted in: ufc, diaz, result, condit, burke

UFC 143 Results Recap: Dustin Poirier Vs. Max Holloway

In the final fight on the UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit prelims on FX, Dustin Poirier defeated UFC newcomer Max Holloway. Poirier used a beautiful chain of submissions before finally locking in a mounted triangle/armbar to tap Holloway in the first round. The submission earned Porier the Submission of the Night bonus, and rightfully so. Poirier is now 12-1 overall, and a perfect 4-0 in the UFC. He seems to be closing in on a Featherweight title shot with Jose Aldo. Holloway loses for the first time in his career, dropping to 4-1. Right from the start, this was a very exciting fight. Both men came out with aggressive stand-up, with Holloway looking particularly impressive in his willingness to take the fight to the more experienced Poirier. As Hollway began to have more success on his feet, Poirier switched to his wrestling, taking the younger fighter down. From there, Poirier controlled with those submissions, ending up with the win. What was the high spot of this fight? The submission sequence at the end, clearly, though the entire thing was quite good. Where do these guys go from here? Poirier was originally set to face Erik Koch here, and that may be a good option for his next fight depending on what Koch's timetable is on his injury. But he's also very high up the Featherweight ranks at this point. I'd love to see Poirier vs. Chan Sung Jung for #1 contender status, but with Jose Aldo having no challenger set-up, I wouldn't be shocked to see Poirier get the call up right now. Holloway may have lost, but he looked good and clearly earned himself a future in the UFC. He seems like a perfect candidate for Leonard Garcia in a fight that will let Holloway show off his striking and hopefully give him a nice win. Watch it now, later or never? Now. It was short, exciting, and had a thrilling finish. About as entertaining a one round fight as you'll find. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit More Bloody Elbow coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit in the full entry. UFC 143 Results: Dana White Talks Carlos Condit's Next Fight, Nick Diaz' Retirement - Josh Nason UFC 143 Results: Mike Pierce Tolls A Warning Bell For Josh Koscheck Like He Did For Jon Fitch - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Nick Diaz Vs. Carlos Condit Event Fight Video Highlights - Anton Tabuena UFC 143 Results: The Career Of UFC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit - Fraser Coffeen UFC 143 Results: Sunday Morning Perspective - T.P. Grant UFC 143 Results: Does Fabricio Werdum's Mauling Of Roy Nelson Mean He's Ready To Contend In The UFC? - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results Video: Dana White Talks Condit Vs. Diaz, Koscheck Vs. Fitch, More At Post-Fight Scrum - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit, Gameplanning And The MMA Fan - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit And Greg Jackson Solved Nick Diaz - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Winners, Losers, And Other Thoughts - Matthew Roth UFC 143 Results: Thompson, Poirier, Werdum And Nelson Take Home $65,000 Fight Night Bonuses - Kid Nate UFC 143: Condit vs. Diaz Full Fight Video Highlights - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit Results And Post-Fight Analysis - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143 Results: Judges' Score Cards From Carlos Condit Vs. Nick Diaz - Kid Nate Nick Diaz: 'I'm Outta This S**t', Retires From MMA After UFC 143 Loss To Carlos Condit - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit Wins Interim Welterweight Title Over Nick Diaz In Thrilling Affair - Tim Burke Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 132: UFC 143 Results Review - Matt Bishop UFC 143 Post-Fight Press Conference Video And Coverage - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Fabricio Werdum Beats Up Roy Nelson, Takes Unanimous Decision - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Josh Koscheck Picks Up Razor-Thin Split Decision Victory Over Mike Pierce - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Renan Barao Takes Unanimous Decision Over Scott Jorgensen - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Ed Herman Submits Clifford Starks In Round Two - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Dustin Poirier Submits Max Holloway - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Edwin Figueroa Beats Alex Cacares By Split Decision In Weird Fight - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Matt Brown Stops Chris Cope In The Second Round - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Matt Riddle Picks Up Split Decision Victory Over Henry Martinez - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Rafael Natal Wins Unanimous Decision Over Michael Kuiper - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Stephen Thompson Knocks Out Dan Stittgen With Deadly Head Kick - Tim Burke UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Live Results And Play-By-Play For PPV Main Card - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Live Results And Play-By-Play For Undercard Fights - Brent Brookhouse

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, result, condit

Diaz v Condit. Slap count down in 5,4,3.....

submitted by FatStupidAmerican [link] [4 comments]

Posted in: diaz, condit, count, fatstupidamerican

UFC 143 Results Recap: Alex Caceres Vs. Edwin Figueroa

In a wild Bantamweight fight at UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit, Edwin Figueroa defeated Alex Caceres via split decision. The scorecards were 28-27, 27-28, 28-27, with Cacaeres having been deducted two points for low blows. Caceres now drops to 6-5 overall, 1-3 in the UFC, while Figueroa brings his recird up to an impressive 9-1, 2-1 in the UFC. This was a very strange fight, which was largely defined by two unintentional low blows Caceres connected on Figueroa. Early in the first round, Caceres caught him low on an inside leg kick. As Figueroa writhed on the ground, it looked like the fight would be stopped, but he regained his feet, and came back to nearly end the fight himself with a brutal headkick. Round 2 saw Caceres again land a low blow, resulting in referee Herb Dean deducting 2 points from Caceres - a move that is unprecedented in the UFC. Figueroa never fully recovered from the low blows, but gutted through the fight. What was the high spot of this fight? That headkick from Figueroa in round 1 was fantastic, and I am shocked it didn't end the fight. Where do these guys go from here? This fight was so strange that it's hard to really evaluate much about either man. Figueroa is now on a 2 fight win streak in the UFC, but his ground game had definite issues here. But again, how much of that was due to the low blows? At just 1-3 Caceres could easily be on the chopping block, but he is a recognizable face in the division, and with the weirdness of this fight, there's reason to keep him around for one more shot. Watch it now, later or never? Later. There was a lot of fun stuff here, particularly in round 1, you just have to fast forward through about 10 minutes of groin shot downtime. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit More Bloody Elbow coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit in the full entry. UFC 143 Results: Dana White Talks Carlos Condit's Next Fight, Nick Diaz' Retirement - Josh Nason UFC 143 Results: Mike Pierce Tolls A Warning Bell For Josh Koscheck Like He Did For Jon Fitch - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Nick Diaz Vs. Carlos Condit Event Fight Video Highlights - Anton Tabuena UFC 143 Results: The Career Of UFC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit - Fraser Coffeen UFC 143 Results: Sunday Morning Perspective - T.P. Grant UFC 143 Results: Does Fabricio Werdum's Mauling Of Roy Nelson Mean He's Ready To Contend In The UFC? - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results Video: Dana White Talks Condit Vs. Diaz, Koscheck Vs. Fitch, More At Post-Fight Scrum - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit, Gameplanning And The MMA Fan - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit And Greg Jackson Solved Nick Diaz - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Winners, Losers, And Other Thoughts - Matthew Roth UFC 143 Results: Thompson, Poirier, Werdum And Nelson Take Home $65,000 Fight Night Bonuses - Kid Nate UFC 143: Condit vs. Diaz Full Fight Video Highlights - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit Results And Post-Fight Analysis - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143 Results: Judges' Score Cards From Carlos Condit Vs. Nick Diaz - Kid Nate Nick Diaz: 'I'm Outta This S**t', Retires From MMA After UFC 143 Loss To Carlos Condit - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit Wins Interim Welterweight Title Over Nick Diaz In Thrilling Affair - Tim Burke Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 132: UFC 143 Results Review - Matt Bishop UFC 143 Post-Fight Press Conference Video And Coverage - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Fabricio Werdum Beats Up Roy Nelson, Takes Unanimous Decision - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Josh Koscheck Picks Up Razor-Thin Split Decision Victory Over Mike Pierce - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Renan Barao Takes Unanimous Decision Over Scott Jorgensen - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Ed Herman Submits Clifford Starks In Round Two - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Dustin Poirier Submits Max Holloway - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Edwin Figueroa Beats Alex Cacares By Split Decision In Weird Fight - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Matt Brown Stops Chris Cope In The Second Round - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Matt Riddle Picks Up Split Decision Victory Over Henry Martinez - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Rafael Natal Wins Unanimous Decision Over Michael Kuiper - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Stephen Thompson Knocks Out Dan Stittgen With Deadly Head Kick - Tim Burke UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Live Results And Play-By-Play For PPV Main Card - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Live Results And Play-By-Play For Undercard Fights - Brent Brookhouse

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, result, condit

UFC 143 Results Recap: Matt Brown Vs. Chris Cope

In a Welterweight fight at UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit, UFC veteran Matt Brown faced fellow Ultimate Fighter alum Chris Cope. Brown was able to take the advantage in round 2, knocking Cope out with a left hook and some quick but heavy ground and pound. The fight was stopped at 1:19 in round 2. Brown bounces back from a loss here and is now 13-11 overall, 6-5 in the UFC. Cope drops his second in a row and is now just 1-2 in the UFC, 5-3 overall. The first round was relatively close, though Brown seemed to have a power advantage. The Immortal controlled more of the clinch grappling, and was able to throw Cope to the ground, plus land a heavy punch to close the round. In the second, Brown landed a heavy right hook on the ear to stagger Cope. As Cope moved away, Brown brought in a nice left hook to put him down and out. Impressive win from Brown, who has struggled in the UFC lately. What was the high spot of this fight? That pair of hooks from Brown was quite nice and clearly did some damage to Cope, who was visibly disoriented after the fight. Where do these guys go from here? Hard to say for Brown. He is a staple of the division who can provide a good test for younger fighters on their way up, though I don't see any reason to move him up much in competition at this point. Cope could be cut, but I suspect will earn one more shot. Expect his job to be on the line in that one. Watch it now, later or never? Later. It was a very workmanlike bout that lacked big fireworks, but the end was nice, especially if you are one of the many people who are annoyed by Cope. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit More Bloody Elbow coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit in the full entry. UFC 143 Results: Dana White Talks Carlos Condit's Next Fight, Nick Diaz' Retirement - Josh Nason UFC 143 Results: Mike Pierce Tolls A Warning Bell For Josh Koscheck Like He Did For Jon Fitch - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Nick Diaz Vs. Carlos Condit Event Fight Video Highlights - Anton Tabuena UFC 143 Results: The Career Of UFC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit - Fraser Coffeen UFC 143 Results: Sunday Morning Perspective - T.P. Grant UFC 143 Results: Does Fabricio Werdum's Mauling Of Roy Nelson Mean He's Ready To Contend In The UFC? - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results Video: Dana White Talks Condit Vs. Diaz, Koscheck Vs. Fitch, More At Post-Fight Scrum - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit, Gameplanning And The MMA Fan - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit And Greg Jackson Solved Nick Diaz - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Winners, Losers, And Other Thoughts - Matthew Roth UFC 143 Results: Thompson, Poirier, Werdum And Nelson Take Home $65,000 Fight Night Bonuses - Kid Nate UFC 143: Condit vs. Diaz Full Fight Video Highlights - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit Results And Post-Fight Analysis - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143 Results: Judges' Score Cards From Carlos Condit Vs. Nick Diaz - Kid Nate Nick Diaz: 'I'm Outta This S**t', Retires From MMA After UFC 143 Loss To Carlos Condit - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit Wins Interim Welterweight Title Over Nick Diaz In Thrilling Affair - Tim Burke Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 132: UFC 143 Results Review - Matt Bishop UFC 143 Post-Fight Press Conference Video And Coverage - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Fabricio Werdum Beats Up Roy Nelson, Takes Unanimous Decision - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Josh Koscheck Picks Up Razor-Thin Split Decision Victory Over Mike Pierce - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Renan Barao Takes Unanimous Decision Over Scott Jorgensen - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Ed Herman Submits Clifford Starks In Round Two - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Dustin Poirier Submits Max Holloway - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Edwin Figueroa Beats Alex Cacares By Split Decision In Weird Fight - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Matt Brown Stops Chris Cope In The Second Round - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Matt Riddle Picks Up Split Decision Victory Over Henry Martinez - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Rafael Natal Wins Unanimous Decision Over Michael Kuiper - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Stephen Thompson Knocks Out Dan Stittgen With Deadly Head Kick - Tim Burke UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Live Results And Play-By-Play For PPV Main Card - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Live Results And Play-By-Play For Undercard Fights - Brent Brookhouse

Posted in: ufc, diaz, result, condit, burke

Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz 2 Coming Soon?

UFC president Dana White seemed open to a Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz rematch before titleholder Georges St-Pierre returns from injury.

Posted in: diaz, nick, vs, condit, carlo

UFC 143 Results Recap: Matt Riddle Vs. Henry Martinez

In a UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit preliminary fight in the Welterweight division, Matt Riddle barely squeaked by Henry Martinez to take a split decision victory. The judges scored the bout 29-28, 28-29, 29-28. Both Riddle and Martinez were replacements for the originally scheduled Amir Sadollah vs. Jorge Lopez fight. Riddle brings his record up to 6-3, while Martinez loses in his UFC debut and drops to 8-2. From the beginning it was clear that Riddle had a significant size advantage over Martinez, who typically fights at Lightweight. However, over most of the first two rounds, it was Martinez who controlled the action with superior boxing. Late in the second round, Riddle switched his primary striking from punches to kicks in order to take advantage of his reach. From there out, Riddle controlled the fight, resulting in the close decision win. What was the high spot of this fight? Late in the second Riddle figured out how to deal with Martinez and celebrated by launching a wild combo that was fun in that crazy brawling kind of way. Where do these guys go from here? Riddle seems like one of those fighters who is more interested in going out there and having fun than actually winning and advancing his career, which makes him a tough one to set up fights for. Maybe fellow TUF season 7 alum Amir Sadollah? Martinez almost won a fight where he was giving up considerable size. He deserves another UFC shot back at Lightweight against any one of dozens of other lower end Lightweight fighters. Watch it now, later or never? Later if you like the kind of wild Garcia type stand-up battle, never if you don't. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit More Bloody Elbow coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit in the full entry. UFC 143 Results: Dana White Talks Carlos Condit's Next Fight, Nick Diaz' Retirement - Josh Nason UFC 143 Results: Mike Pierce Tolls A Warning Bell For Josh Koscheck Like He Did For Jon Fitch - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Nick Diaz Vs. Carlos Condit Event Fight Video Highlights - Anton Tabuena UFC 143 Results: The Career Of UFC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit - Fraser Coffeen UFC 143 Results: Sunday Morning Perspective - T.P. Grant UFC 143 Results: Does Fabricio Werdum's Mauling Of Roy Nelson Mean He's Ready To Contend In The UFC? - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results Video: Dana White Talks Condit Vs. Diaz, Koscheck Vs. Fitch, More At Post-Fight Scrum - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit, Gameplanning And The MMA Fan - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit And Greg Jackson Solved Nick Diaz - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Winners, Losers, And Other Thoughts - Matthew Roth UFC 143 Results: Thompson, Poirier, Werdum And Nelson Take Home $65,000 Fight Night Bonuses - Kid Nate UFC 143: Condit vs. Diaz Full Fight Video Highlights - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit Results And Post-Fight Analysis - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143 Results: Judges' Score Cards From Carlos Condit Vs. Nick Diaz - Kid Nate Nick Diaz: 'I'm Outta This S**t', Retires From MMA After UFC 143 Loss To Carlos Condit - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit Wins Interim Welterweight Title Over Nick Diaz In Thrilling Affair - Tim Burke Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 132: UFC 143 Results Review - Matt Bishop UFC 143 Post-Fight Press Conference Video And Coverage - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Fabricio Werdum Beats Up Roy Nelson, Takes Unanimous Decision - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Josh Koscheck Picks Up Razor-Thin Split Decision Victory Over Mike Pierce - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Renan Barao Takes Unanimous Decision Over Scott Jorgensen - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Ed Herman Submits Clifford Starks In Round Two - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Dustin Poirier Submits Max Holloway - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Edwin Figueroa Beats Alex Cacares By Split Decision In Weird Fight - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Matt Brown Stops Chris Cope In The Second Round - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Matt Riddle Picks Up Split Decision Victory Over Henry Martinez - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Rafael Natal Wins Unanimous Decision Over Michael Kuiper - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Stephen Thompson Knocks Out Dan Stittgen With Deadly Head Kick - Tim Burke UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Live Results And Play-By-Play For PPV Main Card - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Live Results And Play-By-Play For Undercard Fights - Brent Brookhouse

Posted in: ufc, diaz, result, vs, condit

UFC 143 results: MMA scoring an inexact science but doesn't change Carlos Condit's win over Nick Diaz

Part of post-fight banter is comparing scorecards, be it with other fans or journalists covering the sport. But a note to all who venture to go there: the only true and legitimate way to compare them is to score a fight precisely like judges do, by making one decision at the end of a round with no option whatsoever to change it. This puts a whole new tone on scoring fights. Anyone who says they had it "49-46, maybe 48-47" is waffling in a way that no real judge can. It's a one-and-done thing, which adds some extra element of pressure, especially in a close fight. This can be hard, especially when you're scoring a close fight where one guy seems to have a consistent edge in action where the tone and pace has few, if any wild swings. That was precisely how the UFC 143 main event bout between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit last night (Sat., Feb. 4, 2012) in Las Vegas, Nevada, felt, but that's also why I scored the fifth for Diaz, with a final card of 49-46. The fifth could legitimately be classified as a makeup round for Diaz, who'd been close in a couple others, but without either guy getting visibly hurt, or a tempo change, Condit was simply doing too much for me to mount a big case for Diaz. Nick definitely threatened in the final moments of the fifth, which was much closer than Condit ever came to finishing him. The second round was the only one where Diaz outlanded Condit -- 30 to 25 -- and even then it was very close. I must add that it's also a lot easier to score the fifth for someone like Diaz in that situation where there's little to no question that the fight has already been decided. Would I score the fifth round of, say, Frankie Edgar-Gray Maynard II with that approach? Definitely not. There's no room for makeup round to reflect the competitiveness of the fight when the whole thing is nip-and-tuck. But Condit-Diaz didn't feel that way at all. At least not to me. You may feel otherwise. That said, I was surprised with how many fans on Twitter interacting with me on the fight felt Diaz one. I'm loath to rely too heavily on strike and other statistics, because a five-round fight is, in its essence, five separate contests independent of one another. Translation? Just because one fighter has a big edge in strikes may not accurately reflect the tone of the entire bout. You can pile up a huge edge in one round with several others that are close (Maynard-Edgar II is a perfect example of this, with Maynard landing a 44 of his 99 total strikes in that wipeout opening round). It also doesn't take into effect that's landing the more effective shots and getting a bigger reaction out of landing. Throw in takedowns and submissions attempts, both of whom have no clearly delineated equivalency in scoring compared to strikes, and it can get really murky. Does a takedown equal getting up from one? How many solid leg kicks are equal to a submission that is barely escaped? Are failed takedown attempts points for the defending fighter? The only person I know who obsesses over these more than me, and certainly more then the average fight judge, is my man Dallas Winston at Bloody Elbow. And he never sleeps. On that score, Condit vs. Diaz was remarkably simple. Save for Diaz' threatening back control in the waning seconds of the bout and two missed submission attempts, it was almost entirely striking that comprised the action Saturday night. Given that neither guy was able to visibly rock, stun or floor the other, there was little to tilt the scales in favor of either being the power puncher that should get more credit for shots landed. Condit was 146 of 273 overall, Diaz 110 of 223. Going forward and getting outlanded is a hard argument for a winner unless you're rocking the other guy (which Diaz never achieved) or landing the bigger shots (which he didn't). I think a lot of the anti-Condit sentiment came from a mixture of fans expecting a bloodbath and people just flat-out unable to accept that Diaz lost, fair and square. Tomorrow's another day, and hopefully Diaz's retirement talk is just post-fight emotion taking over. But on this one, Nick was beaten on every front, plain and simple. Jason Probst can be reached at twitter.com/jasonprobst and Jason@jasonprobst.com

Posted in: fight, diaz, guy, round, condit

UFC 143 Results Recap: Rafael Natal Vs. Michael Kuiper

Rafael Natal needed an impressive performance at UFC 143 Saturday to stay relevant in the UFC's middleweight division and did just that, earning an entertaining unanimous decision victory over UFC newcomer Michael Kuiper in the evening's second fight. Natal (14-3-1, 2-1-1 UFC) won his second straight and showed significant aggression in the fight's opening round, securing several takedowns and working for submissions. Kuiper (11-1, 0-1 UFC) didn't look completely comfortable working from his back, but did enough to survive. Both men showed a lot of wear in the second as they struggled to keep up the fervent pace with some sloppy striking, but Natal got a takedown late to edge out a close round. Kuiper opened the window in the third round with a big right hand that dropped Natal to his knees and continued to ground and pound. However, Natal's superior ground game took over and he held tight to Kuiper, eventually reversing position and getting to a standing position. He secured a big takedown with two minutes to go and used that same ground game to control Kuiper while going for head and arm choke submissions. What was the high spot of the fight? Kuiper's right hand in the third round that dropped Natal to his knees was visually pleasing, while Natal's takedown in the third was also a big move. Where do these guys go from here? Even with his second straight win, Natal hasn't done anything yet to earn himself bigger promotion. He's gone the distance in four straight fights and until he starts finishing opponents again, Natal will remain in the first or second spot in most cards. Expect a fight against another middle-of-the-road middleweight in May or June. Kuiper will get another shot as he's just 22 years old and made a decent accounting of himself in his biggest fight to date. He does need to work on conditioning, which hurt him in this fight. Watch it now, later or never? With the glut of fights out there, there's no rush or necessity to watch Natal/Kuiper. More Bloody Elbow coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit in the full entry. UFC 143 Results: Dana White Talks Carlos Condit's Next Fight, Nick Diaz' Retirement - Josh Nason UFC 143 Results: Mike Pierce Tolls A Warning Bell For Josh Koscheck Like He Did For Jon Fitch - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Nick Diaz Vs. Carlos Condit Event Fight Video Highlights - Anton Tabuena UFC 143 Results: The Career Of UFC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit - Fraser Coffeen UFC 143 Results: Sunday Morning Perspective - T.P. Grant UFC 143 Results: Does Fabricio Werdum's Mauling Of Roy Nelson Mean He's Ready To Contend In The UFC? - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results Video: Dana White Talks Condit Vs. Diaz, Koscheck Vs. Fitch, More At Post-Fight Scrum - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit, Gameplanning And The MMA Fan - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit And Greg Jackson Solved Nick Diaz - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Winners, Losers, And Other Thoughts - Matthew Roth UFC 143 Results: Thompson, Poirier, Werdum And Nelson Take Home $65,000 Fight Night Bonuses - Kid Nate UFC 143: Condit vs. Diaz Full Fight Video Highlights - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit Results And Post-Fight Analysis - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143 Results: Judges' Score Cards From Carlos Condit Vs. Nick Diaz - Kid Nate Nick Diaz: 'I'm Outta This S**t', Retires From MMA After UFC 143 Loss To Carlos Condit - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit Wins Interim Welterweight Title Over Nick Diaz In Thrilling Affair - Tim Burke Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 132: UFC 143 Results Review - Matt Bishop UFC 143 Post-Fight Press Conference Video And Coverage - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Fabricio Werdum Beats Up Roy Nelson, Takes Unanimous Decision - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Josh Koscheck Picks Up Razor-Thin Split Decision Victory Over Mike Pierce - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Renan Barao Takes Unanimous Decision Over Scott Jorgensen - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Ed Herman Submits Clifford Starks In Round Two - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Dustin Poirier Submits Max Holloway - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Edwin Figueroa Beats Alex Cacares By Split Decision In Weird Fight - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Matt Brown Stops Chris Cope In The Second Round - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Matt Riddle Picks Up Split Decision Victory Over Henry Martinez - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Rafael Natal Wins Unanimous Decision Over Michael Kuiper - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Stephen Thompson Knocks Out Dan Stittgen With Deadly Head Kick - Tim Burke UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Live Results And Play-By-Play For PPV Main Card - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Live Results And Play-By-Play For Undercard Fights - Brent Brookhouse

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, result, condit

Dana White prepared to give Nick Diaz immediate rematch

Last week, Carlos Condit’s manager came out to say their team would consider a scenario with “The Natural Born Killer” defending his interim welterweight title if victorious at UFC 143 based on the amount of time remaining before linear champion Georges St. Pierre is fully healed from knee surgery. Now it appears the UFC may be open to obliging the request with an opponent already in mind – Nick Diaz. Diaz, who Condit outpointed last night at UFC 143 in the evening’s main event, was seen by numerous fans, fighters, and media members as having deserved the victory based on his aggression as opposed to Condit’s calculated counter-attack in the extremely close contest. While UFC President Dana White was not among them, stating he felt Condit deserved the judges’ favor, he apparently understands the argument against it and would be willing to put the fight together if both sides agree to terms. “It’s crazy, but…I was thinking about it after the fight,” said White in an interview with MMAJunkie. “People are bitching, and people think that was close…we could do that fight again before GSP comes back.” However, White isn’t ready to force Condit into an immediate rematch with Diaz nor does he know if Diaz has any interest in continuing his MMA career based on his post-fight statements about retirement. “It depends on Carlos, too. Carlos has got to say – and Nick’s got to say, ‘I want to fight him again,’ too,” White explained. Fighters facing off in back-to-back bouts is not without precedent, such as when Frankie Edgar and B.J. Penn squared off in consecutive clashes after “The Answer” barely beat Penn the first time around. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, condit, carlo

UFC 143 Results Recap: Stephen Thompson Vs. Dan Stittgen

The excitement level of UFC debuts seem to go either one way or another: really good or quite dull. In the opening bout of UFC 143 Saturday, two Octagon newbies set out to make it more the former than the latter with one succeeding mightily. Stephen Thompson (6-0, 1-0 UFC) kept his professional and amateur fighting career undefeated with a first round knockout of Dan Stittgen (7-2, 0-1 UFC), thanks to Thompson's trusty right foot that found the side of Stittgen's head. Thompson came into his UFC debut with a combined 57-0 pro/amateur kickboxing record with 46 knockouts and made himself known to MMA fans on the biggest stage in a hurry. Thompson controlled the fight throughout, using a sideways stance and a variety of kicks to hold off Stittgen who seemed content to stand and throw leg kicks to counter. Thompson was calm in waiting for his opportunity and it came quickly and violently. What was the high spot of this fight? Without a doubt, it was the Thompson head kick that earned him $65,000 for Knockout Of The Night and a fight re-air on the FX portion of the show. Where do these guys go from here? Thompson earned himself a reprieve from the opening bout of an event to at least the FX/Fuel prelims on an upcoming show. As far as talent level, the UFC would be wise to pair him against another opponent with similar experience before jumping him up the chain. His pre-MMA experience might eventually warrant that, but patience is a virtue with a fighter like Thompson. Expect to see him in May on the third Fox show or UFC On FX 3. Stittgen didn't do much to warrant a return engagement as he essentially acted as a sparring partner for Thompson. Why he decided to keep the fight standing against a high-level kickboxer is a mystery. Watch it now, later or never? Watch it now as the head kick was simply awesome. More Bloody Elbow coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit in the full entry. UFC 143 Results: Dana White Talks Carlos Condit's Next Fight, Nick Diaz' Retirement - Josh Nason UFC 143 Results: Mike Pierce Tolls A Warning Bell For Josh Koscheck Like He Did For Jon Fitch - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Nick Diaz Vs. Carlos Condit Event Fight Video Highlights - Anton Tabuena UFC 143 Results: The Career Of UFC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit - Fraser Coffeen UFC 143 Results: Sunday Morning Perspective - T.P. Grant UFC 143 Results: Does Fabricio Werdum's Mauling Of Roy Nelson Mean He's Ready To Contend In The UFC? - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results Video: Dana White Talks Condit Vs. Diaz, Koscheck Vs. Fitch, More At Post-Fight Scrum - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit, Gameplanning And The MMA Fan - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit And Greg Jackson Solved Nick Diaz - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Winners, Losers, And Other Thoughts - Matthew Roth UFC 143 Results: Thompson, Poirier, Werdum And Nelson Take Home $65,000 Fight Night Bonuses - Kid Nate UFC 143: Condit vs. Diaz Full Fight Video Highlights - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit Results And Post-Fight Analysis - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143 Results: Judges' Score Cards From Carlos Condit Vs. Nick Diaz - Kid Nate Nick Diaz: 'I'm Outta This S**t', Retires From MMA After UFC 143 Loss To Carlos Condit - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit Wins Interim Welterweight Title Over Nick Diaz In Thrilling Affair - Tim Burke Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 132: UFC 143 Results Review - Matt Bishop UFC 143 Post-Fight Press Conference Video And Coverage - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Fabricio Werdum Beats Up Roy Nelson, Takes Unanimous Decision - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Josh Koscheck Picks Up Razor-Thin Split Decision Victory Over Mike Pierce - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Renan Barao Takes Unanimous Decision Over Scott Jorgensen - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Ed Herman Submits Clifford Starks In Round Two - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Dustin Poirier Submits Max Holloway - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Edwin Figueroa Beats Alex Cacares By Split Decision In Weird Fight - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Matt Brown Stops Chris Cope In The Second Round - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Matt Riddle Picks Up Split Decision Victory Over Henry Martinez - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Rafael Natal Wins Unanimous Decision Over Michael Kuiper - Tim Burke UFC 143 Results: Stephen Thompson Knocks Out Dan Stittgen With Deadly Head Kick - Tim Burke UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Live Results And Play-By-Play For PPV Main Card - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Live Results And Play-By-Play For Undercard Fights - Brent Brookhouse

Posted in: ufc, diaz, result, condit, burke

UFC 143 results: Nick Diaz a bad boy boxer or just an immature fighter?

Georges St. Pierre called him "fake crazy" and said he believes he has "mental issues." Fans have lauded him for having "attitude" and shunning tradition for an in-your-face approach centered around the fact that he plays by the rules only so much as it suits him. The Stockton bad boy act is appealing to many but after his loss to Carlos Condit in the main event of last night's (Sat., Feb. 4, 2012) UFC 143 pay-per-view (PPV) in Las Vegas, Nevada, there's one word that can describe Nick Diaz better than any other. Immature. None of us should have been shocked by the outcome of last night's fight. Not the decision, though some are calling it controversial, but rather the manner in which the bout played out. Did we really think Condit, a cerebral assassin, would walk down the aisle, step inside the cage and go toe-to-toe with Diaz. Did we really? If we did, it was rooted in hope instead of actual analysis. In hindsight, we all should have saw this coming, including Diaz. Condit's game plan was impeccable, suited to his style while exploiting the weaknesses still present in Diaz's game. He frustrated the California native, effectively executing the stick-and-move style that has made Frankie Edgar such a beast at 155-pounds. It was brilliant, really. A work of art, even. This was arguably Condit's finest hour, even if he didn't break any bones with a slick submission or send his opponent off to La La Land with a big knockout. All he did was earn a 14-pound piece of gold and a promise to fight one of the greatest mixed martial artists on the planet later this year. Diaz, meanwhile, in a sad display, told everyone he's taking his ball and going home. Diaz is still too caught up in the outdated notion that a "fight" is two men standing in front of each other and wildly winging punches until someone falls down. On the streets of Stockton maybe that's exactly how it goes but inside the Octagon against the best the world has to offer, that's simply not the case and it never will be. When Diaz couldn't force a flurry against the cage, he threw his hands up and started trash talking Condit in an attempt to bait him into an exchange. Instead of finding the best way to deal with Carlos before the fight, Diaz came in with the same strategy he's always had and when it didn't work out the way he wanted, he essentially threw a tantrum in the center of the cage and might as well have looked at the ref and said, "Wha, wha, he won't fight." The next step in said tantrum? To stomp off in a huff and quit. And that's exactly what he did, telling Joe Rogan the following: "You know I don't need this sh*t. You know what I mean? I pushed this guy backwards the whole fight. He ran from me the whole fight. I landed the harder shots. He ran the whole time. He kicked me in my leg a little bit. That was the way they understand to win in here, I don't want to play this game no more. I'll help out my team and my brother but I'm out of this sh*t." Essentially, because Condit didn't fight Diaz the way Diaz wanted him to, Diaz is quitting. Suddenly the bad boy act reveals itself as something entirely different. This isn't what a tough guy from the mean streets of Stockton would do. This is what a child would do when they don't get their way. Diaz knew the game coming in. He knew his opponent was smart enough to realize that playing into his game would have been a silly miscalculation that would have cost him a title, a big fight against Georges St. Pierre and a lot of money. This is not to say that Diaz was completely out of line. No, he applauded Condit and said he's happy for the new UFC interim welterweight champion and his family. "Good job, Carlos, you're the man, bro," he said. Credit where it's due. But instead of vowing to come back stronger and better than ever, to work on his obvious flaws and improve his mixed marital arts game, Diaz complained about the system before exiting stage left. That's not what winners do. It's not what legends do. It's not what martial artists do. It's what immature, inferior fighters do.

Posted in: fight, diaz, way, condit, game

Observations from My Couch: UFC 143 ‘Diaz vs. Condit’

A few observations from UFC 143: “Diaz vs. Condit”: -Sure, Stephen Thompson may be an unorthodox striker in MMA and good at karate, but we’ve seen how this movie ends. He goes on to win the belt, then gets destroyed by some prodigy and standing-guillotined until he’s a quivering mass of unconscious humanity on the floor. -Matt Riddle is the most… he’s the most… sorry, I just can’t make myself care about Riddle. -It took Chuck Liddell about ten years of MMA competition to become a case study in the effects of repetitive head trauma. Chris Cope is on track to cut that time in half. -Really, I’d say the biggest loser in the Alex Caceres/Edwin Figueroa bout was Figueroa’s nutsack. -Dustin Poirier will be a contender in the featherweight division. Unfortunately, toying with tomato cans will get him nowhere. -Ed Herman is like a less-skilled, less-talented, uninspiring and only moderately-effective version of Randy Couture, who will never ever come within shouting distance of the title. I’d say that qualifies him to fight for the Strikeforce belt. -He may or may not have a chance against Dominick Cruz, but Renan Barao is the most ready to challenge the champ. Make that fight, Joe Silva! -Seriously, Josh Koscheck needs to be filmed rescuing a busload of orphans from bandits or something. The hate the audience levels upon him is kind of unwarranted. -Roy Nelson: so tough, yet so incapable of hanging with the elite heavyweights. -Ugh. It pains me to say this, but Carlos Condit definitely out-struck Nick Diaz and earned that decision. Yes, he ran just about the entire time. However, it was a tactical “run” as opposed to a scared “run”, and he landed a wide array of kicks, knees, punches, backfists and elbows. The sad thing is, Diaz is the better fighter. No one will ever kick Diaz’s ass. That’s not the case with Condit, though, who will likely get laid upon by Georges St. Pierre and ground-and-pounded.

Posted in: diaz, condit, chuck liddell, renan barao, strikeforce belt

Dana White open to another Carlos Condit-Nick Diaz fight before GSP returns

Public opinion seems to be split down the middle in terms of whether Nick Diaz was more deserving of a decision victory last night at UFC 143 than actual winner, Carlos Condit. Both battled for twenty-five minutes with Condit taking an aesthetically unpleasing, counter-striking style rather than engaging Diaz in stand-up exchanges for any extended durations. UFC President Dana White, who has never been afraid to criticize judging, offered up his take on the headlining tilt after the event had concluded where he found no fault in the outcome but understood criticism from fans/media who felt Diaz earned the interim belt based on aggression and having taken Condit’s back in the fifth round. A Round-by-Round Look at Condit vs. Diaz “Nick Diaz is the master of getting you to fight his type of fight,” said White in a conversation with MMAJunkie. “Fighters have egos, and millions of people are watching. When you start getting open-hand slapped by the other guy and he’s calling you names – ‘Alright, you want to do this?’ – they step in, and they do it. Carlos Condit kept his cool tonight, fought a perfect fight. He started early, chopping those legs, and that did make a big difference toward the end of the fight. It slowed Nick down a lot – body shots, too.” However, with Georges St. Pierre out until November while recovering from knee surgery, it appears White is willing to do his part in providing a more satisfying conclusion to the Diaz-Condit saga by having them fight again in a few months. “It’s crazy, but…I was thinking about it after the fight. People are bitching, and people think that was close…we could do that fight again before GSP comes back,” explained White before adding, “It depends on Carlos, too. Carlos has got to say – and Nick’s got to say, ‘I want to fight him again,’ too.” A disappointed Diaz said he was retiring from MMA immediately after the scores were read, disgusted with the notion of losing despite dictating the bout’s pace. A second shot at Condit could prompt him to return, while Condit’s camp has said “The Natural Born Killer” would be open to a title-defense before facing St. Pierre. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

Posted in: fight, diaz, nick, condit, carlo

Video: Rashad Evans breaks down Georges St. Pierre vs Carlos Condit fight

So you wanted to see Georges St. Pierre vs. Nick Diaz? Tough. You're getting Georges St. Pierre vs. Carlos Condit thanks to "The Natural Born Killer" hopping on his bicycle and executing a brilliant game plan to defeat the Stockton boxer last night (Sat., Feb. 4, 2012) at UFC 143 in Las Vegas. During the post-fight show on FUEL TV, "Suga" Rashad Evans -- who has trained with both St. Pierre and Condit -- broke down Condit's chances and what he'll need to do to win. "With the fight coming to Georges St. Pierre, Carlos Condit is going to have to work his wrestling. Georges St. Pierre is the master at the transition from the punch to the takedowns and that's where he controls the fight, that's where he controls the pace of the fight. Carlos Condit was doing a very good job ... when he fought Diaz with the in-and-out with the leg kicks but somebody like Georges St. Pierre, he's going to have to do a little bit more. He's going to have to be able to mix it up a little bit more and show that he can bring the fight where he wants to bring the fight." Feelings about last night aside, are we looking forward to St. Pierre vs. Condit? And who wins?

Posted in: fight, pierre, st, condit, george

No Robbery Here: Carlos Condit Earned Decision Win Over Nick Diaz

Judging by Nick Diaz’s reaction to his unanimous decision loss to Carlos Condit at UFC 143, you’d have thought he’d just been robbed on live TV. You’d have thought he’d returned home to find that judge Cecil Peoples had made off with all his most prized possessions, from his road bike to his Tupac CD’s. You definitely wouldn’t have thought that he’d merely lost a close decision in a close fight, though that’s exactly what happened."I don't need this [expletive]," Diaz told Joe Rogan after the decision was announced. "He ran from me this whole fight. I landed the harder shots. He kicked me in the leg with little baby kicks."Of course, he said this while sporting a set of facial bruises and lacerations that told a very different story. You don’t get that kind of damage at a track meet. Obviously Condit must have been doing something besides running and baby-kicking. According to the FightMetric stats, that something was out-working Diaz with strikes in four of the five rounds, landing a total of 159 strikes to Diaz’s 117. Granted, stats don’t always tell the full story with an MMA bout. Condit did spend a considerable amount of time avoiding Diaz, or at least ducking out of the way and getting the fight back to the center of the cage. If you’re of the opinion that no fighter should ever win a decision while backpedaling -- even if he’s landing more strikes in the process --- then sure, you could cry foul over the decision. Just know that you’re using your own made-up criteria to judge the fight, not the one that matters.According to the unified rules of MMA, judges score bouts based on "effective striking, effective grappling, control of the fighting area, effective aggressiveness and defense." Nowhere in there does it say you can’t back up or circle away. Nowhere does it say that you have to let a guy like Diaz walk you down and unload on you against the cage. Condit clearly didn’t want to get stuck with his back to the fence, where Diaz is most effective, so he continually brought the fight back to the center, where he was more effective.In other words, Condit fought the smart fight. He also fought the slightly busier fight, at least according to the numbers. While it might have looked like Diaz was far more aggressive, if only because he walked forward in a straight line for most of the fight, Condit actually threw more strikes (329 to 258, according to Fight Metric) and landed more significant strikes (151 to 105). You can accuse him of running away if you want, but, like Diaz, you’d have to ignore the obvious evidence to the contrary, which plenty of fans are no doubt willing to do.Maybe part of the problem here is expectations. Many people (Diaz included, perhaps) thought this was going to be a brawl. They expected to see two guys standing toe-to-toe, chopping away at each other until somebody fell. They didn’t get that fight, even though Diaz did his best to deliver it, and so they naturally blame the guy who decided to pursue a game plan rather than the guy who was unable to adjust to it.It’s easy to see why Diaz wanted the kind of flat-footed, close-up boxing match that he was pressing for all night. He’s good at that style. He might be better at it than anyone in MMA -- certainly better than Condit. That’s why it only made sense for Condit to stay on the move, to force Diaz to reset and start his attack over. And while Diaz was doing that, Condit hit him. He ducked under hooks, stayed out of range of those long jabs, and picked his spots.That’s not to say it wasn’t a close fight. Several of those rounds could have gone either way, and don’t believe for a second that Condit had no doubt about how the judges were going to score it. Standing there and waiting for Bruce Buffer to get through the preamble and just spit it out, Condit looked like one of those alleged fathers on the Maury Povich paternity test show. He might have been hoping for good news, but that was not the look of a man who knew for sure what was coming.That’s how it goes with close fights. When neither man clearly dominates, you end up standing there at the end of the night, hoping for the best. Diaz can complain that Condit didn’t engage in the kind of fight he wanted, but he can’t say that the guy didn’t fight. Not with his face looking like that. Not if he wants anyone to take him seriously.

Posted in: fight, diaz, guy, decision, condit

UFC 143 results: Dana White not opposed to Nick Diaz vs Carlos Condit rematch

Raise your hand if you saw this one coming. After the boo birds rained down last night (Sat., Feb. 4, 2012) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center after the judges awarded Carlos Condit a controversial unanimous decision victory over Nick Diaz at UFC 143 and crowned him the interim Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight champion, it was kind of hard not to. After five rounds of pressing the action, Diaz was comfortable believing he had the fight wrapped up. But after the final bell rang and the judge's scorecards were tallied, it was determined Condit was the one who did enough to earn the nod. Fight Metric reports would seem to back that up. Along with winning the interim title, Condit also earned the right to face the 170-pound kingpin Georges St. Pierre, once he is deemed fit to return to action after rehabbing from knee surgery. However, should the French-Canadian's be out longer than expected, a rematch between Diaz and Condit certainly isn't far fetched. Speaking at the UFC 143 post-fight press conference, UFC President Dana White talked about a potential rematch between the two scrappy welterweights. "I know (Georges. St. Pierre) wanted that Diaz fight bad, but it's not going to be Diaz so he better get angry with Carlos Condit or focus on Carlos Condit or whatever he needs to do. Carlos Condit won this fight. No matter how much Georges and Nick hate each other, Carlos Condit won, and I think the fans are mad at the way Carlos Condit fought. Too f*cking bad. He came in with a game plan and stuck to it and won. You know what's funny man, is that when he said that, I was thinking the same thing. It's crazy, but. I was thinking it after the fight. You know, people are bitching and thinking it was close or whatever, we can do that fight again before GSP comes back. It depends on Carlos too, he's really gotta say, and Nick's gotta say I want to fight him again too." If the rematch does go down, it won't be a first for the world's largest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion. After Lyoto Machida defended his UFC light heavyweight title against Mauricio Rua at UFC 104 in a very controversial decision, UFC officials immediately made a rematch between the two at UFC 113. "Shogun" made sure the second fight didn't go to the judges by knocking out "The Dragon" in the very first round to capture the title. At UFC 112, B.J. Penn lost his 155-pound belt to Frankie Edgar in a very close fight. Officials once again ordered an immediate rematch at UFC 118, which saw "The Answer" yet again defeated "The Prodigy" via decision. With Georges St. Pierre's return not expected until November of this year, it would mean a nine month wait for Condit. That's a long time to be on the shelf. What do you say Maniacs, would the offer of a rematch with Condit be enough for Diaz to end his retirement talk? Should a rematch even be considered? Opinions, please.

Posted in: ufc, fight, rematch, condit, carlo

UFC 143 Post-Fight News & Notes: Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen II Agreed For June In Brazil

Rundown of UFC 143 post-fight news and notes… — 10,040 attendees filled the Mandalay Bay Events Center for a $2.3 million live gate. — Stephen Thompson picked up a $65,000 KO of the Night bonus in his UFC debut for that sneaky head kick he used to put Dan Stittgen’s lights out. Dustin Poirier was awarded the Submission of the Night bonus for his sweet mounted triangle/armbar. And Fabricio Werdum and Roy Nelson earned Fight of the Night for their bloody battle. — It’s been quite awhile since I remember fans so passionately split about a decision like they are with Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit. Honestly, when the fight was over I felt like Condit had won it and I really wanted Nick Diaz to win. I wasn’t actively scoring it as the fight progressed though, so perhaps I’ll change my mind when I go back and watch it again. For what it’s worth, Dana White thought Carlos Condit won the fight as well and I’m sure he was internally hoping Diaz would win given the magnitude of GSP vs. Diaz. “Carlos Condit won,” White said following the evening’s post-event press conference. “He went in there, and he fought a great fight. He stuck to his gameplan and didn’t fall in Nick Diaz’s (style of fight).” “Nick Diaz is the master of getting you to fight his type of fight,” White said. “Fighters have egos, and millions of people are watching. When you start getting open-hand slapped by the other guy and he’s calling you names – ‘Alright, you want to do this?’ – they step in, and they do it. Carlos Condit kept his cool tonight, fought a perfect fight. He started early, chopping those legs, and that did make a big difference toward the end of the fight. It slowed Nick down a lot – body shots, too.” Even though Dana felt Condit won the fight, he thought it was close enough to warrant a rematch if both fighters wanted it. “It’s crazy, but … I was thinking about it after the fight,” White said. “People are bitching, and people think that was close, we could do that fight again before GSP comes back.” “It depends on Carlos, too. Carlos has got to say – and Nick’s got to say, ‘I want to fight him again,’ too.” That would certainly be one way of handling it. Condit said he was leaning towards waiting for GSP in his post-fight interview with Ariel Helwani, however Dana was pretty adamant that he wanted Condit to fight again if GSP is going to be out for too long. Nevertheless, I seriously doubt Condit would want to fight Diaz again, so we’ll have to see what happens. Dana also thought Josh Koscheck vs. Nick Diaz would be a good match-up. — Of course, that’s all assuming Nick Diaz doesn’t actually retire. But I doubt he will and so does Dana White. “You never know with Nick Diaz,” White said. “You never know. I think he’s just upset right now, and I think he’s emotional, but who knows?” “I think once he goes home and realizes and calms downs – look, Nick Diaz is a fighter,” he said. “I don’t see Nick Diaz retiring, but who knows? This isn’t one of those sports where you want to be half in, half out. “If that’s how you feel, maybe you should retire.” Nick Diaz didn’t comment on it past his post-fight interview, but I’m sure Cesar Gracie will address it this week. — Carlos Condit’s comments on the fight and moving forward as the interim welterweight champion: “He was talking. I was landing punches,” Condit told UFC.com after his title-winning performance. “I think I was winning. No matter how much he talked, I was hitting hard and I was hitting him solid. That’s what I came here to do. I didn’t come here to talk.” “[This win] is huge. This is just another step toward my ultimate goal of being among the best mixed martial artists in the world,” said Condit. “I’ve got a lot of work to do and a lot more improvements to make. Georges is a true champion, and he’s the best in the world.” “I have the best fans in the world. I get so much support and respect from people all over the world who I don’t even know,” said Condit. “I want you guys to know how much it f—ing means to me. This isn’t always fun, and it’s not always easy, but hearing from fans and getting support from you guys gives me motivation.” — Roy Nelson didn’t win last night, but he showed once again just how darn tough he is. Even one of his biggest critics, Dana White, was impressed with how Big Country kept fighting after taking so much punishment. He’s not sure what’s next for Nelson, but he hopes Nelson will continue to take his training and diet more seriously. “I don’t know,” UFC president Dana White told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “We’ll see what happens. I mean the guy brings it. He comes to fight. I just – you wonder what he could do if he really, really trained and got into it.” “I’ve been telling Roy forever if Roy took himself serious – for instance, Roy had moments there,” White said. “He rocked Werdum once with a couple of shots. If he was in good enough shape to keep that kind of a pace, he would win more fights.” “I don’t know,” White said. “He’s tough though. He’s so tough. He’s one of the toughest guys I’ve ever seen.” Here’s a pic of that nasty cut Fabricio Werdum opened up over his eye if you don’t mind seeing a little forehead flesh. — Here’s some interesting news. Josh Koscheck revealed after the fight that he has split from AKA. “I’ll be training out of Fresno for now,” Koscheck told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “I’m no longer affiliated with some of the people at the gym that I’ve been training at.” “It was a tough camp,” Koscheck said. “This is my last camp there. I’m going to do my own thing.” So does that mean he and Jon Fitch will finally fight? Koscheck says “good luck with that.” “That’s what I whispered to him,” White told MMAjunkie.com. “I said, ‘Now I’m doing the Jon Fitch fight.’ That’s what I said to him. He said, ‘Good luck with that.’” Dana said he “wouldn’t do it just to do it,” but if the fight made sense he would push for it. I’m not sure how many people are really clamoring for that one though. — And last but not least, Dana White confirmed that Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen have verbally agreed to meet in June in Brazil and bout agreements should be finalized soon. It’s still unclear exactly where in Brazil the fight will happen. They wanted to do it at a soccer stadium in San Paulo, but apparently noise ordinances are making that difficult to book. Image via Esther Lin for MMA Fighting

Posted in: fight, diaz, nick, dana, condit

UFC 143 results recap: What's next for Carlos Condit?

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) just delivered another big time fight card with UFC 143, bringing its "A" game to the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. A new welterweight interim champion was crowned as Carlos Condit defeated Nick Diaz in a fight that was just about everything it was promised to be. Unfortunately, the final decision left a sour taste in some fans' mouths, but that doesn't change the results. Condit is now the interim titleholder and has a reservation to fight Georges St. Pierre as soon as "Rush" is ready to get back into the cage. You know the deal. One big UFC pay-per-view (PPV) event is in the books and we're already on to the next one. The mixed martial arts (MMA) world doesn't stop turning and the speculation on the future never stops. With that in mind, let's take a look at what may be next for UFC 143 big winner Carlos Condit: Diaz has been picking a fight with UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre for almost a year now. He doesn't like him, he doesn't respect him and the feelings are mutual. Sadly, that fight isn't going to happen now. It may not happen ever. With a win over Diaz at UFC 143, Carlos Condit earned what appears to be the title shot he's dreamed of for a long time. He put up with the trash talk. He trained hard. He followed the strategy and, according to the judges, he did enough to outpoint Diaz and notch the win. Whether you think he deserves it or not, "The Natural Born Killer" is now next in line to fight "GSP." The problem is that St. Pierre looks to be on the shelf until November. Before this event, Condit said he'd need to take some time and consider things before he decided on whether or not he could wait till November to fight again. So where does he go from here? Most fighters would sit and wait and toe the company line. Condit very well may do just that, but what if he gets stir crazy and feels like he needs to stay active? Let's look at the options: He was supposed to fight Josh Koscheck on two separate occasions. The fight didn't come together in either instance. Maybe this would be a good "filler" fight. If Condit wins, he moves on and fights St. Pierre, having another win over a top contender as a feather in his hat. If Koscheck wins, he gets another chance to get his eye socket jabbed out by St. Pierre. Maybe he'd surprise us and do better this time. Crazier things have happened. Jake Ellenberger fights Diego Sanchez at UFC on Fuel TV on Feb. 15, 2012, in Omaha, Nebraska. The winenr of that fight would make for a suitable opponent. I know Codit has beat Ellenberger before, but it was a split decision win and it was also two years ago. Lastly, you could get crazy and host a rematch between Condit and Diaz. Is that fair to Condit? Probably not. Does it sell tickets and get rid of excuses, once and for all? Absolutely. What do you Maniacs think? Got any better ideas for potential match ups? Feel free to play matchmaker in the comments section below. Bring it on!

Posted in: ufc, fight, pierre, st, condit

GSP Opens as 3 to 1 Favorite Over Condit

If Carlos Condit does indeed wait to face Georges St-Pierre for the UFC welterweight title he will come into the fight as an underdog, but how much of an underdog will he be?

Posted in: title, gsp, condit, carlos condit, underdog

UFC 143 Results: Dana White Talks Carlos Condit's Next Fight, Nick Diaz' Retirement

MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani caught up with Dana White after UFC 143 for their customary chat, asking the boss what he thought about the night's proceedings and what could be next for his new interim welterweight champion. Some highlights of the five minute interview: How he scored Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz and his analysis of both men's game plans. Whether he feels Diaz' heart in still in MMA and if he thinks Diaz is truly retired. His opinion on whether Condit should wait to fight Georges St. Pierre or fight again before then. His love of Roy Nelson's chin and hatred of his mullet and beard. How he scored Mike Pierce vs. Josh Koscheck and making Koscheck vs. Diaz a reality. His surprise at a two point deduction in the Alex Caceres vs. Edwin Figueroa fight. His reaction at a shirtless Mike Goldberg running around backstage (yes, this happened). SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit For the full video, make the jump!

Posted in: fight, diaz, vs, condit, minute interview

Carlos Condit and his wife celebrate UFC 143 win over Nick Diaz in Las Vegas

Victory is sweet. Celebrating it with your wife even sweeter. Carlos Condit earned a hard-fought unanimous decision victory over Nick Diaz last night (Sat., Feb. 4, 2012) in the main event of UFC 143 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, and shortly after hit "Sin City" hard to bask in his glory. Even if there are still fans who don't agree with it. That didn't stop "The Natural Born Killer" from having a good time. The Georges St. Pierre vs. Nick Diaz party may have been spoiled but Condit is going to keep on keeping on. Check out a few more pics after the jump. For more on the Condit vs. Diaz fight click here, here and here.

Posted in: diaz, nick diaz, nick, condit, carlos condit

UFC 143 Results: Nick Diaz Vs. Carlos Condit Event Fight Video Highlights

Video: Highlights: UFC 143 Missed last night's UFC 143 event? Well, a couple of minutes may not be enough, but you can quickly get up to date with this Fox Sports video that covers the highlights and results for all of the main card bouts from last night's show. 4 minutes and 34 seconds to cover all the results and notes for several fights naturally won't do it justice. To get you up to date on all you need to know about UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit, do make sure to check out our complete coverage, results, and analysis of the event: Does Fabricio Werdum's Mauling Of Roy Nelson Mean He's Ready To Contend In The UFC? - Kid Nate Video: Dana White Talks Condit Vs. Diaz, Koscheck Vs. Fitch, More At Post-Fight Scrum - Kid Nate Carlos Condit, Gameplanning And The MMA Fan - Brent Brookhouse Carlos Condit And Greg Jackson Solved Nick Diaz - Kid Nate UFC 143 Results: Winners, Losers, And Other Thoughts - Matthew Roth Thompson, Poirier, Werdum And Nelson Take Home $65,000 Fight Night Bonuses - Kid Nate UFC 143: Condit vs. Diaz Full Fight Video Highlights - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit Results And Post-Fight Analysis - Brent Brookhouse Judges' Score Cards From Carlos Condit Vs. Nick Diaz - Kid Nate Nick Diaz: 'I'm Outta This S**t', Retires From MMA After UFC 143 Loss To Carlos Condit - Kid Nate Carlos Condit Wins Interim Welterweight Title Over Nick Diaz In Thrilling Affair - Tim Burke UFC 143 Post-Fight Press Conference Video And Coverage - Tim Burke Fabricio Werdum Beats Up Roy Nelson, Takes Unanimous Decision - Tim Burke Josh Koscheck Picks Up Razor-Thin Split Decision Victory Over Mike Pierce - Tim Burke Renan Barao Takes Unanimous Decision Over Scott Jorgensen - Tim Burke Ed Herman Submits Clifford Starks In Round Two - Tim Burke Dustin Poirier Submits Max Holloway - Tim Burke Edwin Figueroa Beats Alex Cacares By Split Decision In Weird Fight - Tim Burke Matt Brown Stops Chris Cope In The Second Round - Tim Burke Matt Riddle Picks Up Split Decision Victory Over Henry Martinez - Tim Burke Rafael Natal Wins Unanimous Decision Over Michael Kuiper - Tim Burke Stephen Thompson Knocks Out Dan Stittgen With Deadly Head Kick - Tim Burke UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Live Results And Play-By-Play For PPV Main Card - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Live Results And Play-By-Play For Undercard Fights - Brent Brookhouse

Posted in: ufc, diaz, condit, tim, burke

UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit defeats Nick Diaz, gets next shot at GSP

Carlos Condit is now the new Interim UFC Welterweight Champion, after defeating Nick Diaz via Unanimous Decision in the main event of UFC 143 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Condit had a clear gameplan of avoiding Nick Diaz strikes, going full throttle into a counter-punching mode. Diaz chased Condit around the Octagon, and was able to land good striking combinations on several occasions, but it was Carlos Condit who the quantity and quality in this match-up. Diaz failed to execute his gameplan. He was unable to

Posted in: ufc, diaz, condit, carlos condit, carlo

Nick Diaz will not "accept" loss to Carlos Condit, says retirement is possible

After a frustrating five-round defeat against newly-crowned Interim Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit, Nick Diaz has announced that tonight's octagon appearance may have been his last.Fresh off a dominant victory over B.J. Penn, Diaz came into tonight's main event as the favorite, but appeared to have no answers for Condit's strategic approach. By utilizing a diverse striking set and constant footwork, "The Natural Born Killer" was able to avoid Diaz's high-volume boxing attack en-route to a comfortable

Posted in: diaz, nick diaz, condit, carlos condit, fiveround defeat

UFC 143 results: Carlos Condit critics need to get real because Nick Diaz didn't win

After Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) ring announcer announcer Bruce Buffer belted out the final result of the UFC 143 main event fight between Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit, the Twitterverse -- much like everywhere else -- was starkly divided by both fans and mixed martial arts (MMA) insiders on who indeed deserved to win the controversial decision. And this wasn't just biased folks from the 209 area code who claimed Diaz was robbed, but respected MMA types whose opinions carry credibility among anyone vaguely familiar with the sport. "That decision was an absolute joke," Tweeted former UFC champion and legendary trainer Pat Miletich. "At best, Condit won two rounds." And noted trainer Duke Roufus poured it on even thicker, sharing his strong feelings via Twitter. "I am done teaching guys to fight! Gonna teach them to run like bitch & hold guys down like a bitch it wins! How do u like that fight fans?" We live in a fast-moving world, especially where anyone and everyone's input can be shared in the real time. But I wonder if anyone would be criticizing a stand up artist who avoided takedowns, or a wrestler that planted a dangerous striker on the mat and carefully worked and controlled his way to a decision. Condit did "Fighting 101," which is implementing your strengths, while minimizing those of an opponent who is hellbent on rearranging your face. Sometimes, in the case of a Cain Velasquez, or Alistair Overeem defeating Brock Lesnar, that translates into an exciting bout. In other cases, you get a Matt Lindland highlight reel (of his wins, not his losses, which were usually far more compelling). But, winning is winning. Much of the resentment stemmed from the fact that almost everyone was sure this was going to be a rollicking, bloody bout. And we didn't get it. But, just because Condit refused to stand there and let Diaz punch him in the face endlessly doesn't mean Diaz gets some sort of Groupon with the judges. He wasn't able to implement his gameplan. And despite ringside judge Cecil Peoples' legendary assertion that "leg kicks don't win fights," they certainly do ... at least in this case (in part). Condit's attacks exploited the biggest hole in Diaz's aggressive, in-your-face style, excess weight on the front leg to set up hand strikes, and he kept it as a go-to during a technically sound performance. We all deserve a second chance to watch Diaz-Condit. As of this writing, I've watched it three times now, and still don't see anything meriting a decision for Diaz. I picked Diaz to win, and like him, I'm a native Northern Californian. I've seen the guy fight for nearly a decade now, and have come as close to rooting for him as I can allow myself for any fighter. Yet for all this, there's no way I can say he won that fight. Can you honestly say that you do? Jason Probst can be reached at twitter.com/jasonprobst and Jason@jasonprobst.com

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, decision, condit

Carlos Condit: “He was talking, I was landing punches.”

Welterweight Nick Diaz is notorious for verbally baiting his opponents inside the ring, enticing them to engage in full-on exchanges and abandon any game plan his adversary may have originally entered the fight with. However, try as he might, Diaz was unable to get Carlos Condit to bite last night when the two faced off at UFC 143, ultimately losing a decision victory after five rounds of frustration thanks to Condit’s focus and execution. Condit talked about his victory to the UFC cameras shortly after getting backstage, explaining, “This is just another step towards my ultimate goal of being among the best Mixed Martial Artists in the world. He was talking, I was landing punches. I think I was winning. No matter how much he talked, I was hitting him hard, I was hitting him solid, and that’s what I came here to do. I didn’t come to talk.” As far as what’s next for the interim champion, Condit has no interest in resting on his laurels and recognizes his upcoming bout with Georges St. Pierre will require an even better performance than he turned in against the extraordinarily tough Diaz. “I’ve got a lot of work to do and a lot more improvement to be made. Georges is a true champion and he’s the best in the world,” said Condit of the potential fight with GSP. Check out the complete video below with other moments including Condit’s proud father glowing in the wake of his son’s success as well as a loving exchange between Condit and his wife: PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: condit, game plan, world ”, fullon exchanges, ufc cameras

UFC 143 Results: The Career Of UFC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit

At UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit, Carlos Condit pulled off a big upset, winning the UFC Interim Welterweight title and spoiling the UFC's plans for a Nick Diaz vs. Georges St. Pierre super-fight. Now, Condit is the unlikely champion, and it's Condit vs. GSP fans have to look forward to. There's a lot to unpack about Condit's win - Was it boring? Can Condit vs. GSP live up to the idea of Diaz vs. GSP? Can Condit threaten GSP? - but I want to start with a much more basic question: Who exactly is this guy? Despite being a UFC champion, and despite having over 30 pro fights to his name, Carlos Condit is a fighter who seems to have somewhat flown under the radar of fan recognition until now. So let's examine the career highlights of The Natural Born Killer and get a better sense of the new champ. Condit started his career fighting in regional shows primarily in the southwestern United States. There is not a lot of footage of these early fights available, which is a shame as the results read like a beautiful suite of violence. 52 second win in his debut via rear naked choke; 45 second win via armbar; 29 second win via TKO - Condit won his first 8 fights, all via stoppage, all in the first round, and 6 of those 8 within the first minute. Here's one early fight as Condit faces Jarvis Brennaman. Even at this stage in his career, you can see how advanced Condit is. Note his incredibly slick transitions between submissions. Videos and more in the full entry. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit Condit's big break came in early 2006, a little over 3 years into his career. By that time he had put together a 13-2 record, still with stoppages in all his wins, and still having never gone past the first round. He was invited to take part in the stacked Rumble on the Rock Welterweight tournament, which also featured heavy hitters such as Jake Shields, Frank Trigg, Yushin Okami, and Anderson Silva (this tournament is the home of the Okami vs. Silva DQ). Condit came into the tournament determined and looked incredible. Here is his first round destruction of the highly favored Renato Verissimo: And his semi-final victory over Frank Trigg: Condit would go on to lose a decision in the finals to Jake Shields, but with two wins over highly respected UFC veterans in a grand total of 1:39, Condit walked out of this tournament with a tremendous amount of respect. That momentum carried him first to Japan, where he found success in Pancrase, going 3-0, then to the WEC. In just his second WEC fight, Condit defeated John Alessio for the vacant Welterweight title. He defended that belt three times, again winning by stoppage every time. Perhaps his most impressive WEC bout was also his last. Condit defended the title against Hiromitsu Miura in 2008. Miura proved to be an extremely resilient foe who gave Condit all he could handle. But the champion persevered and kept his perfect 100% finishing ratio intact with a stoppage late in the 4th round. After that fight, Zuffa shut down the WEC Welterweight division, moving Condit to the UFC. In spite of his impressive accolades in the WEC, Condit was often looked down on as a champion of that organization. With Zuffa owning both the WEC and UFC, many looked at the WEC Welterweight division as redundant, a home for those fighters who were not good enough to make it in the big leagues. Condit was seen as the champion of the minor leagues, a man who stood tall over others who couldn't hack it. He was the classic big fish in a small pond. His first fight in the UFC did little to challenge those perceptions as he lost a decision to Martin Kampmann. It was a good fight that seemed to clearly lay out Condit's future in the UFC - he was a fighter who could provide action-packed fights and tough tests for prospective challengers, but was unlikely to break into the top of the division himself. After that Kampmann loss, Condit picked up a very close decision win over Jake Ellenberger (the first, and until last night, only decision win of Condit's career) and then snuck by Rory MacDonald. At the time, those were not seen as anything special, but time has proved that both Ellenberger and MacDonald are for real, and Condit's wins over them hold considerably more weight. Next came his highlight reel KO of Dan Hardy and his spectacular flying knee KO of Dong Hyun Kim. With the momentum from those big wins, he was set to face B.J. Penn at UFC 137 before the Penn/Condit/Diaz/GSP shuffle led to last night. Leading into the Diaz fight, Condit was still being overlooked and viewed as just a name in the way of Diaz vs. GSP. And even now, after having defeated Nick Diaz, the man who rolled through Penn, Condit is taking criticism, accused of being a boring fighter who had to run away to defeat the superior Diaz. But to overlook Condit is to ignore the story of his career. Take a look at these incredible statistics - he has a record of 28-5, and of those 28 wins, he has finished his opponent in 26 of them. That gives him an astounding 93% finishing ratio - the highest of any UFC champion, and the highest I can think of for any fighter competing at this level of the sport. Of those 26 stoppage wins, all but 5 have come in the very first round. This is a man who has fought his way to the top, and has destroyed everyone who has gotten in his way. At UFC 143, we lost GSP vs. Diaz. And that is a shame. But we gained GSP vs. Condit. And if you look at Condit's resume, look at his highlight reel, look at the trail of victims leading up to the fight with GSP - if you look at all of that and you don't get excited about the prospect of Condit vs. St. Pierre? Then I'll humbly suggest that you take a closer look at the career of the new champ.

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, vs, condit

UFC 143 by the numbers and inside the box score

-With the win over Nick Diaz, Carlos Condit joins Frank Shamrock, Jose Aldo and Dominick Cruz has the only men to hold UFC and WEC championships. -The decision was only Condit's second in his 28 career wins-The 25 minute fight was the longest of Condit's career. Condit's previous longest fight was 19:43 versus Hiromitsu Miura. -After dropping his UFC debut Condit has won his last five fights -The loss to Condit snapped a 11 fight winning streak for Diaz. -Diaz's 11 fight winning streak, the longest of his career, spanned four promotions and 45 months-Six of Diaz's eight career losses have come via decision -Diaz is 0-2 for Jackson's MMA fighters in his career -The loss drops Diaz to 7-5 in his UFC career -Per Compustrike Condit topped Diaz 146 to 110 in total strikes landed -The Fight Metric effectiveness score had the bout 306-274 in favor of Diaz. In the ten point must system Fight Metric scored the fight 48-47 Condit -Fabricio Werdum's win over Roy Nelson was his first in the UFC since October 2008-Werdum is 4-1 in his last five fights-Werdum is 4-0 in his career versus American born fighters-All three of Nelson's UFC losses have come via decision -The loss drops Nelson to 3-3 in his UFC career-Six of Nelson's seven career losses have come via judge's decision -Per Fight Metric Werdum outlanded Nelson 98-55 in total strikes-Betting favorites went 10-1 at UFC 143. The lone underdog to payout was Carlos Condit at +175. -With UFC 143 the promotion returned to the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada for the first time since UFC 137 in October 2011. UFC 137 was headlined by Nick Diaz versus BJ Penn. Below is a attendance and gate comparison between the two events UFC 137Attendance: 10,313Gate: $3.9 millionUFC 143 Attendance: 10,040Gate: $2.3 million

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, career, condit

Read the full article at UltMMA

UFC 143: Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit Video Highlights

UFC 143 delivered an exciting line-up last night from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Headlining the stacked card was a highly anticipated Welterweight showdown between "The Stockton Bady Boy" Nick Diaz and "The Natural Born Killer" Carlos Condit, who went five-rounds for the interim title and a shot at reigning division champion Georges St. Pierre.

Posted in: diaz, nick, condit, welterweight showdown, carlo

Surgical Precision: The brilliance of Carlos Condit's performance at UFC 143

Yesterday, UFC 143 brought us a new Interim Welterweight titleholder with Carlos Condit's decision victory over the favored Nick Diaz. While many view this victory as controversial and perhaps even unwarranted, there are several reasons to view Condit's performance as nothing short of masterful, and at the end of the day, he walked away with the belt on Saturday. Let's take a look at why Condit's victory was a great performance in the Octagon on Saturday. First of all, Condit landed more overall

Posted in: nick diaz, condit, performance, victory, welterweight titleholder

UFC 143 Results: Sunday Morning Perspective

On overcast and dreary Superbowl Sunday morning, all I can think about is UFC 143 and the fallout from that card. Twitter and Facebook exploded with personal score cards and outrage following the announcement of Carlos Condit's decision victory over Nick Diaz. Full disclosure I had the fight 48-47 Condit. Condit clearly won rounds 1 & 4, while Diaz clearly won 2 & 5 and round 3 seems to be the swing round. Now some people are saying that Diaz needs to be given rounds based on Octagon Control and Aggression. Carlos Condit's performance here is a prime example that Octagon Control does not simply mean "the guy coming forward". Condit controlled the distance for much of the fight but in the rounds he won he had clear generalship of the space between fighters. Condit's ideal distance for striking seemed to be an inch further away than where Diaz felt comfortable, and the cat-and-mouse game over that distance made for a very interesting fight. More thoughts: On social outlets and here on Bloody Elbow I've seen people accusing people of a Kalib Sterns leveling of running. First of all, I highly suspect that people who claim that have not watched the infamous Sterns vs Quarry match, because if you have seen that you would know nothing we have seen before or since has ever come close to that. Secondly, escape situations that are disadvantageous is a completely legitimate part of fight. Go look at Nick Diaz fights and you'll see that Diaz's offense comes from trapping guys against the fence, getting them to shell up and overwhelming them with punches. Every time Condit felt his back on the fence, he slipped a punch and escaped out back to the center of the Octagon. This happens in boxing all the time, guys don't want to get trapped in corners. It isn't running, it is escaping a bad position, like how guys get out of side control. Can we please stop acting like Roy Nelson is a weight-watchers membership away from being a Top 10 Heavyweight? Nelson is a nice fighter at Heavyweight but he does not have elite level skills and Fabricio Werdum showed this pretty clearly. Werdum has always had good clinch striking, but his striking at range looked much better and on the ground, well Nelson wanted nothing to do with Werdum's guard. Yes, Nelson is a Renzo Gracie black belt, but there are black belts and then there are ADCC champions. Werdum beat Nelson in every aspect of that fight, and Nelson's weight had nothing to do with it, he was not skilled enough to resist. Oh and please don't start beating the 'Nelson needs to go to 205' drum. More athletic, more skilled opponents are not going help Nelson's career. Nelson is at the right weight for him, he is just never going to contend at that weight. Josh Koscheck looked awful. And we shouldn't be surprised, Kos was a member of the original TUF cast. How many guys from that original season are still winning relevant fights in the UFC? The old guard is fading out at Welterweight and it seems Koscheck is the next perennial contender who will no longer be contending. Mike Pierce should have won that fight. Oh and Herb Dean needed to take a point from Koscheck for that eye poke, at least. After taking two points from Alex Caceres, how can Dean justify not taking one point from Koscheck after warning him about extending those fingers moments before the eye poke? more after the jump... SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit Ed Herman's takedown was sweet. Love seeing Judo techniques working their way into more and more MMA fighter's clinch game. Matt Riddle looked like complete garbage and won based on the "Leonard Garica Effect". Riddle fights to his detriment and does not listen to his corner. He gets put in with a real, serious UFC welterweight and he gets killed. On the other end of the spectrum, Matt Brown did an excellent job of listening to his corner. In the break between Rounds 1 and 2, Brown's corner told him that Cope dropped his left hand when Brown punched to the body. First thing Brown did in Round 2 was throw a jab to the body and then an overhand right. Coming after the Matt Riddle fight, it was impressive to see a fighter accepting coaching so well. And the fight ending sequence was set up by a body shot followed by right hand. Alex Caceres deserves another shot in the UFC. I thought he won that fight. He arguably won all three rounds before point deductions. That said, this was not a very technical fight. Brookhouse said it on Twitter, it looked like two BJJ white belts who had been rolling for 2 and 3 months respectively. One was bad and the other was worse. Figueroa is turing into giving up his back into an art form and Caceres didn't seem to understand that the arm has to be under the chine to finish a choke. Joe Rogan's love affair with both Gable Grip RNCs and Diamond MMA cup talk continued in the Caceres/Figueroa fight. I liked the new opening, but I would have liked to seen one submission or ground position in the damn thing. BJJ started the UFC, but it seems the UFC brass wants to come across as a wrestle-boxing league.

Posted in: ufc, fight, round, condit, nelson

UFC 143 results recap: Winners and losers from 'Diaz vs. Condit' event in Las Vegas

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) just conducted a textbook campaign of mixed martial arts (MMA) fights, was an accomplice in a robbery and then exited the scene of the crime. At least that's the story Nick Diaz will be telling his grandchildren in 30 years. The main event at UFC 143 on Feb. 5, 2012, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, saw a hard fought and close decision victory go to Diaz's opponent Carlos Condit. Diaz felt like he won ... and he wasn't the only one. Afterward, he was so upset by the decision that he stated he will be retiring from the sport. If he really follows through, it would be a loss for him, as well as for MMA as a whole. Speaking of losses, let's take a look at the laundry list of losers from UFC 143. It doesn't have to be all "doom and gloom." We can talk winners, too: WINNERS Fabricio Werdum -- In his UFC re-entrance, "Vai Cavalo" was given no tomato can by drawing Roy Nelson, one of the toughest guys in the business. Everyone knows this guy is one of the best Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners in the world. What they might not know is that his stand up is very good and just keeps getting better. He's now fought two of the best strikers in the heavyweight division in Alistair Overeem and Nelson, and he hasn't really been hurt at all. At UFC 143, Werdum outstruck "Big Country," outgrappled him and outclassed him. He's back and shouldn't be going anywhere for a while. Renan Barao -- He fought a three round war with a very tough Scott Jorgensen. True, he couldn't put Jorgensen away, but that's easier said than done. Barao outstruck Jorgensen 118 to 58, including several huge spinning back kicks that had the crowd on their feet. He was faster, more precise and just flat out better in every aspect. Afterwards, he called for a shot at Dominick Cruz and his championship belt. Of course, this can't happen, as "The Dominator" is currently slated to fight Urijah Faber after they coach against each other in the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF). The title shot for Barao may not come next, but it's coming soon. Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit -- I'm gonna keep it short and sweet because I didn't like how this one turned out (scroll down to the "Losers" section for more on this). Despite my disappointment in the results, this was a fantastic fight that mostly lived up the hype. Stephen Thompson -- In his UFC debut, this new welterweight acquisition made a great first impression by brutally knocking out Dan Stittgen with a pretty head kick in the first round. His karate background was evident, as his unorthodox stance clearly confused his opponent. He kept his hands low, his distance elusive, and he used a beautiful combo that lead to a finish in his inaugural Octagon appearance. I expect big things from this fighter in the future. Matt Brown -- "The Immortal" looked solid tonight, coming off a loss to Seth Baczynski at UFC 139 on Nov. 19, 2011 in San Jose, Calif. The fight was a war, and it was clear that Chris Cope was trying to make things as chaotic as possible, in the hopes that he might land a chance, finishing blow in one of the scrums. Unfortunately for Cope, it was Brown who landed the first big shot. After catching a leg kick in the second round, Brown countered with a big left hook, then a combination of several other short, quick punches that left Cope crumpled up in a ball on the floor. It wasn't a massive win, but it was much needed and he looked solid in so doing.Dustin Poirier -- In the early portion of his fight with UFC newcomer Max Holloway, Poirier was kept on his toes by a young prospect, looking to make a name for himself in his debut. The fight saw Holloway getting the better of the stand up in the first round, but eventually, Poirier took the fight down to his world where he was able to pull off a very nice armbar submission from the top triangle position. Very high level stuff. The win is Poirer's fourth consecutive UFC win. He's undefeated in the Octagon and just keeps getting better with each performance. LOSERS Alex Caceres -- "Bruce Leeroy" was putting on an exhibition of kicks in his fight versus Edwin Figueroa. The problem is that two of those kicks landed squarely in the nether region, eventually meriting him a two point reduction penalty by referee Herb Dean when it happened the second time in round number two. It's a shame, because he really looked impressive overall. You just can't give fights away by doing stuff as dumb as that. Kick me in the groin once, shame on you. Kick me there again -- well -- still, shame on you. Stop that. Josh Koscheck -- After a long media campaign where Koscheck publicly declared that Mike Pierce essentially didn't belong in the cage with him, he certainly didn't show it at UFC 143, if this is, in fact, the case. He may have notched the split decision win, but it was close -- really close. Afterwards, his victory interview was almost entirely interrupted by the crowd in attendance who seemed dead set on booing him out of the building. While he did try and pretend it didn't bother him, he appeared bothered as he walked out of the cage with his head down. It makes me ask the question: "Is this a guy who wants to be the heel, or has he just embraced it to save face?" Chris Cope -- Being a tough guy that can take a beating will only get you so far in this sport. He's now lost two UFC fights in a row and is probably on thin ice. In his fight versus Matt Brown, the disparity was very clear. They weren't on the same level. If that's the case, he's going to have a lot of trouble against some of the division's elite. Go ahead. Think of a fighter you could match Cope up against that would be a good fight and would also be one you'd want to watch. Be honest. See what I mean? MMA Judging -- I'm probably going to get mauled for this. I'm sorry. I don't care. Nick Diaz won that fight. I'm not even a Diaz fan, but come on! He pushed the pace. He was the aggressor the entire fight! He landed the bigger shots and never looked hurt at any point. Was it close? Sure. But I just don't see how you don't give Diaz rounds one, two and five. I'm not buying it. Moreover, how in the hot Hell do you give Condit four of the five rounds?? It's true that Condit outstruck Diaz by a margin of 146 to 110. But don't be deceived by that. Of Condit's 146 strikes landed, 104 of them were leg strikes. How many kicks did Diaz absolutely walk through during this fight? How many leg kicks did Condit throw just to keep Diaz at bay and not even intending to do damage? I'll re-watch this fight again later and maybe I'll be less upset about it, but right now, I disagree 100 percent. Nick Diaz -- I get that he was mad after his loss. It sucked. He felt like he did what he needed to win. He felt like he got robbed. But he probably should have sat on his emotion for a night and made a statement the next day. He also may say he wasn't denigrating Condit's performance by his rant, but he did nonetheless. If he really does retire over this, it will be a crying shame. So that's my list of winners and losers. Be sure to show me how much better your list than mine by bringing your well thought out barbs and jabs to the comment section below. For complete UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" results, including blow-by-blow details of all the action, click here and here.

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, round, condit

UFC 143 results: Carlos Condit emerges as a clear contender for Georges St. Pierre, but does it matter?

It's become a familiar sight. A fighter stands next to a referee, not only battered and bruised, but mentally broken as well. He had just gone through the closest facsimile to hell any Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) title contender could experience. For 25 minutes, he was run through the proverbial grinder as fists, elbows, knees and shins slammed into their body. For five rounds, they had their gameplan shattered and their will broken by one of the greatest fighters the sport has mixed martial arts (MMA) has ever seen. On the other side of the referee stands Georges St. Pierre, beaming and elated as his name is once again -- preceded by "and still UFC welterweight champion of the world" -- called out by Bruce Buffer. Dana White wraps the French-Canadian's belt around the champ's waist and around the Internet, headlines with words like "dominant" begin to pop up. "Rush" lost to Matt Hughes in his third UFC fight, back when losing to Hughes wasn't an anomaly but the standard. Matt Serra ran through St. Pierre but was thoroughly trounced himself in their rematch. Those two missteps aside, "GSP" has ruled the 170-pound division for nearly a decade now. He's now set to take on Carlos Condit who, by winning last night's (Feb. 4) UFC 143 main event, has become the interim title holder while St. Pierre recovers from a knee injury. But considering just how good St. Pierre is, does it matter? Both men in last night's headlining bout have their strengths and flaws. Had Nick Diaz been able to come out on top, we very well could have seen a takedown clinic in November -- or whenever it is St. Pierre returns -- that puts the Stockton native on his back for 25 minutes. Historically, the gameplan has been a tried and true method to win out against Diaz. Condit's biggest asset is his heart. On paper, he doesn't excel at any one thing. No one speaks of Condit and mentions a world-class guard or K-1 level kickboxing. But once he steps inside the Octagon, he's a tough nut -- perhaps the toughest -- to crack. He hasn't been finished in over five years and when he's come close in the UFC -- the first round of his bout with Jake Ellenberger springs to mind -- he's managed to gut through and survive. The problem with Condit -- and to extent Diaz -- is there's just about no avenue towards success in a fight with St. Pierre. Although to be fair, the same could be said for any welterweight. Diaz's boxing is sharp but his takedown defense is a liability and as evidenced last night, he still refuses to check leg kicks, preferring to take them flush. Condit, on the other hand, isn't better than "Rush" at anything. How can the "Natural Born KIller" expect to win and how can we, as fans, expect to get excited for what will likely be another 25 minute shellacking followed by a unanimous decision? From a promotion standpoint, the UFC must be fuming that Diaz wasn't able to pull out the victory. While a loss to St. Pierre would be almost assured, the former Strikeforce champion would have at least made the road to a bout with "Rush" interesting and compelling. Condit doesn't curse into cameras or flip off audiences. He's almost blue-collar in the sense he quietly walks into the cage, does his job and leaves. An admirable trait for sure but when everyone expects him to loss to St. Pierre, a little flair and drama wouldn't hurt. I just can't get excited for a "GSP"/Condit showdown. Of course, the newly crowned interim champion could very well defend his title first against the winner of this month's Diego Sanchez and Ellenberger bout and while the "Natural Born Killer" taking on Sanchez or rematching Ellenberger would be great, my interest in either of those two taking on "Rush" is equally low. It's hard to look at these men as contenders rather than victims.

Posted in: ufc, pierre, st, condit, st pierre

UFC 143 Morning After: Carlos Condit Has What It Takes To Beat Georges St. Pierre

Georges St. Pierre hasn't lost a fight -- and really hasn't even been tested -- in four years. That's about to change. Carlos Condit, who won the UFC interim welterweight title by beating Nick Diaz on Saturday night at UFC 143, is going to test St. Pierre in a way he hasn't been tested in years. The next time GSP steps into the Octagon, he'll be stepping into the Octagon with the best opponent he's faced. We knew heading into Saturday night how physically tough Condit was. You don't win 27 professional MMA fights and win four in a row in the UFC, as Condit already had heading into Saturday night, without a whole lot of toughness. More Coverage: UFC 143 Results | UFC 143 Post-Fight Press Conference What Condit showed against Diaz is how mentally tough he is. Condit survived 25 minutes against one of the best welterweights in the world and never wilted. Condit didn't change his game plan in the second round when Diaz started to get the better of the striking exchanges and began openly taunting Condit, as Diaz so often has to his opponents. And Condit didn't panic and didn't give in during the final minute of the fight, when Diaz took him down and took his back. A lot of men -- even a lot of great fighters -- would have been ready to break by that point. Condit couldn't be broken. So is Condit good enough to beat GSP? As a striker, I believe he's already better than GSP. And he has a more diverse array of submissions than GSP as well. The big question is whether Condit's wrestling and takedown defense will prove to be good enough that he can stay off his back against St. Pierre. That's a tall order, but I like Condit's chances. St. Pierre is also, of course, coming off a serious knee injury -- the kind of injury that some athletes never fully recover from. And St. Pierre will be battling ring rust when he fights Condit: By the time he's ready to step into the Octagon in November, he'll have been off for a year and a half. St. Pierre is also three years older than Condit. Those are all factors that favor Condit. GSP will be the betting favorite heading into that fight, but Condit has a very good chance to win it. When Condit beat Diaz on Saturday night, we may have seen the man who has what it takes to beat GSP. UFC 143 Notes -- Fabricio Werdum showed off some great muay Thai in his victory over Roy Nelson. Werdum's stand-up has looked ugly in a couple of bad losses to the two best heavyweights in the world, Junior dos Santos and Alistair Overeem, but make no mistake: He's a very good striker in addition to being the best heavyweight grappler in all of MMA. -- Matt Riddle's split decision victory over Henry Martinez gives him a respectable UFC record of 6-3, but let's be honest: Riddle is not a very good fighter. He barely got by Martinez, an undersized opponent who took the fight on short notice, and Riddle's other UFC wins are over DeMarques Johnson, Greg Soto, Dan Cramer, Steve Bruno and Dante Rivera. Not exactly a murderer's row. -- When the 20-year-old Max Holloway stepped into the Octagon with the 23-year-old Dustin Poirier, we got a great look at the future of the featherweight division. Poirier put on a tremendous display on the ground in forcing Holloway to tap out to an arm bar from a mounted triangle, but give Holloway credit for the way he tested Poirier on the feet at the start of the fight. Poirier is a future featherweight title contender, and with work on his ground game Holloway could be too. -- The UFC's new pay-per-view opening is an improvement over the old gladiator opening, but I still think there should be a fresh new opening with each show and the focus should immediately be on that night's main event fighters. UFC 143 Quotes "I know I'm the most hated man in MMA." -- Josh Koscheck, egging on the fans after they booed him following his split decision win over Mike Pierce. "Don't fall for it when he's talking to you."--Greg Jackson telling Carlos Condit not to get sucked into Nick Diaz's style of fight. Jackson's advice was wise; it came after the second round, when Diaz was taunting Condit and trying to bait him into a brawl, but from the third round on Condit seemed comfortable and ready to fight his fight. "Those lead leg round kicks -- we work them a lot in karate -- people don't see them." -- Stephen Thompson, after knocking out Dan Stittgen on the first fight of the night. Thompson was right: Stittgen certainly didn't see that kick coming. Thompson is an exciting new fighter for the UFC. Good Call Referee Kim Winslow stepped in at just the right time to stop the fight in Matt Brown's technical knockout victory over Chris Cope. After Brown knocked Cope down, Winslow gave Cope a chance to protect himself on the ground before stepping in to stop the fight when Brown landed two more punches that Cope couldn't answer. Stopping the fight immediately when Brown knocked Cope down would have been too quick because Cope was still conscious and trying to get into a better position. Stopping it any later would have subjected Cope to too much punishment. Winslow's stoppage was perfect. Bad Call I disagreed with referee Herb Dean taking two points away from Alex "Bruce Leroy" Caceres after his second low blow of the fight. Warning Caceres for the first low blow was the right call, but the second low blow should have only resulted in one point being deducted, not two. A two-point deduction would have been appropriate for an intentional low blow, but both of Caceres's kicks appeared to be accidental low blows. The judges gave the fight to Edwin Figueroa by split decision, 28-27, 28-27 and 27-28, which means that if Dean had only deducted one point instead of two, it would have been a majority draw. Later in the same card, Dean again faced a situation where he warned a fighter about a foul and then that fighter committed the very same foul he had been warned about: Dean warned Josh Koscheck to keep his fingers away from Mike Pierce's eyes, and then Koscheck poked Pierce in the eye after that warning. But this time Dean only warned Koscheck again instead of taking even one point away, let alone deducting two points. Stock Up When Ed Herman lost three of four fights in 2008 and 2009 and then missed nearly two years with a knee injury, it was reasonable to wonder if his career might be coming to an end. Instead, Herman's stock has shot up with three straight wins since returning from that knee injury, and he looked great on Saturday night. Herman is fighting as well as he ever has. Stock Down Michael Kuiper entered UFC 143 as a well-regarded prospect with an 11-0 record, but he wasn't ready for an opponent on the level of Rafael Natal, who beat him by unanimous decision. Kuiper is only 22 years old and may have a good future in the UFC, but he's not there yet. Fight I Want To See Next Carlos Condit vs. Georges St. Pierre. This is going to be fun.

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, pierre, condit

UFC 143 Results Video: Dana White Talks Condit Vs. Diaz, Koscheck Vs. Fitch, More At Post-Fight Scrum

Bloody Elbow's Matt Roth was at the post post-fight press conference "scrum" where Dana White spoke to the assembled MMA media for a good 20 minutes. The first installment is above, parts 2 and 3 are after the jump. Highlights include: Dana's response to fans and media complaining about Carlos Condit's game plan against Nick Diaz. Dana's assessment of Josh Koscheck's performance against Mike Pierce. The possibility of the UFC booking Koscheck vs. Jon Fitch now that Koscheck has left the American Kickboxing Academy. Dana's continuing wish that Roy Nelson would cut down to light heavyweight. Stephen Thompson's KO of the Night performance and Joe Rogan's excitement over Thompson as a prospect. Dana discusses the new The Ultimate Fighter format on FX with live fights. Dana talks about international expansion and indicates that India will likely be the next country to get its own version of The Ultimate Fighter. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit Part 2 Part 3

Posted in: diaz, vs, koscheck, dana, condit

Condit punching the spit out of Diaz... literally...

submitted by pan0phobik [link] [8 comments]

Posted in: diaz, condit, pan

UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit, Gameplanning And The MMA Fan

The UFC 143 main event between Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz reminded of a very specific reality when it comes to the fight game. Condit's ability to stick to a gameplan that neutralized Diaz's style cut into some of the excitement expected from the fight. Instead of a wild brawl we were given a tense strategic fight. For many fans Condit's gameplanning was a sort of betrayal, he broke the agreement some saw the main eventers as having with the fans. For me it was one of the things you need to see at the highest levels of the sport, just as vital as Dan Henderson's wild brawl with Mauricio Rua. I'm not suggesting that the two fights are on the same level of excitement for me, but rather that I find both fights to be acceptable and exciting in their own way. In the Bloody Elbow staff picks, everyone but me picked Diaz to win. The reasons ranged from Diaz having too good of a chin for a firefight to Diaz's barrage being too much for Condit to withstand for 25 minutes to not being able to find space for his own strikes as Diaz relentlessly threw blows. Even when I picked Condit, I thought he would look to get the fight off the feet and work from top position. Instead of trying to dent Nick's chin in a firefight that most picked Diaz to win, Condit circled, kept his back of the cage and used kicks to score points while exploiting the holes in Diaz's footwork to stay out of danger. This is, to me, the point of combat sports. Condit practiced the art of hitting while not getting hit. Much of the anger and disappointment seen from certain fans stems from the idea that it isn't legitimate to look to score points and not finish. To some people, looking to win a decision is not nearly as legitimate as fighting for the finish at all times. That seems to ignore the fact that Condit was working high kicks, he did throw powerful combinations at Diaz's head and he worked spinning backfists that never really landed. But why should Condit have gone for broke trying to knock out a man who is notoriously hard to knock out? Why go for submissions against a man who has never been submitted? Based on the majority of analysis of the fight, Condit was very unlikely to stop Diaz, so he didn't ever go for broke trying and leave an opening for Diaz to get his offense rolling. Condit fought smart, and sometimes fighting smart means backlash from the fans. It's an unfortunate reality of the game, but Condit should be proud of his ability to stick to a smart strategy and can look at his UFC championship belt if he ever finds himself unsure of if he did the right thing.

Posted in: fight, diaz, fan, condit, score points

UFC 143 results recap: Carlos Condit vs Nick Diaz fight review and analysis

The anticipation from hardcore MMA fans could not have been higher for the UFC 143 main event last night (February 4, 2012) between Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz with the interim UFC welterweight title on the line. Even more people were already getting hyped up for a super-fight between Nick Diaz and Georges St. Pierre. But someone forgot to tell Carlos Condit that he was supposed to lose. With both men's incredibly aggressive fighting styles, this fight was hyped up as one of the best of the year, and rightfully so. Unfortunately, the result wasn't nearly what many expected. So how did "The Natural Born Killer" frustrate Diaz and score a unanimous decision and claim UFC gold? More importantly, where do both elite welterweights go next? Follow me after the jump for our Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz UFC 143 post-fight review and analysis: There was a large outpouring of anger from many who thought Diaz won, but I'll explain why Condit was the rightful victor. Just follow along. Diaz has a reputation for being a slow starter and Condit took advantage, peppering the Stockton slugger's legs with repeated kicks while circling away from danger. While Diaz didn't throw many strikes in the first round, he kept a constant pressure on "The Natural Born Killer" by repeatedly channeling him towards the fence with terrific footwork. Condit, though, was not going to let himself be bullied, instead, quickly exploding away from being cornered and resetting again in the center of the cage. This was a cycle which would repeat itself time and time again throughout the fight. Diaz thrives on cornering opponents along the fence and then unleashing huge flurries of strikes to overwhelm his opponents, but Condit was having none of it. On top of escaping danger, he would make sure to sneak in a big punch to the body or a leg kick in on the exit to make sure he was staying active while retreating. Condit stuck to the gameplan in round two, although he began to mix in push kicks, front kicks, flying knees and spinning back fists/elbows. Diaz was not happy about this and began to taunt him, dropping his hands to his sides, even slapping the Greg Jackson-trained fighter in the face, but he couldn't get the Arizona native to deviate. At one point, Diaz finally cornered Condit along the fence, throwing combinations of strikes to the body, but instead of panicking, the former WEC welterweight champion grabbed Diaz behind the head, threw a knee and again circled away from danger. Rounds three and four were more of the same, except the big difference was Condit became much more fluid and comfortable near the end of the third. From that point on, not only was Condit clearly getting the better of the striking exchanges, he was starting to make infuriate the former Strikeforce standout. Diaz even began shooting in for takedowns, but wrestling is not his forte and he couldn't secure anything significant. In the final round, Condit was once again well on his way to clearly outstriking Diaz, but he made a mistake and allowed his back to be taken with a minute left in the fight. Diaz tried to secure a choke and then an armbar, but Condit defended well, forcing a scramble at the final horn. In the end, the judges awarded Carlos Condit a unanimous decision with scores of 48-47, 49-46 and 49-46. Here's why I think they made the correct call. Nick Diaz was never able to find a rhythm - Diaz is at his best when unloading a huge volume of punches at his opponent along the fence. He can sneak in the power strikes to both the head and body because he's overloading his opponent's ability to defend and it's a terrific strategy but Carlos Condit never let him do it. Every time Diaz finally trapped Condit along the fence, "The Natural Born Killer" would escape and reset in the center. Condit did not pull a Kalib Starnes - Yes, Carlos Condit was on his bicycle for much of the fight, circling away so much he gave the referee a huge workout but he was not running. While backing away, Condit would randomly explode forward with flying knees, punches, elbows and spinning back attacks as well as constantly throwing kicks both to the legs and body. Also, whenever he exploded away from danger when cornered along the fence, he almost always threw a huge punch to the body or a kick before doing so. Forward movement doesn't mean you win - We've seen this with elusive fighters like Lyoto Machida and he's praised for it, but just because Carlos Condit wasn't moving forwards, doesn't mean he didn't win those rounds. Sure Nick Diaz was constantly moving forward, but he was not outstriking Condit. Check out the Fightmetric report if you don't believe me. The only round Diaz landed more than Condit was the second, and even that was only by three more significant strikes. Condit never lost his composure - Despite Diaz's best efforts to talk trash, drop his hands, toy with him after the horn and even slap him in the face, Carlos Condit never deviated from his gameplan. He was instructed with a specific method for defeating Diaz and he kept at it despite the Stockton scrapper's best efforts to distract him and force him into a brawl, which is a fight Diaz would have had a much better shot at winning. Nick Diaz never had a sense of urgency - In the final round, Nick Diaz received some horrible advice from his corner, telling him that they thought he was up 3-1. I don't care how biased you are with him being your brother, you can't do that to a fighter and make him believe he's ahead that badly when the fight is that close. (I actually scored the first four rounds for Condit, although the second round could have gone either way). By giving Nick a false sense of security, he wasn't nearly as aggressive in spending his energy as he could have been. He had plenty left in the tank when it was over. If he had been more active in pursuing Condit, it would have exaggerated his opponent's backward movement to a degree where the judges may have actually given him a few more rounds. My final thought for those that are disappointed with the result is this. Stop being angry at Carlos Condit for not fighting the exact same way that the last 11 people have when they lost to Nick Diaz. If he had fought his normal style of crazy-aggressive forward action, Nick Diaz would have beat him. Plain and simple, he forced Nick Diaz to fight his fight instead, which was something that no one has done to Diaz in four years. He deserves some credit for that, not vilification. Okay, back to the fallout of the fights: For Nick Diaz, he truly only has himself to blame. He did not make adjustments to Condit's gameplan. He didn't pick up the pace despite clearly having plenty left in the tank at the end of the fight and he only checked about 10 percent of the leg kicks thrown his way, if that. Moving forward constantly doesn't automatically give you a win. Sure it looks better, but you have to land strikes too, and he didn't land nearly as many strikes as Condit did. Diaz said he was quitting MMA in his post-fight speech. We don't know if that's all bluster or raw emotion from disappointment right now. Hopefully he's not actually going to step away because he's still one of the best in the world. There are still several great fights for Nick Diaz which practically promise excitement. One possibility is the upcoming loser of Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger. The other is the winner of Martin Kampmann vs. Thiago Alves and the last one could be a rematch with Carlos Condit depending on whether or not the fans demand it. For Carlos Condit, that was the picture perfect use of a gameplan to defeat a very tricky fighter. He never allowed Diaz to get into any sort of rhythm, he took advantage of a defensive liability and battered Diaz with leg kicks and eventually got comfortable enough to start mixing in combinations of his own. He earned this victory and no one should take it away from him simply because they wanted a Nick Diaz vs. Georges St. Pierre fight more or they wanted the fight to be more action-packed. Next up for Condit will most likely be Georges St. Pierre depending on whether or not the champ is recovering as quickly as we've heard. Another possibility could be the winner of Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger for one defense of the interim title or, while it's a long shot, a rematch with Nick Diaz. It all depends on how Georges St. Pierre's recovery is going. Either way, there's plenty of opportunity for interesting fights in a suddenly very wide open division. So what did you think, Maniacs? Despite my best efforts to persuade you otherwise, do you still think Nick Diaz won last night? Will Diaz stay retired? How will Carlos Condit fare against Georges St. Pierre if he indeed faces the reigning champion next? Sound off! For complete UFC 143 results, including blow-by-blow, fight-by-fight coverage of the entire event as well as immediate post-fight reaction click here, here and here.

Posted in: fight, diaz, nick diaz, nick, condit

Nick Diaz Says He's Walking Away From MMA, Confusing Us One Last Time

If Saturday night was the end for Nick Diaz, it came just the way we would expect it: in a jumbled, confusing mess. The enigmatic UFC welterweight star lost a close, controversial decision to Carlos Condit at UFC 143, and then, seemingly on the spur of the moment, decided he was done with mixed martial arts.Never mind that it was his only loss in his last 11 fights. Never mind that he's just 28 years old. Never mind that he's as popular as he's ever been, to the point that the Mandalay Bay Events Center crowd booed Condit even after he won. The way Diaz phrased it, he wasn't leaving MMA; instead, it was the sport that was forcing him out. "I don’t need this s---," he said in his post-fight interview. "I pushed this guy backwards. He ran from me the whole fight. He ran this whole fight. I landed the harder shots. He ran the whole time. He kicked me in the leg with little baby leg kicks the whole fight. That’s the way they understand to win in here. I don’t want to play this game no more." More Coverage: UFC 143 Results | UFC 143 Post-Fight Press Conference Keep in mind that just seconds before that, he'd called Condit "the man" and said he was happy for Condit and his family.Sure, the two statements don't necessarily jibe, but his off-the-cuff unpredictability is part of the reason that the fascination in Diaz has multiplied over the last few years. And that heat-of-the-moment outburst is symbolic of the fighting style that often seemed to conclude with fury overpowering reasoned tactics.As he has in the past, Diaz refused to accept the decision against him, pointing out that he was the one moving forward throughout most of the five-round bout. But the judges ruled that Condit was the more effective fighter, likely due to out-working Diaz for cage positioning and then firing off his own offense.According to FightMetric, Condit out-struck Diaz in the fight by a 159-117 count overall, and a 151-105 number in "significant strikes." Diaz suggested leg kicks won Condit the fight, and there may be some truth to that. In strikes to the head and body, Diaz landed 111 to Condit's 91. In strikes to the legs, it was Condit 68, Diaz 6.in some way, he should be flattered that opponents have to dramatically alter their game plans to beat him. Condit didn't fight his normal style, but his planning and execution were excellent, and Diaz can't expect judges should to simply ignore the many kicks he landed. Diaz doesn't get to rewrite the rules each fight to favor his style. But because he's not happy with the way the fights are scored, he's gone.Have we actually seen the last of Diaz? Who knows? At this point, would anything he does actually surprise you? If any 28-year-old fighter in his prime actually called it quits and stuck to it, it would somehow make perfect sense that it was Diaz, only because it wouldn't make any sense at all. That of course, seems a long shot. Most likely, he will be back. He seems to be a man who needs fighting. It's something he's done for over a decade already and it's the way he measures himself. He didn't go to college to become a pencil pusher or to a trade school to learn how to install HVAC. Diaz quit high school to train martial arts so he could become a fighter.And he's been world class at it for years now. In fact, one close loss aside, this is about as good as he's ever been.Maybe when he gets home and sits down and thinks about it, that's the conclusion that he'll come to. But for now, no one knows what he'll do, maybe not even Diaz himself. The statement he made in the cage is the only one he's made so far. He declined an invitation to the post-fight press conference, leaving UFC president Dana White to speculate about his future."Nick Diaz is a fighter," White said. "I don't see Nick Diaz retiring, but who knows? This isn’t a sport where you want to be half in, half out, [saying,] 'I don't know what I want to do.' If that’s the way you feel, you probably should retire." White said later that he'd be open to a Condit-Diaz rematch. Maybe that will lure Diaz back. He wanted the chance to fight Georges St-Pierre, and a win over Condit would make that a possibility once again. Or maybe he'll do what he said he would and walk away for good, a complex character leaving us scratching our heads one final time. Then, years from now, you'll be sitting around wondering whatever happened to Nick Diaz, thinking to yourself that he was so good, so young, so confusing.

Posted in: fight, diaz, way, condit, he

Coach Speak: Trainer Reacts to Condit’s UFC 143 Win

Trainer Greg Jackson discussed Carlos Condit’s victory and Henry Martinez’s defeat at UFC 143 “Diaz vs. Condit” with TJ De Santis.

Posted in: ufc, henry, coach, condit, trainer

Carlos Condit looks back at UFC 143 fight with Nick Diaz, future fight with GSP

Triumphant Carlos "The Natural Born Killer" Condit shared thoughts about becoming the Interim UFC Welterweight Champion after the UFC 143 main event encounter with Nick Diaz. Condit will now face Georges St. Pierre for the undisputed title, with sights on cutting the French-Canadian's streak of six title defenses. Further Reading: Full UFC 143

Posted in: ufc, condit, killer condit, frenchcanadians streak, event encounter

UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit And Greg Jackson Solved Nick Diaz

Going into UFC 143's welterweight interim title fight between Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz, the expectations were that Diaz would inevitably outstrike and wear down Condit with his unique blend of high-volume punching and incredible conditioning. Diaz was expected to corner Condit up against the cage and box him up with barrages of arm punches that would slowly but surely accumulate and grind Condit down. Just like Diaz beat down B.J. Penn, Evangelista Santos, Paul Daley and so many others. But it didn't happen like that because Condit and his coach Greg Jackson put together a game plan that defused Diaz' advantages and because Condit's conditioning proved to be more than a match for Diaz'. Diaz did back Condit up throughout most of the fight. Diaz relentlessly walked Condit down and struck when he backed against the fence. But just as often, Condit counter-struck and spun away, back to the center of the cage. Judges Score Cards From Condit Vs. Diaz | Nick Diaz Announces Retirement After Loss And while Diaz did out-punch Condit, Condit out-struck Diaz by out-kicking, out-kneeing and out-elbowing him over the course of the fight. Condit also picked up the pace in the championship rounds and really had Diaz frustrated in the fourth round. Diaz did come back at the end of the fifth to get a take down and attack Condit's throat and left arm, but he was unable to get the finish. In the end, Condit took home a unanimous decision with all three judges agreeing that he'd won three rounds. They didn't agree about which three rounds he won but they all agreed he won three. CompuStrike showed that Condit outstruck Diaz 146-100, despite being outpunched 42-86. FightMetric scored it 306-274 for Condit with their unique but very apt scoring system. The long and short of it is that Greg Jackson and Condit figured out how to beat Diaz and Condit executed on it. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit

Posted in: diaz, nick diaz, round, condit, greg jackson

UFC 143 results recap from last night for 'Diaz vs Condit' in Las Vegas on Feb. 4

The sun has set on yet another Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) pay-per-view (PPV) event from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. And for the first time since April 2008, the mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion has a new (interim) welterweight champion not named Georges St. Pierre. His name? None other than Carlos Condit. However, it very well could have been -- and in some eyes should have been -- Nick Diaz. Condit squeaked by the Stockton, Calif., slugger in the UFC 143 main event, backpedaling for essentially five rounds and playing a strategic -- and apparently very effective -- game of keep-away for five full rounds. The "Natural Born 'Kicker'" slipped punches, circled and countered with effective strikes and kicks, while keeping his distance and refusing at all costs to get trapped along the fence. Diaz was, unsurprisingly, the aggressor throughout the entire interim welterweight title fight. He walked down Condit and attempted to corner him up against the cage, or at the very least, get him to exchange in the center of the Octagon. He soon began to talk trash, throw up his hands and bait Condit into fighting his fight. Condit never bit. Not even a nibble. On the contrary, Condit was remarkably disciplined and stuck to his gameplan. And midway through the third round he appeared to find his groove, loosening up and starting to score points with the judges. He found a home for his leg kicks, as well as another for his shin on Diaz's grill more than a few times. Mix in some nice, creative strikes in short bursts, and it was a recipe for success. Condit got himself in some trouble in the final minute of the fight, getting tripped and letting Diaz -- a very dangerous Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt -- take his back and work for a fight-ending submission. Condit defended the choke well, and then the following arm lock, to seal his split decision victory and earn an invitation to unify the belt against St. Pierre later this year once "Rush" is fully recovered from recent knee surgery. Party pooper. Diaz, meanwhile, was so upset with the decision that he declared that he was "done with MMA." It was clearly an emotionally-charged statement and one that he will likely revise in the days, weeks and months ahead as the bitter taste of controversial defeat begins to wane. Maybe. In the co main event, heavyweights Fabricio Werdum and Roy Nelson collided in what turned out to be an exciting, back-and-forth slugfest that ended with the Brazilian's hand raised in victory after 15 minutes of action. It would have ended sooner if Nelson's chin wasn't made out of otherworldly, indestructible material, but alas, "Big Country" can take one hell of a punch ... and crushing knees, too. Werdum connected kneecap-to-nose on more than one painful occasion, even making it squirt blood all over Nelson's big belly. Yet somehow, someway, Nelson remained upright and kept trudging forward, looking to land one big shot and rip a Hail Mary victory from the clutches of defeat. It never came. Werdum -- who hadn't seen the inside of the UFC's Octagon since Oct. 2008 -- went on to earn a unanimous decision, but it certainly wasn't without a fair share of shaky moments. Nelson rocked him with a few good 'ole fashion haymakers, but he managed to recover quick and notch a very important victory that will get him on the heavyweight contender radar. And if we're lucky, maybe Frank Mir's radar, too. Before their welterweight showdown, Josh Koscheck promised to be the first man to finish the resilient Mike Pierce. He didn't honor that promise last night. Not even close. In fact, he's fortunate that he left "Sin City" with a win. Pierce essentially fought his fight, closing the distance and boxing up "Kos" in the clinch, as well as alongside the cage. He even pumped the jab, finding a home for it early and often right on the face of the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA)-trained fighter. Koscheck appeared puzzled, uncomfortable and unsure of how to go about putting points on the judges scorecards. He eventually came to his senses and resorted to his bread and butter, high-level wrestling, to land several very important takedowns, which if he didn't land, more than likely would have cost him the fight. Even though Koscheck didn't really do much with the takedowns, they were a critical component of his split decision victory. One that will keep him on the up-and-up in the welterweight division, whether MMA fans like it -- or agree with this evening's decision -- or not. It wasn't pretty, and it certainly wasn't as easy as he predicted, but he got the job done. Someone get Johny Hendricks on the horn immediately: That's a match to make, all things (Jon Fitch) considered. Renan Barao doesn't just look like a complete psychopath, but he kind of fights like one, too. The Nova Uniao-trained fighter lost his first-ever MMA fight way back in 2005 and hasn't looked back since, reeling off a ridiculous 27 consecutive victories. Make that 28. Barao stormed past Scott Jorgensen, a former number one bantamweight contender, in a very fast-paced, exciting fight that went the distance despite the Brazilian's best efforts to end it sooner. He drilled "Young Guns" with several blistering strikes, but Jorgensen was just too durable to go home early. Jorgensen appeared to abandon his biggest strength (wrestling) early, opting instead to sling leather with his much more accomplished striking counterpart. Either that, or he determined that Barao's takedown defense was just too good to continue testing. Regardless, Barao punched, kneed and kicked himself to a another solid victory. In the process, he clearly established himself as perhaps the most serious threat to Dominick Cruz's 135-pound world title. He wants a chance to fight for it, shrieking in Portuguese after his win, "I WANT THE BELT!" but he'll have to take a spot behind Urijah Faber. After that It would most likely be wise to do what the man says and give it to him. Immediately. Before someone gets hurt (again). He's scary. After suffering a terrible in-cage knee injury during a fight against Aaron Simpson more than two years ago, it appeared that the MMA career of Ed Herman was on the fritz. "Short Fuse" had dropped three of four bouts and it didn't appear that The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 3 alum would be able to make a significant contribution to the 185-pound division moving forward. Mindless mularkey, Maniacs. Herman, riding a two-fight win streak, strutted into the Octagon last night to battle Clifford Starks, a strong, undefeated wrestling-minded fighter who would certainly test the tension of his surgically-repaired knee ligaments with takedown attempts and scrambles. However, Herman beat him to it, securing two takedowns after the pair traded leather throughout most of the first rounds, the second of which led to a rear naked choke submission finish. In fact, Starks seemed content to stand and trade with Herman, landing several hard shots that probably would have dropped lesser competition. It was certainly a much different, and much improved, performance from Starks in the striking department since his unanimous decision win over Dustin Jacoby in Oct. 2011. But, unlike that fight, it didn't get the job done against a dangerous, well-rounded fighter like Herman. Stick with what works. Herman did and now he's back in the thick of things, most likely earning another televised fight in a future against a notable opponent. His hard work to turn his career around is paying off. And it could not have come at a better time with the middleweight division in need of a talent injection. That's enough from us. Now it's your turn to discuss UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" in the comments section below. Do you agree with the Diaz-Condit decision? Is Diaz really done with MMA? Does Werdum have what it takes to make a run at the title? Who should "Contender Killer" Koscheck fight next? Is Barao a future champion in the making? Let's hear it, Maniacs. Be sure to also check out our complete UFC 143 blow-by-blow coverage of the entire "Diaz vs. Condit" event right here. While you're at it, check out our fight-by-fight recaps, video highlights and immediate reactions for UFC 143: Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz UFC 143 results: Carlos Condit wins controversial decision over Nick Diaz to win interim welterweight title Nick Diaz vs Carlos Condit full fight video highlights from UFC 143 Roy Nelson vs. Fabricio Werdum UFC 143 results: Fabricio Werdum outstrikes Roy Nelson en route to decision win Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce UFC 143 results: Josh Koscheck earns split decision win over Mike Pierce Renan Barao vs. Scott Jorgensen UFC 143 results: Renan Barao cruises past Scott Jorgensen for decision win Ed Herman vs. Clifford Starks UFC 143 results: Ed Herman submits Clifford Starks in the first round Last, and certainly not least, check out our complete UFC 143 results recap of the Facebook/FX "Prelims" right here.

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, decision, condit

Carlos Condit Didn’t Doubt He Won Decision (UFC 143 Video)

Detractors be damned, Carlos Condit says he was fully confident that the decision was going in his favor at UFC 143 on Saturday night.

Posted in: ufc, decision, condit, carlos condit, ’t doubt

UFC 143 results recap: 'Report Card' for 'Diaz vs Condit' in Las Vegas

With a resolute commitment to a smart gameplan, Carlos Condit outpointed Nick Diaz via unanimous decision to win the interim welterweight title at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. As the pair squared off Saturday night (Feb. 4, 2012) in the UFC 143 main event, expectations were high for a grueling dogfight, given both men's recent showings. But, Condit flipped the script, using movement and picking spots expertly to take the duke on scores of 49-46 (twice) and 48-47. At press time, it was unclear whether the newly-minted interim champ would wait until November to square off against injured champion Georges St. Pierre, whose recovery from a knee injury temporarily vacated the title. But regardless of whom he faces next, "The Natural Born Killer" showed a heady blend of composure and toughness in turning back a determined Diaz, who pressed forward for most of the bout in search of meaningful exchanges that rarely materialized. In the co-main event, Fabricio Werdum showed improved striking and a potent Muay Thai clinch in a unanimous decision of Roy Nelson. The heavyweights spent most of the fight on the feet, with a tiring Nelson unable to effectively land his trademark overhand right for much of the fight. Instead, Werdum used kicks and workmanlike hands to pile up a points lead that carried him to an impressive and much-needed win in his return to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Here's a closer look UFC 143 competitors graded out: Carlos Condit: APerspective is everything in assessing a fighter's performance, especially in the context of how he'll execute compared to previous opponents' failure to do so. And on that score, Condit aced the test. It's been 11 fights and four years since anyone had much success standing against Nick Diaz, when K.J. Noons cut and stopped the Stockton battler. Using movement and constantly attacking Diaz's lead leg, Condit refused to be sucked into the kind of extended, mano-a-mano exchanges that almost always leaves Diaz' opponents the worse for wear. Carlos seemed to have an alarm that went off whenever his back was against cage, prompting him to slide off, and he stuffed Diaz' handful of weak takedown attempts, to boot. This was an outstanding gameplan designed to maximize Condit's strengths in leg kicks and a move-diverse attack, while minimizing Diaz's tendency to win volume-based exchanges and gritty punchouts. It worked perfectly. The downside is that while he looked pretty good tonight in defusing the ultra-tough Diaz, there weren't many stylistic clues to compare how he'd do against St. Pierre. The longtime welterweight kingpin is a completely different style, suffused with overpowering wrestling and explosive athleticism, but Condit will need a great gameplan to win that fight, as well. Tonight, he came up in a high-pressure situation and executed to the letter. He also kept his cool in the closing moments of the fifth, as Diaz finally got him down, took the back and attempted a rear naked choke. Tonight was the culmination of a long road for Condit, proving he belongs with the elite of the 170-pound division. Fabricio Werdum: B+A rejuvenated Werdum has always lacked solid stand up, but he put it together tonight against Roy Nelson. With perhaps the best bottom game in the heavyweight division, his campaign at heavyweight might go as far as his stand up takes him. He's no prime bomber just yet, however, and seemed conscious of doing just enough to win rounds and dictate exchanges -- a future match against a heavy-handed wrestler might reveal more from Werdum. He's a very talented heavyweight who seems to evolve only to come up flat in performances, but tonight was one of the better performances of his career given low expectations coming off his dreadful decision loss to Alistair Overeem. Mike Pierce: B+The hard-nosed welterweight fought an excellent, overachieving-style bout against Josh Koscheck, and nearly won it, losing a razor-thin split decision. Pierce mitigated Koscheck's strengths by forcing a rough, down-and-dirty fight. Using his quick, heavy hands to get off first, he mixed in enough takedown attempts to keep Koscheck off-kilter in spots, though the former UFC title challenger did enough to nick the decision on the judges' cards. Coming in as a heavy underdog, Pierce did better than most people thought, and with a meaningful exchange his way, could have easily won this fight. The UFC's welterweight division is definitely in flux right now with GSP's absence and Condit as the interim champ. Pierce should definitely be in line for another big-name fight to show his mettle once more; with all five losses via decision, he's a tough customer that showed it tonight. Ed Herman: B+Veteran middleweight got his third win in a row against upstart Starks, after eating some heavy leather in early exchanges. Herman's been around the block twice and then some, and his experience proved a huge factor here. After getting nailed readily in the bout, Herman used a nice trip-takedown after Starks' mental lapse offered the opening in a clinch, which was essentially the beginning of the end which led to a rear-naked choke submission win in the second. Herman's standup has improved from non-existent to semi-reliable, but his defense against strikes is presently backed up by a strong chin and little else. He'll head a lot more head movement and stand up to succeed against the better class of the division. Renan Barao: B+With a clear-cut decision win over Scott Jorgensen, Barao upped his record to 28-1, and steps into the elite of the 135-lb. division. The victory wasn't easy, as his early dynamism and excellent lower-leg kicks couldn't discourage the resolute Jorgensen, who simply kept coming and forcing him to work. With a wonderful talent like Renan, the first thing you want to see if how he adjusts in a tough bout he can't win early; those adjustments are precisely what he'll need if he gets a title shot, which may be later this year after Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber finished their rubber match next spring. With a boatload of experience and now 5-0 under the Zuffa umbrella, Barao may competing for a belt fairly soon. Like most Nova Uniao fighters, he has outstanding striking with great takedown defense, with an uncanny ability to dictate range and the timing of exchanges. He'll need to improve on those to challenge for a title, especially against the wily champ Cruz, who is the master of those tactics. Scott Jorgensen: B-An honest product that always gives you a full day's work, Jorgensen came on strong down the stretch against the dynamic Barao, forcing trades after it was clear a takedown simply wasn't going to happen. Outmatched in terms of striking ability, the former world title challenger kept pressing, as Barao tired somewhat, and landed some decent shots in a revealing bout. As was evident in his decision loss to champ Dominick Cruz, Jorgensen's limited reach and size make it tough to him to strike at distance against rangier foes, but he's durable and persistent enough to make them work throughout, because he never quits. This was a piece of matchmaking designed to force Barao to prove he's ready for the elite of the 135-lb. division and show what kind of resilience he'll have in tough distance match, and it succeeded on both counts. Josh Koscheck: C+Kos had little to gain and everything to lose tonight, especially as he's lost twice to Georges St. Pierre and is nowhere near another title shot as long as GSP is champ. But the talented welter bit down and rode out a surprisingly tough challenge from the motivated Pierce. Like fellow veterans and victims of GSP in Jake Shields and Jon Fitch, Kos will probably have to face a long line of upstart talent at 170, and as Johny Hendricks showed against Fitch, a loss could be a major setback in an already-uphill campaign to get a title shot. Kos didn't shoot for takedowns early enough in the bout and apply his amazing wrestling abilities, and looked somewhat flustered in exchanges. Veterans know how to grind out a close win, which he ultimately did, but this wasn't Kos at his best tonight. Flipping off the crowd in his postfight interview didn't help, either, as he could've taken the high road in making nice with fans. If there's any mystery as to why they boo the talented Koscheck, he's the only one contemplating it after tonight. Nick Diaz: C+Diaz has never been satisfied when the judges' decision goes against him, and tonight was no different. Saying he's "done" with the sport in his postfight interview is hopefully a heat-of-the-moment statement, because he remains one of the game's most talented and exciting fighters. That being said, he was outstruck and outworked tonight just enough to lose a convincing decision. If there's a definite hole in the "Stockton Style" that Nick and brother Nate Diaz use, it's the availability of the lead leg to be repeatedly punished, followed by movement to force him to chase and reset. Denied the pocket-range exchanges that have defined his signature wins in recent years, Diaz was unable to get extended combinations off, while Condit piled up points as he picked spots, landed cleanly and scooted away. Another longtime Diaz weakness, takedowns, flared up against as he was unable to get Condit to the mat until the final moments of the bout. His outstanding jiu-jitsu might have been able to swing the momentum of close rounds his way if he'd been able to get Condit to the mat. Retirement talk aside, this was a somewhat flat performance by an outstanding fighter facing a guy with a great gameplan. Diaz remains a highly bankable fighter with a loyal fan base. It will be interesting to see future opponents try and replicate the Condit gameplan. Attempting to do so is probably easier said than done. Clifford Starks: C-Unbeaten coming into the bout, Starks showed much-improved standup, drilling Herman and planting the seeds for what seemed a huge win over the veteran. However, as Herman simply refused to bend, Starks came a bit unraveled, and paid for it, with a takedown that led to the fight-ending submission. A huge middleweight with solid wrestling, Starks' first loss is a good learning experience for him and should motivate him to work on correcting the mental lapses that led to the takedown and defeat. He's got some good basic tools, but didn't utilize them in a fight that was very much winnable until it went south on him. Fortunately for him, 185 pounds is the UFC's thinnest bench in terms of depth, so he'll have time and leeway to develop as he continues to learn the game. Roy Nelson: C-A relatively svelte 246, Nelson never recovered by a first-round barrage of knees and numbing punishment from Werdum, and was reduced to heaving the occasional punch with few effective weapons. Nelson looked somewhat like the tired and heavier version that was decisioned by Frank Mir, and Werdum's outstanding guard work on the one occasion Nelson did get top position stifled future considerations of going there later in the fight. A very flat showing by Nelson, who was unable to adjust to Werdum's surprisingly good standup, especially with his kicks. This may have been a bad style matchup for Roy given the fact that he couldn't fall back on wrestling to ride out rounds and the decision. That's something that's definitely an option against future opponents he can't outstrike, but it wasn't one tonight. For complete UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" results and blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action click here. Jason Probst can be reached at twitter.com/jasonprobst and Jason@jasonprobst.com

Posted in: fight, diaz, decision, condit, exchange

UFC 143 Results: Winners, Losers, And Other Thoughts

As I sit here in the media room surrounded by the photo and video reporters, I the emotions of a live event are finally being lifted. There was a ton of anticipation for the interim title bout between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit as many people expected the fight to deliver fireworks. While the general feeling is split, there is no doubt that both fighters elevated themselves despite the decision. With three hours before my flight back to Austin, Texas, let's take a look at the biggest winner and losers of UFC 143. WINNERS Carlos Condit: Throughout the entire week, the media were discounting Condit's ability to play spoiler for the potential matchup between Georges St. Pierre and Nick Diaz. While it may not be the fight that people expected, Condit fought a perfect fight and walked away with not just the win but also a sweet Harley Davidson motorcycle. Not a bad way to spend Super Bowl weekend, huh? Fabricio Werdum: He looked incredibly dominant in every facet of the fight, especially in the clinch. Lesser men would have crumbled to those knees to the face so the lack of a finish cannot be held against the two time Abu Dhabi champion. He's likely a win or two away from a shot at the UFC heavyweight belt. Dustin Poirier: Dustin 'Diamond' was originally scheduled to face Eric Koch in a title eliminator. Unfortunately, the Duke Roufus product suffered an injury and was replaced by Max Holloway. While the fight may not have earned him a shot at Jose Aldo's belt, Poirier walked away with a $65k bonus which will ease that pain. Ed Herman: There's something to say about a complete career rebirth. After a slew of injuries that kept him sidelined, Herman is now on a three fight win streak and a new found look on MMA. Stephen Thompson: The highlight reel knockout over Dan Stittgen is a great way to make a UFC debut. The fact that he's such a highly touted prospect will mean that the UFC will develop him slowly as he has a bright future in the promotion. A fantastic performance from a young fighter. Losers and other thoughts after the jump... SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit LOSERS Matt Riddle: That was a god awful performance against a featherweight. It may seem absurd but Matthew Riddle has regressed since his time on the Ultimate Fighter. The only good news for Riddle is that as bad as he was tonight, he still put on a better performance than... Rafael Natal: Rafael Natal is hands down the worst fighter in the UFC's middleweight division. I'm not arguing this or even offering any sort of evidence. If you watched the fight tonight you know I'm right. He walked away with the W but looked awful in the effort. Alex Caceres: I hate saying that his game plan was to land two ridiculously hard low blows but holy cow did those take a ton out of Edwin Figueroa's tank. Justice was served though as Caceres walked away with the L and hopefully with a lesson in leg kicks. OTHER THOUGHTS Nick Diaz may have announced his desire to leave MMA following the loss to Carlos Condit but I don't expect this to be the last time we see the elder Diaz brother in the UFC. He put on a great performance and the fact that people were arguing about the scoring is evidence of that fact. Hopefully seeing his brother fight Jim Miller will provide him with more motivate to return to MMA. Josh Koscheck may have been victorious but tonight but he looked awful in the victory. It was apparently his last fight with AKA so who knows if that was a factor but this wasn't a fight that he should be proud of. Roy Nelson is one of the toughest men alive. Those knees were ridiculous and he still stayed in the fight. Huge dap to the recently slimmed Roy Nelson for stay competitive against a top fighter. What's going on with Scott Jorgensen? He hasn't used his patented guillotine and has fallen off the bantamweight map with this loss to Renan Barao. Disappointing for such a promising young fighter. Henry Martinez deserves credit for fighting Matt Riddle who likely entered the cage around 190 pounds. Insane that he did as much damage as he did. I'm looking forward to seeing him return to the UFC closer to his natural weight class.

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, fighter, condit

Video: UFC 143 winner Carlos Condit came to Las Vegas to punch Nick Diaz, not trash talk inside the cage

"This is just another step toward my ultimate goal of being among the best mixed martial artists in the world. He was talking, [Nick Diaz] was landing punches, you know? I think I was winning. No matter how much he talked, I was hitting him hard, I was hitting him solid. That's what I came here to do: I didn't come here to talk. From the very beginning, I broke that leg down. I chopped his leg, chopped his leg, chopped his leg, so even if he had the cardio, he didn't have the wheels. I've got a lot of work to do, and a lot more improvements to be made. Georges St. Pierre is a true champion, he's the best in the world. It's huge." Newly-minted UFC interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit had a gameplan to defeat Nick Diaz in the UFC 143 main event at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, and he was sticking to it no matter what the fiery Stockton, Calif., slugger said inside the cage during their five-round battle. It was clear that Diaz was growing impatient with Condit's wise strategy, which comprised circling away from Diaz, countering and refusing to get backed into a corner and beaten up. In fact, Condit's feet barely stopped moving all night (Feb. 4, 2012), turning in a very disciplined performance even when Diaz threw up his hands, stuck out his chin and dared the "Natural Born Killer" to get down and dirty. He remained focused and resolute even when the fans in attendance began to grow a little restless. His defensive offense, however, eventually won them over, as well as the judges sitting ringside, who awarded him a controversial unanimous decision that -- at least on paper -- appeared to be accurate. With the win, Condit sets up a future date with reigning division champion Georges St. Pierre later this year to unify the belts. One that will take a similar effort of remaining upright and off his back if he intends on achieving his ultimate goal. Easier said than done, but he'll have more than enough time to work up yet another effective gameplan.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, las vegas, leg, condit

Dana White, new champ Carlos Condit perfectly content with UFC 143 result

LAS VEGAS - Depending on who you talk to, Carlos Condit's unanimous-decision win over Nick Diaz in the main event of Saturday night's UFC 143 event in Las Vegas was either a brilliantly designed and perfectly executed gameplan or a mockery of mixed martial arts. While it's obvious, of course, which Condit believes, you can also count UFC president Dana White among those who thinks the "Natural Born Killer" did all the right things. "Carlos Condit won," White said following the evening's post-event press conference. "He went in there, and he fought a great fight."

Posted in: ufc, nick diaz, las vegas, condit, carlo

Condit on UFC 143 Victory: Diaz Was Talking, I Was Landing Punches

Carlos Condit earned the biggest win of his career on Saturday night, outpointing former Strikeforce titlist Nick Diaz to capture the UFC interim welterweight championship at UFC 143.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, condit, carlo, welterweight championship

Carlos Condit Believes He Won First Four Rounds Against Nick Diaz

LAS VEGAS -- Watch below as Carlos Condit talks about his UFC 143 win over Nick Diaz, why he deserved to win, his performance and what's next for him.

Posted in: diaz, nick diaz, nick, condit, carlos condit

Dana White Believes Carlos Condit Deserved to Win UFC 143 Main Event

LAS VEGAS -- Watch below as Dana White talks about UFC 143, why he thinks Carlos Condit deserved to win the main event, his thoughts on Nick Diaz's retirement, Fabricio Werdum's impressive win and his take on the Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce fight.

Posted in: ufc, event, condit, carlos condit, carlo

UFC 143 Post-Fight Interviews: White, Condit, Koscheck, Barao, Herman, More

MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani caught up with Dana White, Carlos Condit, Josh Koscheck, Renan Barao, Ed Herman, Dustin Poirier, Matt Brown, Alex Caceres, Matt Riddle and Stephen Thompson to get their reactions to UFC 143.

Posted in: ufc, matt, condit, stephen thompson, poirier matt

UFC 143 post-fight press conference full video for 'Diaz vs Condit' in Las Vegas

UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, is officially in the books after an eventful night of fights. As usual, the stars of the show came to dish the dirt on the event, including Carlos Condit, Josh Koscheck, Fabricio Werdum, Renan Barao, Ed Herman and Dustin Poirier. To watch the highlights of Diaz vs. Condit click here and for complete UFC 143 results and blow-by-blow coverage of all the night's action click here.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, condit, blowbyblow coverage

what pros had to say about the main event

josh neer @joshneer Wow. Nick got robbed 4-1 diaz. Carlos was doing the Forrest Gump #runforestrun Ariel Helwani @arielhelwani Condit wins via decision. Great fight. I think I had it 3-2 Diaz but need to watch again. Cody McKenzie @TheCodyMcKenzie Wow really goes to show you how bad these judges suck Carlos ran the entire time Mike Kogan @MikeKogan Fucking judges are blind. 48-47 Diaz. Steve Wonder would have scored it. @nickdiaz209 @NateDiaz209 Micah Miller @Mavymcmavmav What a fucking robbery Joe Lauzon @JoeLauzon I eagerly await fight metrics for this fight... I thought Diaz won that all night long. Yves Edwards @thugjitsumaster I wanted Nick to win but there's no way Condit won 4 rds backing up. Pat Miletich @patmiletich That decision was an absolute joke. At best, Condit won 2 rounds. Kit Cope @KitCope Agreed! RT @mattlindland: Great fight Diaz 1,2,5 Condit 3,4 Mark Muñoz @mark_munoz Gr8 fight! Think Diaz 4 rounds to 1. We'll see! #ufc143 Matt Lindland @mattlindland Great fight Diaz 1,2,5 Condit 3,4 Dan Henderson @danhendo Wow, I would not want to judge that one. I had it even after 4. And diaz in the 5th submitted by qwerty622 [link] [55 comments]

Posted in: fight, diaz, condit, fight i, rt mattlindland

FightMetric Scores UFC 143 Main Event For Carlos Condit

There’s always going to be plenty of debate about who won whenever there’s a close fight and that was certainly the case with tonight’s UFC 143 headliner between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit. Some felt Condit rightfully won while others believe Diaz should have won. Well, for what it’s worth, FightMetric’s scoring of the fight supports the official judges’ decision to award the fight to Condit. According to their breakdown, Condit deserved to win 48-47, taking rounds 1, 3 and 4. They also had Condit winning the fight overall based on their effectiveness score. Most notably, Condit landed 151 significant strikes to Diaz’s 101 and broke the UFC record for single leg strikes landed in a fight with 68.

Posted in: fight, diaz, condit, carlos condit, ufc record

Carlos Condit UFC 143 Post-Fight Interview

Posted in: ufc, interview, condit, postfight, carlo

UFC 143 In Tweets: Pros Score Nick Diaz Vs. Carlos Condit

It's the biggest cliché in mixed martial arts, but the words most certainly held true on Saturday night. Never leave it in the hands of the judges. Unfortunately for Nick Diaz, he did just that, brawling back-and-forth with Carlos Condit for five rounds at UFC 143, only to drop a razor-thin unanimous decision, along with a shot at the undisputed UFC welterweight championship that had eluded him for so long. The verdict was as close and controversial as they come, and while Diaz was preoccupied unleashing his post-fight fury inside the Octagon, his contemporaries sounded off via Twitter with their scorecards of the divisive interim title tilt. @danhendoDan Henderson Wow, I would not want to judge that one. I had it even after 4. And diaz in the 5th Feb 05 via Seesmic Favorite Retweet Reply @MieshaTateMiesha Tate I thought Condit won the fight I know Diaz is pissed but Condit had a solid game plan that worked, I thought he won for sure Feb 05 via Twitter for iPhone Favorite Retweet Reply @titoortizTito Ortiz I had a draw! #UFC143 Feb 05 via TweetCaster for Android Favorite Retweet Reply @JoeLauzonJoe Lauzon I eagerly await fight metrics for this fight... I thought Diaz won that all night long. Feb 05 via HootSuite Favorite Retweet Reply @SiyarTheKillerSiyar Bahadurzada 4-1 Condit!!!!!!!! Perfect performance!!!!!!! As I said the only way to beat Diaz was to confuse and irritate him!!!!!! Feb 05 via Twitter for iPhone Favorite Retweet Reply @TimKennedyMMATim Kennedy I HATE judges! @ufc Feb 05 via Twitter for iPhone Favorite Retweet Reply @patmiletichPat Miletich That decision was an absolute joke. At best, Condit won 2 rounds. Feb 05 via Mobile Web Favorite Retweet Reply @MiguelTorresMMAMiguel Angel Torres I score this fight 50-45 in favor of GSP. @ufc Feb 05 via txt Favorite Retweet Reply @Jens_PulverJens Pulver Diaz wins via ring generalship, one moving forward, one moving backward. Ala delahoya vs Trinidad in my opinion, it's 3 opinions that judge Feb 05 via Twittelator Neue Favorite Retweet Reply @mattlindlandMatt Lindland Great fight Diaz 1,2,5 Condit 3,4 Feb 05 via Twitter for iPhone Favorite Retweet Reply @SBNLukeThomasLuke Thomas RT @DamonMartin: Dana White says he had the fight scored 3-2 for Carlos Condit. #UFC143 Feb 05 via TweetDeck Favorite Retweet Reply @jonfitchdotnetJon Fitch I think condit won Feb 05 via Echofon Favorite Retweet Reply @mark_munozMark Muñoz Gr8 fight! Think Diaz 4 rounds to 1. We'll see! #ufc143 Feb 05 via Echofon Favorite Retweet Reply @TheCodyMcKenzieCody McKenzie Wow really goes to show you how bad these judges suck Carlos ran the entire time Feb 05 via Twitter for iPhone Favorite Retweet Reply @joshneerjosh neer Wow. Nick got robbed 4-1 diaz. Carlos was doing the Forrest Gump #runforestrun Feb 05 via Twitter for Android Favorite Retweet Reply @RondaRouseyRonda Rousey If I wanted to see a man run for 25 minutes I'd go to a track meet. Diaz is the real champ, what a bulls*** fight Feb 05 via Twitter for iPhone Favorite Retweet Reply @CungLe185Cung Le I meant Diaz rounds 1,2 & 5 and Condit 3 & 4 Feb 05 via Twitter for Android Favorite Retweet Reply @EllenbergerMMAJake Ellenberger You got to be kidding me... Feb 05 via Echofon Favorite Retweet Reply @BrianStannBrian Stann @carloscondit won that fight in my opinion, so happy for him, put a belt around his waist!! He is a great person & father Feb 05 via TweetCaster for iOS Favorite Retweet Reply @thugjitsumasterYves Edwards I wanted Nick to win but there's no way Condit won 4 rds backing up. Feb 05 via Twitter for iPhone Favorite Retweet Reply

Posted in: diaz, condit, feb, reply, retweet

UFC 143 Video Highlights: Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit

Video highlights of Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit at UFC 143 via ESPN.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, nick, vs, condit

Josh Koscheck Parts Ways with AKA, Open to Fights with Diaz or Condit

Josh Koscheck says he has finished his time with American Kickboxing Academy, and also comments on potential match-ups with Nick Diaz or Carlos Condit.

Posted in: diaz, nick diaz, koscheck, condit, josh

UFC 143 results: Nick Diaz vs Carlos Condit fight metric report shows judges made right decision

By now, opinions have been cast and vary greatly from pundits to fans to fighters regarding the UFC 143 main event bout last night (Sat., Feb. 4, 2012) in Las Vegas that saw Carlos Condit take a close unanimous decision victory over Nick Diaz. The fight was interesting because Condit executed a game plan that flabbergasted his foe and made it hard on the judges to nail down exactly how to score it. He was landing plenty of shots, dipping in and out and sticking and moving, but Diaz was clearly the aggressor and walked him down the whole way, getting in a few good punches of his own. In the end, though, the three judges all scored the fight for Condit, awarding him the interim welterweight championship and a shot at Georges St. Pierre later this year. Diaz, thinking he was the rightful winner and tired of the way the sport is set up, retired in disgust immediately following the bout. Stats don't always tell the full story, of course, but thankfully Fight Metric has released their report on the contest and we get a bit more clarity on the controversial bout. Let's take a look after the jump. The full striking report spanning all five rounds (click on over to Fight Metric to see the round-by-round breakdown) shows that Condit outlanded Diaz 159-117 in total strikes and 151-105 in significant strikes. Diaz was better to the head and body but "The Natural Born Killer" was just that when he went to the legs. Ouch. On to the grappling, which there was admittedly little of: Diaz gets credit for landing one of his three takedown attempts as well as a pass to Condit's back at the end of the fifth frame. Outside of that, the entirety of the bout was contested on the feet. Finally, the performance rating: As you can see, Condit was rightfully awarded the decision -- based purely on the numbers -- by a score of 48-47. Fight Metric awarded Condit rounds one, three and four and Diaz rounds two and five. Well, Maniacs, now that you've seen the fight, and the Fight Metric report, what are your thoughts? Anyone changing their mind? Or is your opinion now reinforced? Sound off. For a more detailed look at the Diaz vs. Condit fight click here. To watch highlights click here and for complete UFC 143 results and blow-by-blow coverage of all the night's action click here.

Posted in: fight, diaz, bout, condit, report

UFC 143: Nick Diaz Vs. Carlos Condit Fight Video Highlights

It took five erratic months and a slew of last-minute lineup switches, but Carlos Condit earned a date with Georges St. Pierre after all. The former WEC kingpin defeated Nick Diaz to claim the UFC interim welterweight strap at the main event of UFC 143, snatching the judge's nod after 25 grueling minutes in front of the packed Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Full video highlights of Condit's stunning upset can be seen below. For more, catch the play-by-play by MMA Fighting's own Luke Thomas. ROUND 1 - Diaz opens southpaw while Condit is orthodox. Diaz starts out doing the stalking while Condit doing a lot of moving. Two outside leg kicks from Condit land. Diaz backing Condit into the fence, but he manages to circle out. Left straight from Diaz finds the mark. Brazilian kick from Condit whiffs over the head of Diaz. Condit with two more outside leg kicks to Diaz's lead leg. Diaz begins talking to Condit now. Spinning back fist from Condit misses and Diaz lands a right against the fence and a hard body shot. Left straight now from Diaz. Right hook to the body from Diaz and Condit misses on another spinning back elbow. MMA Fighting scores this round 10-9 Diaz. ROUND 2 - Condit whiffs again on a Brazilian kick, but Diaz is still pressing. Outside leg kick from Condit lands, but he misses on a flying. Diaz backs Condit into the fence, but can't get much. Spinning back fist from Condit partially lands, but not with a ton of authority. Diaz switching stances and taunting Condit with a slap. He eats several front leg kicks, but nothing major. Body kick now from Condit. Left straight to the body, right hook to the head lands for Diaz with Condit on the fence. Middle kick again for Condit but eats a jab for his efforts. Against the fence both fighters exchange in the pocket and now Condit is landing a bit more. Diaz rips several hard shots to the body, but works his way off the fence. Condit more active and more mobile this round. Diaz reaches for a takedown, but is stuffed. MMA Fighting scores this round 10-9 Condit. ROUND 3 - It's more of the same to start round three and Condit lands a hard body shot and inside leg kick. Now a head kick finds the mark for the New Mexico native. Diaz lands a three punch combination to the body and head. Right hand now for Condit, though not with a ton of authority. Right hook to the body from Condit and he moves out of the pocket. Diaz still stalking, but hitting nothing but air. Now Diaz eats a short outside leg kick. And another. Condit lands a punch-kick combo, but Diaz retaliates with two hard left hands. Hard right knee from Condit plus a right to the body. Condit lands an outside leg kick, but slips in the process. MMA Fighting scores this round 10-9 Condit. ROUND 4 - Condit again sticking and moving, mostly with leg kicks. Diaz tries to clinch, but Condit breaks it and circles away. Front kick from Condit, but not with much power. Diaz presses Condit into the fence and changes levels, but eats two punches for his efforts. Diaz's offensive output has slowed consideriably. Outside leg kick from Condit. Body kick from Condit partially lands and he circles away. Body shot and outside leg kick from Condit, plus a head kick on a second combination. Condit is opening up now. Diaz tries to grab a single, can't and eats a knee to the middle. Jab now from Condit. Diaz again trying to get Condit against the fence, but can't do it. MMA Fighting scores this round 10-9 Condit. ROUND 5 - Condit sticking with the game plan and landing lead outside leg kicks. Diaz misses with a hook to the body and Condit circles out. Diaz lands his own inside leg kick, but Condit is still strong in the pocket. Condit throwing kicks to stay busy, but not landing anything big. Condit misses on a spinning back elbow. The fighters trade leg kicks, but Condit lands harder. Then Condit fires a left hook and a hard head kick. Diaz gets double underhooks, but Condit escapes. Diaz lands a right hook, but eats a knee to the middle from Condit. Diaz gets Condit's back standing and drags him to the floor. He's got Condit's back and is working feverishly to get something going. Diaz locks up the rear naked choke grip, but Condit pushes him off. Condit escapes. The round ends. MMA Fighting scores this round 10-9 Diaz and the fight 48-47 Condit. UFC 143 results: Carlos Condit defeats Nick Diaz by unanimous decision (48-47, 49-46, 49-46)

Posted in: diaz, round, leg, condit, kick

It's a shame most MMA fans will never appreciate what a chess match the main event was. [SPOILERS]

As time goes on, and I learn more about the sport, I always find that I appreciate what a chess match MMA is at the highest levels. It comes down to so much more than just brawling, but most MMA fans will never appreciate this. Nick Diaz is a nightmare of a fighter. GSP was wrong: Fitch was not the Terminator, Nick Diaz is. Nick Diaz has an iron chin, is not afraid to eat shots, constantly presses forward, and throws an enormous volume of punches straight down the pipe at his opponent's faces. He never gets tired and he never quits. Once he gets someone pinned against the cage, he's basically unbeatable. His little brother Nate used the exact same strategy against Cerrone, and made a multiple time Muay Thai champion look like an amateur striker. Nick pressed BJ Penn against the cage, and decisively outboxed one of MMA's greatest all time boxers. Not even Paul Daley, a man notorious for his punching power, could do enough damage to Nick to even slow him down. Condit knew this, and he refused to fail where his predecessors had. Much like a bullfighter dodges a bull, Carlos would not have any of Nick's 'bullying' strategy. He knew how to circle out and not get pinned against the cage. Make no mistake about it, Carlos was not afraid to trade strikes with Nick. The Fightmetric proves this. But everytime Nick started to get the upperhand, Carlos moved out of danger. He fought a perfect match. Carlos's movements were downright graceful, and well timed. Much like "Judo" translates to the "gentle way," Carlos refused to absorb the brunt of Nick's offense. He traded while he was winning, and immediately moved when Nick started landing. I don't think most people understand the amount of skill and discipline it takes for a fighter to be able to pull off a gameplan like this. Most fighters with Condit's resume would have fallen in love with their fists and tried to take Diaz's head off when the first taunts came. But again Condit would not have any of it. Condit trusted his striking enough to trade with Diaz on his own terms, but gracefully refused to play into Diaz's hand. Unfortunately, there is a rush of people complaining that Condit refused to actually 'fight' Diaz and that he kept running away. These people can't understand how masterfully Condit beat Diaz. It was perfect. He could not have been any more of a Kryptonite to Diaz's Superman. Condit had the brains to figure out the plan, the talent to execute the plan, the conditioning to see it through, and the discipline to stick to it. This, ladies and gentlemen, is true talent. It is marvellous. We just witnessed a great fight, and it is a shame and a blackeye for the sport as a whole that anyone would expect Condit to brawl with Diaz against the cage otherwise suffer being called a coward. Please, appreciate MMA for not only the violence, but also the athleticism, the talent, and the IQ it takes to not only win, but to win against the best of the best. TL;DR People shouldn't call Carlos a coward. They should appreciate how masterfully he beat Diaz. submitted by The_Demolition_Man [link] [13 comments]

Posted in: diaz, mma, nick, condit, carlo

UFC 143 draws a reported 10,040 attendees for $2.3 million live gate

LAS VEGAS - Saturday's "UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit" event drew a reported 10,040 attendees and generated a live gate of $2.3 million. UFC president Dana White revealed the figures at the evening's post-event press conference, which MMAjunkie.com attended. Featuring an interim welterweight title contest between former WEC titleholder Carlos Condit and former Strikeforce champ Nick Diaz, UFC 143 marked the company's first 2012 event in Las Vegas.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, event, condit, la

UFC 143: Condit vs. Diaz Full Fight Video Highlights

Carlos Condit defeated Nick Diaz by unanimous decision at UFC 143 Saturday night from the Mandalay bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. With the win, Condit became the UFC's interim welterweight champion and will face long-time champion Georges St. Pierre in GSP's return fight after recovering from a knee injury. Condit was able to avoid being suckered into Diaz's striking game and his gameplan of sticking to the outside and working leg kicks and deciding when he wanted to open up with strikes earned him the win on all three judges' scorecards with scores of 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47. Diaz was almost able to steal the fight in the final minute when he was able to secure a takedown and take Condit's back. Carlos was able to defend well enough to get to the final bell and get his hand raised. Following the bout Diaz claimed he was retiring from the sport of mixed martial arts because he didn't want to put up with a sport that would score the fight for Condit who many saw as having "ran" the whole fight. Here are the full highlights from the fight courtesy of ESPN: SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, condit, fight video

Nick Diaz vs Carlos Condit full fight video highlights from UFC 143

Carlos Condit takes a controversial decision over Nick Diaz in the main event of UFC 143 last night (Sat., Feb. 4, 2012) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Condit worked a smart game plan, making Diaz chase him around the cage for five rounds and 25 minutes while peppering with shots before jumping back out of range. It was highly effective and frustrated the Stockton slugger, who never did settle in and get comfortable. Still, Diaz felt he did enough to win with his aggressive, stalking approach and was so upset at the outcome he announced his retirement from MMA in the post-fight interview. We'll wait and see if he sticks with it. For a more detailed recap on the "Diaz vs. Condit" fight click here and for complete UFC 143 results and blow-by-blow coverage of all the night's action click here.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, condit, fight video, blowbyblow coverage

UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit Results And Post-Fight Analysis

Carlos Condit was able to use movement to keep Nick Diaz from really ever getting off through the majority of five rounds in the UFC 143 main event and it was good enough to win him the interim welterweight championship. As for Nick Diaz? It was enough to send him into retirement. ...or at least what he says will be his retirement. I scored the fight 49-46 for Condit, it seemed pretty clear to me that he won the first four rounds, even if the first two were reasonably close. I thought the fight was a thoroughly enjoyable affair that saw Condit fight smart and never allow himself to get pinned up against the cage where Diaz has done his best work over the past few years. While many felt it was "running," to me it was taking advantage of Diaz's footwork and openings to get back out into the middle of the cage where he could score with leg kicks and pick and choose when to engage with combinations. The reality is, strategy is important at the upper end of fight sports. In the same weight class where we saw the whole "Georges St. Pierre got too strategic once he got to the top of the sport" cries, we now are seeing it with Condit. Maybe it's that there are so many dangers at 170 that sometimes it takes a strategic approach to get the win. Asking Condit to stand and trade with Diaz is asking him to do the same thing that got fighter after fighter busted up by Nick. Carlos earned his victory and his shot at St. Pierre. I know I'll be looking forward to that fight when the time comes. I have a feeling Diaz thinks by "retiring" from the UFC, he can try the boxing thing that he has floated so often. Once the UFC lets him know that their contract doesn't exactly allow that, I have a feeling we'll see Diaz right back in the UFC Octagon. Diaz is still absolutely one of the best 170 pounders in the sport and will trouble almost anyone in the sport. I hope he really isn't walking away, even if I do really hate his inability to ever handle failure with any semblance of professionalism. I can't wait for the next round of cries that Roy Nelson suddenly cut to 205 pounds and learn a completely new way to fight at 35 years of age. The Roy Nelson who has proven time and time again that he can't handle top end heavyweights is the real version. He's the only one you're getting, so just accept it. Fabricio Werdum's muay thai looked very solid tonight. He was able to work knees, leg kicks and decent punching combinations to wreck Nelson over three rounds. He had some scary moments where Nelson appeared to get in with big enough power to sting him, but Werdum would just fire back and take the fight right back over. I'm not sure I buy into the idea that he can hang with Junior dos Santos because he was better at beating up Roy Nelson, but it was an impressive performance. Josh Koscheck survived an ugly, ugly fight against Mike Pierce. I don't know what to say other than that Pierce's toughness and Koscheck's inability to diversify his striking beyond "throw right hand hard" made the fight a bit harder than it really should have been. The real defining moment from the Koscheck/Pierce fight was Herb Dean not taking a point from Koscheck. After one warning "in the action" for reaching out with his hands open, and then a time where Dean stopped the fight to warn Koscheck to not poke the eyes, Koscheck eventually poked Pierce in the eye. That is exactly a situation where a point should be taken. Koscheck was given a clear warning and did not heed the referee's instructions, resulting in a foul. That was a failure on Herb's part, and totally inconsistent from earlier in the evening when he took two points from Alex Caceres for a second horrible low blow. Much more after the jump... SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit Renan Barao beat a very tough opponent in Scott Jorgensen at 143. But he displayed some cardio issues that cause some concern for a potential title fight and he also wasn't quite exciting enough in victory to elevate him to that status as a title challenger some of us were hoping for. I think he needs one more solid win before putting him in a title fight. Clifford Starks is a talented fighter and good enough that Ed Herman's win over him carries some solid meaning. Herman's last few fights have been very impressive and encouraging after a horrible injury layoff. Max Holloway did a good enough job despite being trounced by Dustin Poirier that people are still saying that he's got a bright future. I can't say I disagree but I'm still more excited about Poirier's future as I remain more impressed by him every time I see him. Alex Caceres lost his fight against Edwin Figueroa entirely because of a two point deduction for kicks to the groin. For those wondering, a two point deduction is completely legitimate and the violence of both kicks make me not too upset about it having happened. Chris Cope will hopefully never be on another UFC card. Props to Matt Brown for finishing him in violent fashion.

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, koscheck, condit

UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit Exclusive Fight Night Photo Gallery

Take a look back at Saturday's UFC 143 card through the eyes of HeavyMMA photographer James Law, including the five-round main event between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, nick diaz, condit, heavymma

Condit vs. Diaz Official UFC Statistics

UFC 143 - Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, condit, official

Read the full article at Fight Metric

FightMetric; Diaz vs Condit

submitted by seKer82 [link] [10 comments]

Posted in: diaz, vs, condit, fightmetric, seker

UFC 143 Results: Judges' Score Cards From Carlos Condit Vs. Nick Diaz

Everyone who watched UFC 143's welterweight interim title fight between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit had their own score in their heads. Nick Diaz clearly thought he won the fight, apparently retiring in a snit after the loss. But only three people's opinions mattered and they all agreed that Carlos Condit won the fight. Here are each judges' round-by-round scores: Judge Cecil Peoples had it: 10-9, 10-9, 9-10, 10-9, 10-9 for Condit. Judge Patricia Morse Jarman had it: 10-9, 10-9, 9-10, 10-9, 10-9 for Condit. Judge Junichiro Kamijo had it 10-9, 9-10, 10-9, 10-9, 9-10 for Condit. Some interesting things to note. First off it's pretty amazing that only one judge scored the final round for Diaz given the take down and back mount. Secondly, it's interesting that only Kamijo had Diaz winning the second but Jarman and Peoples had Diaz winning the third. Everyone agreed that Condit won the first and fourth rounds. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit

Posted in: diaz, judge, title fight, condit, carlos condit

UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit Tops Nick Diaz to Win Interim Title, Shot at GSP

Carlos Condit outpointed Nick Diaz to win the interim UFC welterweight title and earn a shot at champion Georges St-Pierre with a unanimous decision victory in the main event of UFC 143 on Saturday night in Las Vegas. Condit stuck to his game plan throughout the five-round fight, as he frequently tagged Diaz with well-timed punches and kicks while continuously circling away to avoid Diaz’s patented combinations. Diaz threatened to finish Condit in the final minute as he took his back and worked towards both a choke and armlock, but ran out of time before he could lock either on. The judges awarded Condit a unanimous decision win by 48-47, 49-46, and 49-46 scores.

Posted in: ufc, title shot, diaz, condit, welltimed punches

UFC 143's Nick Diaz is 'done with MMA' because he 'don't need this sh*t'

In the main event of UFC 143 last night (Sat., Feb. 4, 2012) in Las Vegas, Nevada, Nick Diaz lost a controversial unanimous decision to Carlos Condit and in turn, a chance at UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre. It was a close fight, close enough that scores on social media sites everywhere ranged from 50-45 Diaz to 48-47 Condit. In the end, the judges sided with "The Natural Born Killer," which shocked Diaz. So much so, in fact, that he threw his hands up in disgust when the decision was read and promptly informed color commentator Joe Rogan in his post-fight interview that he's "done with MMA" because he "don't need this shit." Essentially, his message was that if winning big fights like this means "playing a game," as he put it, he simply doesn't want it. He stalked Condit throughout the fight, walked him down, took him down, took his back, attempted submissions, threw the kitchen sink at him, all that good stuff. And still, he lost. So, off he goes, into the Stockton sunset to help train his brother and the Cesar Gracie fight team but never to compete in MMA again. Unless, of course, he's just hot under the collar from the decision -- much like B.J. Penn was following his defeat to Diaz last October -- and will change his mind when he gets the chance to cool down. It's easy to understand how Diaz feels after a fight like that but is he rushing the gun by calling it a career? And how did you score the bout, Maniacs? Was Diaz the rightful winner?

Posted in: fight, diaz, decision, condit, dont need

UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit Wins Interim Welterweight Title Over Nick Diaz In Thrilling Affair

Carlos Condit used a solid, measured gameplan to capture the UFC interim welterweight title by winning a unanimous decision over Nick Diaz in the main event of UFC 143. Condit ignored all of the mind games Diaz tried to employ in the fight, and landed a ton of damaging kicks while staying away from situations where Diaz could truly open up on him. The scores were 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47 for Condit. He now has a date with UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre when he recovers from his injury. Diaz claimed he was going to retire in his post-fight interview. Diaz took the center of the cage immediately, but it was Condit firing first with kicks. Diaz continued to walk down Condit and landed a couple of nice shots, while Condit responded with leg kicks. Diaz threw some kicks of his own, and started to drop his hands and talk to Condit. Diaz dug to the body with a big shot, but Condit again responded with a leg kick. Condit tried a couple of spinning elbows without success. Diaz closed out the first round by clowning a bit, but not landing anything. Condit opened the second with a variety of flashy strikes, but nothing landed. Condit continued to work the legs, and he actually landed a spinning backfist. Diaz actually dropped his hands and begged Condit to him him, then open-hand slapped him when he didn't. Diaz talked some trash, but didn't land much until a good right connected halfway through the round. Condit landed a body shot, and Diaz clowned some more. Finally Diaz landed a solid combination, but Condit stayed calm and landed more kicks. Diaz stared Condit down to close out another close round. The third saw more of the same as the first two rounds. Solid kicking game from Condit, and Diaz continually coming forward with solid combinations. Condit did a good job of circling away so he wouldn't get cornered and be prone to a Diaz flurry. Diaz landed a very big left hand with a minute to go, but it had no effect on Condit. Diaz upped the pace late, but ate a lot of leg kicks over the course of five minutes. Diaz looked visibly frusrated at Condit's gameplan early in the fourth, but couldn't do much to keep Condit in front of him. Diaz dropped down for a single two minutes in, but Condit shrugged it off and landed a strike as he escaped. Condit started to land a lot more in he latter half of the round with nice combinations. Condit bloodied up Nick's eye with a jab late in the round. Diaz continued to chase Condit around the cage in the fifth and opened up his own kicking game a bit more. The pace slowed ever so slightly, and less strikes were being landed by both for the first half. Condit landed a big head kick that didn't face Nick at all. Finally Nick clinched up with Carlos, but Condit escaped again and went back to attacking the legs. Diaz managed to land a nice right, but Condit responded with a good knee. Diaz managed to get Condit's back with 75 seconds to go and secured back mount. After locking up a body triangle, he tried valiantly to sink in a choke but Condit fought him off. The round and the fight ended in a big scramble, but the fighters hugged after the final horn.Diaz is a former Strikeforce welterweight champion that expected to take on Georges St. Pierre for the UFC welterweight title here, but an injury to GSP gave Condit the spot and the bout was for an interim title. Condit, a former WEC welterweight champion, was on a four-fight winning streak entering the bout, with the last two wins coming by brutal knockout. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit

Posted in: ufc, diaz, round, welterweight, condit

So here's what FightMetric tells us about Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit at UFC 143

The last I saw of LayzieTheSavage, he sat next to me and said something along the lines of 'Man, [expletive] [expletive] [expletive] it's just [expletive].' As a community, I think we all need to collectively put him on suicide watch. I haven't seen him since the end of Diaz vs. Condit at UFC 143, but I do have his bottle of water that I will most likely drink if he doesn't return in the next few minutes. From my cageside seat at UFC 143, through my rose-colored glasses (manufactured in the 209), I had Nick Diaz winning the second, third and fifth round -- yielding a unanimous decision for the former Strikeforce welterweight champion. The judges for Diaz vs. Condit (Junichiro Kamijo, Patricia Morse Jarman and Cecil Peoples) scored the fight in favor of Carlos Condit. We're still waiting on the judges' score cards to come in, but when they do we'll publish them in this article. Some of you are still perplexed about Carlos Condit grabbing a unanimous decision win over Nick Diaz, so here's the FightMetric breakdown of the bout. As far as Nick Diaz retiring, it's something that I've heard about for months now. However, I just didn't think it would happen tonight after UFC 143. In reality, Nick has always expressed a desire to compete in other sports that tests his endurance. It's a passion that the Stockton native has pursued since he was a kid. While this may be the end of Nick Diaz in MMA, it should not deter the fact that Nick brought a level of quirkiness (and excitement) to MMA that garnered the intrigue of MMA fans across the planet. Props to Carlos Condit on his unanimous decision win and I think it's safe to say that we're all looking forward to see Carlos Condit vs. Georges St. Pierre at some point in 2012 for the UFC welterweight strap.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, nick diaz, nick, condit

UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit Beats Nick Diaz

After 25 minutes of action inside the Octagon, Carlos Condit defeated Nick Diaz in a hard-fought unanimous decision at UFC 143. The victory earns Condit the UFC interim welterweight champion and the right to face No. 1 welterweight Georges St. Pierre, who is recuperating from a knee injury and expected to return late this year. The judges scored the fight 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47 for Condit. "Hats off to Nick Diaz," Condit said afterward. "He's a warrior. I've got nothing but admiration and respect for how he fights." Diaz was so unhappy with the decision that he said afterward he might retire from the sport. "That ain't right," Diaz said. "I pushed him back the whole fight. ... I think I'm done with this MMA. ... I don't need this s--t." In a very close first round, both men took some time feeling each other out and then they proceeded to engage in a tough and even kickboxing exchange, with the fight never going to the ground and neither man wanting to take it there. Diaz appeared to be more comfortable with the pace of the fight as the first round ended. In the second round it became more Diaz's fight, as he began to land more of his trademark high-volume punching. He also started to do more of his taunting. In his corner after the round, Condit's coach Greg Jackson said, "Don't fall for it when he's talking to you," apparently concerned that Condit was getting sucked into Diaz's fight. In the third Condit began to make it more his own fight, mixing knees and elbows in with his punches and kicks and diversifying his striking. But Diaz landed some hard punches as well in a very competitive, exciting round that was just heating up after five minutes. Condit was coming alive in the fourth round, landing good solid shots and maintaining just as active a pace as Diaz. The fourth was a very good round for Condit, who had to feel good about his chances heading into the fifth. And at the start of the fifth Condit looked great, and Diaz looked like he was wearing down. However, as the fifth went on Diaz got a second wind, and in the final minute of the fifth round Diaz took Condit down and took his back. Diaz wrapped Condit up in a body triangle and nearly sunk in a rear-naked choke, but Condit managed to pull free just before the fight came to an end, and the judges decided that Condit had won it. And now Condit will prepare to face St. Pierre.

Posted in: fight, diaz, nick diaz, round, condit

UFC 143 results: Carlos Condit wins controversial decision over Nick Diaz to win interim welterweight title

The main event of the UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" pay-per-view, which took place last night (Sat., Feb. 4, 2012) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, featured a former Strikeforce welterweight champion taking on a former WEC welterweight champion for the interim UFC welterweight championship. Nick Diaz came in with all the hype in the world, the favorite to move right along to a fight against Georges St. Pierre (the actual 170-pound king) later this year. But Carlos Condit has been pushing himself as the man to spoil the party. So did he? Indeed he did, as he worked one of the smartest game plans of his career en route to a five-round, 25-minute unanimous decision win to earn the title and a promise to meet St. Pierre later this year to unify the belts. When asked afterwards, Condit thanked his camp for preparing him to win this fight. He also tipped his hat to his opponent, Diaz, who worked his ass off and was shocked when the decision was announced. I'm sure many fans are feeling the same. This one is going to be debated for a long time. Condit opened with a leg kick and a circle to the outside while Diaz pushed ahead like he usually does. It was clear from the outset that Carlos was averse to ever letting Nick get him up against the cage in an exchange, though Diaz was able to walk him down plenty. Considering the cardiovascular conditioning of both fighters, hopping on the bicycle early wouldn't be detrimental in a five-round fight. It wasn't long, however, until Diaz started putting his hands down and talking trash in an attempt to lure Condit into the war he came in hoping for. It didn't work, though, and Condit stayed true to his game plan. Boy, what a close opening round. The second round saw more of the same. Diaz pushing forward, Condit firing off kicks. In fact, "The Natural Born Killer" was circling out and looking to land spinning back fists. His varying offense wasn't having the intended effect, however, and Diaz just kept coming. Like he always does. Condit's game plan for the purpose of his opponent and how he operates was solid in the early going. He was sticking and moving, never staying in one place for longer than a second or two. While it was effective in keeping Diaz at bay, it's not something the judges look favorably on. Through two, it was still extremely close. There wasn't much change in the third round, other than the fact that Condit was opening up more on his strikes and getting far more comfortable. In short spurts it looked as though he would take the heavy edge but Diaz would always answer back with a well timed and even better placed punch that made the Greg Jackson trained fighter back up again. After three rounds, the judges were going to have to earn their paycheck in a big way. Again in the fourth, Diaz started talking, hoping his words could force a sustained exchange where Diaz is best. Condit, of course, was hearing none of it and was content to pick his spots with solid shots from the outside. And it was working, too, as he was landing cleaner and more often. Four rounds and who the hell knows, Cecil Peoples was cageside probably just as confused as the rest of us. As the two got going deep into the final frame, it was no more obvious who the victor would be. Diaz attempted more and more to drag Condit to the ground or work from the clinch but Carlos was too slippery from sweat and too smart to get caught. Diaz finally got Condit down and took his back while working a rear-naked choke as time ran down in the fight. He couldn't quite make the submission happen but it was a thrilling end to a close fight that seemingly could have gone either way. In the end, it went Condit's way and he'll fight St. Pierre later this year. Thoughts? Don't forget to check out our complete results and blow-by-blow coverage of all the main card action.

Posted in: fight, diaz, round, welterweight, condit

UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit Decisions Nick Diaz to Become Interim Welterweight Champion

As of the time of this writing, we have it three rounds to one for Carlos Condit over Nick Diaz at UFC 143. While Diaz was strong early, Condit has gained in strength every subsequent round. ROUND 4 - Condit sticking with the game plan and landing lead outside leg kicks. Diaz misses with a hook to the body and Condit circles out. Diaz lands his own inside leg kick, but Condit is still strong in the pocket. Condit throwing kicks to stay busy, but not landing anything big. Condit misses on a spinning back elbow. The fighters trade leg kicks, but Condit lands harder. Then Condit fires a left hook and a hard head kick. Diaz gets double underhooks, but Condit escapes. Diaz lands a right hook, but eats a knee to the middle from Condit. Diaz gets Condit's back standing and drags him to the floor. He's got Condit's back and is working feverishly to get something going. Diaz locks up the rear naked choke grip, but Condit pushes him off. Condit escapes. The round ends. MMA Fighting scores this round 10-9 Diaz and the fight 48-47 Condit. UFC 143 results: Carlos Condit defeats Nick Diaz by unanimous decision (48-47, 49-46, 49-46)

Posted in: diaz, round, condit, land, condit diaz

UFC 143 Results: Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit Round 4

Moving into the fourth round of UFC 143's main event between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit, we've got the former WEC champion ahead two round to one. In the third round the Greg Jackson product used better movement, angles and combinations to keep Diaz guessing. The story of this fight so far is Condit getting better with each passing round. ROUND 4 - Condit again sticking and moving, mostly with leg kicks. Diaz tries to clinch, but Condit breaks it and circles away. Front kick from Condit, but not with much power. Diaz presses Condit into the fence and changes levels, but eats two punches for his efforts. Diaz's offensive output has slowed consideriably. Outside leg kick from Condit. Body kick from Condit partially lands and he circles away. Body shot and outside leg kick from Condit, plus a head kick on a second combination. Condit is opening up now. Diaz tries to grab a single, can't and eats a knee to the middle. Jab now from Condit. Diaz again trying to get Condit against the fence, but can't do it. MMA Fighting scores this round 10-9

Posted in: diaz, round, condit, kick, leg kick

UFC 143 Results: Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit Round 3

We have even with each fighter taking one round a piece for Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit (the main event of UFC 143). Diaz took the first round on our score cards. Condit claimed the second and did so with better movement and more volume striking. ROUND 3 - It's more of the same to start round three and Condit lands a hard body shot and inside leg kick. Now a head kick finds the mark for the New Mexico native. Diaz lands a three punch combination to the body and head. Right hand now for Condit, though not with a ton of authority. Right hook to the body from Condit and he moves out of the pocket. Diaz still stalking, but hitting nothing but air. Now Diaz eats a short outside leg kick. And another. Condit lands a punch-kick combo, but Diaz retaliates with two hard left hands. Hard right knee from Condit plus a right to the body. Condit lands an outside leg kick, but slips in the process. MMA Fighting scores this round 10-9 Condit.

Posted in: diaz, round, condit, kick, leg kick

UFC 143 Results: Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit Round 2

In the first round of Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit at UFC 143, it was Diaz who the slightly more effective of the two. MMA Fighting scored the first frame for Diaz, but it was by no means a blow out. ROUND 2 - Condit whiffs again on a Brazilian kick, but Diaz is still pressing. Outside leg kick from Condit lands, but he misses on a flying. Diaz backs Condit into the fence, but can't get much. Spinning back fist from Condit partially lands, but not with a ton of authority. Diaz switching stances and taunting Condit with a slap. He eats several front leg kicks, but nothing major. Body kick now from Condit. Left straight to the body, right hook to the head lands for Diaz with Condit on the fence. Middle kick again for Condit but eats a jab for his efforts. Against the fence both fighters exchange in the pocket and now Condit is landing a bit more. Diaz rips several hard shots to the body, but works his way off the fence. Condit more active and more mobile this round. Diaz reaches for a takedown, but is stuffed. MMA Fighting scores this round 10-9 Condit.

Posted in: diaz, round, condit, fence, kick

UFC 143 Results: Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit Round 1

The main event of UFC 143 is Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit. This is a welterweight bout, meaning 170 pounds. This bout is airing on pay-per-view. Diaz is the former Strikeforce welterweight champion, while Condit is the former WEC welterweight champion. This is for the UFC interim welterweight championship. The referee in charge of the action is Steve Mazzagatti. Follow Luke Thomas @SBNLukeThomas on Twitter for more updates. ROUND 1 - Diaz opens southpaw while Condit is orthodox. Diaz starts out doing the stalking while Condit doing a lot of moving. Two outside leg kicks from Condit land. Diaz backing Condit into the fence, but he manages to circle out. Left straight from Diaz finds the mark. Brazilian kick from Condit whiffs over the head of Diaz. Condit with two more outside leg kicks to Diaz's lead leg. Diaz begins talking to Condit now. Spinning back fist from Condit misses and Diaz lands a right against the fence and a hard body shot. Left straight now from Diaz. Right hook to the body from Diaz and Condit misses on another spinning back elbow. MMA Fighting scores this round 10-9 Diaz.

Posted in: diaz, round, welterweight, condit, welterweight championship

UFC 143 Live Blog: Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit Updates

LAS VEGAS -- This is the UFC 143 live blog for Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit, the main event of tonight's UFC pay-per-view at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.While UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre heals from a knee injury, Diaz (26-7) and Condit (27-5) will battle it out for the interim title in the mean time. The live blog is below. More Coverage: UFC 143 ResultsWalkout Shirts: Nick Diaz | Carlos Condit | Roy Nelson Round 1: Round 2:Round 3:Round 4:Round 5:

Posted in: ufc, diaz, round, condit, carlo

UFC 143 Results: Diaz vs. Condit

MMA Fighting has UFC 143 results for all of the Feb. 4 UFC 143 fights, plus live coverage from Las Vegas, live blogs of all the fights and live UFC 141 twitter updates. In the main event, Nick Diaz will face Carlos Condit for the UFC interim welterweight championship. In the co-main event, Roy Nelson will square off against Fabricio Werdum in a heavyweight showdown. Check out the full results below. Main Card Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit Roy Nelson vs. Fabricio WerdumJosh Koscheck vs. Mike PierceRenan Barao vs. Scott JorgensenEd Herman vs. Clifford StarksUndercardRafael Natal vs. Michael KuiperAlex Caceres vs. Edwin Figueroa Matt Riddle vs. Henry Martinez Matt Brown vs. Chris CopeJustin Edwards vs. Mike StumpfDustin Poirier vs. Max Holloway

Posted in: ufc, vs, las vegas, condit, welterweight championship

UFC 143 Results: Diaz vs. Condit

Posted in: ufc, vs, las vegas, condit, welterweight championship

UFC 143 Results: Diaz vs. Condit

Posted in: ufc, vs, las vegas, condit, welterweight championship

UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit Real Time Results

It’s been a long and winding road but UFC 143 has finally arrived with a welterweight title-fight in tow, as Nick Diaz will face Carlos Condit in the main event for the right to claim ownership to an interim belt and a guaranteed shot at Georges St. Pierre if so desired. The card also features a number of other interesting bouts with divisional impact such as Fabricio Werdum’s co-headlining collision with Roy Nelson and the bantamweight battle between Scott Jorgensen and Renan Barao. Other athletes in action include Ed Herman, Dustin Poirier, and Josh Koscheck. As always, Five Ounces of Pain will be tuned in from start to finish and bringing readers live results as they unfold in real time from Las Vegas. Prelims start at 7:00 PM EST on Facebook before heading over to FX and eventually PPV (10:00 PM EST). Read below for a full list of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit outcomes: Daniel Stittgen vs. Stephen Thompson Rafael Natal vs. Michael Kuiper Chris Cope vs. Matt Brown Alex Cacaeres vs. Edwin Figueroa Matt Riddle vs. Henry Martinez Dustin Poirier vs. Max Holloway Ed Herman vs. Clifford Starks Scott Jorgensen vs. Renan Barao Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce Fabricio Werdum vs. Roy Nelson Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, condit, ed herman

UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit Live Results

In the iconic words of Bruce Buffer, “It’s tiiiiiiime!” UFC 143 has finally rolled around and with it comes as fine a main event as could be asked for, as polished pugilists Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz will duke it out for the interim welterweight title and a chance to fight linear champion Georges St. Pierre later this year. Both men enter the bout on impressive winning streaks and have a propensity for putting opponents away rather than seeing things go to the judges’ scorecards. The card also features Scott Jorgensen vs. Renan Barao, Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce, and Fabricio Werdum vs. Roy Nelson. Check out the Countdown to UFC 143 Special Fights start at 7:00 PM EST on Facebook/FX before the primary action kicks off at 10:00 PM EST on PPV. As always, Fighters.com will be glued to the set and delivering outcomes back to readers as they take place. Find a complete rundown of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit results below: Daniel Stittgen vs. Stephen Thompson Rafael Natal vs. Michael Kuiper Chris Cope vs. Matt Brown Alex Cacaeres vs. Edwin Figueroa Matt Riddle vs. Henry Martinez Dustin Poirier vs. Max Holloway Ed Herman vs. Clifford Starks Scott Jorgensen vs. Renan Barao Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce Fabricio Werdum vs. Roy Nelson Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, condit, vs matt

UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Live Results And Play-By-Play For PPV Main Card

As with every major show, Bloody Elbow will be here to bring you live results, play by play and commentary for UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit. Our live coverage will start with the Facebook prelim stream (roughly 7 p.m. ET) through the FX broadcast of the prelims (8 p.m. ET) and through the PPV broadcast (10 p.m. ET) so make sure to make Bloody Elbow your home for this event. This post will cover live results and thoughts for the PPV main card. The evening's main event sees Carlos Condit take on Nick Diaz for the interim welterweight title. Heavyweights Roy Nelson and Fabricio Werdum square off in the evening's main event. Former title contender Josh Koscheck returns to the Octagon to face Mike Pierce. Rounding out the main card action is a bantamweight bout between Renan Barao and Scott Jorgensen and a middleweight showdown between Ed Herman and Clifford Starks. Make sure to come back during the event and share your thoughts as the event goes down. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit

Posted in: diaz, ppv, event, condit, clifford starks

UFC 143 Fight Card Primer: Nick Diaz Vs. Carlos Condit

For the first time in almost three years, a UFC welterweight title bout won't have Georges St. Pierre as one of the contestants. Due to GSP's injury, an interim title will be up for grabs in the main event of UFC 143, and what a main event it is. On one side you have one of the most interesting personalities in the game, and his skills in the cage match his unpredictability outside it. On the other side, you have a guy that almost always finishes fights and has heart for days. Ex-Strikeforce champ vs. ex-WEC champ. Nick Diaz (26-7, 1 NC, 7-4 UFC) and Carlos Condit (27-5, 4-1 UFC) face off for the title. Diaz is ranked at number two at welterweight in the USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings, while Condit is currently holding down the number four position. The winner of this bout will cement themselves in the two slot and will likely be meeting GSP in the summer to unify the belts. This welterweight UFC 143 fight will be the main event of the night, and will be aired live on pay-per-view. The PPV broadcast begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. How do these two stack up? Diaz: 28 years old | 6'1" | 76" reachCondit: 27 years old | 6'2" | 76" reach What have these two done recently? Diaz: W - B.J. Penn (UD) | W - Paul Daley (TKO) | W - Evangelista Santos (SUB) Condit: W - Dong Hyun Kim (KO) | W - Dan Hardy (KO) | W - Rory MacDonald (TKO) How did these two get here? Nick Diaz has been competing in MMA for over a decade, and has picked up titles in three different organizations along the way. After winning the WEC welterweight title (a belt Condit later held) way back at WEC 6 and defending his IFC title, Diaz was invited to compete in the UFC. He went 6-4 in his first run overall, engaging in incredible fights with the likes of Karo Parisyan and Diego Sanchez. After he left the UFC of his own accord, he dropped to lightweight and fought Takanori Gomi in one of the best fights of all time. He won by gogoplata, but tested positive for marijuana and the fight was ruled a no-contest. Following an uneven stint at lightweight in EliteXC, he moved back to 170 in Strikeforce and went on a tear, picking up their title and winning all six of his bouts in the organization. By then Diaz was immensely popular, and was brought into the UFC to face Georges St. Pierre at UFC 137. However, he famously missed two press conferences and lost his shot at the title, instead having to fight legend and friend B.J. Penn. A decision win over Penn set up another bout with GSP, but St. Pierre blew out his knee and Diaz will have to face Condit for the interim title now. Carlos "The Natural Born Killer" Condit has been around the sport of MMA just as long as Diaz has, coming up in the southwest regional circuit and making his bones in Hawaii and Japan. His first taste of notoriety was at the Rumble on the Rock welterweight tournament in Hawaii in 2006, where he made it all the way to the finals before dropping a decision to Jake Shields. A loss in his next bout to Pat Healy seemed to light a fire under Condit, and he has won 12 of his last 13 boths since then. He debuted in the WEC in early 2007, and quickly scooped up their welterweight title. Carlos managed to defend the belt three times before he was brought into the UFC to face Martin Kampmann. He lost an incredibly close split-decision in one of the more underrated bouts in UFC history but cemented his spot in the organization with his performance. He had close calls in his next two bouts, squeaking out a split-decision win over Jake Ellenberger despite being badly hurt in the first round, and stopping Rory MacDonald with just 7 seconds left despite dropping the first two rounds. His last two bouts have both been incredible KO wins for Condit, over Dan Hardy and Dong Hyun Kim. He has definitely earned this opportunity, and a win over Diaz would obviously be the biggest of his career. Why should you care? This is one of the most interesting bouts in recent UFC history in terms of styles and technique in the cage. Add two additional rounds and a title to fight over and this could be the best fight of the year. If that doesn't garner your interest, I don't know what will. You can catch more UFC 143 preview content from Bloody Elbow after the jump. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Renan Barao Vs. Scott Jorgensen Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit Staff Predictions - Tim Burke Frank Mir Thinks UFC 143's Fabricio Werdum Is Heavyweight's Best Grappler - Matt Roth Frank Mir Thinks UFC 143's Fabricio Werdum Is Heavyweight's Best Grappler - Matt Roth UFC 143 Weigh-In Video And Coverage - Tim Burke UFC 143 Video: Watch Full Countdown Show On Bloody Elbow - Josh Nason UFC 143 Judo Chop: Carlos Condit Lands A Flying Knee KO - Fraser Coffeen UFC 143: Dana White 'No One Knew GSP At One Time Either' - Matt Roth UFC 143: Details Of The New PPV Opening Montage, RIP Gladiator Man - Matt Roth UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Ed Herman Vs. Clifford Starks Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Picking Knockout, Submission And Fight Of The Night Bonuses - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143 Judo Chop: The Striking And Grappling Technique Of Nick Diaz - Kid Nate UFC 143 Pre-Fight Press Conference Coverage And Video - Tim Burke UFC 143 Video: Josh Koscheck Hopes Georges St. Pierre 'Never Comes Back' From Knee Surgery - Kid Nate Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 131: UFC 143 Preview - Matt Bishop UFC 143 Video: Nick Diaz Not Happy With UFC Editing - Tim Burke UFC 143: A Look At The Ground Games of Fabricio Werdum and Roy Nelson - Ben Thapa UFC 143: Nick Diaz Details The Story Behind His Elite Level Conditioning - Anton Tabuena UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit Betting Lines - Tim Burke UFC 143 Video: Nick Diaz Talks Carlos Condit, Georges St. Pierre - Kid Nate UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - FX Channel Preliminary Card Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Nick Diaz Vs. Carlos Condit Defines 'Gameness' - Kid Nate UFC 143: Undefeated Stephen Thompson Hopes To Make Case For Karate In MMA - Kid Nate UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Facebook Preliminary Card Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: The Contradictory Marketing Of Nick Diaz And How The Reem May Not Be As Awesome As You Think - Ben Thapa

Posted in: ufc, diaz, title, vs, condit

UFC 143 predictions with Randy Couture: Nick Diaz over Carlos Condit in main event (Video)

UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" is all set to pop off from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, tonight (Sat., Feb. 4, 2012) and will feature former Strikeforce champion Nick Diaz taking on former WEC champion Carlos Condit in the main event of the evening. And, of course, we've got UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture's prediction for the exciting welterweight scrap: "I think, again, the veteran in Diaz. I think both guys are amazing. A little more refined striking from Diaz but he only uses his hands, typically. Condit has a tendency to use more of his other tools, his kicking and he's long, which is unusual for Diaz to be against a guy who's longer and taller than he is. I would give Diaz the nod on the ground. His jiu-jitsu, I think, is better than Condit's, he's a better submission guy. Who knows where the fight is going to go? With Diaz, especially, they have a tendency to want to bang and be on their feet most of the time, unless he's dealing with a guy like Diego Sanchez who forced him to fight on the ground. I think Diaz is going to pull it off." "The Natural" thinks Diaz takes it but what do you Maniacs think? Anyone want to give some love to "The Natural Born Killer?"

Posted in: diaz, guy, event, ufc hall, condit

UFC 143 Fight Card Primer: Roy Nelson vs. Fabricio Werdum

Who would have expected this bout a year ago? One guy has earned his stripes by dominating ADCC's and submitting Fedor Emelianenko. The other tore through a surprisingly solid TUF 10 field and has shown a ton of resiliency in his UFC tenure so far. We're gonna find out if the Ultimate Fighter will give Vai Cavalo a rude re-introduction to the UFC when Roy Nelson (16-6, 3-2 UFC) throws down with Fabricio Werdum (14-5-1, 2-2 UFC). Werdum currently occupies the five slot in the USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings, while Nelson is down at number 14. As mentioned above, pretty much all of Werdum's hype is built off his win over Fedor Emelianenko. He does have solid wins over Antonio Silva and Gabriel Gonzaga, but a win over Nelson isn't sending him rocketing up the charts. Nelson is a different story though, and a win over Werdum would undoubtedly be the biggest of his career. This heavyweight UFC 143 fight will be the co-main event of the night, and will be aired live on pay-per-view. The PPV broadcast begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. How do these two stack up? Werdum: 34 years old | 6'4" | 78" reachNelson: 35 years old | 6'0" | 73" reach What have these two done recently? Werdum: L - Alistair Overeem (UD) | W - Fedor Emelianenko (SUB) | W - Antonio Silva (UD) Nelson: W - Mirko Filipovic (TKO) | L - Frank Mir (UD) | L - Junior dos Santos (UD) How did these two get here? Fabricio "Vai Cavalo" Werdum has been an MMA vet for 10 years now, which might surprise you (it surprised me!). He acquitted himself well in Pride, then moved over to the UFC in 2007. His first run in the organization has largely been viewed as a failure by fans because he got Donkey Kong KO'd by current UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos, but wins over Gabriel Gonzaga and Brandon Vera were quite impressive at the time. Three straight wins in Strikeforce, including the win over Fedor, earned him a main event fight against Alistair Overeem that was, for lack of a better word, terrible. Werdum needs this fight to rebuild his credibility, and his status as a top contender at HW rides on his UFC 143 performance. Roy "Big Country" Nelson is working to overcome your biases. The former IFL heavyweight champion could probably have earned his way onto UFC cards on merit alone, but his belly was his gimmick. Dana White threw him onto TUF 10 and told him to prove himself, and he did exactly that. His KO of Brendan Schaub in the finals was particularly beautiful. Another win over Stefan Struve earned Nelson a huge opportunity against Junior dos Santos, but JDS managed to take him out and win a unanimous decision. A second straight loss, this time to Frank Mir (Big Country was allegedly stricken with pneumonia at the time) was a huge setback, but a win over Mirko Cro Cop at UFC 137 got him back on the right track. A win over Werdum here would go a long way towards proving that he deserves the money matchups. Why should you care? There's actually a lot of intrigue here. ADCC winner vs. fat guy doesn't sound like much initially, but Nelson has some serious skills on the ground. On the feet, Nelson has the big right hand but Werdum is probably the better striker overall. Many variables = many possible outcomes. That's why we watch this stuff, right? You can catch more UFC 143 preview content from Bloody Elbow after the jump. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit UFC 143: Georges St. Pierre Explains How Nick Diaz Is 'Fake Crazy' - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143: Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit Main Event Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Roy Nelson Vs. Fabricio Werdum Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Josh Koscheck Vs. Mike Pierce Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143 Judo Chop: Fabricio Werdum Striking Analysis - Fraser Coffeen UFC 143 'Diaz Vs. Condit' Exclusive Weigh-Ins Photo Gallery - Matthew Roth Super Bowl XLVI Video: NFL Players Pick The Winners of UFC 143 - Matthew Roth UFC 143 Weigh-In Results: Carlos Condit 169, Nick Diaz 169 - Tim Burke UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Renan Barao Vs. Scott Jorgensen Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit Staff Predictions - Tim Burke Frank Mir Thinks UFC 143's Fabricio Werdum Is Heavyweight's Best Grappler - Matt Roth Frank Mir Thinks UFC 143's Fabricio Werdum Is Heavyweight's Best Grappler - Matt Roth UFC 143 Weigh-In Video And Coverage - Tim Burke UFC 143 Video: Watch Full Countdown Show On Bloody Elbow - Josh Nason UFC 143 Judo Chop: Carlos Condit Lands A Flying Knee KO - Fraser Coffeen UFC 143: Dana White 'No One Knew GSP At One Time Either' - Matt Roth UFC 143: Details Of The New PPV Opening Montage, RIP Gladiator Man - Matt Roth UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Ed Herman Vs. Clifford Starks Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Picking Knockout, Submission And Fight Of The Night Bonuses - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143 Judo Chop: The Striking And Grappling Technique Of Nick Diaz - Kid Nate UFC 143 Pre-Fight Press Conference Coverage And Video - Tim Burke UFC 143 Video: Josh Koscheck Hopes Georges St. Pierre 'Never Comes Back' From Knee Surgery - Kid Nate Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 131: UFC 143 Preview - Matt Bishop UFC 143 Video: Nick Diaz Not Happy With UFC Editing - Tim Burke UFC 143: A Look At The Ground Games of Fabricio Werdum and Roy Nelson - Ben Thapa UFC 143: Nick Diaz Details The Story Behind His Elite Level Conditioning - Anton Tabuena UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit Betting Lines - Tim Burke UFC 143 Video: Nick Diaz Talks Carlos Condit, Georges St. Pierre - Kid Nate UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - FX Channel Preliminary Card Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Nick Diaz Vs. Carlos Condit Defines 'Gameness' - Kid Nate UFC 143: Undefeated Stephen Thompson Hopes To Make Case For Karate In MMA - Kid Nate UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Facebook Preliminary Card Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: The Contradictory Marketing Of Nick Diaz And How The Reem May Not Be As Awesome As You Think - Ben Thapa

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, condit, werdum

UFC 143 Fight Card Primer: Josh Koscheck Vs. Mike Pierce

Not many guys can say they have 20 fights in the UFC, but after Saturday night, one of the combatants in this fight can make that claim. Whether he can say that after his hand is raised or not remains to be seen, because he's facing one of the toughest opponents of his career. American Kickboxing Academny's Josh Koscheck (16-5, 14-5 UFC) faces off with Team Quest's Mike Pierce (13-4, 5-2 UFC). Koscheck is currently number six at welterweight in the USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings, while Pierce is unranked. Frankly, it's a crime that Pierce isn't on the list as he is clearly a top-20 fighter at 170 pounds. Kos isn't going to move up much with a win here, but Pierce could finally earn the respect he deserves with the upset. This welterweight UFC 143 fight will be the third bout of the main card, and will be aired live on pay-per-view. The PPV broadcast begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. How do these two stack up? Koscheck: 34 years old | 5'10" | 73" reachPierce: 31 years old | 5'8" | 71" reach What have these two done recently? Koscheck: W - Matt Hughes (KO) | L - Georges St. Pierre (UD) | W - Paul Daley (UD) Pierce: W - Paul Bradley (SD) | L - Johny Hendricks (SD) | W - Kenny Robertson (TKO) How did these two get here? Josh Koscheck is a name that you probably recognize by now. He was TUF 1's bad boy, and has carved out a stellar UFC career over the last six years. As mentioned above, this is his 20th bout in the organization. The 34-year-old put together a three-fight winning streak in 2009-10 that was enough to earn a second fight with Georges St. Pierre. They had met once before in a non-title bout, and GSP had eked out a close decision. This time though, at UFC 124, St. Pierre broke Koscheck's orbital bone with the first jab of the fight, which forced Kos to gut out 25 minutes of agony and led to a unanimous decision loss. He is undoubtedly one of the top welterweights in the world though, and rebounded from a long orbital injury layoff with a first round knockout of UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes. Can Kos maintain his spot in the pecking order tonight? Mike Pierce is a blue-collar wrestler from Oregon that earned fame the hard way. After grinding it out on the Pacific Northwest circuit and putting up an impressive WEC victory, Pierce earned a UFC bout and dispatched Brock Larson by unanimous decision. His next scheduled bout for UFC 107 was a gigantic step up when he was scheduled to face...guess who? Josh Koscheck! The UFC changed things up though and gave Kos Anthony Johnson while sticking Pierce with arguably an even tougher opponent, Jon Fitch. Fitch dominated the first two rounds, but Pierce rebounded in the third and hurt Fitch badly. He was unable to get the finish though, and dropped a decision. Three straight wins after that led to a bout with Johny Hendricks, where Pierce fought valiantly but dropped a split decision. He rebounded with a second win over Paul Bradley though, and now looks for the biggest win of his career over Kos. Why should you care? Koscheck talks a lot, but he usually backs it up. Can he defeat a man that MIGHT be his equal when it comes to MMA grappling? The winner will get a big-name opponent next time out, so this is vital for the career of both guys. That should make it worth your time. You can catch more UFC 143 preview content from Bloody Elbow after the jump. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit UFC 143: Georges St. Pierre Explains How Nick Diaz Is 'Fake Crazy' - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143: Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit Main Event Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Roy Nelson Vs. Fabricio Werdum Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Josh Koscheck Vs. Mike Pierce Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143 Judo Chop: Fabricio Werdum Striking Analysis - Fraser Coffeen UFC 143 'Diaz Vs. Condit' Exclusive Weigh-Ins Photo Gallery - Matthew Roth Super Bowl XLVI Video: NFL Players Pick The Winners of UFC 143 - Matthew Roth UFC 143 Weigh-In Results: Carlos Condit 169, Nick Diaz 169 - Tim Burke UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Renan Barao Vs. Scott Jorgensen Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit Staff Predictions - Tim Burke Frank Mir Thinks UFC 143's Fabricio Werdum Is Heavyweight's Best Grappler - Matt Roth Frank Mir Thinks UFC 143's Fabricio Werdum Is Heavyweight's Best Grappler - Matt Roth UFC 143 Weigh-In Video And Coverage - Tim Burke UFC 143 Video: Watch Full Countdown Show On Bloody Elbow - Josh Nason UFC 143 Judo Chop: Carlos Condit Lands A Flying Knee KO - Fraser Coffeen UFC 143: Dana White 'No One Knew GSP At One Time Either' - Matt Roth UFC 143: Details Of The New PPV Opening Montage, RIP Gladiator Man - Matt Roth UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Ed Herman Vs. Clifford Starks Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Picking Knockout, Submission And Fight Of The Night Bonuses - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143 Judo Chop: The Striking And Grappling Technique Of Nick Diaz - Kid Nate UFC 143 Pre-Fight Press Conference Coverage And Video - Tim Burke UFC 143 Video: Josh Koscheck Hopes Georges St. Pierre 'Never Comes Back' From Knee Surgery - Kid Nate Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 131: UFC 143 Preview - Matt Bishop UFC 143 Video: Nick Diaz Not Happy With UFC Editing - Tim Burke UFC 143: A Look At The Ground Games of Fabricio Werdum and Roy Nelson - Ben Thapa UFC 143: Nick Diaz Details The Story Behind His Elite Level Conditioning - Anton Tabuena UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit Betting Lines - Tim Burke UFC 143 Video: Nick Diaz Talks Carlos Condit, Georges St. Pierre - Kid Nate UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - FX Channel Preliminary Card Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Nick Diaz Vs. Carlos Condit Defines 'Gameness' - Kid Nate UFC 143: Undefeated Stephen Thompson Hopes To Make Case For Karate In MMA - Kid Nate UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Facebook Preliminary Card Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: The Contradictory Marketing Of Nick Diaz And How The Reem May Not Be As Awesome As You Think - Ben Thapa

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, koscheck, condit

UFC 143 fight card: Previews, predictions and a complete guide to 'Diaz vs Condit'

For fans of mixed martial arts, this past week has been a slow crawl of steadily rising anticipation for tonight's "Diaz vs. Condit" event, going down at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. UFC 143 will feature a welterweight championship bout for an interim title created in the wake of Georges St. Pierre's knee injury. Former Strikeforce king Nick Diaz will duke it out with "The Natural Born Killer" Carlos Condit. In the co-main event of the evening, a slimmer Roy Nelson will test his skills against heavyweight Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Fabricio Werdum while Josh Koscheck and Mike Pierce will settle their differences in a 170-pound showcase. It's been a flurry of non-stop news, analysis, quotes, predictions and previews for the past week and it's certainly understandable if you missed out on a few stories. But don't worry, Maniacs, we've got you covered. In cased you missed any or all of it — or just want to keep the discussion alive — below are links to all the major storylines heading into tonight's broadcast. In we go: UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" Fight card and line-up Results and live fight coverage UFC 143 predictions and previews: Predictions from the myth himself, Nostradumbass "Prelims" preview and predictions part one "Prelims" preview and predictions part two Fight preview: Ed Herman vs. Clifford Starks Fight preview: Renan Barao vs. Scott Jorgensen Fight preview: Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce Fight preview: Roy Nelson vs. Fabricio Werdum Fight preview: Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit UFC 143 press conferences: Pre-fight press conference Press conference video Press conference staredown pics UFC 143 weigh-ins: Weigh-in results Weigh-in video Weigh-in staredown pics Weigh-in photos gallery UFC 143 news: How to watch the event How to watch the event in 3-D New UFC intro from Hans Zimmer debuts entitled 'Evolution' Event poster Open workouts photos gallery Latest odds and betting guide Complete statistical analysis of Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit Exclusive interview with Dave Camarillo Exclusive interview with Ed Herman Steve Mazzagatti and Cecil Peoples join the UFC 143 cast and crew UFC 143 editorials: History in the Making: Nick Diaz, the Strikeforce welterweight king History in the Making: Carlos Condit closes out the WEC welterweight division in thrilling fashion Ultimate Submissions: Roy Nelson and Fabricio Werdum showcase heavyweight jiu-jitsu A look back at Nick Diaz's top 5 craziest moments UFC on FOX 2 was a dude but Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit will save us Georges St. Pierre thinks Nick Diaz has mental issues Georges St. Pierre doesn't want a post-fight confrontation with Nick Diaz Georges St. Pierre questions the legitimacy of the interim belt Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit are fighting for Georges St. Pierre explains his hatred for 'crazy' Nick Diaz Georges St. Pierre is pulling for Nick Diaz to beat Carlos Condit Nick Diaz: GSP is a more respectable athlete, Carlos Condit is a more respectable martial artist Nick Diaz isn't crazy, everyone else is just out of their minds Everyone is focusing on Georges St. Pierre, not Carlos Condit, and that makes Nick Diaz sick Nick Diaz will wait to fight Georges St. Pierre if he beats Carlos Condit ... or bail to another weight class Nick Diaz vs. Georges St. Pierre could happen this summer Ronda Rousey: Georges St. Pierre needs to step aside and let Nick Diaz kick his ass Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz is going to be a five round war Carlos Condit: Nick Diaz is like the terminator but I have more weapons at my disposal Johny Hendricks is calling for the winner of Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit Fabricio Werdum will use speed to defeat 'fatty' Roy Nelson Josh Koscheck is eyeing fights against Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort after Mike Pierce Josh Koscheck hopes Georges St. Pierre never comes back Mike Pierce: Josh Koscheck is the Michael Bisping of the UFC welterweight division UFC 143 videos: Dana White video blog episode one Countdown to UFC 143 Primetime episode one Primetime episode two Primetime episode three Extended UFC 143 preview NFL stars make their predictions for 'Diaz vs. Condit' Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit fight video simulation Georges St. Pierre does media at UFC 143 Georges St. Pierre injury update Carlos Condit is impressed with Nick Diaz's toughness but expects to win Lock your car doors and don't make eye contact, here comes Nick Diaz Fabricio Werdum used Facebook and Twitter to get back into the UFC That, my friends, should be enough to keep you talking -- at least for the time being. What has been the biggest story heading into this event? Georges St. Pierre casting his giant shadow over the proceedings? Nick Diaz and all his usual eccentricities? Something else? Sound off, Maniacs.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, nick, condit, carlo

UFC 143 Fight Card Primer: Renan Barao Vs. Scott Jorgensen

Bantamweight alert! If there is one bout on the card other than the main event that is almost guaranteed to be exciting, it's this one. Potential superstar vs. well-rounded grinder. The winner will be in line for a UFC bantamweight title shot. Renan Barao (27-1, 1 NC, 2-0 UFC) meets Scott Jorgensen (13-4, 2-0 UFC). Jorgensen currently sits at number five at bantamweight in the USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings, while Barao is in the number seven spot. With the three and six spots belonging to guys that are dropping to flyweight, the winner of this bout is almost guaranteed the number three spot and a fight with Dominick Cruz or Urijah Faber. This bantamweight UFC 143 fight will be the second bout of the main card, and will be aired live on pay-per-view. The PPV broadcast begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. How do these two stack up? Barao: 25 years old | 5'7" | 70" reachJorgensen: 29 years old | 5'4" | 66" reach What have these two done recently? Barao: W - Brad Pickett (SUB) | W - Cole Escovedo (UD) | W - Chris Cariaso (SUB) Jorgensen: W - Jeff Curran (UD) | W - Ken Stone (KO) | W - Dominick Cruz (UD) How did these two get here? Renan "Barao" Pegado is a 25-year-old Brazilian that entered the sport in mid-2005. He lost his very first bout by split decision, and...hasn't lost since. Since then, he has won 27 of his 28 bouts (one was a no-contest due to an illegal soccer kick) and he has finished 19 of them. He entered the WEC in mid-2010 and was forced to take a catchweight bout against an opponent who came nowhere near making weight (Anthony Leone). Nonetheless, Barao submitted him in the third round. He then submitted Chris Cariaso at WEC 53 to earn his ticket into the UFC. A solid decision win over Cole Escovedo at UFC 130 earned him a co-main event slot against Brad Pickett at UFC 138, and he did not disappoint. He dropped Pickett with a huge knee, and managed to submit him. He'll look to continue his dominance against Jorgensen. Scott "Young Guns" Jorgensen is a 3-time Pac 10 wrestling champion that transitioned to MMA after college. He was a longtime veteran of the WEC, entering the promotion with just five fights under his belt back in early 2008. After going just 2-2 in his first four bouts, Jorgensen rattled off a five-fight winning streak over the likes of Takeya Mizugaki and Brad Pickett to earn a title shot against champion Dominick Cruz at the final WEC event. Cruz handled him and won by unanimous decision, but Jorgensen rebounded with two UFC victories (including a huge KO of Ken Stone while in his guard) and earned a number one contenders bout with Barao. Why should you care? I will slap you if you need to seriously ask this question. Bantamweights. Number one contenders matchup. Jorgensen. Barao. Come on people, this is going to be sick. You can catch more UFC 143 preview content from Bloody Elbow after the jump. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit UFC 143: Georges St. Pierre Explains How Nick Diaz Is 'Fake Crazy' - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143: Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit Main Event Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Roy Nelson Vs. Fabricio Werdum Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Josh Koscheck Vs. Mike Pierce Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143 Judo Chop: Fabricio Werdum Striking Analysis - Fraser Coffeen UFC 143 'Diaz Vs. Condit' Exclusive Weigh-Ins Photo Gallery - Matthew Roth Super Bowl XLVI Video: NFL Players Pick The Winners of UFC 143 - Matthew Roth UFC 143 Weigh-In Results: Carlos Condit 169, Nick Diaz 169 - Tim Burke UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Renan Barao Vs. Scott Jorgensen Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit Staff Predictions - Tim Burke Frank Mir Thinks UFC 143's Fabricio Werdum Is Heavyweight's Best Grappler - Matt Roth Frank Mir Thinks UFC 143's Fabricio Werdum Is Heavyweight's Best Grappler - Matt Roth UFC 143 Weigh-In Video And Coverage - Tim Burke UFC 143 Video: Watch Full Countdown Show On Bloody Elbow - Josh Nason UFC 143 Judo Chop: Carlos Condit Lands A Flying Knee KO - Fraser Coffeen UFC 143: Dana White 'No One Knew GSP At One Time Either' - Matt Roth UFC 143: Details Of The New PPV Opening Montage, RIP Gladiator Man - Matt Roth UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Ed Herman Vs. Clifford Starks Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Picking Knockout, Submission And Fight Of The Night Bonuses - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143 Judo Chop: The Striking And Grappling Technique Of Nick Diaz - Kid Nate UFC 143 Pre-Fight Press Conference Coverage And Video - Tim Burke UFC 143 Video: Josh Koscheck Hopes Georges St. Pierre 'Never Comes Back' From Knee Surgery - Kid Nate Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 131: UFC 143 Preview - Matt Bishop UFC 143 Video: Nick Diaz Not Happy With UFC Editing - Tim Burke UFC 143: A Look At The Ground Games of Fabricio Werdum and Roy Nelson - Ben Thapa UFC 143: Nick Diaz Details The Story Behind His Elite Level Conditioning - Anton Tabuena UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit Betting Lines - Tim Burke UFC 143 Video: Nick Diaz Talks Carlos Condit, Georges St. Pierre - Kid Nate UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - FX Channel Preliminary Card Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Nick Diaz Vs. Carlos Condit Defines 'Gameness' - Kid Nate UFC 143: Undefeated Stephen Thompson Hopes To Make Case For Karate In MMA - Kid Nate UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Facebook Preliminary Card Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: The Contradictory Marketing Of Nick Diaz And How The Reem May Not Be As Awesome As You Think - Ben Thapa

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, condit, barao

UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit Results

Posted in: ufc, diaz, result, vs, condit

UFC 143 Fight Card Primer: Ed Herman Vs. Clifford Starks

It's not easy to lead off a pay-per-view, but that's what these guys will have to do. On one side, you have the wily veteran who has resurrected his career after a long layoff. On the other side, you have a raw prospect looking to gain some recognition in the biggest fight of his career. TUF 3's Ed Herman (19-7, 6-5 UFC) meets undefeated Clifford Starks (8-0, 1-0 UFC). Neither fighter is currently ranked at middleweight in the USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings,and not much is going to change after this bout. Herman could earn some consideration with a couple more wins though. This middleweight UFC 143 fight will be the first fight of the main card, and will be aired live on pay-per-view. The PPV broadcast begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. How do these two stack up? Herman: 31 years old | 6'2" | 75" reachStarks: 30 years old | 5'10" | 75.5" reach What have these two done recently? Herman: W - Kyle Noke (SUB) | W - Tim Credeur (TKO) | L - Aaron Simpson (TKO) Starks: W - Dustin Jacoby (UD) | W - Artenas Young (UD) | W - Rudy Aguilar (TKO) How did these two get here? Ed "Short Fuse" Herman rose to prominence as a cast member of the Ultimate Fighter 3, where he made it all the way to the finals before losing to Kendall Grove. His early UFC career was marked by inconsistency, and he was just 4-4 going into a bout with Aaron Simpson at UFC 102. He hurt his knee in that bout, and it cost him almost two years of his career. While he was out, he left Team Quest to form his own camp, and finally returned at the TUF 13 Finale last June where he blew though Tim Credeur and knocked him out in just 48 seconds. Another quick win (this time a nasty submission) over Kyle Noke at UFC on Versus 5 has fully revitalized Herman's career, and he hopes to stay in beast mode against Starks. Clifford Starks was an NCAA division 1 wrestler at Arizona State University and was a teammate of UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez. He fights out of Arizona Combat Sports. He made his pro debut in late 2009 and mostly fought for the Rage in the Cage promotion before getting a shot in the main event of Shark Fights 20. He picked up a decision in an uneventful fight, mostly due to his opponent refusing to engage. Either way, that win earned Starks a UFC bout on just two weeks notice, where he defeated Dustin Jacoby by unanimous decision at UFC 137. Wrestling is his biggest strength in the cage and he'll look to ground Herman as soon as possible. Why should you care? Herman has been a tank since he came back on the scene, and you rarely get a boring fight out of him anyway. Starks is a little more cautious than Herman, but it should be a solid matchup. You can catch more UFC 143 preview content from Bloody Elbow after the jump. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit UFC 143: Georges St. Pierre Explains How Nick Diaz Is 'Fake Crazy' - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143: Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit Main Event Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Roy Nelson Vs. Fabricio Werdum Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Josh Koscheck Vs. Mike Pierce Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143 Judo Chop: Fabricio Werdum Striking Analysis - Fraser Coffeen UFC 143 'Diaz Vs. Condit' Exclusive Weigh-Ins Photo Gallery - Matthew Roth Super Bowl XLVI Video: NFL Players Pick The Winners of UFC 143 - Matthew Roth UFC 143 Weigh-In Results: Carlos Condit 169, Nick Diaz 169 - Tim Burke UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Renan Barao Vs. Scott Jorgensen Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit Staff Predictions - Tim Burke Frank Mir Thinks UFC 143's Fabricio Werdum Is Heavyweight's Best Grappler - Matt Roth Frank Mir Thinks UFC 143's Fabricio Werdum Is Heavyweight's Best Grappler - Matt Roth UFC 143 Weigh-In Video And Coverage - Tim Burke UFC 143 Video: Watch Full Countdown Show On Bloody Elbow - Josh Nason UFC 143 Judo Chop: Carlos Condit Lands A Flying Knee KO - Fraser Coffeen UFC 143: Dana White 'No One Knew GSP At One Time Either' - Matt Roth UFC 143: Details Of The New PPV Opening Montage, RIP Gladiator Man - Matt Roth UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Ed Herman Vs. Clifford Starks Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Picking Knockout, Submission And Fight Of The Night Bonuses - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143 Judo Chop: The Striking And Grappling Technique Of Nick Diaz - Kid Nate UFC 143 Pre-Fight Press Conference Coverage And Video - Tim Burke UFC 143 Video: Josh Koscheck Hopes Georges St. Pierre 'Never Comes Back' From Knee Surgery - Kid Nate Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 131: UFC 143 Preview - Matt Bishop UFC 143 Video: Nick Diaz Not Happy With UFC Editing - Tim Burke UFC 143: A Look At The Ground Games of Fabricio Werdum and Roy Nelson - Ben Thapa UFC 143: Nick Diaz Details The Story Behind His Elite Level Conditioning - Anton Tabuena UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit Betting Lines - Tim Burke UFC 143 Video: Nick Diaz Talks Carlos Condit, Georges St. Pierre - Kid Nate UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - FX Channel Preliminary Card Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Nick Diaz Vs. Carlos Condit Defines 'Gameness' - Kid Nate UFC 143: Undefeated Stephen Thompson Hopes To Make Case For Karate In MMA - Kid Nate UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Facebook Preliminary Card Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: The Contradictory Marketing Of Nick Diaz And How The Reem May Not Be As Awesome As You Think - Ben Thapa

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, condit, herman

UFC 143 ‘Diaz vs. Condit’ Results & Recap

UFC 143 takes place later tonight at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event airs live on pay-per-view at 10pm ET/7pm PT. The pay-per-view broadcast will be preceded by prelim specials on Facebook at 7pm ET/4pm PT and FX at 8pm ET/5pm PT. In the main event, Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit go to war for the interim UFC welterweight title. In the co-main event, Fabricio Werdum returns to the UFC to take on Roy Nelson. Josh Koscheck meets Mike Pierce in a welterweight match-up. Renan Baroa faces Scott Jorgensen in a bantamweight bout. Ed Herman takes on Clifford Starks in a middleweight bout. Results and recap below. Results Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit Fabricio Werdum vs. Roy Nelson Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce Renan Barao vs. Scott Jorgensen Ed Herman vs. Clifford Starks Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier Jorge Lopez vs. Matt Riddle Alex Caceres vs. Edwin Figueroa Matt Brown vs. Chris Cope Dan Stittgen vs. Stephen Thompson Rafael Natal vs. Michael Kuiper Recap Matt Brown vs. Chris Cope: Alex Caceres vs. Edwin Figueroa: Jorge Lopez vs. Matt Riddle: Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier: Ed Herman vs. Clifford Starks: Renan Barao vs. Scott Jorgensen: Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce: Fabricio Werdum vs. Roy Nelson: Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit: Bonuses $??? Submission of the Night: Knockout of the Night: Fight of the Night:

Posted in: diaz, vs, event, matt, condit

UFC 143 Fight Card Primer: Dustin Poirier Vs. Max Holloway

The prelims for UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit wrap up with a bout in the Featherweight division. UFC and WEC veteran Dustin Poirier (11-1; 3-0 UFC) faces UFC newcomer Max Holloway (4-0; UFC Debut). This 145 pound fight is the final fight on the FX prelim card. Porier is currently the #7 ranked Featherweight in the world according to the USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings, with Holloway unranked. The prelims air on FX starting at 8 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, with the PPV broadcast following at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. This fight was one of those replacement for a replacement fights where injury greatly changed the plan. As first scheduled, Poirier was to face the #8 ranked Erik Koch in a great fight that would have helped determine a possible challenger to Jose Aldo. When Koch was injured, he was replaced by #22 Ricardo Lamas. Lamas was then injured, and replaced by the debuting Holloway. While the Koch vs. Poirier fight would have been nice, Holloway, though overmatched on paper, is a very exciting prospect who could make a great fight here. How do these two stack up? Poirier: 23 years old | 5'9" | 73" reachHolloway: 20 years old | 5'11" | 70" reach What have these two done recently? Poirier: W - Pablo Garza (Sub) | W - Jason Young (UD) | W - Josh Grispi (UD) Holloway: W - Eddie Rincon (Dec) | W - Harris Sarmiento (SD) | W - Bryson Kamaka (KO) How did these two get here? Dustin "The Diamond" Poirier started his career fighting as a Lightweight in the regional circuit in Louisiana, where he trains with UFC veteran Tim Credeur. In 2010 he made the jump to the WEC as an undefeated prospect. A loss to Danny Castillo in his WEC debut led to him dropping down to Featherweight, where he has gone a perfect 4-0 in the WEC and UFC combined, with big wins over Josh Grispi and Pablo Garza among others. Poirier has a wild, highly aggressive style that has won him a lot of fans among the hardcore MMA fan base, but has yet to have that breakout performance that breaks through to the more casual fans. Max "Blessed" Holloway will be stepping into the cage for only the 5th time when he faces Poirier. At 20 years old, he is now the youngest fighter on the current UFC roster. Holloway is 4-0, with all his fights coming in his home of Hawaii, and has a very strong highlight reel that suggests a nice future in MMA. In our 2012 Scouting Report, Holloway finished #7 in the Featherweight division, with Leland Roling praising his aggressive striking and his conditioning. He has fought against some solid competition, but he is facing an absolutely huge step up in competition here. He has a lot of potential - the question is can he capitalize on this massive opportunity? Why should you care? Poirier is known to UFC fans for bringing the excitement, and after Saturday, I expect Holloway could have that same reputation. This should be an incredibly fun throwdown, and a possible fight of the night (though on this card, there are a lot of fights up for that bonus). For a more in-depth look at Poirier vs. Holloway, check out Dallas Winston's fight dissection and Leland Roling's scouting report on Holloway. You can catch more UFC 143 preview content from Bloody Elbow after the jump. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit UFC 143 Judo Chop: Fabricio Werdum Striking Analysis - Fraser Coffeen UFC 143 'Diaz Vs. Condit' Exclusive Weigh-Ins Photo Gallery - Matthew Roth Super Bowl XLVI Video: NFL Players Pick The Winners of UFC 143 - Matthew Roth UFC 143 Weigh-In Results: Carlos Condit 169, Nick Diaz 169 - Tim Burke UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Renan Barao Vs. Scott Jorgensen Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit Staff Predictions - Tim Burke Frank Mir Thinks UFC 143's Fabricio Werdum Is Heavyweight's Best Grappler - Matthew Roth UFC 143 Weigh-In Video And Coverage - Tim Burke UFC 143 Video: Watch Full Countdown Show On Bloody Elbow - Josh Nason UFC 143 Judo Chop: Carlos Condit Lands A Flying Knee KO - Fraser Coffeen UFC 143: Dana White 'No One Knew GSP At One Time Either' - Matthew Roth UFC 143: Details Of The New PPV Opening Montage, RIP Gladiator Man - Matthew Roth UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Ed Herman Vs. Clifford Starks Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Picking Knockout, Submission And Fight Of The Night Bonuses - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143 Judo Chop: The Striking And Grappling Technique Of Nick Diaz - Kid Nate UFC 143 Pre-Fight Press Conference Coverage And Video - Tim Burke UFC 143 Video: Josh Koscheck Hopes Georges St. Pierre 'Never Comes Back' From Knee Surgery - Kid Nate Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 131: UFC 143 Preview - Matt Bishop UFC 143 Video: Nick Diaz Not Happy With UFC Editing - Tim Burke UFC 143: A Look At The Ground Games of Fabricio Werdum and Roy Nelson - Ben Thapa UFC 143: Nick Diaz Details The Story Behind His Elite Level Conditioning - Anton Tabuena UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit Betting Lines - Tim Burke UFC 143 Video: Nick Diaz Talks Carlos Condit, Georges St. Pierre - Kid Nate UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - FX Channel Preliminary Card Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Nick Diaz Vs. Carlos Condit Defines 'Gameness' - Kid Nate UFC 143: Undefeated Stephen Thompson Hopes To Make Case For Karate In MMA - Kid Nate UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Facebook Preliminary Card Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: The Contradictory Marketing Of Nick Diaz And How The Reem May Not Be As Awesome As You Think - Ben Thapa

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, vs, condit

UFC 143 fight card: Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit prediction, preview and breakdown

It's hard to imagine a pairing that would promise a greater combination of intensity, two-way violence and sustained action than Nick Diaz vs. Condit, which will headline the UFC 143 main event tonight (Feb. 4, 2012) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Dueling for the interim championship thanks to Georges St. Pierre's knee injury, these two are far more alike than either would willingly admit. Both rely on striking, conditioning and excellent Brazilian jiu-jitsu to bail them out when modest to mediocre wrestling fails them. Both also have outstanding chins and a tendency to battle back when hurt, precisely when it looks like they're vulnerable. Diaz's smothering stand up attack has vexed even the most dangerous foes, seemingly able to find a groove in tossing leather and daring you to try and exchange. It's one of the best-executed con jobs you'll see in mixed martial arts (MMA), as opponents initially think little of Diaz's pushing, pawing attack until they're too punch drunk to resist being mugged. The Cesar Gracie-trained fighter's outstanding submission game has also made recent opponents reluctant to attempt takedown, making his stand up that more effective. Since dropping a close decision loss to Martin Kampmann in his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut, Condit has steamrolled into this bout with four impressive wins. Gifted with a great knack for when to explode and shoeleather toughness, Condit utilizes his 6'2" frame to uncork anything and everything to punish foes. Whether it's pretty kickboxing combinations or textbook jiu-jitsu, he's very efficient in how he approaches opponents, backed up by a pitiless killer instinct when they're hurt. The finishing round and barrage he put on Rory MacDonald in a fight he was clearly behind in was a thing of sustained beauty, and his dismantlings of Dan Hardy and Dong Hyun Kim showed he's really coming into his own. Follow me after the jump for a complete breakdown of the UFC 143 fight between Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit: The Breakdown Condit may be tempted to stand and bang with Diaz, which would be his first mistake, even if he feels he's holding his own or better. Why? Because without threatening a takedown - something he's got a slight advantage in in terms of their relative abilities to score and defend against them -- he's conceding a stand up match to Diaz, who sets a fast pace when he isn't worried about having to drop his hands and deal with tie-ups and grappling. "The Natural Born Killer" should look to exploit the main hole in the Diaz stand up style, and that's attacking his lead leg with teep kicks and smashing shots to the lower limb to take away his striking base. He should also look to deliver flying knees in close, when Diaz wades forward tossing shots, as well as spin Diaz in clinches to hammer home more knees. Diaz puts combinations together and forces opponents to buy in to his game, invariably sucking them dry until they wilt. What's fascinating about this match is that both have incredible chins and yet are constantly looking to finish opponents. In Condit's 27 victories, an astonishing 26 are inside the distance, with only the super-tough Jake Ellenberger going the distance, in a bout that really could have gone either way. Diaz has only been finished once, early in his career, and has shown perhaps the best pure chin in the sport, absorbing bombs from middleweights like Scott Smith while barely flinching. On the ground, Condit's jiu-jitsu doesn't get the raves that Diaz' does, but it's every bit as good in a purely MMA sense. He has great defensive grappling, a very tough guard to pass, and physically he might be just a tad stronger than Diaz, especially if he's on top. Condit should look to force tie-ups and grappling whenever possible, especially if hitting a takedown late in a round can help sway the judges his way in what is sure to be a close, five-round war. If Diaz has one weakness standing, it might be in the Muay Thai discipline. While his striking from distance and mid-level pocket range is laser-sharp and accurate, he tends to be a bit lazy in clinches and can be nailed by a good Muay Thai stylist, which Condit is. Carlos' knees and kicks from the distance will have to be outstanding, because Diaz's hands and standing work rate are too much for just about anyone that faces him. The Pick Much of this fight will be decided by how Condit wants to engage. Part of the Diaz con job is opponents thinking they can stand with him as though to prove a point, and a couple minutes later you're getting your bell rung every few seconds and look like a man fighting underwater. If Condit uses big kicks, movement and tie-ups to keep Diaz from getting into his potent standup groove, he should follow them with takedowns and riding Diaz from the top while scoring enough to avoid a ref restart. This is a pretty good prescription to win a fight given his skills, as Diaz will have a tough time submitting him. However, there's something in Condit's makeup that makes him a pitbull-style fighter, and he's never shied away from a mutual chin-check, something Diaz will be forcing whenever they are on the feet. I think Condit gets sucked into a war here, and like Donald Cerrone learned against Nate Diaz, loses too much, too early to really recover his bearings and change the tempo of the fight. Diaz will score readily on the feet and eat some big shots from Condit, and keep pressing ahead. By the middle of the fight, the weary Condit will look to take it to the ground, but Diaz will stymie him from his back enough to get restarts when needed, or work his way back up. Both will be bloodied and battered down the stretch, but Diaz will simply prove too much with his high-output style, punishing Condit to win a spectacularly entertaining and clear-cut unanimous decision. Diaz via unanimous decision Be sure to join MMAmania.com this evening for LIVE, detailed UFC 143 results of all the "Diaz vs. Condit" pay-per-view (PPV) action. It will include blow-by-blow coverage of the Facebook video stream, FX "Prelims" bouts, and of course, the PPV broadcast. We'll start RIGHT HERE at around 7:00 p.m. ET and carry straight on through early Saturday morning. See you later! Jason Probst can be reached at twitter.com/jasonprobst or Jason@jasonprobst.com

Posted in: fight, diaz, opponent, condit, he

UFC 143 Fight Card Primer: Alex Caceres Vs. Edwin Figueroa

In a prelim fight at UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit, Alex Caceres (6-4; 1-2 UFC) faces Edwin Figueroa (8-1; 1-1 UFC). This fight is in the Bantamweight division and is the third of four fights on the FX prelim card. Neither man in currently ranked in the USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings. The prelims air on FX starting at 8 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, with the PPV broadcast following at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. The Bantamweight division tends to deliver highlights and this fight should be no exception. Both Caceres and Figueroa are dynamic fighters. Caceres uses his kicks and somewhat unorthodox style to make fights flashy, and Figueroa has delivered his own fireworks inside the Octagon. Look for both men to try and impress in this exciting match-up. How do these two stack up? Caceres: 23 years old | 5'10" | 70" reachFigueroa: 27 years old | 5'7" What have these two done recently? Caceres: W - Cole Escovedo (UD) | L - Jim Hettes (Sub) | L - Mackens Semerzier (Sub) Figueroa: W - Jason Reinhardt (TKO) | L - Michael McDonald (UD) | W - Johnny Bedford (TKO) How did these two get here? Alex "Bruce Leroy" Caceres came into the UFC courtesy of The Ultimate Fighter where he was a member of Team GSP. He quickly stood out on the show, thanks primarily to his large personality and love of Bruce Lee. That personality immediately turned off a lot of people, as Caceres is surprisingly unliked as a fighter. Many wrote him off after going 0-2 in the UFC, but he dropped down from Featherweight to Bantamweight and looked good in his upset win over Escovedo. Considering that those loses both came against tough opponents, it seems people may have been too harsh on this young fighter. Still, at just 1-2 in the Octagon, he needs a win here. Edwin "El Feroz" Figueroa came to the UFC on short notice, stepping in to face Michael McDonald. He lost that fight, but turned in a great performance, taking home Fight of the Night honors. He followed that up with a big win over Jason Reinhardt. Figueroa fights out of Texas, and is a finisher, earning all of his wins by either submission or KO. He looked strong against Reinhardt, and is ready to keep that momentum going here. Why should you care? This is just a well put together fight between two exciting fighters. Plus, Bruce Leroy is the kind of fighter who you either love or can't stand, but either way, he gets you emotionally invested, and isn't that what matters? For a more in-depth look at Caceres vs. Figueroa, check out Dallas Winston's fight dissection. You can catch more UFC 143 preview content from Bloody Elbow after the jump. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit UFC 143 Judo Chop: Fabricio Werdum Striking Analysis - Fraser Coffeen UFC 143 'Diaz Vs. Condit' Exclusive Weigh-Ins Photo Gallery - Matthew Roth Super Bowl XLVI Video: NFL Players Pick The Winners of UFC 143 - Matthew Roth UFC 143 Weigh-In Results: Carlos Condit 169, Nick Diaz 169 - Tim Burke UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Renan Barao Vs. Scott Jorgensen Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit Staff Predictions - Tim Burke Frank Mir Thinks UFC 143's Fabricio Werdum Is Heavyweight's Best Grappler - Matthew Roth UFC 143 Weigh-In Video And Coverage - Tim Burke UFC 143 Video: Watch Full Countdown Show On Bloody Elbow - Josh Nason UFC 143 Judo Chop: Carlos Condit Lands A Flying Knee KO - Fraser Coffeen UFC 143: Dana White 'No One Knew GSP At One Time Either' - Matthew Roth UFC 143: Details Of The New PPV Opening Montage, RIP Gladiator Man - Matthew Roth UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Ed Herman Vs. Clifford Starks Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Picking Knockout, Submission And Fight Of The Night Bonuses - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143 Judo Chop: The Striking And Grappling Technique Of Nick Diaz - Kid Nate UFC 143 Pre-Fight Press Conference Coverage And Video - Tim Burke UFC 143 Video: Josh Koscheck Hopes Georges St. Pierre 'Never Comes Back' From Knee Surgery - Kid Nate Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 131: UFC 143 Preview - Matt Bishop UFC 143 Video: Nick Diaz Not Happy With UFC Editing - Tim Burke UFC 143: A Look At The Ground Games of Fabricio Werdum and Roy Nelson - Ben Thapa UFC 143: Nick Diaz Details The Story Behind His Elite Level Conditioning - Anton Tabuena UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit Betting Lines - Tim Burke UFC 143 Video: Nick Diaz Talks Carlos Condit, Georges St. Pierre - Kid Nate UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - FX Channel Preliminary Card Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Nick Diaz Vs. Carlos Condit Defines 'Gameness' - Kid Nate UFC 143: Undefeated Stephen Thompson Hopes To Make Case For Karate In MMA - Kid Nate UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Facebook Preliminary Card Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: The Contradictory Marketing Of Nick Diaz And How The Reem May Not Be As Awesome As You Think - Ben Thapa

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, vs, condit

Carlos Condit not planning to wait for GSP if successful against Nick Diaz

If Carlos Condit exits UFC 143 tonight with the interim title in tow it appears he has plans to defend the belt before potentially facing linear champion Georges St. Pierre in November. Though “The Natural Born Killer” hasn’t discussed his plans publicly one way or another, his manager recently revealed the possibility of Condit taking out another top contender in a few months as a means of continuing to build up his profile until he’s a legitimate superstar in MMA. Contrarily, the man Condit faces tonight – Nick Diaz – will apparently take the opposite approach, opting to fight as a middleweight while holding on to the interim strap until GSP returns from injury. Condit Calls Diaz the “Toughest Guy He’s Fought” Entering UFC 143 Headliner “I don’t blame them,” said Malki Kawa (Condit’s manager) to MMAJunkie Radio of Diaz’s team’s decision before continuing, “But if there’s another fight that makes sense stylistically, a guy staying busy – I’ve seen – is better than a guy who takes long breaks.” “You can build a bigger fan base and get people excited,” he continued, adding, “It’d make the GSP fight even bigger…So if the right opponent steps up, I think we maybe need to take the fight.” Catch Diaz-Condit tonight to see what the future of the division holds when they meet on PPV with the broadcast starting at 10:00 PM EST. Prelims are on Facebook/FX starting three hours earlier. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

Posted in: condit, diaz, fight, guy, ufc

UFC 143 Fight Card Primer: Matt Brown Vs. Chris Cope

At UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit, Matt Brown (12-11; 5-5 UFC) squares off against Chris Cope (5-2; 1-1 UFC). This Welterweight fight is the second of four fights on the FX prelim card. Neither man in currently ranked in the USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings. The prelims air on FX starting at 8 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, with the PPV broadcast following at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. Cope and Brown are an interesting pairing as there are strong similarities between both men's path into the UFC. Both came to the organization through The Ultimate Fighter. Both ended their stint on TUF looking decent but not spectacular, though having developed a distinct persona on the show - Brown was the tough Chuck Norris type, while Cope was the goof (the weigh-in picture sums up each man's image nicely). Those personas helped each stand out from the pack and stay somewhat relevant in the UFC. The big difference is, Brown has the serious experience edge - he's been down the path that Cope is just beginning. How do these two stack up? Brown: 31 years old | 6'0" | 76" reachCope: 28 years old | 6'1" | 73" reach What have these two done recently? Brown: L - Seth Baczynski (Sub) | W - John Howard (UD) | L - Brian Foster (Sub) Cope: L - Che Mills (TKO) | W - Chuck O'Neil (UD) | W - Ron Keslar (TKO) How did these two get here? Matt "The Immortal" Brown was part of season 7 of The Ultimate Fighter. Coming out of the show, he looked like a typical TUF veteran who would have a brief UFC career, but he turned heads in a tough losing effort against the at the time undefeated Dong Hyun Kim. He followed that performance up with 4 straight wins, giving him a 4-1 UFC record. Since then he has struggled, losing three straight before saving his job with an upset win over John Howard last year. He's since lost again, and could be fighting for his job here. Chris "C-Murder" Cope is largely known for his grin and his Ric Flair style "Woo!" A member of Team Lesnar last year, Cope started his UFC career with a win over fellow TUF fighter Chuck O'Neil. He looked good in that win, but then lost to Che Mills at UFC 138. The California fighter has experience in Strikeforce, but is still very new to MMA with only 7 pro fights to his credit. Like Brown, he's coming off a loss, and I could see him being cut with a loss as well, though he's probably not in as dire a situation as Brown. Why should you care? Possible loser leaves town match-up here. The last time Brown was in this situation, he delivered, and I expect he'll do so again. There's not a ton of relevance here, but it's a well matched fight. For a more in-depth look at Brown vs. Cope, check out Dallas Winston's fight dissection. You can catch more UFC 143 preview content from Bloody Elbow after the jump. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit UFC 143 Judo Chop: Fabricio Werdum Striking Analysis - Fraser Coffeen UFC 143 'Diaz Vs. Condit' Exclusive Weigh-Ins Photo Gallery - Matthew Roth Super Bowl XLVI Video: NFL Players Pick The Winners of UFC 143 - Matthew Roth UFC 143 Weigh-In Results: Carlos Condit 169, Nick Diaz 169 - Tim Burke UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Renan Barao Vs. Scott Jorgensen Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit Staff Predictions - Tim Burke Frank Mir Thinks UFC 143's Fabricio Werdum Is Heavyweight's Best Grappler - Matthew Roth UFC 143 Weigh-In Video And Coverage - Tim Burke UFC 143 Video: Watch Full Countdown Show On Bloody Elbow - Josh Nason UFC 143 Judo Chop: Carlos Condit Lands A Flying Knee KO - Fraser Coffeen UFC 143: Dana White 'No One Knew GSP At One Time Either' - Matthew Roth UFC 143: Details Of The New PPV Opening Montage, RIP Gladiator Man - Matthew Roth UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Ed Herman Vs. Clifford Starks Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Picking Knockout, Submission And Fight Of The Night Bonuses - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143 Judo Chop: The Striking And Grappling Technique Of Nick Diaz - Kid Nate UFC 143 Pre-Fight Press Conference Coverage And Video - Tim Burke UFC 143 Video: Josh Koscheck Hopes Georges St. Pierre 'Never Comes Back' From Knee Surgery - Kid Nate Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 131: UFC 143 Preview - Matt Bishop UFC 143 Video: Nick Diaz Not Happy With UFC Editing - Tim Burke UFC 143: A Look At The Ground Games of Fabricio Werdum and Roy Nelson - Ben Thapa UFC 143: Nick Diaz Details The Story Behind His Elite Level Conditioning - Anton Tabuena UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit Betting Lines - Tim Burke UFC 143 Video: Nick Diaz Talks Carlos Condit, Georges St. Pierre - Kid Nate UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - FX Channel Preliminary Card Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Nick Diaz Vs. Carlos Condit Defines 'Gameness' - Kid Nate UFC 143: Undefeated Stephen Thompson Hopes To Make Case For Karate In MMA - Kid Nate UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Facebook Preliminary Card Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: The Contradictory Marketing Of Nick Diaz And How The Reem May Not Be As Awesome As You Think - Ben Thapa

Posted in: ufc, diaz, nick, vs, condit

UFC 143 Fight Primer: Matt Riddle Vs. Henry Martinez

After missing his UFC 143 fight against Luis Ramos due to a last-second illness, Matt Riddle (5-3, 5-3 UFC) returns to action against the debuting Henry Martinez (8-1), a recent injury replacement for Jorge Lopez. How do these two stack up? Riddle: 25 | 6'1" | 74" reachMartinez: 28 | 5'7" | 68" reach What have these two welterweights done recently? Riddle only fought once in 2011, a decision loss to Lance Benoist at a September Fight Night, and comes into Saturday on a two-fight losing streak. Martinez has won four in a row with two wins each by TKO and submission, competing as recently as a few weeks ago. What else should I know? Riddle is one of the unique few that has spent his entire career in the UFC, making his debut in June 2008 after a run on the seventh season of The Ultimate Fighter. He has power but gone the distance in five of his eight career fights. Martinez is a product of Greg Jackson's camp and has finished in six of his eight victories with his only loss to Bellator veteran Wilson Reis. One thing that might work into Riddle's favor is a six inch height and reach advantage. How can I watch? FX at 8 pm EST You can catch more UFC 143 preview content from Bloody Elbow after the jump. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit UFC 143 Judo Chop: Fabricio Werdum Striking Analysis - Fraser Coffeen UFC 143 'Diaz Vs. Condit' Exclusive Weigh-Ins Photo Gallery - Matthew Roth Super Bowl XLVI Video: NFL Players Pick The Winners of UFC 143 - Matthew Roth UFC 143 Weigh-In Results: Carlos Condit 169, Nick Diaz 169 - Tim Burke UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Renan Barao Vs. Scott Jorgensen Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit Staff Predictions - Tim Burke Frank Mir Thinks UFC 143's Fabricio Werdum Is Heavyweight's Best Grappler - Matthew Roth UFC 143 Weigh-In Video And Coverage - Tim Burke UFC 143 Video: Watch Full Countdown Show On Bloody Elbow - Josh Nason UFC 143 Judo Chop: Carlos Condit Lands A Flying Knee KO - Fraser Coffeen UFC 143: Dana White 'No One Knew GSP At One Time Either' - Matthew Roth UFC 143: Details Of The New PPV Opening Montage, RIP Gladiator Man - Matthew Roth UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Ed Herman Vs. Clifford Starks Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Picking Knockout, Submission And Fight Of The Night Bonuses - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143 Judo Chop: The Striking And Grappling Technique Of Nick Diaz - Kid Nate UFC 143 Pre-Fight Press Conference Coverage And Video - Tim Burke UFC 143 Video: Josh Koscheck Hopes Georges St. Pierre 'Never Comes Back' From Knee Surgery - Kid Nate Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 131: UFC 143 Preview - Matt Bishop UFC 143 Video: Nick Diaz Not Happy With UFC Editing - Tim Burke UFC 143: A Look At The Ground Games of Fabricio Werdum and Roy Nelson - Ben Thapa UFC 143: Nick Diaz Details The Story Behind His Elite Level Conditioning - Anton Tabuena UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit Betting Lines - Tim Burke UFC 143 Video: Nick Diaz Talks Carlos Condit, Georges St. Pierre - Kid Nate UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - FX Channel Preliminary Card Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Nick Diaz Vs. Carlos Condit Defines 'Gameness' - Kid Nate UFC 143: Undefeated Stephen Thompson Hopes To Make Case For Karate In MMA - Kid Nate UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Facebook Preliminary Card Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: The Contradictory Marketing Of Nick Diaz And How The Reem May Not Be As Awesome As You Think - Ben Thapa

Posted in: ufc, diaz, nick, vs, condit

UFC 143 'Primetime' video for 'Diaz vs Condit' (Episode 3)

In cased you missed any or all of it last night (Feb. 3, 2012), here is the third and final episode of the "all access" behind-the-scenes look at the UFC 143 main event between Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit. To watch the episode one and two of UFC 143 "Primetime" click here and here. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and FX collaborated for the latest "Primetime" series, which follows former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz as he prepares to fight fellow division number one contender Carlos Condit for the interim title TONIGHT (Feb. 4, 2012) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. To get up to speed on the reaction to episode three of UFC 143 "Primetime" click here. For more on UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" be sure to hit up our event archive right here. To check out the latest UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" fight card and rumors click here.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, condit, primetime

UFC 143 Fight Primer: Rafael Natal Vs. Michael Kuiper

The UFC introduces another new fighter into the fray as young middleweight prospect Michael Kuiper (11-0) makes his Octagon debut at UFC 143 against veteran Rafael Natal (13-3-1, 1-1-1 UFC) in the evening's second bout. While not a sexy fight, there are some elements that could make this quite entertaining. How do these two stack up? Natal: 29 years old | 77" reach | 6'0" Kuiper: 22 years old | 6'0" What have these two done recently? Natal has won four of his last five, defeating Paul Bradley by unanimous decision at last August's UFC 133. The Netherlands-born Kuiper will make his U.S. debut after running up a perfect record fighting in the Netherlands and throughout Europe. He last competed nearly nine months ago, knocking out Morris Cilfoni in the first round. What else should you know? Natal has been around the MMA block with 17 pro fights in various organizations, but hasn't made an impact in the UFC with three largely forgettable performances. Before signing with the UFC, he had finished opponents in five straight victories. Kuiper is an interesting sign by the UFC as he's just 22 years old and has finished 10 of his 11 opponents. He's also a black belt in judo and has shown he can submit opponents as easily as he can knock them out. Natal may have an advantage if the fight goes the distance as Kuiper has just one career decision with six fights never getting out of the first round. Why should you care? By name value alone, this fight isn't exciting anyone, but if Natal takes some risks in going for finishes and Kuiper continues to display the skill set he's used thus far in his near three-year career, this could be a lot more entertaining than most expect. How can I watch? Facebook at approximately 7:30 PM EST You can catch more UFC 143 preview content from Bloody Elbow after the jump. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit UFC 143 Judo Chop: Fabricio Werdum Striking Analysis - Fraser Coffeen UFC 143 'Diaz Vs. Condit' Exclusive Weigh-Ins Photo Gallery - Matthew Roth Super Bowl XLVI Video: NFL Players Pick The Winners of UFC 143 - Matthew Roth UFC 143 Weigh-In Results: Carlos Condit 169, Nick Diaz 169 - Tim Burke UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Renan Barao Vs. Scott Jorgensen Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit Staff Predictions - Tim Burke Frank Mir Thinks UFC 143's Fabricio Werdum Is Heavyweight's Best Grappler - Matthew Roth UFC 143 Weigh-In Video And Coverage - Tim Burke UFC 143 Video: Watch Full Countdown Show On Bloody Elbow - Josh Nason UFC 143 Judo Chop: Carlos Condit Lands A Flying Knee KO - Fraser Coffeen UFC 143: Dana White 'No One Knew GSP At One Time Either' - Matthew Roth UFC 143: Details Of The New PPV Opening Montage, RIP Gladiator Man - Matthew Roth UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Ed Herman Vs. Clifford Starks Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Picking Knockout, Submission And Fight Of The Night Bonuses - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143 Judo Chop: The Striking And Grappling Technique Of Nick Diaz - Kid Nate UFC 143 Pre-Fight Press Conference Coverage And Video - Tim Burke UFC 143 Video: Josh Koscheck Hopes Georges St. Pierre 'Never Comes Back' From Knee Surgery - Kid Nate Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 131: UFC 143 Preview - Matt Bishop UFC 143 Video: Nick Diaz Not Happy With UFC Editing - Tim Burke UFC 143: A Look At The Ground Games of Fabricio Werdum and Roy Nelson - Ben Thapa UFC 143: Nick Diaz Details The Story Behind His Elite Level Conditioning - Anton Tabuena UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit Betting Lines - Tim Burke UFC 143 Video: Nick Diaz Talks Carlos Condit, Georges St. Pierre - Kid Nate UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - FX Channel Preliminary Card Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Nick Diaz Vs. Carlos Condit Defines 'Gameness' - Kid Nate UFC 143: Undefeated Stephen Thompson Hopes To Make Case For Karate In MMA - Kid Nate UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Facebook Preliminary Card Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: The Contradictory Marketing Of Nick Diaz And How The Reem May Not Be As Awesome As You Think - Ben Thapa

Posted in: ufc, diaz, nick, vs, condit

Condit beats Diaz at UFC 143 for interim title

Carlos Condit ruined the welterweight fight the world wanted to see, and might have just retired MMA bad boy Nick Diaz in the process.

Posted in: diaz, mma, condit, boy, welterweight fight

UFC 143: Condit wins interim title; Diaz done

Carlos Condit ruined the welterweight fight the world wanted to see, and might have just retired MMA bad boy Nick Diaz in the process.

Posted in: diaz, condit, carlos condit, welterweight fight, title diaz

UFC 143: Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit Main Event Dissection

The main attraction of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit is a scintillating match up for the interim welterweight championship that pits Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit. The magnetic appeal of this surefire dogfight stems from its unusual brew. Excitement for a show is aroused when the centerpiece fighters bear just one of the elements that fight fans historically adore. Diaz and Condit do not merely exude a multitude of these electrifying traits, they embody them to the very core: stone-cold gameness, endless aggression, constant forward motion and fearlessly embracing precarious situations with absolutely no concept of the word "caution." The icing on the cake is that Condit and Diaz both follow the most respectable and innovative philosophy on "defense" that mankind could ever imagine, which is offense, and a lot of it. If that doesn't work? More offense. The result is nothing short of unquenchable blood-lust that inevitably unfolds as mass carnage ... all for our viewing pleasure. Such are the ingredients boiling in this cauldron. Nick Diaz (26-7) probably doesn't like you. He doesn't like the media or doing interviews either. He definitely doesn't like anyone who is audacious enough to sign a contract to fight him, which is the equivalent in his eyes of insulting everything he deems righteous and just in the world. In fact, there's only one thing I know for a fact that Nick Diaz genuinely likes, and that's fighting. He greets sportsmanlike handshakes with defiant middle fingers. If his opponent is within eye-shot, you can bet the meanest mug in MMA is trained directly on him, lip curled in a feral sneer and eyes radiating a maniacal and menacing glare that wordlessly conveys the taunt, "I can't wait to beat your ass." He might not say it aloud -- but you can still hear it. Repping one of the most volatile arsenals in the sport, Diaz is one-half technical auteur and one-half brawling street thug. The base brutality of his incessant boxing stands in stark contrast to the elegant grace and fluidity of his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Since losing to K.J. Noons by cut stoppage back in 2007, Diaz has pieced together an eleven-fight roll and shows no intentions of stopping. More UFC 143 Dissections Barao vs. Jorgensen | Herman vs. Starks | FX Prelims | Facebook Prelims Carlos Condit (27-5) is more of a silent killer. Rather than vocalizing his desire to render people unconscious or twist their limbs into confusing angles that even math professors can't comprehend, Condit just beams a chilling and unsettling aura of steely conviction. The kind that makes you scan the room nervously for the nearest exits or clutch your cell phone dearly with the numbers 9-1-1 already dialed in, just in case. The Greg Jackson trained Muay Thai artist was the longstanding welterweight champion in the WEC before the higher weight classes were folded into the UFC. His split-decision defeat to Martin Kampmann in his Octagon debut was Condit's first loss since 2008 and snapped an eight-fight streak. He responded with four-straight wins, one of which was over top contender Jake Ellenberger, and racked up a "Fight of the Night" bonus in his next and "Knockout of the Night" honors in the two that followed. You know the score -- we'll reconvene with gifs and analysis after the break. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit Striking in MMA is becoming more complex than ever. We're seeing an armada of flashy and atypical kicks from traditional martial arts, Nick Denis just treated us to the first one-shot standing elbow KO in the UFC since Bobby Hoffman circa 2001, Muay Thai fighters are purported to have eight limbs, Jon Jones is coming out of his corner crawling like a spider; all hell is breaking loose. That makes it quite extraordinary that Diaz, a pugilist of the sweet science, is still one of the most dynamic strikers in MMA. It should be so easy to write off this volume-based style as destined for failure. No defense. No power. Chin's wide open. Diaz has been burdened with that criticism for years yet he continues to defy logic through success. Half of his wins are by TKO and he's never been knocked out cold. He eats power punches like they're potato chips. The effective aspect of his boxing is that he's become a master of disrupting his opponent's rhythm by blaring his own louder, as he excels at taking over as the fight wears on. To the right is his rare gogoplata that Diaz used to ensnare Takanori Gomi, testifying to the creative malice of his serpentine guard skills. He's a complete package on the mat and excellent with scrambles, sweeps, defense, controlling posture, creating opportunities and snagging submissions. The only area he doesn't specifically excel is wrestling, but he has slick Judo that provides adequate takedowns and takedown defense. Regardless, his lack of wrestling prowess is mirrored in Condit, so this match up will consist of pure offensive firepower colliding head on. Condit oozes Muay Thai. His stance, clinch and collection of strikes all smack of the art. As opposed to Diaz's constant stream of offense, Condit is more judicious in his selection but makes 'em count. He's prevalent from a distance, preferring to gather himself and spring in with volleys from the perimeter. He employs the teep and front kick like a jab and often follows immediately behind it, such as the flying knee to the left. He's comfortable in either stance and switches back and forth freely. His left hook is strong and he complements it nicely with straight punches, commonly leading with a crisp one-two from the traditional stance. Low kicks are popularly asserted as a keen tool against Diaz based on the frequency of those thrown by Evangelista Santos. Condit has attacked the leg with roundhouses in the past but mostly as an auxiliary weapon. Considering the way Diaz closes range in a hurry with the willingness to take one in order to give one, kicks lend a risk as well. This clever sweep is reminiscent of Diaz and just one of many reasons why these fighters are so eerily similar and evenly matched. The clash of styles also draws many comparisons to Nate Diaz, Nick's younger brother, and his recent brawl with Donald Cerrone. Nate and Nick are nearly carbon copies of one another, and both Cerrone and Condit are Greg Jackson students who are long and lanky Muay Thai specialists with stellar BJJ and downright scrappers. And when this fight plays out in my head, it goes a lot like Nate's fight with Cerrone. The overall level of competition in the UFC is far better than Strikeforce, yet Diaz has tackled a pretty stout list of strikers there and throughout his career. Based on those performances, it's hard to see Condit out-gunning him in a straight shootout. In fact, even though it doesn't reflect how closely matched these two are, I don't see too many ways for Condit to win. A decision would require both matching and exceeding Diaz's obscene output or timing takedowns for an edge on the score cards. I don't see either submitting the other unless it's when pouncing after a damaging strike. I'm in agreement with the betting lines that have Diaz as a narrow favorite and expect him to overwhelm Condit on the feet after an even first round. My Prediction: Nick Diaz by decision. All gifs via Grappo and Zombie Prophet of IronForgesIron.com Poll Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit Diaz Condit 15 votes | Results

Posted in: ufc, diaz, nick, vs, condit

UFC 143 Fight Primer: Dan Stittgen Vs. Stephen Thompson

A battle of UFC rookie welterweights -- Dan Stittgen (7-1) vs. Stephen Thompson (5-0) -- opens up UFC 143, but one of the combatants is undefeated in over 60 fights and trained by one of the best in the business. How do these two stack up? Stittgen: 31 | 6'1" Thompson: 28 | 6'0" | 75" reach How did these two get here? Stittgen is a third-year pro, competing mainly in the central U.S. He's finished six fights, five by various submissions. Until a recent decision victory, Stittgen had never gone outside the first round. While the undefeated Thompson is relatively new to MMA, he comes into the UFC with a tremendous kickboxing background (37-0 amateur, 20-0 pro, 46 total KOs) and a slew of championships to his credit. He made his pro MMA debut in early 2010 and has fared well in the southern U.S. circuit with decision wins in his last two. What else should you know? Thompson (ranked #10 in our recent World MMA Scouting Report) has done some training with Firas Zahabi and is a black belt in several martial arts with a blue belt in Brazilian jiujitsu. He's clearly the more experienced fighter of the two, but Stittgen is no easy draw for Thompson. MMA Fighting's Mike Chiappetta did a feature on Thompson, which is worth checking out. Why should you care? With two guys looking to make an impact and a history of finishing opponents on both sides, this could be a very fun fight if both Thompson and Stittgen decide to really go for it. Alas, the curse of the boring UFC debut may arise as well. How can you watch? Facebook at approximately 7 PM EST You can catch more UFC 143 preview content from Bloody Elbow after the jump. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit UFC 143 Judo Chop: Fabricio Werdum Striking Analysis - Fraser Coffeen UFC 143 'Diaz Vs. Condit' Exclusive Weigh-Ins Photo Gallery - Matthew Roth Super Bowl XLVI Video: NFL Players Pick The Winners of UFC 143 - Matthew Roth UFC 143 Weigh-In Results: Carlos Condit 169, Nick Diaz 169 - Tim Burke UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Renan Barao Vs. Scott Jorgensen Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit Staff Predictions - Tim Burke Frank Mir Thinks UFC 143's Fabricio Werdum Is Heavyweight's Best Grappler - Matthew Roth UFC 143 Weigh-In Video And Coverage - Tim Burke UFC 143 Video: Watch Full Countdown Show On Bloody Elbow - Josh Nason UFC 143 Judo Chop: Carlos Condit Lands A Flying Knee KO - Fraser Coffeen UFC 143: Dana White 'No One Knew GSP At One Time Either' - Matthew Roth UFC 143: Details Of The New PPV Opening Montage, RIP Gladiator Man - Matthew Roth UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Ed Herman Vs. Clifford Starks Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Picking Knockout, Submission And Fight Of The Night Bonuses - Brent Brookhouse UFC 143 Judo Chop: The Striking And Grappling Technique Of Nick Diaz - Kid Nate UFC 143 Pre-Fight Press Conference Coverage And Video - Tim Burke UFC 143 Video: Josh Koscheck Hopes Georges St. Pierre 'Never Comes Back' From Knee Surgery - Kid Nate Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 131: UFC 143 Preview - Matt Bishop UFC 143 Video: Nick Diaz Not Happy With UFC Editing - Tim Burke UFC 143: A Look At The Ground Games of Fabricio Werdum and Roy Nelson - Ben Thapa UFC 143: Nick Diaz Details The Story Behind His Elite Level Conditioning - Anton Tabuena UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit Betting Lines - Tim Burke UFC 143 Video: Nick Diaz Talks Carlos Condit, Georges St. Pierre - Kid Nate UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - FX Channel Preliminary Card Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: Nick Diaz Vs. Carlos Condit Defines 'Gameness' - Kid Nate UFC 143: Undefeated Stephen Thompson Hopes To Make Case For Karate In MMA - Kid Nate UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Facebook Preliminary Card Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 143: The Contradictory Marketing Of Nick Diaz And How The Reem May Not Be As Awesome As You Think - Ben Thapa

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, condit, thompson

Condit survives bumps, ready to fight Diaz

Bouts against B.J. Penn, Georges St-Pierre, and Josh Koscheck have fallen through for Carlos Condit but he's ready for Nick Diaz at UFC 143.

Posted in: diaz, nick diaz, josh koscheck, condit, carlos condit

Manager: If victorious at UFC 143, Carlos Condit unlikely to wait for champ GSP

Malki Kawa understands why Cesar Gracie's highest-profile client, Nick Diaz, would wait on the sidelines if he's victorious at tonight's UFC 143 event. Diaz and Carlos Condit headline tonight's pay-per-view event and fight for an interim welterweight title, and injured champ Georges St-Pierre awaits the winner in the fall. And while he understands the financial benefits of waiting for St-Pierre, Kawa thinks his client, Condit, would be better off taking another fight instead of waiting.

Posted in: condit, welterweight title, tonight, client condit, stpierre kawa

UFC 143 Video: Georges St. Pierre Predicts Diaz Vs. Condit, Hates On The Super Bowl

Injured UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre talked to Jennifer Williams of The Fight Fix and made his prediction for the UFC 143 interim title fight between Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz. The winner of that fight is likely to face GSP in the late Summer or Fall in a title unification bout. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit GSP likes Condit's chances in the early rounds but believes if it goes into the championship 4th and 5th rounds that Diaz will prevail. That's a big sign of respect from the champ for Diaz' vaunted conditioning. GSP also talked about the Super Bowl and bemoaned the amount of time he has to spend hearing about American football because he trains with so many pro football players. He gloats that he plans to be driving back to Los Angeles from Las Vegas during the Super Bowl so he won't have to hear about the game. GSP adds that he's a "nerd" and doesn't care to watch sports including Canadian football and hockey as well as American football.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, gsp, condit, football

Will Diaz vs Condit be similar to Diaz vs Cerrone?

That's what I think. submitted by Jam_med [link] [4 comments]

Posted in: diaz, vs, condit, cerrone, that

Carlos Condit: “Nick is probably the toughest guy I’ve ever fought.”

A veteran of 32 bouts, UFC welterweight Carlos Condit has faced some of the sport’s toughest draws such as Rory MacDonald, Dan Hardy, Jake Ellenberger, Dong Hyun Kim, and Jake Shields. However, “The Natural Born Killer” knows the man he’ll be standing across from in the Octagon tonight – Nick Diaz – is unlike any opponent he’s met thus far along his professional path. Diaz will enter the cage on an eleven-fight winning streak including a recent beatdown of B.J. Penn. The 28-year old has also only been legitimately stopped a single time in more than thirty fights, suffering a TKO in 2002 after having fought twice earlier in the evening as part of a tournament. Condit acknowledged the challenge Diaz presents in a recent interview with the UFC’s website, saying he was up to the task and eager to see how things will unfold in the ring during their UFC 143 headliner. “I think that styles make fights, and I think that this style match-up is going to be extremely exciting,” said an animated Condit. “It’s a very tough fight; Nick’s one of the best in the welterweight division. I think there are some guys stylistically that could probably beat him, but I think the matchup between us — we’re very evenly matched. We have similar skill sets, maybe a little bit different approach — different style — but it’s exciting.” As far as how much he respects Diaz’s talents, the 27-5 Condit put him at the top of a long and talent-laden list. “Nick is probably the toughest guy I’ve ever fought,” explained Condit. “He’s an endurance athlete — he puts tons and tons of pressure on guys — and he’s got some really good skills with his hands; his jiu-jitsu’s great. But I just really need to fight my fight. If I do that, I feel like I’m going to walk away with the belt.” Catch their main event melee on PPV starting at 10:00 PM EST with prelims on FX/Facebook starting at 7:00 PM EST. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: fight, diaz, nick, condit, condit “

Video: UFC 143 predictions from NFL stars Eli Manning, Jerry Rice, Von Miller and more

Because we know you're wondering what players from the NFL, both past and present, are thinking of tomorrow night's UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" main event in Las Vegas, we present you with a video featuring predictions ranging from Eli Manning to Jerry Rice to Kurt Warner. Manning -- who will lead his New York Giants in the Super Bowl this Sunday night against the New England Patriots (and I'm covering it right here on MMAmania.com, Maniacs) -- is rolling with Diaz: "I gotta go with Diaz. You know, he's a tough guy. Coach Sullivan -- our quarterback coach -- is a big fan, so he's been talking him up all week so, I think he's swayed my decision, so I'm going Diaz." Who are the rest of the current and former pros taking? If you can't watch the video or would rather read their picks, hit the jump for the text. Michael Strahan: "I'm going to tell you who's going to win the Diaz-Condit fight. I believe it's going to be Diaz. I mean, he's aggressive, he's young, he's hungry, he's long, rangy, powerful and the biggest thing (is) he has an incredible motor. He doesn't slow down. It should be a great fight and good luck to both fighters." Dhani Jones: "Condit's going to win this fight. You know why? Because he's a 'Natural Born Killer,' he's a scrapper. He's the only guy on the mat, that's what's up. Yeah." Jerry Rice: "I think Nick Diaz is going to win that fight because you know what? He's going to bring the hammer." Von Miller: "I think Diaz, he's going to pull it off. He's been competing at a high level these last couple of fights. I want to see Diaz get it." Warren Sapp: "Nick Diaz: Do what I do to the quarterback -- kill 'em! It's just that simple. Kill 'em! Nick Diaz, love you." Kurt Warner: "Being an underdog myself, I gotta go with the underdog, Carlos Condit. He's a tenacious, blue collar guy, going to stalk his prey, going to come after him, going to beat him down. I'm going with the underdog." That's five votes for Diaz to just two for Condit. Does the majority have it right here? And who amongst these footballers sounded like they knew the most about the sport of MMA?

Posted in: fight, diaz, condit, he, kurt warner

UFC 143 Main Event Results - Condit Wins Interim Belt, Sets up GSP Fight

LAS VEGAS, February 4 – Georges St-Pierre longs to punish the only fighter he hates. But instead of facing bitter rival Nick Diaz for the UFC welterweight title, GSP must now mentally prepare to battle a teammate of sorts in Carlos Condit. With GSP watching cageside, Condit uncharacteristically and methodically danced and kicked his way to a unanimous decision victory over Diaz Saturday night in the UFC 143 main event at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. The triumph earned Condit the UFC interim welterweight title, and he will meet St-Pierre for the belt sometime later this year depending on St. Pierre’s pending recovery from a torn ACL. “It was pretty sweet. My coaches and teammates prepared me for this fight,” said Condit, the former World Extreme Cagefighting champ who pushed his record to 28-6. “I did what they told me to do and it carried me to victory. Hats off to Nick Diaz. He’s a warrior. I’ve got nothing but respect for how he fights.” Regarding his future date with GSP, who trains at Tri-Star in Montreal under Firas Zahabi but who has also trained extensively with Condit trainer Greg Jackson, Condit had this to say: “It is an honor. Georges is a guy I’ve looked up to since I was young and before I was in the UFC. I’m completely honored.” Diaz, who stalked Condit nearly all of the fight and had his moments with combinations – including an impressive 8 or 9-punch combo to Condit’s body in round two – surprised everyone in the post-fight interview, effectively announcing his retirement at the relatively tender age of 28. “I’m not going to accept the fact this was a loss,” said Diaz (27-8), who hadn’t lost in over four years. “I’ve lost fights before…but that (decision) ain’t right. I pushed him back the whole fight, I walked him back …Carlos is a great guy. I think I’m done with this MMA ... I had some fun. I don’t need this s---. I pushed this guy backward the whole fight. He kicked me with little baby leg kicks the whole fight. I don’t want to fight this way anymore. I’m out of this s---.” Diaz had made things very interesting late in the final round when he took Condit down, took his back and tried for a rear naked choke. To chants of “Diaz! Diaz!” the usually ultra-aggressive Condit came out in the first round way more mobile than usual, firing away with leg kicks. In the second half of the round, however, Diaz, ever-stalking and now verbally taunting, scored with his boxing, included a beautiful shot to the body followed up with a crisp punch to the face. By round’s end, Diaz was still sticking out that chin and taunting and Condit was bleeding under his left eye. In round two, Condit was more reticent and dancing. Greg Jackson’s were fingerprints all over it and Diaz was the one constantly pushing the action. In Diaz’s best sequence of the fight, he caught Condit against the fence and unleashed a volley of eight or nine punches to the body. Condit wasn’t nearly as busy as he had been in the first stanza. In rounds three and four, Condit started attacking Diaz with more vigor, primarily behind an assortment of kicks to Diaz’s lead leg, midsection and head. Never did it seem as if the charging Diaz was wounded, but perhaps the noted boxer became frustrated by Condit’s constant mobility and refusal to stand in the pocket to exchange. Nevertheless, it was an intelligent and effective strategy, one that allowed Condit to cinch rounds three and four in the eyes of many in media row. Simply, Diaz’s fists had trouble finding any part of Condit’s body. Judges scored it 48-47, 49-46 and 49-46 for Condit.

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, round, condit

UFC 143 Results and Live Play-by-Play for “Diaz vs. Condit”

MMAFrenzy.com will have live results and play-by-play from tonight’s UFC 143 event in Las Vegas, which is headlined by Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit for the interim welterweight title and a shot at champion Georges St-Pierre. Our live coverage will begin at 7pm ET for the preliminary card, which airs on Facebook (7pm) and FX (8pm), and 10pm ET for the pay-per-view main card. Enjoy the live UFC 143 results below, share your thoughts in the comments, and stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for the latest UFC 143 coverage. UFC 143 Live Results MAIN CARD Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit Interim UFC Welterweight Championship Roy Nelson vs. Fabricio Werdum Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce Scott Jorgensen vs. Renan Barao Ed Herman vs. Clifford Starks PRELIMINARY CARD Dustin Poirier vs. Max Holloway Alex Caceres vs. Edwin Figueroa Matt Brown vs. Chris Cope Matt Riddle vs. Henry Martinez Rafael Natal vs. Michael Kuiper Stephen Thompson vs. Dan Stittgen UFC 143 Play-by-Play (refresh for updates) NICK DIAZ vs. CARLOS CONDIT Round 1 - ROY NELSON vs. FABRICIO WERDUM Round 1 - JOSH KOSCHECK vs. MIKE PIERCE Round 1 - RENAN BARAO vs. SCOTT JORGENSEN Round 1 - ED HERMAN vs. CLIFFORD STARKS Round 1 - Pictured: Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit (via @danawhite)

Posted in: ufc, diaz, round, vs, condit

UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit Weigh-in Video

The full video from the UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit weigh-ins.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, video, vs, condit

UFC 143 'Diaz Vs. Condit' Exclusive Weigh-Ins Photo Gallery

Mandalay Bay will play host to UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit on Saturday February 4th. Georges St. Pierre was originally scheduled to defend his welterweight title against Nick Diaz but was forced to withdraw due to a knee injury. Esther Lin of MMA Fighting took some amazing shots of the weigh ins and Bloody Elbow has chosen the best of the best to showcase for you. Carlos Condit (169 pounds) vs Nick Diaz (169 pounds) More photos after the jump... SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit Roy Nelson (246 pounds) vs Fabricio Werdum (246 pounds) Josh Koscheck (170 pounds) vs Mike Pierce (170 pounds) Renan Barao (136 pounds) vs Scott Jorgensen (135 pounds) Ed Herman (185 pounds) vs Clifford Starks (185 pounds) Dustin Poirier (146 pounds) vs Max Holloway (144 pounds) Alex Caceres (136 pounds) vs Edwin Figueroa (135 pounds) Matt Brown (171 pounds) vs Chris Cope (171 pounds) Matthew Riddle (170 pounds) vs Henry Martinez (169 pounds) Rafael Natal (186 pounds) vs Michael Kuiper (183 pounds) Dan Stittgen (170 pounds) vs Stephen Thompson (170 pounds)

Posted in: pound, diaz, nick diaz, vs, condit

UFC 143 Weigh-In Highlight Videos: Diaz vs. Condit, Koscheck vs. Pierce

The UFC has released highlights from Friday’s UFC 143 weigh-ins, as headliners Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit made their interim title fight official and Josh Koscheck and Mike Pierce also hit the scale ahead of Saturday’s pay-per-view event in Las Vegas. Watch the UFC 143 weigh-in highlights below and stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for complete coverage of UFC 143. Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit: Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce:

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, condit, carlos condit

UFC 143 weigh in photos gallery for 'Diaz vs Condit' on Feb. 3 in Las Vegas

UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" is all set to pop off tomorrow night (Sat., Feb. 4, 2012) from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, featuring a welterweight interim title bout pitting Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit. That's not to mention Roy Nelson vs. Fabricio Werdum in a heavyweight attraction and the suddenly contentious match-up between Josh Koscheck and rising 170-pound contender Mike Pierce. Before we can get to the good stuff, though, every one of the competitors on tomorrow night's fight card had to hit the scales in "Sin City" to make sure they aren't carrying any extra baggage. Thankfully, none of them are and all 11 bouts are now official. After the jump, you can check out photos (via UFC.com) from today's UFC 143 weigh-in event. For complete results click here, for staredowns click here and to watch the full UFC 143 weigh-in video click here. Nick Diaz: Carlos Condit: Roy Neslon: Fabricio Werdum: Josh Koscheck: Mike Pierce:

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, condit, heavyweight attraction

All fighters hit necessary marks at UFC 143 weigh-ins

All fighters came in ready to go during Friday’s weigh-in event for UFC 143 including main eventers Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit. Diaz and Condit will meet in a bout to deterimine the interim UFC welterweight championship Saturday night at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card will be available on pay-per-view, while four of the six prelim bouts get FX television viewing and another two will be shown on Facebook (all starting at 7:00 PM EST). Both Diaz and Condit tipped the scales at 169 pounds, right under the 170-pound limit. The winner will hold the UFC title until they can face Georges St-Pierre in a unification bout sometime in 2012. “I’m here to represent Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu or I’m ready to take my ass whooping. It’s whatever,” said Diaz, after weighing in. Roy Nelson and Fabricio Werdum each weighed 246 pounds, easily making the heavyweight limit for their co-main event bout. The weight was the lowest of Nelson’s MMA career. Also, welterweights Josh Koscheck and Mike Pierce each came in at 170 on the dot. Their moment on the stage was highlighted by Pierce wearing a blonde wig and the two being separated after things got heated during the face off. Read below for a full list of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit weights: Dan Stittgen (170 lbs) vs. Stephen Thompson (171 lbs) Rafael Natal (186 lbs) vs. Michael Kuiper (183 lbs) Matthew Riddle (170 lbs) vs. Henry Martinez (169 lbs) Matt Brown (171 lbs) vs. Chris Cope (171 lbs) Alex Caceres (136 lbs) vs. Edwin Figueroa (135 lbs) Dustin Poirier (146 lbs) vs. Max Holloway (144 lbs) Ed Herman (185 lbs) vs. Clifford Starks (185 lbs) Renan Barao (136 lbs) vs. Scott Jorgensen (135 lbs) Josh Koscheck (170 lbs) vs. Mike Pierce (170 lbs) Roy Nelson (246 lbs) vs. Fabricio Werdum (246 lbs) Nick Diaz (169 lbs) vs. Carlos Condit (169 lbs) PHOTO CREDIT -UFC

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, lb, condit

UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit Weigh-In Photos

MMAWeekly.com's UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit weigh-in photo gallery by Scott Petersen.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, condit, photo

Super Bowl XLVI Video: NFL Players Pick The Winners of UFC 143

The network deal between the UFC and Fox has created some interesting opportunities to provide cross over between traditional 'stick and ball' sports and MMA. The UFC caught up with some NFL stars to get their picks for the UFC 143 main event between Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz. Eli Manning: I gotta go with Diaz. He's a tough guy. Coach Sullivan, our quarterback coach is a big fan so he's been talking him up all week. I think he's swayed my decision so I'm going Diaz. Michael Strahan: I'm gonna tell you who's gonna win the Diaz/Condit fight. I believe it will be Diaz. I mean he's aggressive. He's young. He's hungry. He's long, rangy, powerful and the biggest thing is he has an incredible motor. He doesn't slow down so it should be a great fight and good luck to both fighters. Dhani Jones: What's going on? It's Dhani Jones. You know, Condit's gonna win this fight. You know why? Because he's a natural born killer! He's a scrapper. He's the only guy on the mat. That's what's up! Jerry Rice: I think Nick Diaz is gonna win that fight because you know what? He's gonna bring the hammer. Von Miller: I think Diaz is gonna pull it off. He's been competing at a high level in these last couple of fights. I wanna see Diaz get it. Warren Sapp: Nick Diaz...do what I do to the quarterback. Kill him. It's just that simple. Kill him. Nick Diaz, love you. Kurt Warner: Being an underdog myself, I've gotta go with the underdog Carlos Condit. He's a tenacious, blue-collar guy. He's gonna stalk his prey...gonna come after him...gonna beat him down. I'm going with the underdog. NFL Pros picking Diaz: Eli Manning, Michael Strahan, Jerry Rice, Von Miller, Warren Sapp NFL Pros Picking Condit: Dhani Jones, Kurt Warner Video after the jump... SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit

Posted in: he, diaz, ufc, condit, fight

UFC 143 Weigh-In Results: Nick Diaz, Carlos Condit On Mark

Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit each weighed in at 169 pounds for their main event interim welterweight title fight at UFC 143.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, nick, condit, carlos condit

UFC 143 ‘Diaz vs. Condit’ Weigh-In Results

The UFC 143 weigh-ins took place earlier this evening at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. All fighters made weight. No drama between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit at the weigh-ins, but both looked to be in great shape. Roy Nelson is still far from skinny, but he does appear to be slimming down still and putting on muscle. Mike Pierce and Josh Koscheck nearly got into in it when Pierce put on a wig to match Koscheck’s curly blonde hair. They only butted heads a little though before Dana White stepped in. The weigh-in results: Nick Diaz (169) vs. Carlos Condit (169) Fabricio Werdum (246) vs. Roy Nelson (246) Josh Koscheck (170) vs. Mike Pierce (170) Renan Barao (136) vs. Scott Jorgensen (135) Ed Herman (185) vs. Clifford Starks (185) Max Holloway (144) vs. Dustin Poirier (146) Alex Caceres (136) vs. Edwin Figueroa (135) Matt Brown (171) vs. Chris Cope (171) Jorge Lopez (169) vs. Matt Riddle (170) Rafael Natal (186) vs. Michael Kuiper (183) Dan Stittgen (170) vs. Stephen Thompson (171) Fighters in non-title fights are allowed to weigh in one pound over the weight class limit. UFC 143 “Diaz vs. Condit” will take place tomorrow, Feb. 4, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada and will air live on pay-per-view at 10pm ET/7pm PT. More UFC 116 weigh-in pics at CombatLifestyle.com. Video via MMA Fighting.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, condit, weighin

UFC 143 Weigh-In Results: Diaz, Condit on Target

For the first time since 2008, a man other than Georges St. Pierre will lay claim to the UFC's welterweight strap. Welterweight headliners Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit both made weight during Friday's UFC 143 weigh-ins at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, rendering their interim title tilt official. No stranger to championships bouts, Diaz managed to hit his mark perfectly, tipping the scales at 169 pounds to a chorus of cheers from the adoring Las Vegas audience. Condit quickly followed suit, clipping the welterweight limit at 169 pounds. Diaz was markedly tempered throughout the proceedings, especially considering his well-documented aversion to weigh-ins. "I'm ready to take my ass-whooping," he declared. "It's whatever." Likewise, Condit appeared to be high spirits. "Nick Diaz is the toughest guy I've ever fought," he coolly stated. "I'm as prepared as I've ever been. I can't wait to get out there and do this thing." Elsewhere on the main card, Roy Nelson continued his commitment to a sleeker figure, tipping the scales at a trim 246 pounds. His opponent, Fabrico Werdum, marked the end of a three-and-a-half year UFC sabbatical by similarly registering in at 246 pounds. Meanwhile, Mike Pierce played heavily to the crowd's dislike of welterweight rival Josh Koscheck. After weighing in at 170 pounds, Pierce donned a blonde Koscheck-esque wig, which briskly incensed the former All-American. Both fighters had to be separated by UFC President Dana White. Full weigh-in results are below. More Coverage: UFC 143 Fight Card | UFC 143 ResultsWalkout Shirts: Nick Diaz | Carlos Condit | Roy Nelson Main Card (Pay-Per-View):Nick Diaz (169) vs. Carlos Condit (169)Roy Nelson (246) vs. Fabricio Werdum (246)Josh Koscheck (170) vs. Mike Pierce (170)Renan Barao (136) vs. Scott Jorgensen (135)Ed Herman (185) vs. Clifford Starks (185) Preliminary Card (FX):Dustin Poirier (146) vs. Max Holloway (144)Alex Caceres (136) vs. Edwin Figueroa (135)Matt Brown (171) vs. Chris Cope (171)Matt Riddle (170) vs. Henry Martinez (169) Preliminary Card (Facebook):Dan Stittgen (170) vs. Stephen Thompson (171)Rafael Natal (186) vs. Michael Kuiper (183)

Posted in: ufc, pound, diaz, vs, condit

Grappling with Issues – 2/3/12

Is Carlos Condit more likely to finish Nick Diaz tomorrow night at UFC 143 than the opposite occurring? Who were you most impressed by at UFC on FOX 2? Will Chael Sonnen beat Anderson Silva in their rematch? What can the UFC/FOX do to improve their broadcasts? Keyboard warrrrriors….come out to plaaaay-yay! Welcome to Grappling with Issues, our site’s regular weekly feature highlighting insight and opinion from myself and resident workhorse Jeremy Lambert whose general contributions and “Scorecard” event-breakdowns can be regularly found on Five Ounces. As always, just because we staffers get the fancy set-up, please don’t hesitate to offer your own take on the topics in the “Comments” section below. Also, it is with great regret we announce this will be Jeremy’s final GWI barring the occasional “guest starring” stint as he will be leaving the site to explore other avenues. The column will have a brief hiatus before returning in two weeks with a new format (same ol’ style). More impressive performance at UFC on FOX 2 – Rashad Evans or Michael Bisping? Lambert: Evans. I realize he didn’t look great in victory, but at the end of the day, he won and Bisping didn’t. And it’s not like Evans showed any flaws in his fight against Phil Davis either. He scored takedowns on an accomplished wrestler, showed much improved top control, and out stuck him with an effective jab despite being the short of the two. Bisping was the most impressive in defeat, but he still lost and that should count against his performance. Conlan: I’m not sure losing should always count against a fighter, especially in the case of Bisping who could have easily walked away with a decision win had someone else been sitting at the judges’ table. Evans definitely dominated Davis and that in itself says something without question but he couldn’t put him away despite having plenty of advantageous positions. Meanwhile, Bisping did away with the widespread notion Sonnen would take him down with ease or put on a show similar to that in Evans-Davis. As such, I think “The Count” deserves the nod on this one, not to mention he took on the #2 guy in the division with less than two weeks to prepare and beat him in the minds of a lot of folks. What is one thing about the UFC on FOX broadcast you would change if given free reign over the production? Lambert: Make it less NFL. Drop the NFL on FOX music, the stupid robots, and Curt Menefee. FOX has done a lot of great things with the graphics and set up, but it still feels too much like a NFL broadcast and not a UFC broadcast. I can’t be the only one annoyed by the music, especially when it’s played after every commercial break. The robots are stupid on the NFL games, what are they really adding to the show? And Menefee, while an excellent NFL host, doesn’t appear to know anything about MMA. It’s like FOX wants to give the show credibility and what’s more credible than the NFL? But it makes the UFC broadcast feel cheaper and like a rip off. Conlan: I can’t disagree with a single thing Lambert said. Menefee was a slightly better, less lipstick-y version of Gus Johnson and the robots/music made the whole show feel like a NFL knockoff. To add to the list, I’d like to see future cards booked with the consumer in mind. While a hardcore fan undoubtedly appreciates grappling technique and closely contested match-ups, the average viewer wants to at least see one bout between strikers with a knockout all but guaranteed. They probably don’t even care about divisional ranking because they don’t have any perspective on what it actually means – they just want to see someone go to sleep. Having Bisping fight an adversary like Vitor Belfort instead of Demian Maia (his original opponent) to open up the card would have probably provided a highlight reel finish and gotten some buzz going. Instead viewers were treated to three fights with five of six competitors having a background in wrestling/BJJ, hence some fairly mediocre ratings. If he beats Roy Nelson, how many more wins will Fabricio Werdum need to merit a title-shot? Lambert: One. The heavyweight division is pretty wide open right now. There’s Junior dos Santos defending his title against Alistair Overeem, possible fight between Cain Velasquez and Frank Mir to decide the #1 contender, and then who? Brock Lesnar is gone, Shane Carwin is on the shelf and has lost two straight, Rodrigo Nogueira just lost, and everyone else still needs a couple of big victories. The only person who could jump Werdum is the Strikeforce HW GP winner, but who knows when the finals will be and the winner of that bout will still have to fight once more in Strikeforce before being brought over. Conlan: Agreed 100%. Contendership is far from solidified for any heavyweight out there, incoming or otherwise. I think Mir vs. Werdum would make for a great fight as well, especially if Velasquez fights Antonio Silva as was rumored a few weeks ago. Of course, Nelson could throw yet another wrench in the divisional contendership plan by taking Werdum out tomorrow night. All I know is Samer Kadi is no doubt on edge with all the heavyweight excitement out there! More likely to be finished on Saturday: Nick Diaz or Carlos Condit? Conlan: My first inclination would be to say Diaz based on Condit’s power and arsenal of strikes but upon further review I’ll actually go with Diaz. The sovereign son of Stockton has only been finished a single time in his career and that came in 2002 after he’d already fought twice earlier in the evening. Comparably, Condit has been submitted three times and Diaz’s BJJ is no joke. He also has potential for picking Condit apart with strikes while maintaining cardio, another possibility where scoring a stoppage is concerned. Lambert: I’ve got to go with Diaz as the more likely of the two to be finished. Condit has the power advantage and Diaz, while having a great chin and ability to recover, is hittable. If Condit can get to Diaz early with his power, there’s a chance that he can put him down and be crafty enough to finish him. There’s also the leg kicks, which Diaz doesn’t check. If Condit can take away Diaz’s legs, he could finish him late since Diaz won’t be able to throw with as much volume on just one leg. Will Chael Sonnen beat Anderson Silva in the rematch? Conlan: No. Sonnen looked sloppy against Bisping and is unlikely to repeat the performance he put on against Silva the first time around. He’ll also be dealing with the pressure of performing in Brazil after eighteen months of talking smack about “The Spider”. I’m unsure of how mentally strong Sonnen actually is and could see him wilting under the Sao Paolo spotlight. Lambert: I don’t think Sonnen’s performance on Saturday means anything when it comes to the rematch against Silva. Bisping is an underrated wrestler, at least defensively, while Silva is more content to play the guard game off his back. That said, even though I think Sonnen poses the biggest threat to Silva in the division, right now the champ is just on another level and he’ll be fired up about this fight. As long as Silva is healthy (and that’s actually a big question mark) then he should have an easier time with Sonnen in the rematch. What fight should headline UFC on FOX 3? Conlan: Since the card is in May it gives the UFC some time to play with the main event. There are a ton of stars fighting in February and plenty of options to choose from. As such, it’s hard for me to pluck one out of the bunch but, assuming he’s successful at UFC 145, I think Quinton Jackson vs. Forrest Griffin would be a great choice for the lineup. Both have mainstream success and will appeal to the common fan, plus each likes to strike and “Rampage” could easily score a highlight reel knockout on Griffin (or get picked apart again). Beyond that, their original fight was extremely close, Jackson wants a rematch, and Griffin has nothing on his plate. Frankie Edgar, who defends his belt in a few weeks, would also be a solid choice too if he gets by Ben Henderson given his Jersey roots, though I’m not sure who he’d fight unless Zuffa bites the bullet and brings over Gilbert Melendez. Lambert: Fellow writer Kadi brought up the possibility of Velasquez vs. Mir, which is a fight I like, but not as a main event. I think the main event has to be a fight between two guys coming off victories. Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller is reportedly the main event, which, while it should be a good fight, is a pretty underwhelming main event bout in terms of name value. Condit mentioned that he would fight again if Georges St. Pierre can’t return until the end of the year. So if Condit and Josh Koscheck win on Saturday, why not have them headline the third FOX card? It’d be an interim title fight, they wouldn’t be sacrificing that many PPV buys, and they’d be highlighting guys who are around for the long haul. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, silva, condit

UFC 143 fight card: Nick Diaz vs Carlos Condit preview

Two former welterweight champions will meet in one of the most eagerly-awaited interim title fights ever tomorrow night (February 4, 2012) as former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz meets former WEC welterweight champion Carlos Condit in the main event of UFC 143 in Las Vegas. Nick Diaz is an anti-hero, winning over fans by not even trying to win over fans simply because of his incredibly entertaining fighting style and due to the fact that he stands out from the crowd with his attitude. His big win streak outside the UFC was validated by his thrashing of former champion B.J. Penn last fall and now he's got a shot at interim UFC gold. Carlos Condit has long been one of the most exciting welterweights on the planet. He's truly come into his own recently with consecutive first round knockouts over Dan Hardy and Dong Hyun Kim. "The Natural Born Killer" is a bonus machine and after having two title shots delayed, he's looking to take out his frustration on Nick Diaz tomorrow night. Will Nick Diaz continue his incredible run to UFC superstardom with another emphatic victory? Can Carlos Condit prove the doubters wrong and spoil the dream fight between Diaz and Georges St. Pierre? How does each riveting 170 pounder win tomorrow night? Let's find out: Nick Diaz Record: 26-7 (1 No Contest) overall, 7-4 in the UFC Key Wins: B.J. Penn (UFC 137), Paul Daley (Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley), Frank Shamrock (Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Diaz) Key Losses: Sean Sherk (UFC 59), Diego Sanchez (Ultimate Fighter 2 Finale), Karo Parisyan (UFC 49) How he got here: Nick Diaz has been fighting tough challengers since he was 17 years old. He battled Chris Lytle to a unanimous decision victory in just his second professional bout. Diaz was the inaugural WEC welterweight champion and burst onto the scene in the UFC when he knocked out Robbie Lawler, a fighter the promotion had been grooming to be a potential future champion. Diaz had a 6-4 run in the UFC, but could never quite get over the hump. He left the promotion in early 2007 and defeated Takanori Gomi via gogoplata in one of the most exciting bouts in MMA history although the result was overturned with a positive test for marijauna. Diaz would lose a match to K.J. Noons for the EliteXC lightweight title before heading to Strikeforce and winning the inaugural welterweight championship there. Diaz is was the midst of a 10 fight winning streak that included victories against the likes of Paul Daley, Evangelista Santos, Hatato Sakurai as well as avenging his loss to Noons. When he made his UFC return last fall, he earned his much-deserved validation with a victory against B.J. Penn. Not only did he beat the former multi-divisional champion, he put a horrific beating on him. He'll get a shot at interim UFC gold tomorrow night. How he gets it done: Nick Diaz has got a crazy offensive attack in his striking that consists of pure volume strikes, mixing in so many blows that the opponent gets confused and doesn't see the heavy shots coming. Diaz also likes to talk trash, leave his arms up, get his opponent flustered. It's all a giant mind game for him. If he can get Condit angry, perhaps draw him into a brawl, that's the type of fight he loves and that's the type of fight he can win. If Condit loses his composure in the fight, he could make a mistake that the Stockton slugger could capitalize on. The Cesar Gracie trained fighter has a style reliant on constant pressure and using heavy offense as his best form of defense. He's one of the few fighters who can push an incredibly intense pace for up to five rounds and never get tired, especially at welterweight. He can win this fight if he keeps Carlos Condit on the defensive for up to five straight rounds and never relents. Body shots will also be very important. Diaz throws strikes with precision whether they're jabs, crosses or big uppercuts and hooks to the body. Those blows suck the life out of opponents and if he can land enough of them on Condit, he can slow him down and then really open him up in the later rounds. Carlos Condit Record: 27-5 overall, 4-1 in the UFC Key Wins: Dong Hyun Kim (UFC 132), Jake Ellenberger (UFC Fight Night 19), Rory MacDonald (UFC 115) Key Losses: Martin Kampmann (UFC Fight Night 18), Jake Shields (Rumble on the Rock 9) How he got here: Carlos Condit is one of the most exciting fighters on the planet. He first came to fame in the WEC where he fought for and won Mike Pyle's vacant welterweight title in just his second fight with the promotion. Condit would defend his WEC welterweight title three times before the UFC would merge all fighters above lightweight into its promotion. In his first fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Condit had an absolute barnburner with Martin Kampmann in a fight that was extremely close with both men displaying incredible scrambles and exciting striking. Kampmann would walk away with a split decision victory. In Condit's next fight, he would again have another Fight of the Year candidate against Jake Ellenberger. "The Natural Born Killer" survived being rocked multiple times to outgrapple and outwork Ellenberger and come away with a razor thin split decision victory. The Greg Jackson-trained fighter was at it again in his next fight, getting dominated by Rory MacDonald in the first two rounds before turning it on and overwhelming the fading "Waterboy," scoring an insane TKO victory with just seven seconds remaining in the contest. Most recently, Condit would showcase his striking, knocking out out the brash former title challenger Dan Hardy in the first round as both men traded big lead hooks. After a fight with Chris Lytle fell through due to an injury, the former WEC champ ran through the previously undefeated Dong Hyun Kim with a ferocious flying knee and follow-up punches on the ground. After multiple delays and opponent switches, he'll be battling Diaz for the interim UFC welterweight title. How he gets it done: While both men are very competent with submissions and sweeps on the ground, I'm almost certain that this fight is held in the stand-up realm. I feel that while Nick Diaz has better punching technique, Condit has more one-strike power. He put Dan Hardy's lights out with one punch at UFC 120 and he's got the explosive power to take out someone like Dong Hyun Kim with a flying knee last summer. The key for Condit is to actually have room to breathe and throw those types of strikes. He'll need to use his footwork to avoid letting Diaz corner him and unleash his patented barrage of high volume strikes. Expect to see Condit keep his distance early, and throw a large volume of kicks. If there's any striking weakness for either of the Diaz brothers, it's been leg kicks. Donald Cerrone took out Nate Diaz's legs repeatedly with kicks and Evangelista Santos teed off on Nick Diaz last year in his title fight with heavy kicks. Condit needs to go to work on the Stockton native's legs early and often to slow him down. If Diaz gets hobbled, Condit will smell blood like a shark and pounce. Nick Diaz does not have the best striking defense, making up for it with tremendous offense so if he gets slowed down and can't utilize good footwork, it could be "The Natural Born Killer's time to shine. Fight X-Factor: There are two major X-Factors for this fight. The first is Nick Diaz's trash talk. Normally, a fighter's talk doesn't get into the heads of his opponent, but Nick Diaz practically forces his foes to brawl with him by talking smack, taunting, leaving his hands at his sides and completely frustrating his opponents. He's going to be doing everything he can in the Octagon to fluster Condit and take him off his game and get him to deviate from his plan of attack. If he can do it, he'll give himself a significant edge in the fight. The other X-Factor for this bout is Nick Diaz's slow starts. It often takes him some time to warm up in a fight and he tends to get hit hard early. Don't forget that he actually lost the first round of his fight with Penn as well as his first round with Evangelista Santos last year before turning it on. If there's ever a moment of vulnerability for the Stockton scrapper, it's his slow first round and you better believe that Carlos Condit is preparing for that. If he can catch Diaz before he truly wakes up for the fight, he could ruin a ton of parlays with a stunning first round stoppage. Bottom Line: This is usually the part in the preview where I try to convince you that a fight is going to be exciting when you think it might not be, but that's not the case here. Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit is a dream fight. When Strikeforce was purchased by Zuffa, this was the one fight I wanted to see most of all. Both Diaz and Condit have this extra "oomph" to their fighting style where they're not afraid to take risks to benefit from big rewards. Quick, name me a Carlos Condit or Nick Diaz fight in the last 4 years that wasn't amazing. That's a trick question because neither guy knows what it's like to have a boring fight. Expect constant aggression from both men, big risks taken and huge rewards for the fans watching live and around the world. Something amazing is likely going to happen not just every round, but potentially every minute. I'd try to picture a way a fight could be boring to temper expectations, but that's impossible with two fighters like this finally meeting. I will eat my hat if this fight is boring. Expect greatness, expect one of the best fights of 2012, guaranteed. Who will come out on top at UFC 143? Tell us your predictions in the comments below! Poll Who will be crowned the interim UFC welterweight champion when it is all said and done tomorrow night? Nick Diaz Carlos Condit 1 votes | Results

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, nick, condit

UFC 143: Does Nick Diaz Feel Badly For Carlos Condit? And Will It Cost Him Inside The Octagon?

A lot of good stories on Nick Diaz have been written in the lead up to UFC 143, making it difficult to find an angle that hasn't been discussed. We've heard about his fitness regimen and the effects it has on his mental game. We've heard about the incredible ability of Diaz and his opponent Carlos Condit to pursue the fight despite the physical consequences. As far as his outside the cage exploits, we've had reaction to the UFC Primetime series featuring Diaz and Condit, both in the negative, in the positive (see the comments section of the aforementioned post) and in question form, (has Nick gotten to GSP?). Something I haven't seen covered is the noticable lack of fire coming out of Nick Diaz towards Condit, at least as of yesterday evening. It is the second consecutive fight that Diaz has been respectful to his opponent in the lead up; against BJ Penn he said or did nothing that could be construed as disrespectful, instead leaving it to Penn to restore the natural order of a Diaz fight by instigating a tense staredown at the weigh-ins. You see, since starting up with Strikeforce, when Nick Diaz fights a big name, the fights have followed a pretty strict pattern: 1. The fight is annouced. Diaz insinuates that he's better than his scheduled opponent and should be fighting someone better, perhaps GSP or Anderson Silva.2. Opponent responds by saying that Nick is disrespectful, not as good as he thinks he is and they are going to prove it in the fight.3. The verbal jousting continues through fight week and comes to a head during the weigh-ins. Middle fingers or perhaps physical contact between the fighters sets the tone for the start of the fight.4. Diaz's opponent charges out of the gate, looking to make him pay for his ridiculous antics.5. Diaz eats whatever punches he has to and moves forward, eventually forcing his opponent's back onto the cage6. Diaz forces his opponent to cover up and unleashes flurry after flurry on them, alternating beautifully between the body and the head.7. The opponent begins to wilt, while Diaz seems to get stronger.8. Overwhelmed and gassed, the opponent succumbs to the onslaught, or does just enough to make it to the judges scorecards, where they lose by decision. More on Nick's newer, calmer, fight week demeanor after the jump We saw this exact pattern when Nick fought against Frank Shamrock, KJ Noons, Paul Daley and BJ Penn. It happened to a smaller degree against Zaromskis and Cyborg (not as much was said pre-fight but the fights themselves very much followed the pattern). It has become something of a calling card for Nick: Rile up the opponent and get him to fight at a higher pace than they would otherwise be comfortable with. I was quite frankly shocked to see BJ get his mean mug on at the weigh-ins after avoiding the "Diaz trap", as I call it, in the month leading up to the fight. Nick has had so much success getting into his opponents head that it has lead some to theorize that it is an act. GSP called him "fake-crazy" during the second episode of Primetime. I myself have expressed my belief that his pre-fight persona is a creation, with the goal being to induce a brawl that largely favors Diaz and his excellent conditioning. Nick responded to these suggestions during his media scrum at the open workouts this week. Nick Diaz: People tell me I'm crazy, or they say I act like I'm crazy, I think it's what a lot of people are saying. I'm not trying to put on no act, I'm just going out there trying to fight my fight, and try to win the fight. I'm not happy by the time I walk out to fight, you know? What do you want from me? If this is the case and what you see is what you get from Nick Diaz, then what we are seeing and what we are getting from him this week is cause for concern, at least for those who are picking Diaz to win the fight tomorrow night. He has gone out of his way to be complimentary of Carlos Condit whenever he's been asked about him. He called Condit a more respectable martial artist than Georges St. Pierre. He told the press at the pre-fight press conference that the focus on GSP made him sick; for Condit. Nick Diaz: It makes me sick. This is Carlos' time to be here and to be a part of this main event. Half of this show is built up around me fighting Georges St. Pierre but I'm fighting Carlos Condit. And then, during the staredowns that follow each pre-fight press conference, the unthinkable happened: via img.photobucket.com After the pose-off, Condit extended his hand towards Nick, an offer to engage in a time honored display of respect: The handshake. It was the perfect chance for Nick to let everyone know that he wasn't playing. An opportunity to show that despite the niceities, he was still Nick Diaz, and Nick Diaz doesn't shake no hands before the fight. Instead, Nick Diaz looked down at the hand, hesitated briefly and then accepted Condit's invitation. Maybe this is a new Nick Diaz we are watching, one who no longer feels the need to intimidate and threaten his opponent before the fight. This will be his 34th as a professional mixed martial artist. He is no longer the disrespected (in his eyes) and disrespectful (in most everyone else's eyes) "big fish in a small pond" that he was during his run in Strikeforce. Have the years of training as a triathalete given rise to a cool confidence that was never there before? It's entirely possible that the way he has approached both the media and his opponent during this fight week is a reflection of new found maturity, brought about by the serious endurance training. Or perhaps Nick truly feels a little bad for his Condit. After all, the hype for a fight between Georges St. Pierre and Nick Diaz is over-shadowing this match. Here is a link to a media scrum that GSP did this week. I've already posted the one that Diaz participated in. I found no such video of Carlos Condit. In the biggest fight of his life, Carlos Condit has been an afterthought. It was sadly ironic that he was the only fighter at the pre-fight presser who had the class to put on a suit. So I guess I could understand if Nick felt a little bit sorry for him, especially since he fully plans on making Condit's week even worse on Saturday night. Whatever the reason for Nick Diaz's kinder persona this week, Carlos Condit is not a man to give sympathy to. No matter how many miles you've ran, or biked, or swam, no matter how many hours you've spent in the gym, fighting Carlos Condit requires you to be at your cruelest and most merciless. He is the "natural born killer" for a reason. If Nick Diaz is not on point from the moment the fight starts to the final bell, he will find himself finished in brutal fashion. Of course, the official weigh-ins are just about to get underway, so if Nick gets crazy, the concerns I've laid out here will be rendered all but moot. If he doesn't act up though, the question remains: Does Nick Diaz feel badly for Carlos Condit? And if he does, will his sympathy cost him on Saturday night?

Posted in: fight, diaz, nick, opponent, condit

UFC 143 Preview: Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit

MMAFrenzy’s coverage of Saturday’s main card concludes with our preview of a welterweight battle between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit. The showdown will be for the interim welterweight championship. Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy throughout the weekend, as we post weigh-in results, along with results of Saturday’s event. Keys for Nick Diaz (Bryan Robison)- Throughout these past few weeks leading up to this fight, it is obvious that Nick Diaz respects Carlos Condit. That in itself could be considered a victory for the “Natural Born Killer”. That does not come often. Matchups this seemingly even also do not come often, as Diaz and Condit bring two similar pedigrees and styles, with the victor earning the interim welterweight title. Unfortunately, the possible matchup of Diaz taking on champion Georges St. Pierre has been just as discussed as Saturday’s matchup. That is insulting to a fighter of Condit’s talent, and makes it seem as if Diaz is looking past him. He cannot, and more than likely is not. Regarding the fight, Diaz will look to put the pressure on, but will have to do so sooner than he usually does, as he is typically a slow starter. When Condit is pressured early, he can not effectively use his arsenal of striking. That is something Diaz always looks to do, as no one fights as effectively going backward as they do going forward. With Diaz’s ability to take punishment, because Condit certainly inflicts plenty, he can implement his usual style of hitting in quantity instead of sheer quality. Condit more than likely will look to do the same, knowing Diaz is tough to finish. But for all the talk that Diaz is rarely finished, he still holds the more recent loss due to finish, when he lost to KJ Noons via doctor stoppage in November 2007. With both fighters having similar determination, it will come down to the fighter with the more consistent striking, something Diaz nearly always possesses. Keys for Carlos Condit (Chris Leslie)- Every time I write a gameplan for a Diaz fight it is almost always the same. The issue almost always becomes that fighters struggle with Diaz’s pace and aggressiveness. With Condit, you have fighter who is also in crazy shape and loves to be aggressive. So in that respect, these fighters are very alike. Condit is also very good on the ground and should be able to neutralize Diaz’s BJJ advantage. Though I wouldn’t be surprised if Greg Jackson has thrown a few curveballs into the gameplan and we see some wrestling from Condit. The most important aspect of this fight is the striking game. Condit has sneaky power that is tied to his counters. If Condit is smart, and he is, he has reviewed the Daley fight multiple times. Daley exploited Diaz’s aggressive style with sharp counters that dropped Diaz a few times. The mistake that Daley made was not following up to finish Diaz off (probably due to his memory of the Shields fight) and by getting drawn into the swing for the fences style of Diaz. Plainly put, matching Diaz punch for punch is a fool’s errand, you’ll only exhaust yourself. So Condit has to counter and move the majority of the fight. Condit cannot allow himself to get caught in the corners of the cage, a mistake BJ Penn did in rounds 2 and 3 of his Diaz fight. If Condit can take control of the octagon from Diaz, counter accordingly, and not get overwhelmed, he could ruin GSP’s dream of fighting Diaz. Make sure to read all other previews of the main card: Fabricio Werdum vs. Roy Nelson Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce Renan Barao vs. Scott Jorgensen Ed Herman vs. Clifford Starks UFC 143 Preliminary Card Things to Watch For

Posted in: fight, diaz, fighter, vs, condit

UFC 143 Weigh-In Results: Diaz vs. Condit

All 22 fighters taking part in UFC 143 on Saturday night will first step on the scale at the UFC 143 weigh-ins on Friday, and we'll have the live video right here at MMAFighting.com. In the main event, former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz will square off against Carlos Condit for the UFC interim welterweight championship belt. In the co-main event, Roy Nelson will battle Fabricio Werdum in a heavyweight tilt. The other three fights on the UFC 143 pay-per-view card are Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce, Renan Barao vs. Scott Jorgensen and Ed Herman vs. Clifford Starks. The weigh-in, which will be held at the Mandalay Bay Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., begins at 7 p.m. ET on Friday and the video is below. More Coverage: UFC 143 Fight Card | UFC 143 ResultsWalkout Shirts: Nick Diaz | Carlos Condit | Roy Nelson

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, condit, weighin

UFC 143 Breakdown: The Main Event

It has been quite a roller coaster ride for UFC 143‘s main event participants. After being scheduled to take on champion Georges St. Pierre – on two separate occasions each — a plethora of unfortunate circumstances led to Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit squaring off for the UFC interim welterweight title. On the heels of an underwhelming year on PPV, St. Pierre’s injury is a major blow for Zuffa. With the retirement of Brock Lesnar, “Rush” becomes the company’s undisputed PPV king, and losing him for one of the biggest shows of the year is going to put a significant dent in its buy-rate. And yet, the popular Canadian’s injury has oddly led to a far more compelling main event; one with legitimate potential to go down as one of the most memorable tussles in MMA history. Interim Welterweight Title Fight: Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit If nothing else, Condit’s preparation will be rendered easier by the fact that he, along with everyone else, knows what Diaz will be looking to do in this fight. The far more complicated problem of course, is actually finding a way to counter it. As ever, Diaz will move forward, throw his trademark “peppering punches”, put together plenty of combinations, and go to the body repeatedly. This is the way the older of the Diaz brothers has always fought, and he has done remarkably well to improve upon it in recent times. While his approach and strategy remain the same, his technique has gotten significantly better. That is not to say that Diaz will ever be mistaken for a technical striker, but he has displayed glaring improvement in his boxing — namely his ability to sit on his punches and produce extra power. Many of Diaz’s opponents have found themselves helpless against the sheer volume with which he throws, and the Stockton native will look to overwhelm Condit the same way he did to many of his previous adversaries. He will try to take advantage of his reach by establishing his jab, get his lead right hook working, and follow it up with the left — most likely to the body. In fact, Diaz’s single most dangerous punch is his left hook to the liver, and if he is to have a real chance of stopping the otherwise extremely durable Condit, the left hook to the body is the shot he will bank on. However, for all of Diaz’s offensive improvements, his defense has remained typically shaky. His flat-footed stance means he is always a still target, which, coupled with his lack of head movement, makes him extremely susceptible to getting lit up by a talented counter-puncher. Additionally, while Diaz does well to utilize his reach effectively, he is often all too content to stand inside the pocket and trade. This almost cost him dearly against Paul Daley, and had it not been for his otherworldly chin and recovery, Diaz would have likely been separated from consciousness. Nevertheless, Diaz remains MMA’s embodiment of the old adage: “the best defense is a good offense.” Despite the aforementioned defensive flaws, his offense is often too overwhelming for that to matter. Because of his iron chin and unlimited gas tank, Diaz can afford to keep moving forward, throw with abnormal volume, while simultaneously absorbing shots that would have been enough to stop most humans. Bizarrely, those defensive holes can at times work in Diaz’s favor, as upon seeing how open he is, opponents are often all too tempted to engage in ill-advised fire fights with him, and pay a dear price in the process. Diaz simply has a way of forcing opponents to fight his fight. Condit needs to avoid falling victim to that trap. “The Natural Born Killer” needs to use a lot of footwork, circle away, and crucially, stay away from being trapped with his back to the fence, where Diaz could unload on him with trademark combinations. Concurrently, Condit would be wise to throw kicks liberally. He will likely look to fight “long” by utilizing plenty of body kicks (namely push kicks) from the outside to keep his opponent at bay. Most importantly however, leg kicks should be the backbone of Condit’s offense, as Diaz’s stance and unwillingness — or inability — to check them make him particularly vulnerable to getting his legs chomped on, as witnessed in his bout with Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos. Condit will have the luxury of being the more diverse striker, as in addition to his kicks and improved boxing, he possesses some lethal knees. If he is to put Diaz away, the latter is going to be the most likely method. As such, the clinch battle could prove vital, as Diaz is sneakily good at landing short punches from close-quarters, while Condit’s knees are not something the Cesar Gracie protege wants any part of. Against Dan Hardy, Condit displayed a brand of crisp boxing on the inside that he seemed to lack prior to that. He was able to stand inside the pocket, beat “The Outlaw” to the punch, and land clean, powerful counters, the last of which being a left hook that turned the Brit’s lights out. Should he be able to replicate that sort of counter-punching against Diaz, the bout could be his for the taking. However, doing so while absorbing minimal damage will be substantial, as Condit will inevitably slow down if he is to take too many of Diaz’s shots to the body. Diaz’s historically iffy takedown defense could result in Condit taking the fight to the ground at some point. Diaz is guilty of being too comfortable off of his back, as he isn’t urgent enough in his attempts to get back to his feet and instead relies on throwing submissions from the bottom. However, Diaz does make up for it with excellent scrambling. Condit’s top game is often too aggressive, and Diaz could well use that to his advantage if he finds himself on the bottom. As such, the Team Jackson product needs to be more methodical in his attempts to pass the guard — something he is unlikely to have too much success with against a grappler of Diaz’s caliber to begin with — and perhaps be a bit more content to stay tight, and land short elbows from inside the guard. Diaz holds an edge in cardio over most fighters in the division, but Condit’s stamina has never been an issue, and he has repeatedly proven that he is more than able to go the distance, and at times get stronger as the fight progresses. That however, could change if his opponent is able to put it on him early, as Diaz’s style has a tendency to take a toll on his foes. If Diaz is to win this fight, he needs to pile up the pressure, tag Condit continuously, avoid the incoming counters, and wear him out. On the other hand, Condit needs to take Diaz’s legs away early and take over the fight from there. Which is more likely to happen is anybody’s guess, but it is just difficult to pick against Nick Diaz at the moment, least of all in a five-round fight. Official Prediction: Nick Diaz to defeat Carlos Condit by Decision PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: fight, diaz, opponent, condit, body

UFC 143 'Primetime' episode three on FX discussion thread for 'Diaz vs Condit'

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns with its "Primetime" preview for UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit," a three-part series featuring a behind-the-scenes look as former Strikeforce welterweight Champion Nick Diaz prepares to fight fellow division number one contender Carlos Condit for the Interim title on Feb. 4, 2012, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Episode three premieres TONIGHT (Fri., Feb. 3) at 11 p.m. ET on the FX Channel. If you missed the first and second installments, click here and here to watch them in their entirety. "Diaz vs. Condit" was booked after UFC welterweight champion George St. Pierre suffered a devastating knee injury, one that was severe enough to require surgery and several months of rehab. His ACL tear marked the second time St. Pierre has been forced to withdraw from a headlining title defense against Diaz, which will no doubt do little to convince the fiery Stockton slugger that he ain't "scared." "Rush" pulled out of their UFC 137 main event back in October after spraining his medial collateral ligament (MCL). It was not torn and St. Pierre was quickly re-booked to face Diaz, who bumped Carlos Condit from the number one contender spot after retiring B.J. Penn back on Oct. 29. Now both Condit and Diaz get the opportunity they've wanted since day one: To fight for the UFC welterweight title. In fact, PPV buys notwithstanding, this 170-pound war could meet and perhaps even exceed the fireworks expected in the original billing. Time will tell. For more on UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" be sure to hit up our event archive right here. See the current fight card and rumors here.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, condit, primetime preview

What's at Stake? UFC 143: Condit vs. Diaz Edition

At UFC 143: Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz, more is on the line than a simple interim UFC welterweight title. Each fighter is at a different place in a different moment in their career. What's at stake for each surpasses a simple win or loss on their respective records. Each fight in the UFC is chance to write the future. Let's take a closer look at the match-ups to see the specific predicament tomorrow's competitors find themselves in - and where they hope to go. Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz It's obvious what's at stake here from a superficial level: an interim title and a chance to face reigning UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre (GSP). But that's hardly the end of it. That's particularly true in the case of Condit. For all the well-deserved praise and accolades of 'The Natural Born Killer', he's yet to earn a true signature win in his MMA career. Diaz is, incontestably, the best and highest-ranked fighter he's faced to date. A win over Diaz gives Condit the type of legitimacy that none of his previous victories could hope to offer. For Diaz, a win over Condit would mark the second time in as many fights he's bested a former champion of a Zuffa-owned organization. Should he defeat Condit and eventually GSP (a monumentally difficult task), that would make it three former champions from Zuffa organizations in three fights. Diaz vs. GSP is also the fight fans prefer to see. It's the fight that's better for UFC's bottom line and would likely rally more casual fan interest. Perhaps most importantly, a win over Condit and eventual bout with GSP would be the defining, culminating moment of Diaz's undulating MMA journey. While not exactly nomadic, he's historically bounced around organizations, never quite on the linear path a typical, blue chip contender takes. With a win over Penn, Diaz set his career in motion to finally achieve the ultimate prize. Losing to Condit derails that in the most profound and devastating way. In a division as thick as welterweight, title opportunities are fleeting. If Diaz wants to make good on the promise of his career, a loss to Condit at this moment is simply not an option. Roy Nelson vs. Fabricio Werdum This is one of those bouts where there's as much to lose as there is to gain. Nelson enters this bout having lost two of his last three. He most recently bested Mirko Filipovic at UFC 137, but he's thus far come up short in his Zuffa career to establish himself as a true heavyweight contender. In fact, each time he's faced a top ten UFC heavyweight, he's failed. He typically makes a strong account of himself even in losing efforts, but if he really wants to run with the front of the division, a win over Werdum is frankly a must. Werdum is currently ranked fifth is the MMA Nation/USA TODAY Consensus Rankings. A win over the Brazilian could finally position Nelson in the top 10 and back on track as a true heavyweight contender. Werdum is similarly looking to stay relevant, but has much more to lose. Werdum jumped to the top of the heavyweight division by submitting Fedor Emelianenko in June of 2010. He's only fought once since then, a loss to now number-one heavyweight contender Alistair Overeem. A loss to Roy Nelson (currently ranked #14) could very well bump Werdum out of the top 10. By contrast, a win over Nelson likely keeps Werdum where he's at and sets up a potential showdown with former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir (he's ranked only one spot above Werdum at #4). The winner of that eventual bout would have a legitimate claim to face the winner of Junior dos Santos vs. Alistair Overeem. If not them, then who? Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce Perennial welterweight contender Josh Koscheck is in an unenviable position. Like Jon Fitch (before being billy clubbed by Johny Hendricks at UFC 141), Koscheck is talented enough to beat most top welterweight contenders, but a fairly clear step below GSP. And having lost to St. Pierre twice, few wish to see a third dance between the two. Koscheck is in divisional limbo. He's got to beat Pierce to stay where he is, but where he is isn't exactly going anywhere (for the moment, anyway). The true litmus test will be to see if Koscheck can stay motivated for a predicament so suffocating and an opponent that doesn't truly move him from his Sisyphean position. That isn't to say Pierce isn't a challenge. He assuredly is. The question is whether Koscheck cares enough to continue marking time. For Pierce, the bounty is easy to see. It's not the toughest test of his career (that distinction belongs to Jon Fitch), but it is the most high profile. He's on the main card of a pay-per-view and in the featured bout of the evening. He's never before received this kind of UFC push, this kind of media attention or this kind of opportunity to create visibility for himself (Pierce is not even ranked in the top 25 of all welterweights). Koscheck represents a huge scalp. If Pierce can collect it, he can begin to do wonders for his career. Renan Barao vs. Scott Jorgensen UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz is tied up with Urijah Faber for the immediate future, but it's not as if he's got a ton of contenders lined up should he get past The California Kid. Barao isn't exactly a well-known commodity to the larger public, but what he lacks in popularity he more than makes up for in fighting acumen. Barao is undefeated in his four-fight Zuffa run, dating all the way back to June of 2010. Jorgensen is most certainly his toughest opponent (and is ranked higher), but Barao is riding a huge wave of fan interest and career momentum with the shellacking of Brad Pickett at UFC 138. Jorgensen simply wants another crack at the champ. He lost handily to Cruz at WEC 53, but is on a two-fight win streak and most recently defeated Jeff Curran at UFC 137. This bout with the highly-regarded Barao - at a time when the division is short on contenders - is arguably about setting up a number-one contender to Cruz's (or perhaps soon Faber's) title. Jorgensen is 29, so even if he's derailed here he probably has time to put together another title run. But each time a fighter is stopped short on a title shot path, it's increasingly difficult to start all over again. Jorgensen has a serious opportunity in front of him and needs to strike while the iron is hot. Ed Herman vs. Clifford Starks Herman wants to prove he belongs and can still compete within the UFC middleweight division. A win over the talented if unheralded Starks proves he at least deserves to continue his last-chance ascension. Whether Herman can compete with the upper echelon of middleweights remains to be seen (and he had trouble doing so before his two-year hiatus), but a win over Starks at least affords the chance to try his hand at it one more time. Starks, the wrestling standout from Arizona State University, faces a great moment to kick start his UFC career. Starks holds a win over Dustin Jacoby, one he earned at UFC 137. But Herman is more of a known commodity, a respected grappler and a good test for this juncture of Starks' career. Starks beating Herman fits the model of how prospects become contenders and eventually, how contenders become stars. The unknowns beat the knowns and the knowns beat the greats. Who knows what lies ahead for Starks? I'm not suggesting any future is predetermined. But if he wants to set out on that established journey, a win over Herman is a perfectly good way to start. From the preliminary card: Alex Caceres has the opportunity to build on his drop to bantamweight by besting Edwin Figueroa. After a rough start in the UFC featherweight division, Caceres looked improved at 135 pounds when he topped Cole Escovedo at UFC on Fox 1. Dustin Poirier has got to be on the short list of rising contenders in the UFC featherweight division. A win over Max Holloway won't earn him a title shot against champion Jose Aldo, but it will likely get him the chance to face a marquee name.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, condit, contender, he

UFC 143 predictions, preview and analysis

Don't make plans, homie. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) already has you booked for its UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" pay-per-view (PPV) event this Saturday night (Feb. 4, 2012) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. What makes this one special? Well, for starters, it's going to finish the night with a 170-pound champion not named Georges St. Pierre, as Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit battle for the Interim belt in the Canadian's absence. Also getting their groove back are a pair of grappling studs in the form of Fabricio Werdum and Roy Nelson. These two should neutralize each other on the ground, but after seeing what Frank Mir was able to do to fellow jiu-jitsu master Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, all bets are off when heavyweight grapplers end up on the mat. If that doesn't do it for you, then be sure to stick around for the Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce match-up. There's only room for one trash-talking welterweight 'round these parts and one of these two rugged wrestlers gots ta' go. Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action on fight night (Sat., Feb. 4), which is slated to air at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view. The latest quick updates of the preliminary card action will begin to flow earlier than that around 7 p.m. ET. We know who's fighting and we know when to tune in. But do we know who's going to win? Not yet. But that shouldn't stop us from taking our best guess. See you after the jump. 170 lbs.: Nick Diaz (26-7) vs. Carlos Condit (27-5) Nostradumbass predicts: In the interest of a fair and balanced breakdown, which is the staple of every Nostradumbass column (cough), I've been trying like hell to build a convincing case for Carlos Condit in his main event fight against Nick Diaz. So far, I've got nothing. Can "The Natural Born Killer" knock Diaz out? Paul Daley punched him in the face as hard as he could and still ended up losing the fight. Can Condit submit him? If 33 other people couldn't do it, I can't imagine he can, either. So if he can't knock him out and he can't submit him, then he has to win a decision. Right. This is a guy who threw 436 total strikes against B.J. Penn. Think about that for a second. Think of the volume of offense it takes to accomplish that in just three rounds. Beat this kid on the scorecards? Not if it's standing. That leads me to the one weakness in the Diaz armor: The takedown. In order to get Diaz to the floor and keep him there without getting strangled, you need to have good wrestling and a smothering top game. You can't just lay in guard and throw intermittent punches. That's why Georges St. Pierre had, in my opinion, such a distinct advantage over Diaz. Not Condit. He's excelled in this division and really, outside of a razor-thin loss to Martin Kampmann in his UFC debut, his record is impeccable. He may not be inferior to Diaz talent-wise, but this just looks (on paper) to be a bad match-up. Condit is too tough to finish and he'll keep it competitive, but at the end of the day, Diaz just does too much, too often, to be denied by the judges and their scorecards. Prediction: Diaz def. Condit via unanimous decision 265 lbs.: Fabricio Werdum (14-5-1) vs. Roy Nelson (16-6) Nostradumbass predicts: Two veteran heavyweight fighters, each with an amazing ground game. What should we expect? Well, if history has taught us anything, probably three rounds of sloppy kickboxing. Seriously, if all these guys do on Saturday night is try to bang it out and keep from gassing, I might have to give up on mixed martial arts (MMA) altogether. I know some of you are thinking "Gee Nostradumbass, these guys kinda cancel each other out on the ground, so they will try to get an edge on the feet." My answer to that, Mr. know-it-all, is that they also cancel each other out on the feet, because they're both terrible boxers. Roy Nelson has power, no question, he's put his fair share of guys on their butts. And Fabricio Werdum has serviceable Muay Thai that can usually do enough to win a fight when need be. But let's not kid ourselves, either one of these guys would get lit up in a K-1 or Muay Thai bout overseas, so let's just deal with it. It's not outrageous, based on accolades alone, to call Werdum the superior grappler. But the gap between him and Nelson, if one exists, is not significant enough to give him any kind of advantage if they head south for the winter. I do hope it happens because a chess match on the ground sure beats the alternative. I have concerns about conditioning for both fighters and if this plays out on the feet like I predict, I'm going to give it to "Vai Cavalo" for being the busier fighter. "Big Country" will probably waste too much time and eat too many punches (pun intended) looking for the knockout blow. Prediction: Werdum def. Nelson via split decision 170 lbs.: Josh Koscheck (16-5) vs. Mike Pierce (13-4) Nostradumbass predicts: This is Josh Koscheck's fight to lose. He's the more accomplished wrestler, has more experience on the big stage and has already faced the best the division has to offer. Unfortunately, he can also be his own worst enemy. You know, like heading into a fight against Paulo Thiago and not feeling the need to watch any film on his opponent. Or trying to see how many leg kicks he can absorb from Thiago Alves. If his ego doesn't get in the way, he probably wins this fight. Probably. One thing about Pierce, he's tough as nails. He had Jon Fitch in a world of trouble in the third round of their bout back at UFC 107 and Johny Hendricks barely squeaked past him with a split decision. He's strong, can take big shots and has no problem doing a busy three rounds. "Kos" needs to be firing on all cylinders for this one, keeping the pressure on and not allowing Pierce to get any kind of reprieve. I believe his blase attitude heading into this fight is nothing more than a poker face -- and don't think for a second watching Fitch get pasted last month wasn't a wake up call. There's some new blood in this division and they aren't going away quietly. Koscheck; however, plays the right notes on Saturday night and lives to fight another day. For now. Prediction: Koscheck def. Pierce via unanimous decision. 135 lbs.: Renan Barao (27-1) vs. Scott Jorgensen (13-4) Nostradumbass predicts: Renan Pegado is 27-1. His only loss? A unanimous decision in his professional debut way back in 2005. That means he's won 27 straight fights across six-and-a-half years with 19 finishes. There are two schools of thought here. The first is "Well, it's easy to win 27 fights when you don't fight anyone good." The second is "It doesn't matter who you're fighting, in a sport as unpredictable as MMA, 27 wins in a row is impressive." I'm leaning towards the latter, probably because his list of opponents is not populated with cans and dreamers. He's defeated some legitimately tough dudes. But I'm also not ready to anoint him the second coming despite what he did to Brad Pickett. Enter Scott Jorgensen. This is the kind of test that will prove whether or not he's the real deal. "Young Guns" has the level of wrestling that can derail any hype train and it was good enough to earn him a shot against Dominick Cruz for the Bantamweight title. Can "Barao" stop the takedown and make mince meat out of Jorgy? I believe he can. It's a tough sell pre-fight, but I'm on board with this kid. I think he's exceptionally talented and too well rounded to lose on Saturday night. If he can stop the takedown and finish Jorgensen, who's never been knocked out and only has one submission loss (from way back in 2006), expect the upper echelon of this division to be looking over their shoulder. Prediction: Pegado def. Jorgensen via submission 185 lbs.: Ed Herman (19-8) vs. Clifford Starks (8-0) Nostradumbass predicts: Don't look now, but here comes Ed Herman. A lot of people, present company included, had written this guy off after an abysmal 1-3 stretch that saw him end with a grisly knee injury that kept him riding the pine for almost two years. Then he came back and beat the brakes off Tim Credeur. It was a feel-good victory, coming off the injury, but then he let it be known he was here to stay with a highlight-reel submission over Kyle Noke, an inverted heel hook that would have made Rousimar Palhares proud. What's he up against in "Sin City?" Well, for starters, Starks is undefeated. I don't want to go crazy over not losing because in the grand scheme of things, it's only eight fights and a couple of his opponents only had one or two bouts to their name when they faced him. His UFC debut was a unanimous decision win over Dustin Jacoby and while he's getting good press from those around him, it's hard to pick him against Herman, who has triple the experience and faced some of the division's best fighters. Is "Short Fuse" a few wins away from being "in the mix?" Probably not, but he's got the tools and the talent to get it done on fight night. His submissions are vastly underrated and I think he dazzles us again with a second round sleeper. Prediction: Herman def. Starks via submission That's a wrap, folks. For previews and predictions on the preliminary card fights click here and here. To see all the odds and betting lines for UFC 143 click here and remember to come check us out after the show for all the latest results, recaps and coverage of "Diaz vs. Condit." What do you think? Now it's your turn ... let us have it in the comments section and share your thoughts and picks for tomorrow night's event.

Posted in: fight, diaz, vs, condit, he

Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit UFC 143 Fight Video Simulation

With just over 24 hours to go before Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit clash in the UFC 143 main event for the interim welterweight title, UFC Undisputed 3 has released a simulation of the matchup that predicts Diaz will submit Condit in the second round. Agree or disagree? Watch the simulation below and share your predictions in the comments:

Posted in: ufc, diaz, nick diaz, condit, simulation

UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit Weigh-In Results

The UFC 143 weigh-ins go down on Friday at 7pm ET with title fight contenders Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit squaring off just 24-hours away from their main event bout.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, condit, carlos condit, weighin

UFC 143: People are focusing on Georges St. Pierre, not Carlos Condit, and that makes Nick Diaz sick

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 143 is just around the corner, featuring a welterweight Interim title fight between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit this Saturday night (Feb. 4, 2012) from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. So why is everyone talking about Georges St. Pierre? Well, it was originally the Canadian's event to headline. That is, until he shredded his knee in training camp and had to withdraw in favor of surgery. It also has a lot to do with the well-documented bad blood between "Rush" and the fiery Stockton slugger, who share a professional disdain for one another that can only be settled inside the cage. That's probably why St. Pierre played such a prominent role in hyping this 170-pound match-up, holding court during the UFC 143 media junkets and starring alongside Diaz and Condit in the "Primetime" television special. There continues to be a lot of talk about a St. Pierre vs. Diaz superfight, while the pending bout against Condit has become something of an afterthought. And it makes Diaz sick, according to comments he made at yesterday's UFC 143 pre-fight press conference. "It makes me sick. This is Carlos' time to be here and be part of this main event. Half of this show is built up around me fighting Georges St. Pierre, but I'm fighting Carlos Condit. I don't like it. You're more in danger of losing a decision to Georges St. Pierre. I think you're more in danger of losing your teeth if you're fighting Condit." To his credit, Condit has quietly kept on truckin' with nary a complaint, showing up when he's supposed to and answering his questions with succinct and diplomatic answers. The good news is that Diaz doesn't appear to be overlooking him and recognizes he's not fighting anyone else in the UFC until he gets past Condit, a task that may be easier said that done. Anyone think GSP, who gets the winner of this weekend's headliner, has been a distraction to this event? Or an important piece of the welterweight puzzle? Thoughts?

Posted in: ufc, diaz, pierre, st, condit

UFC 143 Main Event Breakdown: Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit

The UFC's annual Super Bowl weekend card has been noticeably short of buzz. Maybe that's because UFC 143 was originally supposed to feature welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre defending his belt, or maybe it's simply because the sports world is all aflutter with the New England Patriots vs. New York Giants matchup. Or maybe, increasingly sophisticated fans are underwhelmed by the injury-racked undercard. Whatever the case, at least fans who pay big money to watch the event in person or plunk down $55 to view it at home have little chance of being let down by the main event. Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit are two of the more intense fighters in the division. They're also cut from the same cloth, action fighters who will savagely compete until the final horn. And that should make the interim title fight a sight to behold. Diaz (26-7, 1 no contest) has seen his fame move to a new level over the last few months. Once cast as a malcontent, he's seen the increased interest in his career give him a new forum to express his views and beliefs. We may still not fully comprehend him, but at least there is an attempt to understand one of the sport's most intriguing personalities. A win over Condit will increase the spotlight substantially. Georges St-Pierre has repeatedly and passionately voiced a hope of facing Diaz, and the storyline between the two would make for an easy sell.But to get there, he's got to go through Condit (26-5), a tall and rangy 27-year-old who excels at finding a way to turn the fight's pace and tempo to his liking. Condit's best attribute is his willingness to be aggressive no matter the situation. Whether he's standing across from his opponent or flat on his back, he can almost always be found attacking. He may not fire off the punch output that Diaz does -- nobody does -- but he throws hard and often. That willingness to exchange has intensified in recent fights, as he's become more trusting of his own striking abilities. Condit's striking style is more of a kickboxing style than Diaz, who favors straight boxing. That could pay dividends in this fight, especially given Condit's two-inch reach advantage. If he can slow down Diaz's hands by broadening the distance between them with kicks, that will be a major accomplishment. One of the few fighters who slowed Diaz down was Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos, who proactively used kicks for that very reason. Even though he ended up losing, Santos' strategy showed promise.Diaz doesn't have tremendous reach for his height -- 74 inches -- but he uses it well, especially his jab, which he often pistons out repeatedly. It works simultaneously as a range-finder and as a pressure tool. His opponent is often so busy trying to keep Diaz's hand out of his face that he goes long stretches without firing back anything of value. All the while, Diaz is racking up points and doing putting dents in his opponent's armor.His volume is easy to see by numbers. According to FightMetric, Diaz lands 6.22 strikes per minute, a number that would rank him in the top five in UFC history if he'd had the required number of fights. That said, he does get hit as well, taking 3.19 strikes per minute. Given Condit's newfound power, that could lead to some interesting moments, even though Diaz seemingly never gets hurt. Aside from a doctor stoppage due to cuts that was ruled a KO in 2007, he hasn't been truly KO'd since 2002 when he was 19 years old and in his fifth pro fight. When it comes to finishes, the numbers would suggest we may not see all five scheduled rounds. Condit has only been to a decision three times in 32 pro fights, and has finished 11 of his last 12 wins. Diaz has gone to decisions far more often, but that was before he came into his own and melded his volume and power. Since then, he's finished nine times during his 11-fight win streak.Then again, these guys are finished so infrequently -- it's been over four years for Diaz, and that came by the aforementioned doctor stoppage, and over five years for Condit -- that it's hard to imagine either will be put away with so much at stake.It's also worth noting their respective ground games. Diaz is a Gracie jiu-jitsu black belt and is thought to be the more advanced of the two, but it's interesting to note he has just eight of his 26 wins by tapout. By comparison, Condit has 13 of his 27 wins by tapout. Diaz is probably more technically proficient and positionally dominant while Condit has a more attack-oriented ground game. That may prove to be a moot point. Neither of the two are particularly big on taking the fight down to the ground. Diaz tries more often (1.62 attempts per 15 minute compared to Condits 1 attempt), but Condit is the better takedown artist of the two (58 percent accuracy compared to Diaz's 33 percent). I fully expect most of this fight to be fought near the middle of the cage, with spurts around the perimeter. Diaz does his best work when he's backing his opponents up, and Condit doesn't buckle under pressure. He may be willing to let Diaz fire off first and then counterstrike, but he's not going to be spending a lot of time backpedaling. This is a fight that will be won not by hands and feet, but by heart and conditioning. Diaz and Condit are fairly evenly matched everywhere, so what separates them? It's Diaz's conditioning. His relentless pace never wavers, and so far no one has been able to keep up with his volume. For judges, rounds where one fighter significantly out-lands another are easy to score. Diaz will be the one landing more often. Condit won't outstrike Diaz, so he'll have to finish him. And who finishes Nick Diaz nowadays? In a fight of the year candidate, Diaz out-points Condit for a unanimous decision, and the Georges St-Pierre watch begins yet again.

Posted in: fight, diaz, condit, he, georges stpierre

UFC 143 Judo Chop: Carlos Condit Lands A Flying Knee KO

There's something great about a flying KO. Flying kick, superman punch, jumping elbow - they are all glorious. But for me the quintessential flying KO move for MMA remains the flying knee. There's no shortage of flying knee KO highlights in MMA, but one of the best comes from UFC 143 headliner Carlos Condit. The last time we saw Condit in the Octagon, he was standing over the prone body of Dong Hyun Kim - the victim of a nasty Condit flying knee at UFC 132. In this Judo Chop, we'll get ready for UFC 143 and Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz by breaking down Condit's big KO over Kim and see how Condit's technique compares to other famous flying knees. And don't forget to take a look at the other side of this weekend's main event with Kid Nate's Judo Chop covering Nick Diaz's boxing and grappling techniques. Let's start by examining the basics of the flying knee. There are a number of different variations on this move depending on which leg you strike with, where you position your hands, and the direction your movement travels in. For example, kickboxer Chris Ngimbi is well known for his beautiful flying knees, which he often delivers by jumping straight up, bringing his knee up like an uppercut. But the most common kind of flying knee seen in MMA is the one essentially used by Condit. Assuming a fighter is standing in orthodox stance (meaning his right leg is in the rear power position), start by jumping both up and towards your opponent in a sort of diagonal. In mid-air, bring that right leg forward, with your foot aiming down and your knee in the lead. If you time it right, you'll drive the point of your knee into your target - ideally your opponent's chin. It's a great move because it quickly closes the distance, so can land from what your opponent perceives to be outside of striking range, and because the knee is such a hard striking surface. By giving it that forward and upwards momentum and driving all of your momentum into the point of your knee, you can easily score a KO if landed clean. Here's a somewhat goofy video explanation courtesy of Human Weapon (who do the models have to be naked?) that captures the basic idea: More breakdown, with gifs, in the full entry. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit There are tons of examples I could use of this basic flying knee (and if you want to see gifs of many of them, check out this great gallery at Chicago's MMA). Above is one prime example from Pride 32. This is Robbie Lawler landing the knee of Joey Villasenor. Lawler is fighting in southpaw stance, but the movements are the same. At the start, his left leg is back - he then leaps forward, bringing the left knee up as he jumps, driving it into Villasenor's head. The result is a KO victory for Lawler and a spot on highlight reels. Against Kim, Condit took this basic flying knee and added a small, but beautiful variation. Like Lawler, Condit is in southpaw, with his left leg back. He jumps up, and initially brings his left knee up to land the knee in the more traditional style. But at the last moment, he switches in mid-air, bringing the right knee up instead. It's an absolutely devastating change that really shows off Condit's technique. By switching in mid-air, he gets even more momentum behind that right knee, landing it with KO force. This switch also allows Condit to land the knee clean. Note that Kim is throwing a punch on Condit's left side and turning his head away - had Condit stayed with the left knee, the strike would have been at least partially blocked. But Kim's strike leaves his own left completely exposed, and that is where Condit lands. Beautiful adjustment there. A quick side note on Condit's stance - Condit will switch stances, but is primarily an orthodox striker, meaning his right leg would be back. Against Kim, who is a southpaw, Condit switched stances frequently. He was in southpaw at the time he threw the knee. There's one other important aspect of this strike that we have only touched on, and that is hand positioning. If you compare the Lawler and Condit gifs, you'll notice that their hands are in very different places. Lawler brings his down to his sides. Again, this is more traditional, and when you see images of a flying knee, the hands are usually down and back in this position. The idea is that this motion gives you more power in your jump, which translates to more power in your knee. But there is a decided danger in this move, as it takes your hands away from your head and leaves the head exposed. A skilled opponent can capitalize on that opening to land a hard counter - as famously shown by Fedor Emelianenko vs. Andrei Arlovski (right). Arlovski went for the knee, dropped his hands like Lawler, and Fedor put him out. Condit takes a different approach with his hands that is often used in Muay Thai. As he jumps, he brings his hands up, and in fact slides his left hand around to the back of Kim's head (notice how at the end, his left is fully behind Kim). I prefer this movement as it serves a number of purposes. First, it keeps your own hands near your head, which helps to protect you from being Arlovski-d. Second, if timed right, you can use that hand behind your opponent's head to pull his head down into your flying knee. This is a great asset, as the impact of the knee is significantly increased if you combine your upward motion with a downward motion from your opponent. You can get that downward motion by timing the strike to land as your opponent comes in (as you see in this gif of Anderson Silva KO-ing Carlos Newton in Pride), or by pulling his head down yourself. Finally, if you don't get the KO, this hand position puts you in a better position when you land. With his hand behind Kim's head, Condit could have immediately grabbed the Thai clinch and started throwing knees from the ground. With his use of the double knee, as well as his hand positioning, Condit demonstrated not only that this is an effective technique, but also that he has the high level skills to masterfully pull it off. At UFC 134, we'll see how well he can use those skills against Nick Diaz as he fights for the UFC Interim Welterweight title. And finally, since we're talking about flying knees and Condit's technique of switching knees mid-air, I feel compelled to leave you with this - Jose Aldo's classic double knee KO of Cub Swanson. Enjoy:

Posted in: ko, condit, head, hand, knee

Dave Camarillo sees Nick Diaz defeating Carlos Condit

Article Compiled with Assistance from Jeremy Lambert Renowned trainer Dave Camarillo will be in Las Vegas this weekend to take in the sights and sounds of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit first-hand while providing support for American Kickboxing Academy fighter Josh Koscheck, also scheduled for action at Saturday night’s event. However, the appearance will be among the last of his career after amicably parting ways with AKA to focus on his own school, Guerilla Jiu-Jitsu Family Martial Arts and Fitness. While it’s certainly a change from the more-glamorous grind of preparing Mixed Martial Artists for competition at the highest level, it’s one Camarillo welcomed with open arms after coming to grips with his diminished passion for coaching MMA. Camarillo took some time out of his schedule to talk with Five Ounces of Pain where he explained the decision to alter career paths despite his success at AKA and also offered up some insight on the UFC 143 headliner between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit. “You try to be everyone and to be honest I wasn’t giving the fighters and students what they needed because I couldn’t be two places at once,” explained Camarillo. “When I first came to AKA I was actually going to fight. I was a talented guy who studied martial arts early and I was fast and athletic and knew what I was doing, so there was some promise for me early on to fight but then I sat myself down and said, “I don’t want to fight. It’s not 100% in me.” I’m 0 or 100. That’s just my personality. If I have any doubts, I’m going to do something else, and so I decided to coach. And MMA coaching wasn’t 100% anymore in my mind.” “It came back to being 5 or 6 with my dad and training judo and bowing in everyday and that’s what I want to do,” Camarillo replied, his genuine investment in the cause coming through. “That’s what’s most important to me. Changing lives like my life was changed through martial arts, there’s no better gift. So that 50 or 60%, I had to switch it. So now I’m 100% into my academy and my career. The focus is my gym and providing for my family and my students.” While Camarillo’s primary attention is now on the next generation of martial artists he does still have personal ties to a few of his former students and current friends, one of whom is of course Koscheck. “I will be in Josh Koscheck’s corner this weekend and I’ll finish out his and Jon Fitch’s career but I think that’s it,” said Camarillo of his future work with UFC athletes. “These guys are always open to come train with me but at this point, it’s on my terms because of my decision. You make the decision and stick with it. I’m working harder but my life is easier because I’m into it. You can’t lie to yourself and now that passion is back. “ As far as the main event determining both a top contender and a potential opponent down the road for Fitch or Koscheck, Camarillo sees the bout as being closely matched with either man at risk of defeat without a near-perfect performance. “Carlos Condit is tough, long, and good everywhere. He’s no joke. Good jiu-jitsu, stand up is strong, and he’s not a bad wrestler,” evaluated Camarillo before turning to the fight’s favorite. “Nick Diaz is probably the best striker in the division and I think he’s the gutsiest as well. I think he’s just as well-rounded as Condit. Unless Diaz comes in aggressive and gets caught early on, I think he’s going to pressure him like he does everyone and give Condit that pressure that he just can’t handle.” Guerilla Jiu-Jitsu has two locations in California with eyes on expansion in the future. Koscheck’s fight with Mike Pierce is set for the PPV portion of the event with the show starting at 7:00 PM EST on Facebook/FX before the featured fights begin at 10:00 PM EST. PHOTO CREDIT – DAVECAMARILLO.COM

Posted in: fight, diaz, ’t, condit, camarillo

UFC 143 weigh-in video results LIVE from Las Vegas for 'Diaz vs Condit'

The official weigh in event for UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" is set to take place a little later today (Fri., Feb. 3, 2012) LIVE from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The first fighter is expected to tip the scale at 7 p.m. ET. As usual, MMAmania.com will provide up-to-the-second coverage of the UFC 143 weigh-ins, as well as provide a detailed recap of the festivities as soon as they conclude. UFC 143 will be headlined by former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz battling ex-WEC 170-pound kingpin Carlos Condit for the right to wear the division's Interim strap with Georges St. Pierre on the sidelines recovering from knee surgery. In the co-main event, former welterweight number one contender Josh Koscheck will try to keep his spot among the 170-pound elite by taking on the venerable Mike Pierce. Here is the current "Diaz vs. Condit" fight card and line-up: Main event: 170 lbs.: Nick Diaz ( ) vs. Carlos Condit ( ) Main card (Pay-per-view): 265 lbs.: Fabricio Werdum ( ) vs. Roy Nelson ( ) 170 lbs.: Josh Koscheck ( ) vs. Mike Pierce ( ) 135 lbs.: Renan Barao ( ) vs. Scott Jorgensen ( ) 185 lbs.: Ed Herman ( ) vs. Clifford Starks ( ) Preliminary card (FX): 145 lbs.: Dustin Poirier ( ) vs. Max Holloway ( ) 170 lbs.: Matt Riddle ( ) vs. Henry Martinez ( ) 135 lbs.: Alex Caceres ( ) vs. Edwin Figueroa ( ) 170 lbs.: Matt Brown ( ) vs. Chris Cope ( ) Preliminary card (Facebook): 170 lbs.: Dan Stittgen ( ) vs. Stephen Thompson ( ) 185 lbs.: Rafael Natal ( ) vs. Michael Kuiper ( ) ***Live video feed available later today. For those fortunate enough to be in "Sin City" today, remember the weigh-in is FREE to attend and open to the public. Doors to the weigh-in will open at 4 p.m. ET. In addition, UFC Fight Club members will be able to attend a special Q&A session with none other than Georges St. Pierre at 1 p.m. local time. Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action on fight night (Sat., Feb. 4), which is slated to air at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view. The latest quick updates of the preliminary card action will begin to flow earlier than that around 6 p.m. ET. It's going to be a fun night of fights so don't miss it. And remember to check us out for all the pre, during and post-fight UFC 143 coverage you can handle. For all the latest news and notes on "Diaz vs. Condit" be sure to hit up our event archive right here.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, lb, condit

UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit LowKick.com Staff Predictions

LowKick.com Staff predict this weekend's Interim UFC Welterweight title clash between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, nick diaz, condit, lowkickcom

At Long Last, Condit Gets His Shot

Saturday night can’t get here soon enough for Carlos Condit.After spending the final four months of 2011 in what felt like a constant state of limbo, the 27-year-old will finally get to switch from hitting mitts with coach Mike Winkeljohn to putting his considerable talents to work in the cage. In a fitting twist of fate, Condit will get to take out the frustrations he’s endured against the man who has been at the root of many of them.Rewind to September: Condit was slated to face UFC legend BJ. Penn in the co-main event of UFC 137, a bout that would be followed by Diaz challenging Georges St-Pierre for the welterweight title.But when Diaz missed a string of media obligations, UFC President Dana White made a change, demoting Diaz from the main event, and elevating Condit. The man known as “The Natural Born Killer” broke down in tears on the phone when White told him the news.Just 11 days before he was set to fight for the UFC welterweight title, Condit’s dream was put on hold. St-Pierre tweaked his knee in training; their bout was rescheduled for UFC 143, the annual Super Bowl weekend show. Diaz and Penn headlined UFC 137 instead, with Condit assured the outcome of the main event would not have an impact on his upcoming title fight.On October 29, Diaz battered Penn before throwing down the gauntlet for GSP, questioning the legitimacy of his injury, trying to talk his way back into the fight he lost a month early. By the time White took the podium for the post-fight press conference, Condit’s fight calendar needed adjusting once again.“There’s been a lot of ups and downs; a lot of excitement and disappointment,” admitted the former WEC welterweight champion. “It’s been crazy, as anybody looking from the outside can imagine. I think I’ve done a pretty good job of focusing on what I need to do — which is train and be prepared for whoever I end up fighting — and this time it ended up being Diaz.”After shuffling places twice in the last six months, Condit and Diaz will now pair off, a torn ACL sending St-Pierre to the sidelines and the surgical table. With the date of his return to the cage uncertain, the top two welterweight contenders will battle for an interim version of the 170-pound championship on Saturday night.It’s a fight that has been a long time coming for the 27-5 native of Albuquerque, New Mexico.“I’m stoked to be done with camp. I’m stoked to be finally stepping out there to do what I’ve been training to do for the last six months: to go out there and fight, compete to the best of my abilities.”While Diaz began his second stint in the UFC with much fanfare and an immediate shot at the welterweight title, Condit has quietly been working his way up the 170-pound ranks.The last welterweight champion in WEC history, he lost a razor-thin decision to Martin Kampmann in his debut, coming out on the right side of the verdict against Jake Ellenberger in his second Octagon appearance. A come-from-behind victory over Rory MacDonald at UFC 115 caused people to start taking notice, and a first-round knockout of Dan Hardy in his own backyard announced Condit as a potential contender, though he remained behind some of the more established names in the company.“It’s hard to get out from under the shadow of these guys like (Jon) Fitch, and (Josh) Koscheck, and maybe even Thiago Alves — guys that have been in the division for years and years and years, and all had great wins.”But now is Condit’s turn in the spotlight.His savage first round destruction of Dong Hyun Kim was his fourth consecutive victory, the second straight bout that he’s earned Knockout of the Night honors, and the third consecutive contest to produce a post-fight bonus. Though it looked like the gods were against him, Condit’s patience and perseverance has been rewarded, and he’s ready to make the most of it.“This is a fight I’ve wanted for a really long time, and the fact that it’s happening now, after all this turmoil and craziness with the change of opponents and everything, it really couldn’t have worked out better.“I think that styles make fights, and I think that this style match-up is going to be extremely exciting. It’s a very tough fight; Nick’s one of the best in the welterweight division. I think there are some guys stylistically that could probably beat him, but I think the matchup between us — we’re very evenly matched. We have similar skill sets, maybe a little bit different approach — different style — but it’s exciting.”The 28-year-old Diaz is on an 11-fight winning streak that includes nine stoppages, with victories over the likes of Frank Shamrock, KJ Noons, Paul Daley, and Penn. An enigma outside of the cage, Diaz is all business when the lights go up and the fight begins, blending tremendous boxing with a slick submission game.He’s also adept at shaking his opponents with a barrage of pre-fight banter, an ability and instinctual talent he’s passed on to his younger brother Nathan as well. Condit is prepared for it all — the boxing, the jiu-jitsu, and the verbal jabs.“Nick likes to get in your head, talk a lot of trash, so I need to stay composed, and step in with the attitude that I always do; just be about my business, and not get sucked into all that other stuff. I just have to fight my fight. No matter what an opponent says or how much trash they talk, I get the opportunity to go in there and beat him down. I can just hold my tongue and let it build, and as soon as the cage door closes, it’s game time.”Condit knows he’s in for a battle, but he’s ready, and confident that if he sticks to the game plan, he’ll emerge from Saturday’s headliner as the interim UFC welterweight champion.“Nick is probably the toughest guy I’ve ever fought. He’s an endurance athlete — he puts tons and tons of pressure on guys — and he’s got some really good skills with his hands; his jiu-jitsu’s great.“But I just really need to fight my fight. If I do that, I feel like I’m going to walk away with the belt.”

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, welterweight, condit

Behind the UFC 143 numbers: Nick Diaz vs Carlos Condit fight complete statistical breakdown

"The fight they weren't seeking -- just became the most important fight of their lives." You've heard the promo spot for UFC 143 a hundred times, if you've been watching Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) events during the last month. Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit were both supposed to fight Georges St. Pierre for his title last year. However, because of injuries and unforeseen circumstances, neither of them got their wish. The consolation prize? They now get to fight each other for the interim belt at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, this weekend (Feb. 4, 2012) in "Sin City." These two very dangerous welterweights will battle in what could likely be the "Fight of the Year," with the end result, most likely, being that the winner will face "Rush" upon his return. Who will bring the statistical advantage into the cage when they do battle on Saturday night? Roll up your sleeves and whip out your calculators because it's time to crunch numbers. Check out a complete statistical breakdown of the UFC 143 main event between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit after the jump: The expert analysts at CompuStrike worked hard to help bring us an extra special edition of "Behind the Numbers" for this fantastic number one contender eliminator match. The numbers procured have been based on 14 fight averages for Nick Diaz and 10 fight averages for Carlos Condit. First, let's analyze the overall striking game of both fighters: Total Strikes: Diaz -- 127 of 242Condit -- 50 of 99Percentage: Diaz -- 53 percentCondit -- 51 percent Total Power Strikes Landed: Diaz -- 95 Condit -- 22 Total Non-Power Strikes Landed: Diaz -- 32Condit -- 28 The accuracy is comparable, but Diaz throws a much larger volume of strikes and lands many more power strikes when he gets in the cage. That's the overall striking picture. Here's what the arm strikes look like: Total Arm Strikes Landed: Diaz -- 98 of 197Condit -- 7 of 24 Percentage of Arm Strikes Landed: Diaz -- 50 percentCondit -- 29 percent Power Strikes Landed: Diaz -- 74Condit -- 4 Non-Power Strikes Landed Diaz -- 24Condit -- 3 Wow. It's not a huge surprise that Diaz would hold the edge here, but this is a vast differential. The leg strikes category does not fare a whole lot better for Condit: Total Leg Strikes Landed: Diaz -- 16 of 23Condit -- 9 of 21Percentage of Leg Strikes Landed: Diaz -- 70 percentCondit -- 43 percentPower Leg Strikes Landed: Diaz -- 12Condit -- 4Non-Power Leg Strikes Landed: Diaz -- 4Condit -- 5 Everyone knows Nick Diaz is dangerous on the ground. His submission game is slick and deceptive. He generally prefers to stand and bang, but if things go south, he has no problem rolling with the best of them. Just ask Takanori Gomi (about both Diaz brothers). Here's what the ground game comparison looks like: Ground Strikes Landed: Diaz -- 13 of 22Condit -- 34 of 54Percentage: Diaz -- 59 percentCondit -- 63 percentPower Ground Strikes Landed: Diaz -- 9Condit -- 14 Non-Power Ground Strikes Landed: Diaz -- 4Condit -- 20 Takedowns: Diaz -- 9 of 32 (28 percent)Condit -- 5 of 8 (63 percent)Submission Attempts: Diaz -- 10Condit -- 13Dominant Positions: Diaz -- 17Condit -- 17 The statistics show Condit to shoot for a higher percentage of takedowns. His ground and pound also appears to have the advantage. "The Natural Born Killer" has won 13 of his 27 fights via submission, so he's no beginner on the mat. Diaz has won eight fights by submission during his career, but again, he'd rather stand in the pocket and trade if it's up to him. So, are these the findings you would have predicted? Or are you at all thrown for a loop? Does this sway you in your decision? Who ya got? For everything else you need to know about the clash between Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit, be sure to check out our complete fight archive right here.

Posted in: fight, diaz, ground, condit, strike

UFC 143 Pre-Fight News & Notes: Diaz-Condit Respect, Jones-Evans-Hendo, Overeem Legal Trouble, Silva-Sonnen II, More

Rundown of UFC 143 pre-fight news and notes… — If Nick Diaz needs to hate his opponent to fight them, he’s certainly not showing it for his big fight against Carlos Condit this weekend. As you can see from the photo above, Nick actually shook Condit’s hand instead of butting heads or flipping him off (though that could easily happen at tomorrow’s weigh-ins). Not only that, Nick actually went to bat for Condit during the press conference when he was asked if he thinks all the talk about him and Georges St. Pierre is fair to Condit. “Yeah, I think it makes me sick,” he said. “This is Carlos’ time to be here, and to be a part of this main event. This is … half of the show is built up around me fighting Georges St-Pierre. But that’s not [right]. I’m fighting Carlos Condit. So, I don’t like it.” Nick later followed it up with a quote that embodies what he thinks about GSP and Carlos Condit as fighters. “You’re more in danger of losing a decision to Georges St-Pierre. I think you’re more in danger of losing your teeth if you’re fighting Condit here.” Nick Diaz telling it like it is… — You may want to exercise a little patience if you’re hoping to see Jon Jones fight at heavyweight because it’s not going to happen anytime soon. At the pre-fight press conference today, Dana White said Jones will fight at heavyweight eventually, but it won’t happen anytime soon. “It’s going to happen eventually, but I don’t think it’ll be happening this year,” White said. “There are still guys there to fight him,” White said. “He’s still young … so I’m not interested in him fighting at heavyweight this year.” There’s really no reason to rush Jones’ progression to the heavyweight division. He still has challenges left in Rashad Evans and Dan Henderson to take of and it’s always possible that other contenders will rise while he’s fighting them. I’d like to see how Jones does at heavyweight, but I’m more in favor of that move happening naturally. — Speaking of the light heavyweight title triangle, Dan Henderson plans to wait to fight the winner of Jones vs. Evans, according to Dana White. “Dan Henderson’s in a position right now where it looks like he wants to wait for Jon Jones. We’ll see what happens with this Rashad fight.” That’s probably the smart move. It would tough to recover from a loss and climb back up the ladder at Hendo’s age. — Dana White doesn’t think Alistair Overeem’s most recent trouble with the law will affect his upcoming title shot against Junior dos Santos. Dana also offered some details about what transpired the night he allegedly shoved a woman. “I don’t think he’s in that much trouble,” White said. “This isn’t a situation where he beat somebody up; I don’t think that’s the case.” “He had to use the restroom – this is my knowledge of what happened – (and) security was going to take him,” White said. “He said, ‘I don’t need security,’ and sure enough he goes over there, and his side of the story is some lady started yelling at him and swinging at him and everything else.” — Dana White has no patience for you if you were critical of how the fights went at UFC on FOX 2. “There was so much hype for (Chael) Sonnen vs. (Michael) Bisping and the (Demian) Maia fight,” he told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “Even after it changed, people were like, ‘It’s even more exciting now.’ And then after, everybody’s like, ‘Aww, they set themselves up for these boring fights.’ Shut up. People who come out after and say, ‘Oh, we knew (this was going to happen),’ you’re a liar. You’re a liar, you’re an idiot, and you sound like an idiot when you say that. These fights all looked exciting. You just never know what’s going to happen. Anything can happen on any given night.” “You could have three fights go to decisions, or you could have three fights that you think are going to go longer and it lasts 60 seconds,” he said. “It’s fighting. The hardest part of the whole thing is figuring out production. How many fights can you schedule with the commercial load that you’ve got and all the other things that you have to do? We did a pretty good job of getting this thing dialed in after that first fight going 60 seconds.” “Would I have turned off the show the other night and said that sucked? No, it didn’t suck. The Bisping-Chael Sonnen fight was awesome.” — Hackers may have stopped hacking the UFC’s websites, but as far as Dana is concerned, the war is “still on.” Oy vey. — Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen II hasn’t been signed yet, but Dana still “guarantees” it’s going to happen. Silva is apparently flying in to Las Vegas this weekend presumably to put pen to paper. — Apparently there are rumors floating around of Gilbert Melendez and BJ Penn fighting. Well, wherever they came from, they’re not true. according to Dana. He promises Melendez will still get a big fight though. — This is pretty cool. Harley-Davidson is giving a new motorcycle to the Diaz-Condit winner. — And last but not least, Nick Diaz only missed three flights this week to get to Vegas! Image via the UFC

Posted in: fight, nick, heavyweight, dana, condit

Nick Diaz 'Sick' of Georges St-Pierre Overshadowing Carlos Condit

One thing can be certain after Thursday afternoon's UFC 143 press conference: Nick Diaz has a great deal of respect for Carlos Condit. Breaking custom, he even shook Condit's hand after the two posed for photographers at the conclusion of the event, held at the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. It was a noticeable change for Diaz, who has flipped off, shoved and otherwise attempted to menace several prospective opponents in the days before a fight.But this Diaz was different: quiet, mellow and reserved. There were no outbursts or complaints about respect. There were no scathing criticisms of anything surrounding the sport. In fact, he saved his only prolonged oration to defend his opponent.Yes, Diaz came to the side of Condit, after being asked about Georges St-Pierre overshadowing Condit in the lead-up to UFC 143. "Yeah, I think it makes me sick," he said. "This is Carlos’ time to be here, and to be a part of this main event. This is ... half of the show is built up around me fighting Georges St-Pierre. But that's not [right]. I’m fighting Carlos Condit. So, I don't like it."As Diaz observed, St-Pierre has been noticeably visible during event week, even holding court with reporters on Wednesday to offer a status update on his injured knee. Of course, he also spoke about the UFC 143 main event, saying that he "hopes and prays" Diaz wins, so that he eventually gets to fight him.Because of that, along with the contrasting archetypes the two represent, Condit has been something of an odd-man out, even though he has the chance to play spoiler to the story line and capture the interim welterweight title in the process.Diaz reiterated his belief that Condit is actually a more dangerous foe than St-Pierre is, meaning that quite literally. As in, Condit is much more likely to do physical harm in an octagon than St-Pierre is."You’re more in danger of losing a decision to Georges St-Pierre," he said. "I think you’re more in danger of losing your teeth if you're fighting Condit here."Aside from those two telling answers, Diaz seemed a bit unengaged in the proceedings, asking reporters to repeat questions on at least two occasions. Contrary to his normal, digressive speaking style, he was short and concise, rarely offering more than a one-sentence response. Of course, that's not that unusual for fighters who are making their final weight cut, but Diaz is facing a whole new level of scrutiny as he's ascended up the welterweight rankings and become seen as a real threat to St-Pierre.All of that buildup will essentially be wasted if Condit pulls the mild upset (Diaz is about a 2-to-1 favorite). Condit has won 12 of his last 13 fights, so the suggestion that the fight is a gimme for Diaz is a ridiculous assertion.Condit himself admitted that at times, it's felt that the St-Pierre vs. Diaz fight is being planned "before this one even happens," but likes his chances of playing spoiler. Regardless, he suggested that while fans may be clamoring for St-Pierre vs. Diaz, they may be missing a gem right under their noses."I expect a war," he said. "Honestly, Nick is probably the toughest dude I've ever fought. He's well-rounded, he has a pretty dynamic skill set. He's pretty similar to me. We both come to fight. No matter who wins, fans are going to win because it’s going to be a phenomenal fight."

Posted in: fight, diaz, condit, georges stpierre, stpierre

Carlos Condit on Nick Diaz: ‘It’s Going To Be A War’

“It’s going to be a war. But there’s different kinds of wars. Of course I don’t want to play into his game and sit there and have a face-punching competition with Nick Diaz, but that doesn’t mean I can’t get in there and throw down. He’s a great standup fighter, but I think there’s going to be some opportunities for me to take some advantage of some things I’ve seen… It’s not just another fight. Diaz is the toughest guy that I’ve ever fought. It’s the biggest fight of my life, the biggest fight of my career, but I feel good. Preparation for this fight went really well, and I’m just ready to go in there and fight to the best of my ability and hopefully walk away with the title belt.” — Carlos Condit talking to MMA Junkie about his interim welterweight title fight against Nick Diaz this weekend Well, one thing’s for sure, it’s definitely going to be a war. Diaz and Condit are true fighters who never disappoint and never give up. My gut says Diaz takes Condit into deep waters and eventually drowns him like he has with past opponents, but Condit’s certainly capable of landing a stinging blow that could turn the tide at any given moment. I got Diaz via 4th round TKO. Who you got? Image via Dave Mandel for Sherdog

Posted in: fight, diaz, nick diaz, condit, war

Nick is smiling because studies show that 15 out of 20 pros prefer a Diaz win at UFC 143

From the looks of the picture above, Nick Diaz did not just get gypped by his local Wendy's Drive thru. I know this because no one smiles after driving down the road reaching into a bag of lunch on-the-run fried fast food goodness only to find out that your five piece spicy chicken nuggets are short a nugget. No, it's actually varying degrees of the complete opposite facial expression that overcome your face. It begins with a bewildered frown as you search the bag for a run away piece of smooshed chicken parts. It then progresses to a full on frown of disappointment and disgust when you realize you will only get to dip four nuggets into the complimentary container of creamy ranch dipping sauce. Nick Diaz probably never has to deal with not getting all of his spicy nuggets though. As a matter of fact, Nick Diaz probably got extra nuggets in his bag. That's what happens when you are Nick Diaz. Sort of like when Sherdog.com conducts an unscientific study and 15 out of 20 of the pros they question pick Nick Diaz to win over Carlos Condit this weekend. Nick not only gets all the nuggets he also gets the picks. Check out the breakdown from Sherdog.com below: Ricardo Liborio: Diaz by decision. Amazing matchup. Mike Ciesnolevicz: I am so much more excited about this fight than I was now that GSP is not included. I probably would not have watched if GSP was fighting. I don’t like to go to bed that early on the weekends, and he would surely put me to bed faster than if I chugged a bottle of Nyquil. I know this fight will be super exciting. It’s actually one of the best possible fights I can think of as a fight fan. As for the skill sets and strategy, I believe Diaz has the punching advantage and Condit is better with knees and kicks. I think neither guy has great wrestling, so that should cancel out. In the Brazilian jiu-jitsu department, Diaz has the advantage, although Condit is surely [at a] black belt level himself. Just like most of the Diaz fights I have seen of late, this will come down to pace and cardio and the relentless attack. I believe Condit is a beast and has excellent strength and conditioning, but Diaz will wear him out and take over as the fight progresses. I am calling Diaz by unanimous decision in a “Fight of the Year” candidate. Gabe Ruediger: It’s going to be a great fight. Both guys come in ready and just fight. I think Diaz has the hardest time with controlling wrestlers, which Condit is not. Diaz wins by late sub or TKO. Keith Berry: I really want Condit in this fight. I think the “Natural Born Killer” will rise to the occasion and get the decision. Bart Palaszewski: Personally, I’m pulling for Carlos. Mark Bocek: Diaz [wins], I think, but it’s a good fight, [with] high-volume punching from Nick. But Condit beat Ellenberger ... it’s a great fight. Whoever makes the first mistake will lose. Jim Hettes: I gotta go with Diaz, not just because of his outstanding combination of jiu-jitsu and boxing, but [because] being employed by the UFC means I might actually come face-to-face with one of these fighters. I’m willing to bet Diaz will actually beat me up for picking against him (laughs), so let’s go Diaz. Shane Roller: Close fight -- leaning towards Condit. Travis Wiuff: Diaz is unbeatable right now. I don’t see anyone beating him, including GSP. Diaz wins by TKO in the third round after the ref stops the fight. Kyle Kingsbury: I got Diaz winning by chanting “209” until Condit taps. Javier Vazquez: These are two of my favorite fighters. I think it's going to be a great fight [and] it’s going to be a back-and-forth war. I think Diaz is going to set a crazy pace and try to take Condit into deep water. I think, eventually, Diaz will be too much for Condit and will either submit him in the fifth round or will stop him via TKO in the fifth. Nam Phan: Diaz all the way. Ben Askren: I think Diaz will win. His standup has continued to improve, [and] I think he will out-strike Condit. We already know Diaz has him if it goes to the ground, so I think, barring a KO, Diaz takes it. Johny Hendricks: Man, I am thinking that Carlos is going to win. He has heavy hands and good BJJ. I know Nick is the same type of fighter, which will [make for] a great fight to watch for the fans. I just think Carlos is going to win. Alan Belcher: Diaz all the way. I roll with the 209. Michael Guymon: Diaz-Condit is so evenly matched in my eyes. I just see Diaz winning this one with his constant pressure style. John Hackleman: I have Court McGee sitting right here next to me, and we both kind of agree. We both think Nick-Condit is going to be a lot like Nate [Diaz] and [Donald] Cerrone. Nick is a lot like Nate in style, and Cerrone’s style is a lot like Condit’s style. I think it’ll turn out the same. I think Condit will be sharper and land early. He might even cut Nick, heaven forbid. That’ll be a first (laughs). But I think Nick is going to weather an early storm, throw sharper techniques and he’s going to plow forward like he always does. I think he’s going to stop him in the third. So, yeah, the styles are the same, and it’s an interesting matchup because of that. Joe Duarte: I got Diaz. He is as tough as they come. He probably even mouthwashes with bleach. Condit is good, but this one is going to come down to who is tougher. Diaz takes it. Jeff Hougland: I can’t wait for this fight. I am a fan of both of these guys’ style. They are both well-rounded and don’t just fight to win; they fight to hurt their opponents. I think all the fans watching are in for an amazing fight. My pick is Diaz by third- or fourth-round TKO. I grew up in the 209, so I always root for the Diaz Brothers. [source]Benji Radach: This is going to be an awesome fight, but I gotta pull for Diaz. Both fighters are talented, but I think Diaz’s boxing is going to deliver the victory.

Posted in: fight, diaz, nick, condit, style

UFC 143 Video: Josh Koscheck Hopes Georges St. Pierre 'Never Comes Back' From Knee Surgery

Welterweight Josh Koscheck faces Mike Pierce at this Saturday's UFC 143 in Las Vegas. But in this interview with MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani, he shows his mind is still on his old nemesis, injured champion Georges St. Pierre. From the interview: Koscheck: Hopefully George is out for more than 10 months and they make that interim title holder fight twice. Helwani: You're rooting against him? Koscheck: Yeah absolutely. Hopefully he never comes back. Basically ACL surgeries take a lot out of you. I've had friends who've had the surgery and they say they're never the same. Hopefully it evens out the playing field and we can get another crack at Georges. Helwani: There's still bad blood there? Koscheck: No. Me and George have always been cool. He's a respectable guy outside of the cage when we're not fighting. He's a great person. I'm sure we would probably hang out. Well maybe not, he'd probably say no but I'd be willing to kick it with him. After the jump Koscheck talks about his UFC 143 opponent Mike Pierce and makes his pick for the welterweight interim title fight between Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit On Pierce: (On his reaction to Pierce calling him out) First off I had to look him up and see who he was. I would prefer to fight someone with a bigger name. It's better for the fans, better for the sport. He's been talking a lot and as cocky as he is at the end of the day he's got to get in there and back it up. Hopefully Saturday night I put Mike Pierce to sleep. He's definitely a tough fighter. He's definitely a decision guy, he doesn't come in and finish guys. He comes in in great shape, he gets off the bottom well and he has good take downs. He does everything pretty well but nothing great. On Carlos Condit and Condit vs. Diaz: (On the original Koscheck vs. Condit bout booked for UFC 143) It was huge fight for Carlos Condit. It was an easy fight for me. I truly believe I could beat Carlos Condit very easily. Who are you picking in the main event? I'm going to go with Diaz.

Posted in: ufc, koscheck, condit, carlos condit, he

UFC 143 press conference LIVE updates today (Feb. 2) for 'Diaz vs Condit' in Las Vegas

Ultimate Fighting Championship will hold a public press conference today (Feb. 2, 2012) in advance of UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit," which will take place this Saturday (Feb. 4, 2012). The press conference will begin at 4 p.m. ET and will take place at the Mizuya Lounge inside Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, the home city of the event. Scheduled to attend will be the headlining fighters of the evening, Nick Diaz, Carlos Condit, Roy Nelson and Fabricio Werdum. Nick Diaz is the former Strikeforce welterweight champion who crossed over to the UFC after two title defenses in 2011. After losing a title shot due to failure to make media appearances, he instead battled UFC legend B.J. Penn in the main event of UFC 137, destroying him in the final two rounds to win a unanimous decision. He again was scheduled to fight Georges St. Pierre but an injury got in the way and now he'll battle Carlos Condit for the interim belt. Carlos Condit has long been one of the most exciting fighters in mixed martial arts today. Think about it, has he had one fight in the UFC thus far that wasn't amazing? From his debut against Martin Kampmann to his tremendous display of heart against both Jake Ellenberger and Rory MacDonald to his violent knockouts of both Dan Hardy and Dong Hyun Kim, he is the literal interpretation of "The Natural Born Killer." He's been delayed repeatedly before getting a shot and we'll see how he handles the big time with this bout. Roy Nelson was on the verge of a title shot before back to back losses to Junior dos Santos and Frank Mir set him so far off course people were talking about cutting him. The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season 10 winner got back on track with a stoppage of Mirko Filipovic in his last fight, displaying a trimmer physique and a bitching beard. We'll see how he handles the lanky Muay Thai and jiu-jitsu stylings of Fabricio Werdum on Saturday. Fabricio Werdum was a top talent in Pride and after losing his UFC debut, was on the verge of title contention after stoppage victories against Brandon Vera and Gabriel Gonzaga before showing up overweight and getting pasted by Junior dos Santos in "Cigano's" UFC debut. Outside the UFC, Werdum scored tremendous victorious over Fedor Emelianenko and Antonio Silva before dropping a decision to Alistair Overeem in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix. He's getting a second chance to make a good first impression this time around. We'll have complete updates of the UFC 143 press conference after the jump: Brian Hemminger here. The press conference is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET.

Posted in: ufc, title, conference, press, condit

Fight Day: Carlos Condit UFC 143 Video Interview

UFC 143 main event welterweight Carlos Condit talks to HeavyMMA's Megan Olivi about his interim title fight against Nick Diaz.

Posted in: ufc, fight, title fight, condit, carlo

UFC 143 Pre-Fight Interviews: Diaz, Condit, Nelson, Werdum, Koscheck

MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani caught up with Nick Diaz, Carlos Condit, Fabricio Werdum, Roy Nelson and Josh Koscheck to talk about their upcoming fights this weekend at UFC 143.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, josh koscheck, condit, werdum

Carlos Condit UFC 143 Pre-Fight Interview

Posted in: ufc, interview, condit, carlo, prefight

Condit not interested in 'face-punching contest' but looking to bang with Diaz at UFC 143

LAS VEGAS - Carlos Condit is impressed by Nick Diaz's vaunted boxing attack, but he's not going to shy away from a firefight in the main event of this weekend's UFC 143 event. "Anybody that's seen me fight knows I like to scrap," Condit today told MMAjunkie.com. "I like to step out there and give the fans a show. I like to keep it exciting. "I need to focus and stick to my gameplan, but part of that gameplan is getting in there and mixing it up."

Posted in: i need, condit, nick diazs, show i, facepunching contest

Carlos Condit UFC 141 Pre-Fight Interview

Posted in: ufc, interview, condit, carlo, prefight

UFC 143 Video: Nick Diaz Talks Carlos Condit, Georges St. Pierre

Former Strikeforce welterweight champ Nick Diaz faces former WEC welterweight champ Carlos Condit at Saturday's UFC 143 for the UFC interim title. Bloody Elbow's Matthew Roth was at today's press scrum after the open work outs and caught Diaz talking to the press. Part 1 is above. Parts 2 is after the jump. "You see me. What you see is what you get," Diaz said. "You get real martial arts, you get real fighting, you get a real warrior mentality. Some people aren't mature enough to handle it. This isn't soccer. i have no problem being sportsmanlike about this whole thing. I understand it's a sporting event. But to me this is a fight. I'm not going to let things change that to help this sport become what it is. I think this sport is what it is. I don't worry about looking good. I do what I've got to do to survive, to keep my teeth in my head, and my head on my shoulders. I apologize to whoever can't put that together and understand that." Quote transcribed by MMA Fighting's Mike Chiappetta. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit

Posted in: ufc, diaz, condit, things change, fight im

UFC Undisputed 3 picks winner in Nick Diaz-Carlos Condit title-fight

THQ and the UFC have teamed up again to provide a pixilated look on how things may unfold in the main event of an upcoming show, this time turning their focus towards UFC 143’s headlining title-tilt between top welterweights Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz. Using UFC Undisputed 3, the latest from the popular series of games, THQ simulated the scrap 25 times to determine the fighter who came out on top more often than not. Without spoiling the result, some of the facts emerging from the simulation include Diaz defending against 40% of Condit’s takedown attempts, both men finishing each other with strikes, and Diaz getting the better of “The Natural Born Killer” in the submission department. UFC Undisputed 3 has also predicted outcomes for a number of recent events with fairly solid success. Check out the simulation of Diaz-Condit below:

Posted in: ufc, diaz, condit, games thq, killer ”

Nick Diaz Discusses the Real Him, Says He Respects Carlos Condit's Style

There may be no more polarizing figure in mixed martial arts than UFC welterweight contender Nick Diaz. Some fans adore him. Others can't stand him. And there are some who simply scratch their heads and throw their hands up, completely baffled by the things he says and does.Journalists have agonized over keyboards trying to explain his personality and motivations, to almost no avail. Diaz is a riddle. But to hear him tell it, it shouldn't be quite so difficult to understand him."You see me. What you see is what you get," he said during Wednesday's open workouts in Las Vegas. "You get real martial arts, you get real fighting, you get a real warrior mentality. Some people aren’t mature enough to handle it. This isn't soccer. i have no problem being sportsmanlike about this whole thing. I understand it’s a sporting event. But to me this is a fight. I’m not going to let things change that to help this sport become what it is. I think this sport is what it is. I don't worry about looking good. I do what I've got to do to survive, to keep my teeth in my head, and my head on my shoulders. I apologize to whoever can’t put that together and understand that." That remarkably lucid description at least defines Nick Diaz, the fighter, which is perhaps all we can truly hope for. Diaz (26-7, 1 no contest), who faces Carlos Condit in an interim welterweight title fight at Saturday's UFC 143, was his usual self during the media scrum, sometimes mesmerizing, sometimes mystifying, and often, both. He spent time talking about his interest in triathlons, his disinterest in pandering to cameras, and of course, the fight.He voiced no disappointment that he wasn't facing welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre, who is currently on the mend after knee surgery, saying that his upcoming bout with Condit "just feels like the next fight," and nothing more.But he also praised Condit's fighting style. While he has criticized St-Pierre for trying to win on points rather than going for the finish, he offered up no such issues with Condit, an aggressive, well-rounded opponent who has won 12 of his last 13 fights, including 11 finishes.That type of style is remarkably similar to Diaz's, so it's no surprise he likes what he sees."I think the way I fight and the way my opponent fights, we're both two guys that are ranked top level, top 10 and we’re both looking to get ahead on damage more so than worried about going on top or bottom," he said. "We just want to win the fight and it’s pretty much more a realistic fighting style. And that’s what I’m about, is about being realistic."The winner takes the interim title and could set up a match with the returning St-Pierre later this year. St-Pierre has gone on the record saying he hopes that Diaz wins because he hopes to fight him down the line. The popular champion cited Diaz's "disrespect" towards him as motivation, calling him unprofessional and arrogant.But Diaz says he's just being who he is, not who anyone else wants him to be."People try to say, 'Nick Diaz, he’s crazy or not crazy or fake crazy,'" he said. "I’m like, 'Hey, bro, what you see is what you get.' I’m not out here trying putting on an act like I'm crazy. In my opinion, everyone else is crazy. They’re the ones who put on an act for you, doing what they're told in front of the camera. The camera gives them a line and they say it 10 times over again, and then whoever goes back and they can [edit] it out. They turn these guys into robots. I’m just not going to be that guy. Don't tell me I'm crazy. I'm out here acting natural. I'm the only one here being realistic out here about this sort of thing."

Posted in: fight, diaz, condit, im, irsquom

UFC 143 Video: Georges St. Pierre Talks Carlos Condit Vs. Nick Diaz And More

Matt Roth is covering UFC 143 live on site for Bloody Elbow this week and we'll be providing you with plenty of video and live impressions over the next few days. First up is video of Georges St. Pierre talking to the media about Saturday night's event. Included in the discussion is GSP giving his thoughts on the main event fighters Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz. Condit and Diaz meet for the UFC interim welterweight title on Saturday night with the winner set to meet the injured St. Pierre when he returns to unify the titles. Here's the video: Stay tuned all week as we bring you much more on the UFC 143 card along with Matt's great on site work. UFC 143 PPV Fight Card: Interim Welterweight Title Bout: Carlos Condit vs. Nick DiazRoy Nelson vs. Fabricio WerdumJosh Koscheck vs. Mike PierceRenan Barao vs. Scott JorgensenEd Herman vs. Clifford Starks Part 2 of the video (and soon part 3 as well) after the jump SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit Part 2: Part 3 coming shortly

Posted in: ufc, diaz, video, vs, condit

UFC 143: Nick Diaz Vs. Carlos Condit Defines 'Gameness'

Former Bloody Elbow editor-in-chief Luke Thomas makes his debut at MMA Fighting today with a fun piece about UFC 143's headliner Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit. Here's Luke explaining the concept and how it applies to this fight: There are a number of ways to parse the merits fight or evaluate its worthiness, but it'd be criminal to not note just how much gameness defines this bout's character. Every fighter has biological limits, but Diaz and Condit are two fighters who are nearly peerless when it comes to competing up to the outer limit of those boundaries. Numerous examples of their durability abound. Against Rory MacDonald, Condit was able to withstand a torrential downpour of ground and pound only to stop the rising prospect in the third round. Against Paul Daley, Diaz was floored on more than one occasion in a chaotic see-saw battle only to stop the Brit with strikes late in the first. Condit was floored with gargantuan punches early by Jake Ellenberger, but hung on and eventually took a decision. Diaz was getting drilled by hard punches from Takanori Gomi before driving the Japanese sensation back with strikes, ultimately submitting him with a spectacular gogo plata. The list of their gameness accolades is nearly endless....I don't want to suggest gameness is the only reason this fight is special. There's obviously more to the story. But the level of gameness both fighters exhibit is extraordinary because they also possess deep experience and technical acumen. Neither fighter is careless, but neither fighter lets caution lord over them. That's unique. Over time as fighters gain experience and add skills, you'll often see a trade off in ferocity. With Diaz and Condit, however, you just see the ferocity more expertly channeled. Luke's dead right here. Diaz and Condit each possess levels of will and ferocity that almost no other active MMA fighters can match. I'll never forget watching Condit in his corner before the third round of his bout against Rory MacDonald. It was clear just from watching him that MacDonald was in deep trouble despite having won most of the first two rounds. Condit came out with a sense of purpose and a refusal to accept any outcome other than victory. For his part Diaz is just as ferocious and indomitable. It's really too bad that this fight is being overlooked because welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre is injured and off the card. Of course, if GSP was healthy we'd be looking forward to GSP vs Diaz which isn't half the fight that Diaz vs. Condit promises to be. Head on over to MMA Fighting and give Luke a warm welcome. Your BE membership will be portable now that Fighting is on the SBN platform. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit

Posted in: fight, diaz, fighter, condit, gamenes

Carlos Condit Plans to Spoil GSP’s Hopes of Facing Nick Diaz

Carlos Condit breaks the bad news to Georges St-Pierre that he won't get a chance to face Nick Diaz later this year.

Posted in: diaz, nick, condit, gsp ’s, georges stpierre

Gameness: The Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit Story

What is gameness? Author Sam Sheridan once defined it as pursuit of the fight despite the physical consequences. The term actually has roots in dog fighting. It's used to describe the eagerness of a dog to continue fighting through a grueling and injurious battle. The dog fighting atmospherics make the term somewhat unsavory to borrow for MMA purposes, but we're treading in metaphors, not literalism. As UFC 143's Carlos Condit himself states about his impending bout with Nick Diaz, "it's going to be a dog fight'. There are a number of ways to parse the merits fight or evaluate it's worthiness, but it'd be criminal to not note just how much gameness defines this bout's character. Every fighter has biological limits, but Diaz and Condit are two fighters who are nearly peerless when it comes to competing up to the outer limit of those boundaries. Numerous examples of their durability abound. Against Rory MacDonald, Condit was able to withstand a torrential downpour of ground and pound only to stop the rising prospect in the third round. Against Paul Daley, Diaz was floored on more than one occasion in a chaotic see-saw battle only to stop the Brit with strikes late in the first. Condit was floored with gargantuan punches early by Jake Ellenberger, but hung on and eventually took a decision. Diaz was getting drilled by hard punches from Takanori Gomi before driving the Japanese sensation back with strikes, ultimately submitting him with a spectacular gogo plata. The list of their gameness accolades is nearly endless. That is precisely what makes gameness so pleasing: it's never weathered nor reduced. With limited and qualified exception, the damage Condit and Diaz have absorbed in the course of their fights never dampened their willingness or ability to strike back. When the tides turned, they flooded. Gameness, though, shouldn't be crudely misinterpreted as solely the ability to take a shot. That's part of it, of course. But what it truly underscores is both ferocity and the enthusiastic participation for the scrap. Gameness, in other words, has both defensive and offensive components. What unites Condit and Diaz - and what has made them fan favorites - is their willingness to engage risk as a means of winning a fight. As long as you're winning, being risk averse isn't generally the worst approach to fighting. However, it isn't particularly crowd pleasing and more importantly, it's an approach that flies in the face of what we understand as athletic bravery. What makes Diaz and Condit fairly unique is they've used this approach of accepting risk to reach some of the sport's loftiest positions. It's one thing for amateurs to brazenly throw caution to the wind to rile up the crowd in some sort of Pyrrhic victory. It's quite another for two of the sport's most successful welterweights to have reached these heights using a similar albeit more measured approach. It's also historically accurate and demonstrably true wrestling has been used as a crutch for some fighters to coast through fatigue or rough patches during fights. The exhausted and less willed among the professional ranks have relied on it to hang on in precarious moments. Coincidentally or not, neither Diaz nor Condit is particularly proficient as a wrestler. Why is that important? No matter what direction the fight takes neither fighter will likely have the skills (and I suspect no inclination) to rely on wrestling as a means to slow down or stunt the action. This one won't be decided by one fighter more expertly exercising control to avoid risk. I don't want to suggest gameness is the only reason this fight is special. There's obviously more to the story. But the level of gameness both fighters exhibit is extraordinary because they also possess deep experience and technical acumen. Neither fighter is careless, but neither fighter lets caution lord over them. That's unique. Over time as fighters gain experience and add skills, you'll often see a trade off in ferocity. With Diaz and Condit, however, you just see the ferocity more expertly channeled. My early hunch is Nick Diaz will be able to outlast Carlos Condit en route to a decision victory. If that happens, he'll eventually face UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre. But en route to that end, I'd bet my mortgage he's going to catch a noteworthy beating at the hands of Condit. I hope I'm not jinxing the bout, but given the records and deserved reputations of both fighters, it's hard to see how either gets out of this one early. Or easily. They're game for the scrap, from bell to bell, no matter the cost of doing business in between. At this level of the game - and in a five-round, interim title bout - that's a reality that deserves a little extra recognition.

Posted in: fight, diaz, fighter, condit, gamenes

THQ, makers of the UFC Undisputed 3 video game, have fun a handy simulation of the UFC 143...

THQ, makers of the UFC Undisputed 3 video game, have fun a handy simulation of the UFC 143 headliner: Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit for the interim UFC welterweight title. After 25 bouts here are some stats: -- Diaz won by technical knockout with strikes to the body once -- Diaz defended 40 percent of Condit's takedown attempts -- Condit won by technical knockout with strikes to the leg once -- Diaz and Condit threw a combined total of 6,675 punches -- Condit shot for a takedown within the first round in all matches -- Diaz won by submission in seven matches

Posted in: ufc, diaz, condit, thq makers, stats diaz

Carlos Condit anxious to get in the ring with Nick Diaz (Yahoo! Sports)

Carlos Condit may not be as crazy as Nick Diaz, but UFC 143 will allow him to prove his mettle.

Posted in: diaz, nick diaz, nick, condit, carlos condit

Read the full article at Yahoo! Sports

UFC 143: Georges St. Pierre Is Rooting For Nick Diaz Out Of 'Hate'

Injured UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre is making no bones about picking a fighter to root for to win the interim welterweight title at UFC 143 on Saturday. The champ wants Nick Diaz to beat Carlos Condit, but perhaps his mind is clouded by passion. Passionate disdain for Diaz that is. Here's GSP talking to UFC.com: "I am very nervous that Carlos Condit will win on Saturday night, and that I won't be able to fight Nick Diaz this summer. I feel bad, it is weird that I want (Condit) to lose, but I have never wanted to fight anyone as much as I want to fight Diaz. I don't truly hate him as a person. I don't know that he is a bad guy, but I hate what he brings to the sport with the disrespect and the unprofessional things he says and does. It is sort of a professional hatred. He has been nothing but disrespectful and arrogant towards me. "During UFC 137 (week) I felt like I had to walk around Las Vegas with my fists ready (to punch Diaz) because every time I came across him he wanted to fight there and then. Every time the elevator opened (in the hotel) I needed to be ready to fight in case he stepped in. I was on edge all week. This guy is crazy. I am used to hearing (smack) talk from opponents, Matt Serra did it, Dan Hardy did it, and Josh Koscheck did it, but with Diaz he has taken it to another level. "He and his coach (Cesar Gracie) have called me a coward and tried to disrespect my accomplishments. All that has done though is make me determined to beat him up. He will bring out the best in me, I will be 100% focused, like a bomb-expert defusing a time bomb. When my back is against the wall and I have no choice but to win, when I cannot lose to this person under any cost, that is when I am most dangerous." GSP was originally set to fight Diaz at UFC 143 but had to pull out in early December for reconstructive surgery to repair a torn right ACL. He had to miss a scheduled title fight with Condit at UFC 137 due to a strained right MCL. He is expected to return to face the interim champion in the summer or fall of 2012. Transcribed by MMA Mania. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, condit, carlos condit

Condit: People Will Remember UFC 143 Fight With Diaz

Carlos Condit talked about his UFC 143 showdown against Nick Diaz with Sherdog.com’s Greg Savage.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, nick diaz, condit, condit people

Countdown to UFC 143 full video for 'Diaz vs Condit' on Feb. 4 in Las Vegas

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) aired its traditional "Countdown" preview show for UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" on Tuesday night, featuring a behind-the-scenes look as former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz prepares to fight fellow division number one contender Carlos Condit for the Interim title on Saturday night (Feb. 4, 2012) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. "Countdown to UFC 143" also featured a closer look at the 170-pound match up between former division number one contender Josh Koscheck and venerable up-and-comer Mike Pierce. Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action on fight night (Sat., Feb. 4), which is slated to air at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view. The latest quick updates of the preliminary card action will begin to flow earlier than that around 7 p.m. ET. Props to Iron Forges Iron for the video. For more on UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" be sure to hit up our event archive right here.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, condit, card action

Nick Diaz UFC 143 Interview: Carlos Condit Is Better Than Georges St-Pierre

Before facing Carlos Condit for the interim welterweight title on Saturday at UFC 143, Nick Diaz said in his official pre-fight interview that he believes Condit is a better fighter than champion Georges St-Pierre, who is pulling for Diaz to win so they can meet when he returns to action later this year. For complete UFC 143 coverage stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.

Posted in: condit, carlos condit, carlo, georges stpierre, welterweight title

GSP & Florian Interview Condit: Carlos Condit Plans to Crash Nick Diaz's Party

submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [1 comment]

Posted in: gsp, condit, florian, mattyblayze, crash

Greg Jackson talks Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans, Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz

Renowned mixed martial arts trainer, Greg Jackson, discusses the upcoming match-ups of former and current Jackson's MMA fighters Jon Jones, Rashad Evans, and Carlos Condit...

Posted in: jone, jackson, vs, condit, evan

Nick Diaz vs Carlos Condit will save us after UFC on FOX 2 dud

This past Saturday night (Jan. 28, 2012), the world's largest fight promotion brought an event to the United Center that was long on talent but short on excitement. Indeed, all three fights broadcasted on the network went to decision, including the main event bout between Rashad Evans and Phil Davis that dragged on for 25 mostly painstaking minutes. It's not necessarily that the fights were terrible so much as they simply failed to deliver decent spurts of satisfying commotion. There was far too much stop and start, swing and miss, shoot and reset. Rashad Evans, Phil Davis, Chael Sonnen, Michael Bisping, Chris Weidman and Demian Maia are all great fighters capable of incredible feats, as they've all shown in the past. But when paired off against each other, they made for television viewing that was monotonous to say the least. Thank the MMA gods for UFC 143 and, more specifically, Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit This Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, two of the very best scrappers on Earth will get together inside the Octagon to exchange fists, knees, kicks, elbows, maybe even submissions but more than likely all of the above. In short, they're going to fight and it's going to be freaking awesome. That's what makes them so appealing. This bout has been sold as a match-up of polar opposite characters, Diaz being kind of a crazy thug from the mean streets of Stockton while Condit is the mild-mannered, blue collar hard worker type who just gets the job done. And hey, normally I'm totally on board with telling a compelling story and making fans care about the two men before they engage in combat, which is what UFC is currently doing with its Primetime series. But you know what? Who gives a shit. This is Nick Diaz, a guy who has never actually had a boring fight. Even the doctor was entertained when he was fighting to get out of his mother's womb to unleash his brand of violence on the world. The same can be said for Condit, who goes by the moniker "The Natural Born Killer" for a reason. This one has all the makings of a classic, a battle for the ages. Ticket sales are still slow despite the event taking place in days and maybe the show does poor numbers at the box office but for once I'm finally going to kick back, relax and just enjoy the spectacle of two men who consistently bring that hot fire. Will we see a knockout? Maybe. A submission? Possibly. A great fight between even better fighters? Damn skippy.

Posted in: fight, diaz, event, condit, primetime series

Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit UFC Undisputed 3 Fight Simulation

UFC Undisputed 3 predicts who will win when Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit clash this weekend at UFC 143.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, nick diaz, nick, condit

Why Carlos Condit is Worthy

This weekend, welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre gets to pop Vicodin while hobbling to his kitchen to fetch another tub of poutine-flavored ice cream, all for the sake of his torn anterior cruciate ligament that is allegedly on the mend. Meanwhile, at UFC 143, Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit will be stepping into the Octagon to duke it out for an interim welterweight belt. Now, no one dares suggest that Diaz isn’t a viable contender for the 170-pound title – the dude was a dominant champ in Strikeforce, and his return to the UFC had him reshaping BJ Penn’s mug like it was made of Play-Doh. But Condit… what has he done for us lately? What makes him worthy? Heh. Please allow me to drop some knowledge on you, “Natural Born Killer” style. -Condit has only lost once in the UFC, and that was via a razor-thin split decision to Martin Kampmann at a UFC Fight Night back in 2009 – which was Condit’s UFC debut. Since then, he’s decisioned Jake Ellenberger, and put away the likes of Rory MacDonald, Dan Hardy and Dong Hyun Kim. All of those finishes were explosive, with two resulting in “Knockout of the Night” bonuses and one a “Fight of the Night” bonus. If the bosses throw you extra cheddar, you must be doing your job very right. -Prior to his current run in the UFC, Condit was the lord and master of the WEC’s welterweight division. And his championship defenses weren’t really close. It took him four rounds to put away Hiromitsu Miura, but Carlo Prater and Brock Larson fell within the first round, while John Alessio tapped out in the second. That’s some dominance right there. -Condit has been at the game since 2002, clocking in thirty-two bouts, with twenty-seven of them resulting in wins for him. He’s certainly got experience. -Despite all sorts of King of the Cage and Pancrase experience, the first time Condit really made himself known as a high-level badass was when he competed in the Rumble on the Rock welterweight tournament, circa 2006. His quarterfinal opponent was Renato Verissimo, who was a UFC vet and the jiu-jitsu instructor of BJ Penn; Condit wrecked him in seventeen seconds, which was a huge shock. Then came his semifinal matchup against Frank Trigg, which, again, everyone expected Condit to lose. But after Condit subbed him in about a minute and a half, suddenly the lanky kid from Albuquerque was a force to be reckoned with. Condit went on to lose the decision to Jake Shields in the ROTR tournament finals, but he was for sure the man after that. -What does Condit bring to the table in his bout against Diaz? Well, in my humble opinion, the odds favor the jiu-jitsu black belt with insane boxing skills who cleaned out Strikeforce. But Condit has the tools to beat him, he’s got the explosiveness, and he’s definitely got the mettle to eat plenty of Diaz jabs and keep coming. Most of all, though, is Condit can keep it exciting without getting killed. Yeah, he’s definitely worthy of a shot at the interim belt.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, welterweight, condit, carlos condit

Nick Diaz vs Carlos Condit UFC 143 fight video simulation

Want to know who wins the UFC 143 main event between Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit, which is scheduled to take place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vages, Nevada, on Feb. 4, 2012? Look no further than the UFC Undisputed 3 video game. The boys over at THQ put together this video simulation to promote the upcoming interim welterweight title fight that will determine the top dog in the division until reigning 170-pound champion Georges St. Pierre returns to mixed martial arts (MMA) action from recent knee surgery. And if life imitates art, St. Pierre's wish to fight Diaz later this year will be granted. That's because Diaz -- a talented Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who prefers to mix it up with his opponents in the striking department -- will get taken down in the second round, work for submissions off his back and ultimately tapout the "Natural Born Killer" with a triangle choke. Here are a handful of notable stats from the above simulation, which is the culmination of 25 matches: -- Diaz won by technical knockout with strikes to the body once-- Diaz defended 40 percent of Condit's takedown attempts-- Condit won by technical knockout with strikes to the leg once-- Diaz and Condit threw a combined total of 6,675 punches -- Condit shot for a takedown within the first round in all matches-- Diaz won by submission in seven matches Anyone think these stats will come close to the real thing in "Sin City" this weekend? For more on the "Diaz vs. Condit" match up click here.

Posted in: diaz, vs, condit, fight diaz, round work

Countdown to UFC 143 on FUEL TV discussion thread for 'Diaz vs Condit'

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns with its "Countdown" preview show for UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit," featuring a behind-the-scenes look as former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz prepares to fight fellow division number one contender Carlos Condit for the Interim title on Saturday night (Feb. 4, 2012) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Tune in TONIGHT (Tues., Jan. 31) at 9 p.m. ET on FUEL TV. "Countdown to UFC 143" will also feature a closer look at the 170-pound match-up between former division number one contender Josh Koscheck and venerable up-and-comer Mike Pierce. "Diaz vs. Condit" was booked after UFC welterweight champion George St. Pierre suffered a devastating knee injury, one that was severe enough to require surgery and several months of rehab. Alas, the show must go on. Here is the current UFC 143 fight card and line-up: Main event: 170 lbs.: Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit Main card (Pay-per-view): 265 lbs.: Fabricio Werdum vs. Roy Nelson 170 lbs.: Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce 135 lbs.: Renan Barao vs. Scott Jorgensen 185 lbs.: Ed Herman vs. Clifford Starks Preliminary card (FX): 145 lbs.: Dustin Poirier vs. Max Holloway 170 lbs.: Matt Riddle vs. Henry Martinez 135 lbs.: Alex Caceres vs. Edwin Figueroa 170 lbs.: Matt Brown vs. Chris Cope Preliminary card (Facebook): 170 lbs.: Dan Stittgen vs. Stephen Thompson 185 lbs.: Rafael Natal vs. Michael Kuiper Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action on fight night (Sat., Feb. 4), which is slated to air at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view. The latest quick updates of the preliminary card action will begin to flow earlier than that around 7 p.m. ET. For more on UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" be sure to hit up our event archive right here.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, lb, condit

Carlos Condit: “The past couple of months have been without a doubt one of the craziest periods of my career.”

Few fighters can claim to have dealt with the wild ride Carlos Condit has been on since fall 2011. Originally scheduled to face B.J. Penn at UFC 137, Condit soon saw his co-headlining spot turn into a main event bout for the UFC welterweight title after Nick Diaz was pulled out of his scheduled bout champion Georges St. Pierre. Condit then stood helplessly by as he watched GSP withdraw due to injury, Diaz slide back into the top contender’s slot, and St. Pierre go down again for health-related reasons. As a result, the 27-year old is now poised to fight Diaz for the interim belt this weekend at UFC 143 instead of Josh Koscheck who he’d originally began preparing to face. Condit opened up about the experience in an interview with the UFC promoting his fight with Diaz where he said, “I just had to kind of smile and shake my head. After everything that’s happened, all the ups and downs, honestly there wasn’t much else left to do but kind of laugh.” “The past couple of months have been without a doubt one of the craziest periods of my career…definitely an emotional rollercoaster,” he concluded. In terms of what he sees as being the biggest challenge he’ll face against Diaz, a former Strikeforce champ who is notoriously difficult to finish and is on an eleven-fight winning streak. “Mostly I’m impressed by his toughness,” said Condit. “He’s got some great skills. Good boxing, good jiu-jitsu, but just his warrior spirit.” Fans can catch the two of them tussle at 10:00 PM EST when the PPV starts with undercard action on FX/Facebook beginning at 7:00 PM EST. Check out the complete interview below: PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, diaz, face, condit, craziest periods

UFC 143 weigh-in results, information and details for 'Diaz vs Condit' on Feb. 3 in Las Vegas

The official weigh in event for UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" is set to take place this Friday (Feb. 3, 2012) live from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The first fighter is expected to tip the scale at 7 p.m. ET. As usual, MMAmania.com will provide up-to-the-second coverage of the UFC 143 weigh-ins, as well as provide a detailed recap of the festivities as soon as they conclude. UFC 143 will be headlined by former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz battling ex-WEC 170-pound kingpin Carlos Condit for the right to wear the division's Interim strap with Georges St. Pierre on the sidelines recovering from knee surgery. In the co-main event, former welterweight number one contender Josh Koscheck will try to keep his spot among the 170-pound elite by taking on the venerable Mike Pierce. Here is the current "Diaz vs. Condit" fight card and line-up: Main event: 170 lbs.: Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit Main card (Pay-per-view): 265 lbs.: Fabricio Werdum vs. Roy Nelson170 lbs.: Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce 135 lbs.: Renan Barao vs. Scott Jorgensen185 lbs.: Ed Herman vs. Clifford Starks Preliminary card (FX): 145 lbs.: Dustin Poirier vs. Max Holloway170 lbs.: Matthew Riddle vs. Henry Martinez135 lbs.: Alex Caceres vs. Edwin Figueroa170 lbs.: Matt Brown vs. Chris Cope Preliminary card (Facebook): 170 lbs.: Dan Stittgen vs. Stephen Thompson185 lbs.: Rafael Natal vs. Michael Kuiper For those fortunate enough to be in "Sin City" this week, remember the weigh-in is FREE to attend and open to the public. Doors to the weigh-in will open at 4 p.m. ET. In addition, UFC Fight Club members will be able to attend a special Q&A session with none other than Georges St. Pierre at 1 p.m. local time. Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action on fight night (Sat., Feb. 4), which is slated to air at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view. The latest quick updates of the preliminary card action will begin to flow earlier than that around 6 p.m. ET. It's going to be a fun night of fights so don't miss it. And remember to check us out for all the pre, during and post-fight UFC 143 coverage you can handle. For all the latest news and notes on "Diaz vs. Condit" be sure to hit up our event archive right here.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, lb, condit

Carlos Condit: Nick Diaz is tough, but I have more weapons in my arsenal

Top Welterweight contender Carlos Condit, who will square off with Nick Diaz for the interim title at UFC 143, discusses his opponent, as well as the "emotional roller-coaster" that he's been on over the past few months. Condit admits that he is impressed by Diaz's toughness, but insists that he is the more dynamic fighter and will leave Las Vegas as the new champion.

Posted in: diaz, nick diaz, condit, diazs toughness, months condit

The Last Man Standing – Carlos Condit

When Carlos Condit steps into the Octagon, it becomes kill or be killed, every man for himself, and he plans on being the last man standing in his fight at UFC 143 against Nick Diaz.

Posted in: ufc, condit, man, step, carlo

The playbook: Looking at upcoming attractions in Japan & UFC

A day late and a dollar short, but plenty to talk about if you're into gambling this weekend and Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit tickles your fancy.

Posted in: nick, condit, carlo, youre, japan ufc

Read the full article at Fight Opinion

UFC 143 Pre-Fight Interview: Carlos Condit

Carlos Condit takes on Nick Diaz for the UFC interim welterweight title this Saturday, Feb. 4 at UFC 143.

Posted in: ufc, nick diaz, condit, carlo, welterweight title

UFC 143 Video: “New and Improved” Carlos Condit Ready to Beat Nick Diaz

After losing out on an immediate shot at UFC welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre, Carlos Condit will look to put the rough stretch behind him when he expects to be victorious over a “tough” Nick Diaz for the interim welterweight title at UFC 143 this Saturday. Watch Carlos Condit’s UFC 143 pre-fight interview below and stay tuned for complete UFC 143 coverage:

Posted in: ufc, nick diaz, condit, carlo, welterweight title

Video: Carlos Condit impressed with Nick Diaz's toughness, predicts a win at UFC 143

"Nick Diaz is very good with his hands. He does what he does very, very well. It's not only that he does really well with his hands, but he sets a relentless pace and relentless cardio. Mostly, I'm impressed with his toughness. He's got some great skills: Good boxing, good jiu-jitsu, but just his warrior spirit. I feel I'm a more technical fighter than Diaz. I have more weapons in my arsenal -- I just bring different stuff to the table. I have good movement, use angles. Diaz, for the most part, just comes straightforward. I've been training for this fight since July, I've been putting in a lot of hard work, and I'm excited to go out and show the fans -- along with all the fighters in the division -- the new and improved Carlos Condit. I will defeat Nick Diaz and I will be the UFC welterweight champion." Carlos Condit admits that he's had a roller coaster ride in recent months, enduring opponent switches, injuries and a whole host of issues outside of his control that have kept him out of the Octagon since a knockout finish of Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 132 back in July 2011. Good things apparently do come to those who wait -- Condit is set to tangle with Nick Diaz in the UFC 143 main event inside the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Feb. 4, 2012. The winner of the five-round welterweight fight will win the interim 170-pound title and the opportunity to challenge division champion Georges St. Pierre later this year to unify the belts. "Rush" is currently rehabilitating a knee injury and expects to return in Nov. 2012. If Condit intends to make good on his prediction, he'll have to go through the self-proclaimed "most well-rounded fighter in the world," who literally has the endurance to fight for 25 rounds if required. For "The Natural Born Killer," even though he admits to putting in a "lot of hard work" it might be all in vain if he can't keep pace with the Stockton, Calif., scrap machine. Ring rust is a serious concern ... can Condit it knock it off and go shot-for-shot, or will Diaz simply overwhelm him like he does to most others?

Posted in: ufc, diaz, nick diaz, nick, condit

Trainer: Nick Diaz will wait for Georges St. Pierre if he beats Carlos Condit -- or fight in another weight class

Nick Diaz at lightweight or middleweight? That might happen if he defeats Carlos Condit at UFC 143 this weekend (Feb. 4, 2012) in Las Vegas, Nevada. The "Diaz vs. Condit" winner will be crowned the Interim Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight Champion and is expected to take on current UFC 170-pound champion, Georges St. Pierre, once he is recuperated from recent surgery. Cesar Gracie says that should his star pupil defeat Condit in "Sin City," they will sit back and wait for St. Pierre to return from the injured reserves and not take another fight in the interim. If the wait is longer than expected, they may seek a fight in another division. Gracie lays out the teams plans on the The MMA Hour, after the jump: "I'm probably going to get in trouble by saying this, but, we are not taking another fight. There is only one way if we take another fight, I'm not going to get ahead of myself because Nick has not won yet (against Condit). Hypothetically, if we're fortunate and win this fight, I would advise Nick to not take another fight before the GSP fight unless it is at a different weight class. We are going to wait for the Georges St. Pierre fight." A few seconds after Gracie's segment was over, Carlos Condit's manager, Malki Kawa was not too pleased with the comments and called in to express his displeasure: "They are thinking they already won over there. At the end of the day, if people are riding Carlos Condit off it is a big mistake. He is coming to fight. He has not stopped training. If Condit wins the belt, we are going to fight and we are not going to wait around for anyone, not even Georges St. Pierre." Cesar Gracie was respectful and answered a question hypothetically, to which Kawa acknowledged, so what's the beef? After the much anticipated welterweight showdown between Nick Diaz and Georges St. Pierre, arguably the two top 170-pound fighters in the world, was scrapped twice before (UFC 137 and UFC 143), the Diaz camp, apparently, wants to take all measures to prevent from losing out on the dream match-up between the two once again. Of course, not putting the cart before the horse, Gracie knows that Diaz first has to defeat ‘The Natural Born Killer" before they can look ahead to a blockbuster matchup against "Rush." Condit, on the other hand, who also had his title match against St. Pierre scrapped due to injury to the welterweight champion at UFC 137, has no plans on waiting for anyone, according to his manager. What do you say Maniacs, wise planning on the Diaz camp to hold out for Georges St. Pierre, should he be successful this weekend? If he indeed does take a fight at 155 or 185, who would be a good match up for the Stockton slugger?

Posted in: fight, diaz, pierre, st, condit

Nick Diaz, Carlos Condit Camps Differ on Defending Interim Belt While GSP Heals

Filed under: UFC, MMA Fighting Exclusive, NewsLooming in the background of UFC 143's main event is the specter of UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre, who is potentially the real prize for Saturday night's winner. Either Nick Diaz or Carlos Condit will emerge with the interim title after the scheduled five-rounder, but a date with St-Pierre and a chance to win the linear title is ultimate reward. Complicating matters is uncertainty about St-Pierre's return date. UFC president Dana White recently said that GSP may be back in the summertime, while St-Pierre himself suggested that November was a more likely time frame. That leads to questions about how the division will move forward in his absence. And on Monday's edition of The MMA Hour, Diaz's manager and trainer Cesar Gracie revealed that if Diaz wins, he'll urge his charge not to compete until St-Pierre is ready to face him. "If we're fortunate and we win this fight, I would advise Nick to not take another fight before the GSP fight unless it was in different weight class," he said. "We want to wait for that 170-pound thing. The people I speak with, they want to see the GSP fight if Nick is able to defeat Condit. That's where I'm at with it. I'd advise Nick to not take another fight." Depending on St-Pierre's recovery time, that could lead to a 10-month break between fights, a period that Gracie said could be broken up by a temporary move to middleweight. Historically though, UFC has rarely allowed champions to move divisions to compete in non-title matches. The last to do it was middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva, who moved up to light-heavyweight to KO Forrest Griffin in August 2009. Gracie's comment got under the skin of Condit's manager Malki Kawa, who wondered if the Diaz camp was looking past UFC 143 and into the future. "At the end of the day, if people are writing Carlos Condit off, it's a big mistake," he said. "Carlos is coming to fight. The guy is in great shape. Remember, he was supposed to fight in October. He hasn't stopped training. He's coming to fight and this is going to be a real good fight. And if and when he wins this belt, if [the UFC] wants to put him back out to fight again, Carlos is going to fight again and defend his belt against anyone who challenges him. We're not going to sit around and wait for anyone, not Georges or anybody. If there's fights out there, Carlos wants them." But Gracie said his comment was meant with no disrespect, and that he was simply offering his opinion on a hypothetical situation. Gracie said that refusing another welterweight bout was simply a means of preserving a fight that has come to be anticipated by both fans and fighters since Diaz was originally matched up with GSP last year. As he noted, the fight itself is more important to Diaz than the actual hardware for beating him. And in his opinion, given St-Pierre's level of dominance, a fight against Diaz would be important for the sport. "There hasn't been any hype in a GSP fight for a very long time to the point he cleaned out his division and they were talking about an Anderson Silva matchup just to get some kind of excitement," he said. "Nick really brings that to table because he's one of most gifted athletes in terms of technically sound fighters out there. And you saw GSP on primetime. [Nick] brings out the thing where GSP wants to fight. I think it would be an amazing fight. And so that's the fight I would want." Gracie credited Condit's completeness as a fighter, saying he has an underrated ground game, dangerous striking and excellent stamina. But he also made it clear this fight has no personal significance for Diaz past the fact that Condit is going to be standing across from him on Saturday. "Carlos is an enemy now," he said. "He's in the way and he must be taken care of." Condit's manager disagreed with Gracie speaking about what Diaz might do after winning, but the two found common ground on the competitiveness of the fight itself. "They're talking like they already won the fight," Kawa said. "I do that as well sometimes, but when I see someone do it to me, I have to turn around and say, 'Hey, don't write my guy off.' No one should. This is a better fight overall [than a GSP-Diaz fight]. No disrespect to Georges but we all know that these two guys will come to scrap." With a rehabilitation time of between six and 10 months, St-Pierre has plenty of time to digest that. At least he has some idea of what might be coming his way. If Diaz wins, he'll be there waiting when GSP is ready, but Condit will defend the interim belt with no regard for St-Pierre's return date. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: fight, diaz, gsp, condit, stpierre

The Blueprint - Diaz vs. Condit

Russell Crowe, in his career-defining role as Maximus in the box office bonanza “Gladiator,” made famous a line that has been uttered more than once to a crowd by UFC ring announcer Bruce Buffer in the off-camera moments just before a pay-per-view broadcast kicks in.Are you not entertained?The question was yelled to a silent crowd following several minutes of gladiatorial battle.I guarantee that neither Buffer nor anyone else will be asking the crowd that question at the Mandalay Bay Events Center when Nick Diaz versus Carlos Condit finds its conclusion this Saturday night. G-U-A-R-A-N-T-E-E.This is an absolutely delicious matchup for fans who enjoy all-action bouts. It certainly may come to an abrupt end in the first few minutes. Any fight can end suddenly. But the matchup suggests otherwise. All signs point to a back-and-forth war, where both men enjoy moments of solid success, though both will likely get bruised and bloodied.Don’t get me wrong. I think there is a clear favorite, though it wouldn’t necessarily be an upset for either man to win. Yes, those are contradictory statements. I don’t care. They accurately describe the fight, in my opinion.Diaz is the man most expect to win. I agree with that notion. This guy is in the midst of one of the most impressive welterweight winning streaks since Jon Fitch ran off 16 in a row. Unlike during Fitch’s run, however, nobody is questioning Diaz’s finishing ability or his ability to thrill a crowd. The Stockton, California native fights with a full-throttle, unyielding style that is designed to break an opponent mentally and physically.It is a style that has overwhelmed everyone since the beginning of 2008, including all-time greats BJ Penn and Frank Shamrock. He mixes possibly the best boxing in the sport with a granite chin, an endless gas tank and high-level Gracie jiu-jitsu. Not a bad combination. But let’s not kid ourselves. Condit is the far more explosive fighter. If this fight ends by knockout in the first round, Condit is the one who will have his hand raised. Not Diaz. And while Condit isn’t riding an 11-fight winning streak, his recent run of success isn’t much less impressive than what Diaz has experienced.Condit has won 12 of his last 13 bouts. That lone loss, a split decision dropped to Martin Kampmann, was arguably a bad result. At the very least, it was highly controversial. In his last two bouts, he walked through Dong-Hyun Kim and Dan Hardy via first round knockouts. The former was undefeated at the time. The latter was just over six months removed from challenging for the world championship. The pair will meet on Saturday night for the interim UFC welterweight Championship, a secondary title that officially anoints a number one challenger to injured champion Georges St-Pierre. Better put, Saturday’s bout definitively answers the question as to who is the second best welterweight on the planet.When referee Steve Mazzagatti signals for the action to begin, Diaz will do what he does in every fight. The surly gladiator will aggressively take the center of the Octagon with his hands held unorthodoxly high, likely at eye level or higher, and begin his unrelenting attack. Diaz will work from the southpaw stance, focused on just touching his foe with his fists over and over again. He won’t load up on his strikes. That takes too long and increases the odds of missing the target. Instead, sharp right jabs, often mixed with pawing grabs at his opponent’s left hand, will establish the range. He will pump the jab again and again, bruising, bloodying and distracting his foe. The shots will come in short succession, like one-arm combinations. But he is far from a one-armed striker. Diaz will fire his straight left—a very straight left, as soon as his right foot establishes the proper position on the outside of Condit’s lead left foot. Sometimes he will throw the left in isolation following a jab. Often he will follow it up with a clean-up right hook. He will also mix in leading with both of those strikes. The point is to overwhelm and confuse his opponent, all the while chipping away at his strength and cardio from the constant bombardment of shots thrown at 70% of his maximum power.From time to time, Diaz will clean up his straight right with a right outside leg kick. He might even add a left or right high kick here or there. If Condit finds some success on the feet, Diaz may switch to an orthodox stance, fighting with the same fistic patters as when he attacks from his more traditional southpaw stance. His straight right is nowhere near as good as his straight left. By contrast, his left jab and left hook are close to, if not equal, to their southpaw counterparts.The one constant throughout the attack will be Diaz’s taunts. He will lean forward, sticking out his chin with his hands spread wide apart, as if he is giving an opponent a free shot. Diaz knows that he has amazing defensive skills, so the goal is to bait his opponent into missing so that Diaz can counter. If his foe hesitates, Diaz will fire slapping hooks from his widely spread fists. Those are calculated moves designed to show his foe that the former Strikeforce champion is the superior fighter. It’s as if he is screaming, there is nothing you can do to hurt me. I leaving myself wide open, and I’m still putting my stamp on you.Physical taunts aren’t the only mind games that Diaz plays with his foes. A big part of his game is using harsh words to both hype up himself and enrage his foe. The former often serves as a shot of adrenalin—or, more appropriately in Diaz’s case, a steady stream of adrenalin from bell to bell. The latter often leads to an opponent fighting with more recklessness or loading up more on strikes. Either of those mistakes makes Diaz’s tappy-tap attack more effective.Thus, venomous taunts will flow like water exiting a wide-open spigot. Personal insult after personal insult will bombard his foe second only to the nonstop barrage of punches. It is a demoralizing assault, one that only the mentally and physically toughest fighters can withstand. Diaz is counting on the fact that Condit is not among those. I’m quite sure Condit disagrees.Like Diaz, Condit is also a savagely aggressive fighter with an excellent chin, equal comfort on the feet or the ground, and a deep gas tank. Sounds like a carbon copy, doesn’t it? These two are actually as different as they are similar.Condit is the physically stronger fighter. He possesses a high percentage of fast-twitch muscle fiber in his body, which enables him to explode on foes in a way that leaves many other welters green with envy. Diaz generates knockouts from perfect timing and technique. Condit does it with explosive speed and power.Condit is also more of a go-for-broke attacker. He is willing to throw caution to the wind and attack in berserker style. All of Diaz’s attacks are calculated and controlled. He is never wild. He never forgets defense.Guess what? Both of those traits – tremendous explosiveness and a willingness attack, even in the face of guaranteed return fire – are exactly the recipe for defeating Nick Diaz on the feet, assuming, of course, that a fighter has the standup skills to execute during the attack.Carlos Condit and well-rounded go together like peanut butter and jelly.“The Natural Born Killer” is one of the most well rounded fighters in the sport. In 27 professional wins, he has 13 knockouts and 13 submissions on his resume. That is reminiscent of a prime Rich Franklin, before the former middleweight champ became obsessed with his standup game. Condit’s standup is pretty straightforward, though extremely effective. He fights with the squared orthodox stance of a Thai fighter. He is more versatile on the feet than Diaz, incorporating kicks, elbows and knees with his fists, as opposed to Diaz’s heavily boxing-focused attack. And he can end the fight with any of those strikes. Typically not in one-strike fashion. Condit is more of a combination striker, but he has the juice to score one-shot wins. Just ask Dan Hardy.On the ground, Condit is much craftier fighter than his Brazilian jiu-jitsu rank suggests. He doesn’t inspire fear in opponents from his guard. But he is a monster from the top position and a back expert. His ground acumen is irrelevant in this fight. He isn’t on the same planet in terms of BJJ skills, compared to Diaz. The only way Condit wins this fight by submission is if he first lands a consciousness-altering strike, leaving Diaz basically defenseless for a brief period.Condit doesn’t much care about that. He isn’t coming Las Vegas to submit Diaz. He is coming to knock him out, whether cold or by cuts. And I’m sure he believes he can do just that.Neither Diaz nor any other fighter is invincible. The big key to victory for Condit is to force Diaz to fight moving backwards. Condit must be the bully. He cannot sit back and counter. Otherwise, Diaz will overwhelm him with his volume punching, just like he did Penn. He might land a fight-ending counter. That can happen in any fight. It is just highly unlikely based on Diaz’s history facing even bigger, more explosive strikers, like Paul Daley, and smothering them with his whirlwind attack.On the other hand, if Condit comes out and fires first, he has a chance to do what only KJ Noons has done since mid-2006—defeat Nick Diaz. Noons beat Diaz by beating him to the punch. Noons, who doubles as a professional boxer, used good angles and always made sure he fired first with accurate, sharp punches. Diaz never got into a rhythm against in his first bout against Noons principally because he never had the opportunity to lead. In the rematch, Diaz undressed his former conqueror in typical Diaz fashion. He was the bully from bell to bell. Condit can’t let that happen on Saturday night.The second key to victory for Condit is to clinch with Diaz, force him up against the cage and use dirty boxing—elbows, forearms and slicing punches. Diaz has a history of easily cutting along his eyebrows. That is no big secret. He underwent surgery in 2008 to remove excess scar tissue and grind down his brow bones to help correct this problem. It certainly helped in subsequent fights, but his brow leaked against Penn, which suggests that scar tissue might be building back up. Condit should seek to find out.I truly believe that this fight will be an epic war. Will Condit be the one to survive the war? Is he the man to put an end to Diaz’s amazing 11-fight run? It doesn’t seem likely, in my opinion. A skilled, explosive and attacking striker is the best way to beat Diaz on the feet, but it is still a long-shot way of winning. The absolute best way of beating Diaz is to put him in the cage against a dominant wrestler with great submission defense who takes him down and holds him there. Condit isn’t that guy. So I’m going with Diaz, likely by decision but possibly by late-round stoppage. QUICK FACTSNick Diaz• 28 years old• 27-7, 1 NC• Finished 9 of last 11 opponents• 5-0 in last 5• 10-0 in last 10• 11-fight winning streak• 4-1 in title fights (4 in Strikeforce, 1 in Elite XC)• Has never been submitted• Former Strikeforce welterweight champion (never lost title; vacated it to return to the UFC)• Fight of the Night (UD3 over BJ Penn at UFC 137)• Current layoff is 98 days• Longest layoff of career is 315 daysCarlos Condit• 27 years old• 27-5• 4-1 in last5• 9-1 in last 10• 4-0 in major title fights (all in WEC)• Has never been knocked out• Has only gone the distance 3 times in 32 professional fights (1-2 in those bouts)• Fight Night award in last 3 fights• Knockout of the Night (KO1 over Dong-Hyun Kim at UFC 132)• Knockout of the Night (KO1 over Dan Hardy at UFC 120)• Fight of the Night (TKO3 over Rory MacDonald at UFC 115)• Current layoff is 217 days• Longest layoff of career is 269 days

Posted in: fight, diaz, ’t, condit, •nbspnbsp

GSP Talks UFC 143

Las Vegas, Nevada – On Saturday night, live from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, elite welterweights Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit will collide for the interim UFC 170lbs championship.UFC superstar Georges St-Pierre will be a very interested – and conflicted – ringside observer to the UFC 143 main event. ‘GSP’ has been the undisputed welterweight king since the spring of 2008, but knee injuries have forced him to withdraw from scheduled bouts with both Condit and Diaz and so he must sit on the sidelines while the pair stake a claim to his crown. Expected to return to the Octagon™ perhaps as early as the summer, St-Pierre had this to say:CHEERING FOR THE ENEMY “I respect Carlos Condit, but I want Diaz to win. It will be a weird feeling, sitting at the Mandalay Bay wanting Nick Diaz to win. I want this fight with Diaz so badly, as badly as I wanted the title shot when I got down on my knees. I have never asked (UFC President) Dana White for anything, but I did ask to fight Nick Diaz. I was (crushed) when I had to pull out of this weekend’s fight hurt, but I am determined to get back to the Octagon as soon as possible to fight this guy. He needs to hold up his part and beat Carlos Condit on Saturday to make this fight happen.ON HIS FEARS CONDIT WILL WIN“I am very nervous that Carlos Condit will win on Saturday night, and that I won’t be able to fight Nick Diaz this summer. Carlos Condit is a very good fighter, he can strike, he is aggressive and he has submissions. He has been very impressive and is the type of fighter who gets better and better the more confident he gets.I am not personal friends with him but I know him a little and he’s a great person. I know a lot of people who know him well because we train with the same people, but I have only spoken with him a few times. He is a true mixed martial artist. I feel bad, it is weird that I want him to lose, but I have never wanted to fight anyone as much as I want to fight Diaz.”ON DANA WHITE’S COMMENT THAT GSP ‘HATES’ DIAZ“I don’t truly hate him as a person. I don’t know that he is a bad guy, but I hate what he brings to the sport with the disrespect and the unprofessional things he says and does. It is sort of a professional hatred. He has been nothing but disrespectful and arrogant towards me. During UFC 137 (week) I felt like I had to walk around Las Vegas with my fists ready (to punch Diaz) because every time I came across him he wanted to fight there and then. Every time the elevator opened (in the hotel) I needed to be ready to fight in case he stepped in. I was on edge all week. This guy is crazy.I am used to hearing (smack) talk from opponents, Matt Serra did it, Dan Hardy did it, and Josh Koscheck did it, but with Diaz he has taken it to another level. He and his coach (Cesar Gracie) have called me a coward and tried to disrespect my accomplishments. All that has done though is make me determined to beat him up. He will bring out the best in me, I will be 100% focused, like a bomb-expert defusing a time bomb. When my back is against the wall and I have no choice but to win, when I cannot lose to this person under any cost, that is when I am most dangerous. Also, as champion, I believe Diaz deserves the fight for the title. Style-wise, he is a very tough match for me and the fans deserve to see the fight they really want to see.” ON WHETHER THE ‘INTERIM’ CHAMP WILL BE THE REAL CHAMP“The way I see it, I am not the champion anymore on Saturday night. I have not fought since April, against my will, but I understand the champion must fight. You have to put the belt on the line in order to call yourself champion, the best in the world. Right now I am not the best in the world, I am injured. The winner of this fight on Saturday will be more than just the new No.1 contender, but he won’t be the new champion either. The winner of this fight will have to beat me to become the true world champion and I will have to beat the winner of this fight in order to call myself the best in the world again. I like the format where the winner of this fight will have to fight me and I have to fight the winner to truly become the UFC champion. That is what the UFC is about, that is competition. This is fair to all of us, we have to beat each other to be the undisputed champion.” ON DIAZ’S DOMINATING WIN OVER BJ PENN“He was very impressive. Nick Diaz’s boxing is very strong; he could be the best boxer in the UFC. I don’t want to be seen to be advising any other fighter how to win a fight, but if Diaz does what he does best then he should win this fight on Saturday. It is a very close fight though.”ON HIS RIGHT KNEE INJURY AND REHAB“I am ahead of schedule. I can already train and even kick but I am remaining calm and not rushing. I won’t train properly until July, it is a matter of discipline not to force my knee to go harder than it can heal. No athlete wants to sit on the sidelines, especially when you are the champion and you must watch two others fight for the interim championship belt. I will watch on Saturday and go home very motivated to rehab on Monday morning but I must be disciplined and I must continue to rehab at the pace I am doing.”Tickets for UFC®143: DIAZ vs. CONDIT, presented by BUD LIGHT®, are priced at $750, $500, $350, $225, $125 and $75 and are available at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino) or via Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 as well as at www.mandalaybay.com and www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges.UFC®143: DIAZ vs. CONDIT will be available live on Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on UFC.TV, iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Avail-TVN, BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.99 US/$49.99 CAN for Standard Definition and $54.99 US/$59.99 CAN for High Definition.

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, champion, condit

History in the Making: Carlos Condit closes out WEC's welterweight division in thrilling fashion

The last World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) welterweight champion finally has his chance at earning gold inside the Octagon. Carlos Condit, who was the only 170-pound champion the Zuffa-owned WEC ever had, is taking on Nick Diaz in Saturday's (Feb. 4) UFC 143 main event. At stake is an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) interim welterweight title and a date with injured champion Georges St. Pierre later in the year. But more than that, it's a chance for both men to take on the man many consider to be the perfect mixed martial artist (MMA) in the French-Canadian. Seemingly without weakness, St. Pierre outwrestles wrestlers, outstrikes strikers and pretty much makes each and every opponent look bush league. For Condit, a chance at facing "Rush" and beating him means MMA immortality. "The Natural Born Killer" has already had his brushes with greatness which include his WEC 35 title bout with Japanese fighter turned boxer Hiromitsu Miura. Their back and forth war was the final 170-pound title fight the promotion had as the weight class -- along with middle- and light heavyweight -- was absorbed into the UFC six months later. Let's take a closer look at that bout. Condit starts his attack by unleashing kicks to both Miura's legs and body. Nearly a minute and a half into the round, the Japanese fighter clinches with the champion and attempts a judo toss which Condit defends perfectly. But seconds later, the New Mexican is slammed onto his back when Miura attacks with a vicious O-goshi throw. Condit is able to get back to his feet quickly but a beautifully executed sweep -- aided by a diversionary one-two punch combination -- gets the champion on the mat for the second time. A third toss drops "The Natural Born Killer" but as with the previous two, Miura has difficulty holding him down. As they reset on their feet, both sets of hands begin to fly and the Japanese fighter finds himself stunned when a looping hook is perfectly countered with a vicious straight. Miura drops to the canvas and Condit dives in after him, looking to finish off his staggered challenger. From sidemount, Condit rains down short elbows before trapping Miura in a crucifix, allowing for more strikes to land while also working towards a submission. The attempt finally comes when Condit spins around and looks to extend his opponent's arm but Miura, grappling savvy and tough as nails, slips out and drops a couple bombs in retaliation. The champion gets to his feet but yet another hip toss drops him back down. The commentator states it might be the most impressive display of judo technique inside the cage fans have seen yet and it's hard to disagree. Early into the second round, fortune smiles on Condit as Miura loses his footing and falls backwards onto the mat. From there, the champion takes over and the first four minutes -- save for a nice upkick from the challenger -- are all Condit. Ground and pound from sidemount leads to a smooth transition to full mount which culminates in a tight armbar attempt with 90 seconds remaining in the round. Miura defends beautifully and is able to wiggle his arm free and ends up on top. Neither fighter does much of anything and are stood up. A botched hip toss leads to Miura back on the mat with "The Natural Born Killer" on top, the position the challenger had been in for most of the round. The third round opens with both fighters exchanging and it seems Condit has found his range. He's using his reach advantage impressively, keeping Miura at bay while also using his strikes to set up takedowns. Condit ends up behind his challenger and wrestles him to the mat, threatening with a guillotine momentarily. Once released, however, "The Natural Born Killer" is once again in full mount, this time with over four minutes remaining in the stanza. Short elbows are the name of the game but two minutes in, Miura explodes out and sweeps his opponent, ending up in half guard. The Japanese fighter gives the champion a taste of his own medicine as he unloads a bevy of punches before both fighters end up in a vertical base. The crowd roars as the two begin to exchange wildly but an ill-timed takedown attempt from Miura leads to Condit once again ending up on top. A kimura attempt is shrugged off by the challenger but "The Natural Born Killer" once again gets full mount and begins to brutalize Miura with punches and elbows. He gives up his back to Condit but is able to fend off the rear naked choke until the horn sounds. The round may have been demoralizing for Miura but you wouldn't suspect it judging by his performance in the fourth round as an early flurry had the champion reeling. Midway through the round, the two fighters -- Miura on top of Condit -- are stood up and upon restarting immediately begin throwing heavy leather. A spectacular takedown from the champion looks to be the beginning of the end for the spirited challenger as Condit achieves full mount for the charmed third time but Miura, tough as he is stubborn, refuses to relent and once again sweeps the American on to his back. Miura unloads ground and pound until Condit is able to kick him away, creating enough distance to get vertical. The challenger storms in and "The Natural Born Killer" barrels a knee into the Japanese fighter's chin, dropping him to the mat where several hammerfists give the referee all the incentive he needs to halt the bout. Condit showed a toughness that cannot be taught in the gym that night, the same toughness on display when he survived an early onslaught from Jake Ellenberger and came from behind to finish off Rory MacDonald. Will it come into play on Saturday when he steps inside the Octagon against Nick Diaz?

Posted in: fighter, round, champion, condit, miura

UFC 143 Video: Nick Diaz Vs. Carlos Condit Primetime 2

FX aired the latest episode of the UFC's Primetime series for UFC 143. The show follows ex-Strikeforce welterweight champ Nick Diaz and former WEC welterweight champ Carlos Condit as they prepare for their interim title bout at UFC 143 on February 4, 2012 in Las Vegas. Diaz last fought at UFC 137 when he beat former light- and welterweight champ B.J. Penn by three round decision. Condit was supposed to fight Georges St. Pierre for the title at that same event but didn't get to fight at all when GSP dropped out with a strained knee. Condit's title shot was to have passed to Diaz at UFC 143, but GSP tore the ACL on his other knee and Condit got called up for the interim title bout. The third and final episode of UFC 143 Primetime airs on Feb. 3 on FX. In case you missed the first episode, that video is after the jump.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, title, condit, title bout

UFC 143 Diaz vs. Condit Extended Video Preview

Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit square off for the UFC interim welterweight title at UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit on Super Bowl weekend. Check out the extended video preview.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, video, condit, welterweight title

UFC 143 'Primetime' video for 'Diaz vs Condit' (Episode 2)

In cased you missed any or all of it last night (Jan. 27, 2012), here is the second of three episodes of the "all access" behind-the-scenes look at the UFC 143 main event between Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit. To watch the first episode of UFC 143 "Primetime" click here. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and FX collaborated for the latest "Primetime" series, which follows former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz as he prepares to fight fellow division number one contender Carlos Condit for the interim title on Feb. 4, 2012, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The third and final episode of UFC 143 "Primetime" is set to air on Feb. 3, also on FX. To get up to speed on the reaction to episode two of UFC 143 "Primetime" click here. For more on UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" be sure to hit up our event archive right here. To check out the latest UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" fight card and rumors click here.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, episode, condit, primetime

Reminder: 'UFC Primetime: Diaz vs. Condit' returns tonight on FX

As a reminder, "UFC Primetime" returns tonight in anticipation of UFC 143's highly anticipated interim championship main event. former Strikeforce champ Nick Diaz and former WEC titleholder Carlos Condit, who headline February's UFC 143 event. Episode No. 2 of the series debuts tonight at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT on FX. The final episode airs next week.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, event, condit, episode airs

Part 2 of ‘UFC Primetime: Diaz vs. Condit’ Premieres Tonight on FX

Part 2 of "UFC Primetime: Diaz vs. Condit" airs Friday night on FX at 11 p.m. Eastern and continues to give viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the fighters' camps.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, condit, primetime

UFC 143 'Primetime' episode two on FX discussion thread for 'Diaz vs Condit'

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns with its "Primetime" preview for UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit," a three-part series featuring a behind-the-scenes look as former Strikeforce welterweight Champion Nick Diaz prepares to fight fellow division number one contender Carlos Condit for the Interim title on Feb. 4, 2012, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Episode two premieres TONIGHT (Fri., Jan. 27) at 11 p.m. ET on the FX Channel. Episode three of "UFC Primetime" airs Feb. 3 and if you missed the first installment, click here to watch it in its entirety. "Diaz vs. Condit" was booked after UFC welterweight champion George St. Pierre suffered a devastating knee injury, one that was severe enough to require surgery and several months of rehab. His ACL tear marked the second time St. Pierre has been forced to withdraw from a headlining title defense against Diaz, which will no doubt do little to convince the fiery Stockton slugger that he ain't "scared." "Rush" pulled out of their UFC 137 main event back in October after spraining his medial collateral ligament (MCL). It was not torn and St. Pierre was quickly re-booked to face Diaz, who bumped Carlos Condit from the number one contender spot after retiring B.J. Penn back on Oct. 29. Now both Condit and Diaz get the opportunity they've wanted since day one: To fight for the UFC welterweight title. In fact, PPV buys notwithstanding, this 170-pound war could meet and perhaps even exceed the fireworks expected in the original billing. Time will tell. For more on UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" be sure to hit up our event archive right here. See the current fight card and rumors here.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, condit, knee injury

Carlos Condit: “I’m a more technical fighter than Diaz.”

While this weekend’s event on FOX is certainly deserving of attention, the reality is the match-up UFC fans are truly thirsting for will take place on Super Bowl Weekend when Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz duke it out at UFC 143 for the right to be called an interim champion. While the trash-talk has been minimal between the two welterweights during the build up to their bout based on mutual respect, that’s not to say each man isn’t supremely sure of himself when it comes to exiting the Octagon with a victory on February 4. Diaz and Condit spoke about their upcoming fight in an extended preview for the PPV where the “Natural Born Killer” made it clear he feels he has an advantage over Diaz in all areas, especially when it comes to striking. “I feel like I’m a more technical fighter than Diaz,” Condit explained when asked about how he compared to the former Strikeforce title-holder. “I have more weapons in my arsenal. I just bring some different stuff to the table.” “He can take a good shot but can he take knees? Is he going to be able to take elbows? It’s a different when it’s a shin across your face,” he continued. Getting word of Condit’s statements, Diaz replied, “That’s a nice thought, right? Go out there and throw some kicks and some elbows, some knees, and win the fight. Can you get that stuff off when you’re running backwards?” While the outcome may be in question there’s no doubt Condit-Diaz should deliver a “Fight of the Year” candidate when they clash in the cage. Condit has finished 26 of the 27 opponents he’s beaten while Diaz has racked up stoppages in 21 of 26 total victories. Check out the complete preview below: PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, diaz, “ i, condit, “ fight

UFC 143 ‘Diaz vs. Condit’ In-Depth Preview

UFC 143 “Diaz vs. Condit” takes place on Saturday, February 4, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, Nevada and will air live on pay-per-view at 10pm ET/7pm PT. The official UFC 143 fight card can be found in our fight cards section.

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, vs, condit

How to win against Nick Diaz

I know this might stir up a shitstorm but whatever. I was chatting with a friend earlier today what the best gameplan would be for Condit to beat Diaz. Not discounting Condit's natural talents at all, but trying to highlight Diaz's weaknesses, the fight plan went pretty much something like this: Leg kicks and more leg kicks, circle back and away, use jabs to keep distance and kick Nick's right leg (his lead leg) mercilessly whenever given the opportunity. Do not get sucked into his taunting and play his game. Circle back and away, then punish his legs whenever possible. If it goes to the ground and he ends up in Nick's guard, just defend until the ref stands you back up. Sorry, crowds hate this 'lay n pray' shit, but it's all about getting the W. Once Nick's leg is sufficiently pulverized after a few rounds, he won't have a strong base to throw punches from and though he doesn't really do it as often these days, he'll probably try to go for takedowns. Hopefully he'll be broken down enough that his takedowns can be stuffed. Then Condit can turn on the punches and start using his own solid talents however he sees fit. Hopefully Condit can maintain sufficient stamina for the late rounds to deliver some punishment, as Nick's triathlete stamina is off the charts. If you're Diego Sanchez of course you could do something more like this: http://www.mmavideofights.net/3505/nick-diaz-diego-sanchez-video-ultimate-fighter-2-finale/ Upvote/downvote/whatever... just curious to see what other redditors think are the biggest weaknesses in Diaz's fight game and how best to capitalize on them. I should say, I'm a big Diaz fan and want him to win so it'll be a direct path to a fight with GSP next fall when GSP is fully healed up. I'll fly to Vegas for that, was going to be in Vegas this Feb 4th until I heard GSP got injured. tl;dr -- Leg kicks. submitted by tritiumpie [link] [54 comments]

Posted in: fight, diaz, nick, leg, condit

Nick Diaz thinks he is the most well rounded fighter in the world, Carlos Condit is better than Georges St. Pierre (Video)

"I think I'm the most well rounded fighter in the world. I deserve a spot in the pound-for-pound rankings. And that's what I'm fighting for.... This is my lifestyle, this is what I do. I'm going to be ready to fight Carlos Condit -- he's the best fighter out there. He's winning his fights, he looks good. He's beat everybody, he fights better than everybody. In my eyes, he's better than Georges St. Pierre.... I respect his style of fighting.... I just try and keep it real -- I'm not going to put a fake on you, out on a show and pretend I'm someone I'm not. I have no idea when it comes anything else. I just fight." UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" is the next major mixed martial arts (MMA) pay-per-view (PPV) event to be held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on Feb. 4, 2012 from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada Georges St. Pierre was originally scheduled to defend his welterweight championship against Nick Diaz in the main event. However, on Dec. 7, 2011, it was revealed "Rush" had suffered an ACL injury that required surgery to repair, forcing him to withdraw from the bout. Diaz will now face Carlos Condit with the winner receiving an interim title belt. It's a big time fight that Diaz declares is actually better than the original showdown with St. Pierre because, well, the "Natural Born Killer" is a better fighter. Check out Diaz's full explanation, as well as his breakdown of Condit's strengths, in the video contained in the extended entry: Anyone care to agree and/or disagree? For everything you need to know about the fight between Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit in the UFC 143 main event click here.

Posted in: fight, diaz, condit, he, im

Diaz Boxing Coach: Carlos Condit is in trouble, Nick's going to beat him down

Top Welterweight contender Nick Diaz, who will square off with Carlos Condit for the interim title in February, discusses his preparation for the bout, and gives viewers a glimpse into his training camp at the Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy. Also present is his boxing coach, Richard Perez, who says he is confident that "The Stockton Bad Boy" is going to "beat down" Condit at UFC 143.

Posted in: coach, condit, carlos condit, training camp, trouble nicks

It's time to watch UFC Primetime: Diaz Vs. Condit

There is nothing I want to do more than watch Diaz Vs. Condit on Xbox Live. Fights like these only come around four, maybe five times a year. You know, fights that are 100% guaranteed to leave you satisfied and tired afterwords, throat burning from screaming at the TV. But I can't watch Diaz Vs. Condit on Xbox Live. You know why? My Xbox broke, and when I got my new unit I had to enter in my Windows Live ID, which I created 6 years ago and forgot about. Well, eventually I figured out my lost Windows email but then I forgot my ancient password. No biggie though right? I'll just reset my password and be on my way. Wrong. Dead wrong. Every time I try to reset my password I'm met with this: "There is a temporary problem with this service please try again later'. I've tried different browsers, computers, cleared my cache. I flew to San Francisco and tried to reset my password on a computer there. I even had Dave Walsh of LiverKick.com fame try to reset it for me in New Mexico to no avail. Nothing will ever get me my Xbox Gamertag back and all I want to do is play Halo and watch UFC. This has been going on for a month. Please, [insert religious figure/Obi Wan] help me. You're my only hope. Now this UFC Primetime: Diaz Vs. Condit is out and it's so awesome that I feel mocked. Hopefully I can get this mess sorted out in the next few weeks or I don't know what I will do. [Source]

Posted in: diaz, vs, condit, password, reset

UFC 143 'Primetime' video for 'Diaz vs Condit' (Episode one)

In cased you missed any or all of it last night (Jan. 20, 2012), here is the first of three episodes of the "all access" behind-the-scenes look at the UFC 143 main event between Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and FX collaborated for the latest "Primetime" series, which follows former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz as he prepares to fight fellow division number one contender Carlos Condit for the interim title on Feb. 4, 2012, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Episodes two and three of UFC 143 "Primetime" air Jan. 27 and Feb. 3, respectively, also on FX. Get up to speed on the reaction to episode one of UFC 143 "Primetime" click here. For more on UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" be sure to hit up our event archive right here. To check out the latest UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" fight card and rumors click here.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, condit, primetime

UFC goes 3D for 143

The UFC announced that it will be showing UFC 143 in 3D in movie theatres. The main event Super Bowl Weekend has Nick Diaz battling Carlos Condit for the interim welterweight title. Via UFC press release: Las Vegas, Nevada – The Ultimate Fighting Championship®, in conjunction with Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp. (NASDAQ: CIDM) and NCM Fathom, announced that tickets for the first-ever live, 3-D broadcast of a UFC® Pay-Per-View event on the Big Screen are on sale now. The championship fight card,UFC® 143: DIAZ vs. CONDIT, airs live and in 3-D in more than 100 theatres nationwide on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT from Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The night’s main event pits the fiery and unpredictable Nick Diaz against hard-hitting knockout artist Carlos Condit for the interim UFC welterweight title. An exciting co-main event features heavyweight Roy “Big Country” Nelson battling submission ace Fabricio Werdum. Tickets for UFC® 143: DIAZ vs. CONDIT are available for purchase now at www.ufc.com/3D, as well as at theatre box offices across the country. Fans can visit the website for information on which theatres will be carrying the event in their respective regions. “I know the fans love 3-D, so I’m happy to give them this championship fight live and in 3-D in theaters across the country,” UFC President Dana White said. “I cannot wait for this fight between Diaz and Condit to determine the interim UFC welterweight champion!” Payout Perspective: This will be an interesting experiment to see if the 3D concept will catch on with MMA. Last year, the UFC and Cindegim announced this partnership. The UFC first tried 3D with UFC on Versus 3. Depending on the price of the tickets, this could be a successful experiment and another option from having to pay $50 plus for a PPV. But, I don’t recall past attempts for movie theatre live events doing well. It would have been nice to have had bigger names on top of the card as this could draw more interested fans to this event.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, event, condit, theatre

Read the full article at MMA Payout

Programming reminder: UFC 143 'Primetime' premiers TONIGHT (Jan. 20) on FX

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns with its "Primetime" preview for UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit," a three-part series featuring a behind-the-scenes look as former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz prepares to fight fellow division number one contender Carlos Condit for the Interim title on Feb. 4, 2012, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Episode one premieres TONIGHT (Fri., Jan. 20) at 11 p.m. ET on the FX Channel. Episodes two and three of "UFC Primetime" air Jan. 27 and Feb. 3, respectively. "Diaz vs. Condit" was booked after UFC welterweight champion George St. Pierre suffered a devastating knee injury, one that was severe enough to require surgery and several months of rehab. His ACL tear marked the second time St. Pierre has been forced to withdraw from a headlining title defense against Diaz, which will no doubt do little to convince the fiery Stockton slugger that he ain't "scared." "Rush" pulled out of their UFC 137 main event back in October after spraining his medial collateral ligament (MCL). It was not torn and St. Pierre was quickly re-booked to face Diaz, who bumped Carlos Condit from the number one contender spot after retiring B.J. Penn back on Oct. 29. Now both Condit and Diaz get the opportunity they've wanted since day one: To fight for the UFC welterweight title. In fact, PPV buys notwithstanding, this 170-pound war could meet and perhaps even exceed the fireworks expected in the original billing. Time will tell. For more on UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" be sure to hit up our event archive right here. See the current fight card and rumors here.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, welterweight, condit, primetime preview

UFC 143

UFC 143: Super Bowl Weekend - Diaz vs. Condit Date: February 4, 2012 Venue: Mandalay Bay Events Center Location: Las Vegas, Nevada Articles Video Main Card (on Pay-Per-View): -Nick Diaz (26-7; #3 Welterweight) vs. Carlos Condit (27-5; #4 Welterweight) -Roy Nelson (16-6) vs. Fabricio Werdum (14-5-1; #7 Heavyweight) -Josh Koscheck (16-5; #6 Welterweight) vs. Mike Pierce (13-4) -Renan Barao (17-1) vs. Scott Jorgensen (13-4) -Ed Herman [...]

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, welterweight, condit

UFC 143 video trailer for 'Diaz vs Condit' on Feb. 4 in Las Vegas (Extended)

Here's the official extended video trailer for the UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" event, which is set to take place on Sat., Feb. 4, 2012, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, featuring Nick Diaz taking on Carlos Condit. And the marketing tactic used is a rather interesting one: "For the first time in three years, the UFC welterweight division will have a new champion." Kind of. Georges St. Pierre is still the champion but because he's laid up until later this year (maybe November), the UFC felt the need to create an interim title for Diaz and Condit to fight over. So, technically, there will be a new champion in the welterweight division. But it's essentially a 12-pound piece of tin, like Chael Sonnen loves to say, because it wasn't earned by going through St. Pierre. Nonetheless, we're just over two weeks away from the big show, Maniacs. For all the latest news and notes on UFC 143 click here.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, las vegas, condit, show maniacs

UFC 143 ‘Diaz vs. Condit’ Extended Trailer

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, vs, condit

UFC 143 Video: Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit Trailer

"For the first time in three years, the UFC welterweight division will have a new champion." With long time champ, Georges St. Pierre sidelined by injury, that's the angle they used on the latest promotional video released for UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit: The interim UFC welterweight championship is on the line at UFC 143 in Las Vegas, as the pride of Stockton, California, Nick Diaz, brings an 11 fight undefeated streak, a win over BJ Penn, and an attitude and style like no other into the Octagon for a showdown with "The Natural Born Killer," former WEC champion and exciting finisher Carlos Condit. Check out the complete fight card after the jump. Feb 4th, live on pay-per-view from Las Vegas, NV: Main Card: Nick Diaz (26-7, 1 NC) vs. Carlos Condit (27-5) [Interim WW Title] Roy Nelson (16-6) vs. Fabricio Werdum (14-5-1) Mike Pierce (13-4) vs. Josh Koscheck (16-5) Renan Barao (27-1, 1 NC) vs. Scott Jorgensen (13-4) Ed Herman (19-7) vs. Clifford Starks (8-0) Preliminary Card: Max Holloway (4-0) vs. Dustin Poirier (11-1) Edwin Figueroa (8-1) vs. Alex Caceres (6-4) Jorge Lopez (11-2) vs. Matt Riddle (5-3) Rafael Natal (13-3-1) vs. Michael Kuiper (11-0) Justin Edwards (7-2) vs. Mike Stumpf (11-3) Matt Brown (12-11) vs. Chris Cope (5-2)

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, card, condit

GSP Prefers to Fight Nick Diaz Over Carlos Condit

Filed under: UFC, NewsUFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre could be considered a Nick Diaz fan, at least for the next several weeks. St-Pierre, who is currently rehabbing his right knee, says he prefers to see Diaz capture the interim title against Carlos Condit at UFC 143 on Feb. 4. "The reason why I wish Nick Diaz to win that fight is because I want to fight Nick Diaz," St-Pierre said Monday during a live studio appearance on HDNet's Inside MMA. "I don't want to fight Carlos Condit. I want to fight Nick Diaz. But in another way, I just hope the best man will win. But if the best man is Nick Diaz I will appreciate it more because it would be a better build up for the fight." St-Pierre's absolutely correct. From a marketing perspective, a St-Pierre showdown against Diaz would be an easy sell. First, there's the backstory of St-Pierre being the UFC champion and Diaz being the former Strikeforce welterweight titleholder. And there's even more anticipation now that the fight has fallen through twice. "That's the fight that had to happen in the beginning. It didn't happen," St- Pierre said. "At first he didn't show up for the promotion and after I got hurt and this whole thing happened. That's really the fight that I want to do." They've never trained together, but St-Pierre has closer ties to Condit, having called Greg Jackson's gym his team before making the full-time move to the TriStar gym. And although St-Pierre thinks highly of Condit, St-Pierre's preference to see Diaz emerge the victor is strictly professional. "Even though I like Carlos Condit better as a person," St-Pierre says. "I would rather fight Nick Diaz." St-Pierre also believes he'll be in exceptional form for a fight against the trash-talking Diaz. "I'm at my best when there's pressure on my shoulders," St-Pierre said. "I'm at my best when someone is picking on me." St-Pierre underwent successful knee surgery in December and said Monday he is planning to return to hard training in July. St-Pierre told Inside MMA he's eyeing late October, early November for his return. Or at least one fight by the end of the year. "I hope so, please," said St-Pierre, holding his hands in a prayer position. "Give it to me." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: fight, diaz, nick, condit, stpierre

Preview for UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit made available for viewing

Welterweights Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit have held significant championships in the past before but neither has managed to procure a UFC belt. For one man that will change on February 4 when the two face off over an interim strap while 170-pound king Georges St. Pierre recovers from surgery to repair a torn ligament in his knee. If GSP suffers any sort of significant setback it’s likely the winner of Condit-Diaz will lose to label of “interim” and become the division’s lone title-holder. With their headlining bout only a few weeks away the UFC has released a preview for UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit where the “Natural Born Killer” frankly states, “It’s gonna be a dog fight.” Other match-ups scheduled for the Las Vegas event include Renan Barao vs. Scott Jorgenson and Fabricio Werdum vs. Roy Nelson, as well as in-ring appearances from Dustin Poirier, Ed Herman, and Josh Koscheck. Check out the video below:

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, condit, division ’s

UFC 143 ‘Diaz vs. Condit’ Trailer

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, vs, condit

UFC releases preview for UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit

After a PPV stop in Rio de Janeiro for UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes, the UFC will return home to Las Vegas in early February for their annual Super Bowl Weekend event and a card headlined by welterweights Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz duking it out for the interim title. The winner of the bout will move on to face linear champion Georges St. Pierre at some point in 2012 once he recovers fully from recent knee surgery. The UFC has now released a preview for the February 4 show where Condit sums it up nicely, saying, “It’s gonna be a dog fight.” Diaz Believes he is Better than Condit in Every Area Diaz has won his last eleven fights including a triumphant return to the Octagon in October where he picked apart BJ Penn to earn a clear-cut Unanimous Decision victory. He holds an overall record of 26-7 with twenty-one finishes including thirteen via TKO. Comparably, the 27-5 Condit has come out with his hand raised in four straight scraps with a recent win over Dong Hyun Kim in addition to those over Dan Hardy, Rory MacDonald, and Jake Ellenberger. Amazingly he has stopped all but one of the opponents he’s beaten. Check out the preview below: Tweet

Posted in: ufc, diaz, bj penn, preview, condit

UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit Video Trailer

The interim title will be up for grabs when top Welterweight contenders Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit go head to head in the UFC 143 headlining bout, set for February 4th from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, condit, head, carlos condit

(Pic) New UFC 143 poster for "Diaz vs. Condit" at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on Feb. 4, 2012,...

(Pic) New UFC 143 poster for "Diaz vs. Condit" at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on Feb. 4, 2012, in Las Vegas, Nevada. What's at stake? Just the Interim 170-pound title and a promise to unify it against Georges St. Pierre just as soon as "Rush" gets healthy. Be sure to check out the complete UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" fight card and rumors right here.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, condit, rumors right

UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit gets UFC Primetime treatment

Zuffa has announced it will throw caution to the wind and attempt to capture ever-elusive species Nickicus Diazytis in its native habitat as part of a special three-part UFC Primetime series promoting UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit. Kidding aside, the build towards the February 4 headliner between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit will indeed be chronicled by the UFC Primetime crew with episodes slated for FX. Starting January 20, fans can tune in at 11:00 PM EST to see Diaz and Condit prepare in a relatively real-time format with subsequent episodes on January 27 and February 3. Additional replays will be shown on Fuel TV. Diaz and Condit will clash over an interim belt while legitimate title-holder Georges St. Pierre heals up from major knee surgery. Both men had been previously linked to cracks at GSP with each match-up falling apart due to the champ’s health. Diaz has won his last eleven fights and is coming off a convincing decision over B.J. Penn, while Condit’s hand has been raised in four straight including a July TKO of Dong Hyun Kim. On top of promoting the pairing the show should also provide an intriguing look into the typically private Diaz’s day-to-day life. During the weeks leading up to his bout(s) at UFC 137 the 26-7 Californian no-showed a pair of press conferences and was late to a conference call promoting the event. Other past fights getting the Primetime rub include St. Pierre vs. Penn, Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez, and Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos. PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, condit, primetime

'Countdown to UFC 143' preview show debuts Jan. 10 on FUEL TV

While February's "UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit" event is getting the full "UFC Primetime" treatment, that doesn't mean the typical "Countdown" show has been nixed. In anticipation of the night's key matchups, FUEL TV debuts "Countdown to UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit" on Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Headliners Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit, who meet with the UFC's interim welterweight title on the line, are featured in the program, as are main-card fighters Josh Koscheck and Mike Pierce.

Posted in: ufc, condit, carlos condit, fuel tv, countdown show

UFC 143: Primetime Will Make FX Debut to Promote Nick Diaz Vs. Carlos Condit

The first "UFC Primetime" special on the FX network will debut on Friday, January 20, 2012 at 11 p.m. ET. The following episdoes will air on January 27 and February 3. The special promotes the upcoming UFC 143 welterweight interim title bout between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The two are fighting for the right to hold champion Georges St. Pierre's belt until he returns from surgery to repair a torn ACL. GSP had to pull out of his scheduled UFC 137 title bout with Condit due to an injury on his other knee then tore his right knee while training for a UFC 143 title bout with Nick Diaz. Condit got the call up to take GSP's place and it was decided to make it an interim title bout. St. Pierre has held the UFC welterweight title since beating Matt Serra at UFC 83 in 2008. He's made six successful title defenses in that time. Dias is the former Strikeforce welterweight champion and came to the UFC to fight GSP. He was originally signed to fight for the title at UFC 137 but blew off two press conferences and was pulled from the title fight. Diaz ultimately ended up facing B.J. Penn and taking a three round decision in the Fight of the Night. Condit has won four straight bouts in the UFC, with three straight by KO or TKO over Dong Hyun Kim, Dan Hardy and Rory MacDonald. He is the former WEC welterweight champion.

Posted in: ufc, title, bout, welterweight, condit

Programming alert: UFC 143 'Primetime' for 'Diaz vs Condit' premiers Jan. 20 on FX

Sometimes, a "Countdown" special just won't suffice. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns with its "Primetime" preview for UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit," a three-part series featuring a behind-the-scenes look as former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz prepares to fight fellow division number one contender Carlos Condit for the Interim title on Feb. 4 at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Episode one premieres on Fri., Jan. 20, 2012, at 11 p.m. ET on the FX Channel. Episodes two and three of "UFC Primetime" air Jan. 27 and Feb. 3, respectively. "Diaz vs. Condit" was booked after UFC welterweight champion George St. Pierre suffered a devastating knee injury, one that was severe enough to require surgery and several months of rehab. His ACL tear marked the second time St. Pierre has been forced to withdraw from a headlining title defense against Diaz, which will no doubt do little to convince the fiery Stockton slugger that he ain't "scared." "Rush" pulled out of their UFC 137 main event back in October after spraining his medial collateral ligament (MCL). It was not torn and St. Pierre was quickly re-booked to face Diaz, who bumped Carlos Condit from the number one contender spot after retiring B.J. Penn back on Oct. 29. Now both Condit and Diaz get the opportunity they've wanted since day one: To fight for the UFC welterweight title. In fact, PPV buys notwithstanding, this 170-pound war could meet and perhaps even exceed the fireworks expected in the original billing. Time will tell. For more on UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" be sure to hit up our event archive right here. See the current fight card and rumors here.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, st, condit

Two more welterweight bouts added to UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit

With an interim UFC welterweight championship match as the headliner, UFC 143 is quickly turning into a feature presentation for the 170-pound division, as two more welterweight fights have been set. According to a recent release by the UFC, Matt Brown faces Chris Cope, and Justin Edwards takes on Mike Stumpf. Both fights could be slated for the preliminary card of the night. UFC 143’s main event is scheduled to be Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit for the interim UFC title. Current champ Georges St. Pierre suffered a torn ACL and will be sidelined for several months, so Diaz and Condit will hold the title until he is healthy and ready to return. Brown sports just a 1-4 record in his last five fights but has kept his job thanks to his willingness to trade punches inside the Octagon. The former Ultimate Fighter 13 competitor is 12-11 overall. Brown’s opponent, Cope (5-2), is also an ex-TUF competitor. Cope is coming off a loss to Che Mills. Edwards carries a 7-2 mark into his bout with Stumpf (11-3). Edwards is 1-2 in UFC fights this year, defeating Jorge Lopez last September. Stumpf, meanwhile, dropped his debut UFC bout to T.J. Waldburger. UFC 143 takes place February 4 from Las Vegas, Nevada. Adding to the three above-mentioned welterweight wars, Josh Koscheck and Mike Pierce have signed up to compete on the card. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, fight, welterweight, stumpf, condit

UFC 143: Condit Opens as Slight Favorite Over Diaz, Early Money on Diaz

The opening line for the Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz battle at UFC 143 dropped last night, and frankly I was a little bit shocked at it. Condit opened as a very slight favorite at -125 to Nick's -105. As the title implies though, bettors know juicy lines when they see them and less that 24 hours later, the line now looks like this (courtesy of bodog.ca): Nick Diaz -150Carlos Condit +120 I expect more money to come in on Diaz in the next few days, and wouldn't be surprised to see him swell up into the -180 range. Of course, the late money will probably come in on Condit and bring it back closer to even, so if you think there's money to be made on Condit, you'll want to watch the line very closely over the next few weeks and strike when the line settles down. And if you wanted to make serious money on Diaz...well, you missed the boat last night. More SBN coverage of UFC 143

Posted in: diaz, nick, money, condit, line

Carlos Condit Opens As Favorite Over Nick Diaz at UFC 143

Filed under: UFC, NewsAs if Nick Diaz needs a reason to motivate himself for his upcoming UFC 143 main event matchup with Carlos Condit -- a bout that will determine a UFC interim welterweight champion -- Diaz can turn to the oddsmakers for some fuel. Diaz has voiced a displeasure at a perceived lack of respect for his achievements, and despite winning 11 fights in a row and vacating the Strikeforce welterweight belt to fight in the UFC, that apparently wasn't quite enough for linesmakers, who installed Condit as the favorite at UFC 143. Condit was only slightly favored in the opening line listed at several online sports books. He was listed at -125 while Diaz was -105. Since then, however, bettors have already closed the gap, and the fight is now a pick 'em, with both fighters at -115. At UFC 137, Diaz (26-7, 1 no contest) made his first start in the UFC since 2006 and romped in a unanimous decision win over BJ Penn. Afterward, he was bumped ahead of Condit and into a title fight with Georges St-Pierre, but a torn ACL sidelined the bout, paving the way for Diaz and Condit to collide. Condit is also in the midst of a strong run, having won four in a row and 12 of his last 13 overall. He's finished each of his last three opponents -- Rory McDonald, Dan Hardy and Dong Hyun Kim -- by KO or TKO. UFC 143 takes place on Feb. 4 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, condit, carlos condit

Greg Jackson expects Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz to be "a huge five-round war" at UFC 143

Renowned mixed martial arts trainer, Greg Jackson, discusses the likelihood of Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre making a speedy return from injury, and shares his thoughts on the upcoming 170-pound interim title bout between Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz. Jackson insists that if anyone is capable of making an early return from an ACL injury, it would be GSP, and says he's expecting a "huge five-round war" between Condit and Diaz.

Posted in: diaz, jackson, condit, fiveround war, acl injury

Carlos Condit vs Nick Diaz is 'going to be a big five-round war'

That's not my opinion, necessarily, though I don't exactly disagree. That's what mixed martial arts (MMA) trainer to the stars, Greg Jackson, told Inside MMA last night. Jackson, who trains Carlos Condit and is getting him ready for his interim welterweight championship bout at UFC 143 on Feb. 4, 2012, in Las Vegas, had this to say about the match-up: "It really is (going to be an interesting fight). You know, Diaz is so tough, and he's really turned it on this last year or two. He's looked amazing. Carlos has too, so I think it's going to be a real barnburner with those two guys. They're both tough as nails and I'm expecting a huge five round war. I'd like it to go short in our favor but Nick's so tough, it's going to be a big five round war." Not exactly going out on a limb with a prediction like that but what did we expect, right? Really, Condit and Diaz will have reason to get inside the cage with an extra zest to tear the other's head off. That's because they've both been on a veritable rollercoaster these past few months, especially Condit. They both had title shots against Georges St. Pierre ripped away, by insubordination and injury, and Diaz had to fight a friend (B.J. Penn) while "The Natural Born Killer" has been left sitting on the sidelines twiddling his thumbs. Sounds like a recipe for a "big five-round war." Hear more from Jackson in the full entry, including his thoughts on his stable of fighters, which includes such elite fighters as the previously mentioned St. Pierre, Condit and Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones.

Posted in: diaz, jackson, condit, war, carlo

UFC 143 Diaz vs Condit Trailer

submitted by ImaG [link] [11 comments]

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, condit, imag

Diaz vs. Condit for Interim Belt - Tickets on Sale Friday

The Ultimate Fighting Championship® announced today that two of the sport’s top welterweight contenders will vie for the interim 170-pound title. Nick Diaz, a fiery and unpredictable southpaw riding an 11-fight win streak, will battle the division’s most fearsome knockout artist, Carlos Condit, when the UFC returns to the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on Saturday, Feb. 4.“With GSP out for 10 months, we are going to have Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit fight to crown an interim welterweight champion,” UFC President Dana White said. “I’ve had my differences with Nick, but he is a fighter through and through. The one thing I can guarantee is that come fight night, he is going to throw down. We all saw that in his last performance against BJ Penn. Carlos Condit is no different. He’s knocked out his last three opponents and believes he is the best fighter in the division. I get goose bumps just thinking about this fight!”Additional fights scheduled for this event include: welterweight bad boy Josh Koscheck vs. powerful wrestler Mike Pierce, as well as a pivotal featherweight bout pitting Erik “New Breed” Koch vs. Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier.Tickets for UFC®143: DIAZ vs. CONDIT, presented by BUD LIGHT®, go on sale TOMORROW, Friday, Dec. 16 at 10 a.m. PT and are priced at $750, $500, $350, $225, $125 and $75. Tickets will be available at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mandalaybay.com or www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges.UFC®143: DIAZ vs. CONDIT will be available live on Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on UFC.TV, iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Avail-TVN, BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.99 US/$49.99 CAN for Standard Definition and $54.99 US/$59.99 CAN for High Definition.Official UFC VIP packages are also available at http://vip.ufc.com. These packages include tickets to UFC 143, official event merchandise, as well as special VIP experiences with backstage tours and meet and greets with top UFC stars. Get closer to the action than ever before with this unique UFC VIP opportunity.During his reign as STRIKEFORCE welterweight champion, Nick Diaz (fighting out of Stockton, Calif.) defeated archrival KJ Noons and finished both Evangelista Santos and Paul Daley en route to becoming the organization’s best 170-pound fighter. Returning to the UFC with his destruction of Penn last October, Diaz - whose brother Nate is also a UFC competitor – looks to knock off Condit and secure his first UFC world title.“I wanted to fight Georges St-Pierre and I still want that fight when Georges comes back,” Diaz, who owns a record of 27-7, 1 NC, said. “Right now, I’m focused on beating Carlos Condit. He’s tough and he’s knocked a lot of guys out, but that doesn’t concern me. I know I’m a better fighter in all areas. I’m gonna win that belt on February 4.”Nicknamed “The Natural Born Killer,” Carlos Condit (fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) is a 27-year-old former WEC champion with four straight wins, three of which came by way of knockout. A pupil of renowned trainer Greg Jackson, Condit (27-5) now has the chance to fulfill a lifelong goal of winning the UFC welterweight title. He’s also motivated by the chance to fight one of the sport’s top pound-for-pound best.“Ever since I began my career in mixed martial arts, it has been my goal to be a UFC champion,” Condit said. “Upon hearing the news that I would be fighting for the interim welterweight title, I cannot begin to describe the mix of emotion that came over me. I am thankful to have such an opportunity. This will be the biggest fight of my career and I am ready to show that I am deserving of it.“Nick is a great fighter,” Condit added. “He’s also a hungry and motivated fighter. Both of us want to be the champion more than anyone could imagine. I look forward to training for the challenges that he will present in the Octagon. We both have aggressive styles, and that should provide for an entertaining fight for both the UFC and the fans.”An elite competitor who has fought some of the division’s toughest names, Josh Koscheck (fighting out of Fresno, Calif.) is fresh off a knockout victory over UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes in September. A member of the renowned American Kickboxing Academy and a former NCAA Division I national champion wrestler, “Kos” now turns his attention to ending the rise of Mike Pierce (fighting out of Vancouver, Wash.). Having won four of his last five fights, Pierce (13-4) is a hard-charging wrestler known for his ferocious ground and pound. He looks for the biggest win of his career when he meets Koscheck (18-5) on February 4.A pupil of renowned striking coach Duke Roufus, Erik Koch (fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisc.) has made an immediate impact since joining the UFC earlier this year, knocking out Raphael Assuncao in March and besting The Ultimate Fighter® season 12 winner Jonathan Brookins in September. To earn a crack at the featherweight title, the 23-year-old Koch (13-1) must defeat another surging prospect in 22-year-old Dustin Poirier (fighting out of Lafayette, La.). With a perfect 3-0 mark since dropping to featherweight at the start of 2011, the gritty Poirier (11-1) has impressed many thanks to decision victories over Josh Grispi and Jason Young, as well as a dynamic submission win over Pablo Garza in November at UFC® on FOX. Eyeing his own shot at the 145-pound crown, Poirier is gearing up for what should be an incredible bout with Koch at Mandalay Bay.Additional bouts will be announced at UFC.com in the weeks to come. All bouts live and subject to change.

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, fighter, condit

UFC 143 ‘Diaz vs. Condit’ Tickets On Sale This Week

UFC 143 is official. UFC 143 “Diaz vs. Condit” is scheduled to take place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, Feb. 4, and will air live on pay-per-view at 10pm ET/7pm PT. The card will be headlined by a interim welterweight title fight between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit. Ticket info below. UFC Fight Club Presale: Wednesday, Dec. 14, 10am PT UFC Newsletter Presale: Thursday, Dec. 15, 10am PT Public On-Sale Date: Friday, Dec. 16, 10am PT Tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster and Stubhub. The latest UFC 143 fight card and event info can be found in our fight cards section.

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, pt, condit

UFC 143 tickets on sale soon for 'Diaz vs Condit' at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on Feb. 4

Tickets for UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit," which was recently made official for the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sat., Feb. 4, 2012, will go on sale to the general public on Fri., Dec. 16, 2011, at 10 a.m. PT. UFC Fight Club members and UFC Newsletter subscribers, naturally, will be able to scoop up tickets prior to them being available for public consumption. UFC 143 will be headlined by former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz battling ex-WEC 170-pound kingpin Carlos Condit for the right to wear the division's Interim strap with Georges St. Pierre on the sidelines recovering from knee surgery. In the co-main event, former welterweight number one contender Josh Koscheck will try to keep his spot among the 170-pound elite by taking on the venerable Mike Pierce. Here is the UFC 143 tickets sales schedule (All times PT): UFC Fight Club presale: Weds., Dec. 14, at 10 a.m. UFC Newsletter presale: Thurs., Dec. 15, at 10 a.m. General tickets sale: Fri., Dec. 16, at 10 a.m. UFC 143 tickets can be purchased through StubHub.com (Note: StubHub often has seats available even if the event is "sold out"). It will also be available to watch on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET on fight night. For more on UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" be sure to hit up our event archive right here. See the current fight card and rumors here.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, event, ticket, condit

UFC 143's Carlos Condit: Georges St. Pierre will remain the true champion until beaten

No one has been on a crazier emotional roller-coaster ride as of late than Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight contender Carlos Condit. "The Natural Born Killer" was supposed to fight B.J. Penn at UFC 137 back on Oct. 29, 2011. However, when Nick Diaz was pulled from the main event, Condit was granted the title shot against 170-pound champion Georges St. Pierre. "Rush" then suffered an injury that would postpone the bout and keep Condit off of the Halloween-weekend card. The fight against St. Pierre was then rescheduled for UFC 143, but his shot was quickly taken away and given back to Nick Diaz after the Stockton scrapper called out the Canadian in the wake of his impressive win over "The Prodigy." Condit was then offered (and accepted) a fight against the always dangerous Josh Koscheck, which was scheduled for the same Super Bowl weekend card on Feb. 4, 2012. Yet, because of another injury to Georges St. Pierre, Condit has once again been given a title shot. Sorta. This time, he is scheduled to face Diaz, in what will be billed as an interim UFC welterweight title fight scheduled for the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. That's enough to drive a sane man crazy. However, speaking to MMAFighting.com earlier today, Condit concedes that he just has to laugh at all the twists and turns that have been tossed his way, while also also talking about his upcoming title fight with Diaz. Check it out: "Seeing everything that's happened over the past couple months, I kind of just had to laugh. It's crazy, a lot of ups and downs but after all this turmoil and stuff, it ended up going my way. Whether it's an interim title or not, this is what the fans have been screaming for from the welterweight division. They're looking for exciting fighters, guys who go out and put it on the line and come too thrown down win, lose or draw. I think both Diaz and myself are those guys, but George St. Pierre is the champion and he will remain the champion until me or someone else beats him." With Condit winning his last four in the Octagon, and winning 12 of his last 13 bouts dating back to the World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) days, he is more than deserving of a title shot. Standing in his way is another streaking welterweight in Diaz, who has won 11 in a row and was the last man to hold the Strikeforce welterweight title. Diaz was specifically brought over into the UFC ranks to face St. Pierre, but because of a bad case of the injury bug (and absence from promotional appearances) the fight has yet to come to fruition. Diaz made his re-debut at UFC 137, defeating Penn in a three round rout that saw the Cesar Gracie-trained fighter batter the Hawaiian for three rounds of pure stand-up action, earning a unanimous decision victory. Now both Condit and Diaz will finally have a chance to claim UFC gold as they will battle for the interim UFC welterweight title until "Rush" is fit to return to action. Did the promotion make the right choice to brand the fight between Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz an interim title fight, or should "Rush" fork over the strap and have the opportunity to fight to earn it back to make it official? Opinions, please.

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, title, condit

Carlos Condit Is a Nick Diaz Fan, and Looking Forward to Matchup of Similar Styles

Filed under: UFC, MMA Fighting Exclusive, NewsWhat a stretch it's been for Carlos Condit. First he was going to fight BJ Penn at 137, then he was going to fight Georges St-Pierre for the title. Then St-Pierre got injured and Condit got neither. Then, he was going to wait for his title shot with GSP, until he was moved aside in favor of Diaz. Then, Condit was going to fight Josh Koscheck at UFC 143, until a new St-Pierre injury occurred. And now, Condit is preparing for an interim welterweight title match against Nick Diaz. Got all that? If not, the bottom line is Condit and Diaz are paired up in a bout that promises fireworks. And as far as Condit is concerned, that's just fine. "Seeing everything that's happened over the past couple months, I kind of just had to laugh," he said on Monday's edition of The MMA Hour. "It's crazy, a lots of ups and downs but after all this turmoil and stuff, it ended up going my way." Condit (27-5) said that he is a fan of Diaz's fight style, likening it to his own aggressive approach that often leads to crowd-pleasing fights. Because of their similar styles and go-for-broke mentalities, many believe that a Condit-Diaz bout will be more intriguing than one involving St-Pierre. Though he doesn't necessarily agree, Condit is convinced the duo will produce something special at UFC 143. "Whether it's an interim title or not, this is what the fans have been screaming for from the welterweight division," he said. "They're looking for exciting fighters, guys who go out and put it on the line and come to thrown down win, lose or draw. I think both Diaz and myself are those guys." The switch from Koscheck to Diaz was a major shift in opponent base. Given his NCAA wrestling pedigree, Koscheck brings with him the constant threat of the takedown. Diaz is nowhere near as accomplished in that area though he compensates well for it with his dangerous ground game. Condit noted that he could be described in a similar way, and even though he believes he had the tools to overcome Koscheck, he likes the Diaz matchup. "Nick is a physically tougher guy, but I think his style matches up better with me, he said. "We're both standup fighters and we both have a jiu-jitsu base. I think Nick's style is definitely a better matchup for me." Condit said he still hopes to fight Koscheck at some point in the future, but his long-term hope is of course to fight St-Pierre, the longtime division champion who will be on the sidelines for possibly up to 10 months will recovering from a torn ACL in his right knee. To do that, he'll have to get through one of the sport's most fierce competitors, a guy who he has come to enjoy watching. "As a fighter, I am a fan," he said. "I think he's a great fighter. He's had an impressive run lately. He's top notch, one of the best in the world. I don't know the guy personally, so I can't really speak to whether I'm a fan of his personally. I think he's got a bad attitude, but you've got to be yourself, so that's just him doing him." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: fight, diaz, koscheck, condit, stpierre

Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce at UFC 143: Pierce says he "Would love to kick his a--"

The question as to who Josh Koscheck will face at UFC 143 has been answered; his opponent will be Mike Pierce. Koscheck was originally scheduled to face Carlos Condit on the February 4 card, but when UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre blew out his ACL during training, Condit was moved to the main event. Condit will now face Nick Diaz for the interim Welterweight title while St. Pierre is on the mend. Koscheck last fought on September 24, knocking out Matt Hughes at 4:59 of the first round.

Posted in: ufc, nick diaz, koscheck, condit, training condit

UFC 143: Mike Pierce replaces Carlos Condit against Josh Koscheck

You never know when opportunity is going to show up on your doorstep. Chael Sonnen disciple Mike Pierce, recently seen dispatching Paul Bradley in an entertaining three-round affair, reports via his official Twitter page that he has been selected to replace the upgraded Carlos Condit against Josh Koscheck at UFC 143 on Feb. 4, 2012, in Las Vegas, Nevada. It's on! KOS tried wiggling outta this one too, but Feb 4th he's mine. #ufc #ufc143 Pierce first turned heads in the UFC by giving eternal bridesmaid Jon Fitch one of his toughest bouts inside the Octagon, rocking the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) product late in the third round and becoming one of the rare welterweights to lose 29-28 instead of 30-27 against the perennial 170-pound contender. But he's not through with AKA just yet. Josh Koscheck had a pretty bad 2010, all things considered. After defeating Paul Daley for a shot at Georges St. Pierre's welterweight title, he was granted a spot opposite "GSP" coaching The Ultimate Fighter and quickly became one of the most reviled men in the sport for his constant trash talk and confrontations with Team St. Pierre's "male nurse". Things didn't improve once he actually got inside the cage with the champ, as St. Pierre showed tremendously superior striking and crushed Koscheck's orbital, keeping him out of commission until his UFC 135 bout against Matt Hughes. While "Kos" managed to knock the fading legend out, as expected, he's no doubt looking for a definitive win over a solid contender to erase the memory of his one-sided thumping at the hands of the division king. UFC 143 will take place on Feb. 4, 2012 and is headlined by a welterweight interim title bout between Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz. In addition, top-tier featherweight prospects Erik Koch and Dustin Poirier will go head-to-head, and bantamweight elite Scott Jorgenson will look to quell the rise of Renan "Barao". Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for future updates to this still-developing fight card.

Posted in: ufc, josh koscheck, koscheck, condit, carlos condit

Malki Kawa Discusses Condit vs. Nick Diaz, Jon Jones’ Hype and More

Manager Malki Kawa discusses his client Carlos Condit being placed back in a UFC title fight after GSP's injury, Jon Jones facing Lyoto Machida and more.

Posted in: jone, condit, lyoto machida, kawa, malki kawa

UFC 143: Carlos Condit 'stoked' to beat Nick Diaz, vows to become undisputed champion (Video)

"So ... another change of opponents. It's been kind of a crazy ride the last couple months, but you know, just gotta kinda roll with it. The good thing is that I've been training and focusing on what I need to be doing to win a fight no matter who they put in front of me. I'm really excited. I've been wanting to step into the Octagon with Nick Diaz for a really long time. Great fighter. Great skill set. I think that we're really going to put on a good show for the fans. I'm sure everybody's excited. Like I said, I'm stoked. I will be the UFC interim champion. And then when Georges gets better, I will be the undisputed UFC champion." -- Carlos Condit's glass is always half full and eventually, good things happen to those who wait. Then again, the rollercoaster continues, as Condit has once again been reinserted into a welterweight championship fight thanks to an injury suffered by Georges St. Pierre. Because "Rush" will be out of action for up to 10 months, Condit will now fight Nick Diaz at UFC 143 on Feb. 5, 2012, in Las Vegas for an interim 170-pound title. "The Natural Born Killer" says he's "stoked" to win that belt before unifying it with the strap St. Pierre is still carrying around once the French-Canadian is healthy enough to compete again. A winning attitude is half the battle, folks, and Condit has that market cornered. What are the chances he fulfills his ambitious goals, though?

Posted in: ufc, nick diaz, nick, champion, condit

Frank Shamrock thinks Nick Diaz will beat up GSP and kick Carlos Condit's ass

MMA is a lot like Highlander but with more blunt trauma and tap outs. We speak often about one fighter taking another fighter's soul, or the very real and scientific method of MMA Math, but none of that can compare to just talking to a guy who has seen it all. Like Frank Shamrock for example. After countless hours of playing EA MMA and hearing Frank talk about his fight with Nick Diaz, we decided we had to get him on the horn and ask him what his thought's were on the latest welterweight shakeup between GSP, Carlos Condit and Mr 209. Luckily The Legend had some free time away from cornering Brian Ebersole and The Hairrow™ up in Toronto to answer our call. So what do you think of GSP getting shelved for the year? Who do you have Diaz or Condit? Hoo, man. I think Nick's gonna beat him and I think Nick's gonna take the entire three way tournament there... Do you think that because you personally fought Diaz? Hmmm, I don't know. Yeah...Yeah I think I do. I know through fighting him that he's gonna go and kick those guy's asses. Yeah. He's an unstoppable fighting machine with extreme cardio. I think he beats them up. I wonder what Frank thinks about the future of that kid who single legged Phil Baroni.

Posted in: diaz, nick diaz, mma, nick, condit

Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit: 5 Rounds of Aggression and Fury

As reported earlier today, Georges St. Pierre blew his knee out and has been forced to withdraw from his title fight with Nick Diaz @ UFC 143. Dana White announced that the new game plan for the Welterweight division is Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit for the interim title. I feel terrible for Georges and of wish him all the best. I hope he gets his riddum back as soon as possible but, ladies and gentlemen...... WE HAVE A SERIOUS FIGHT ON OUR HANDS! Carlos Condit will be getting his title shot back that was awarded to him after Nick Diaz went AWOL leading up to UFC 137. The same title shot that was taken from him after Georges withdrew from that fight and subsequently given back to Diaz after he steamrolled BJ Penn that same night. That performance by Diaz all but erased any harm done by him irresponsibly pissing away his shot at St. Pierre by no showing repeated media obligations. What a mad world this is. Carlos Condit - The former WEC Welterweight Champion. The man who has 25 of his 26 career wins via submission or TKO. The man who ether'd Dan Hardy sending Robert Downey Jr. into orbit, flying kneed the previously unbeaten Dong Hyun Kim back to the prelims and mounted a huge comeback against Rory MacDonald beating him down in terrifying fashion with only seconds left in the bout. Nick Diaz - The former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion. He has annihilated Marius Zaromskis and Paul Daley standing up, took home the arms of Evangelista Santos and Hayato Sakurai and methodically beat BJ Penn into retirement. I'll tell you the truth for once. I am more thrilled at the prospect of this fight than I ever was for St. Pierre v. Diaz or St. Pierre v. Condit. Both of those fights had a very high likelihood of being 50-45 GSP across the cards. This fight for the interim title is straight up nasty. Two of the most aggressive men in the sport are going to go in the cage with the goal of destroying the man across from them beyond recognition. There will be no point fighting or takedowns to steal the round. This will be unharnessed violence. We are talking about unchecked aggression here, Dude. Putting these two men in the cage opposite each other should almost make Dana White and Joe Silva accomplices to a crime given the bad intentions that will be behind every punch, kick, knee and attempted submission. This is going to be an absolute barnburner and I for one cannot wait. Poll Who ya got? Nick Diaz Carlos Condit 68 votes | Results

Posted in: fight, diaz, title, nick, condit

Carlos Condit Reacts to Georges St. Pierre's Injury and Fighting for the Interim Title

Carlos Condit has had a roller coaster of an autumn with the UFC granting him a shot at Georges St. Pierre's belt after Nick Diaz failed to fulfill media obligations. St. Pierre then dropped off the UFC 137 card with a MCL injury to his left knee and Condit was pulled from the card. After Diaz' performance against B.J. Penn at UFC 137 Condit's shot was taken away and he was set to face Josh Koscheck at UFC 143. This morning the UFC formally announced that St. Pierre had injured his knee and that Condit would be facing Diaz for the interim UFC welterweight title. Carlos and his management team remained silent for much of the day before posting a video on youtube with his quick reactions to the news. So...another change of opponents. It's been kind of a crazy ride the last couple months but you know, just gotta kinda roll with it. The good thing is that I've been training and focusing on what I need to be doing to win a fight no matter who they put in front of me. I'm really excited. I've been wanting to step into the octagon with Nick Diaz for a really long time. Great fighter. Great skill set. I think that we're really going to put on a good show for the fans. I'm sure everybody's excited. Like I said, I'm stoked. I will be the UFC interim champion. And then when Georges gets better I will be the undisputed UFC champion. Video after the jump...

Posted in: ufc, diaz, nick diaz, pierre, condit

Carlos Condit steps in for injured GSP at UFC 143 to fight Nick Diaz for interim belt

An all too familiar revolving door spun again today when it was announced UFC welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre had torn his ACL and would be out for ten months while recovering. As a result, GSP will obviously no longer be able to compete at UFC 143 against Nick Diaz as originally scheduled based on the condition of his knee. Stepping in for the fallen star will be Carlos Condit who himself was believed to be in line for the title-shot, even booked for it at UFC 137 until St. Pierre backed out with a separate injury, but watched Diaz snatch his spot with a dominating performance against BJ Penn at the same event. Condit was already in the midst of training for a fight at UFC 143 with Josh Koscheck and should be in solid condition already as a result. Since St. Pierre’s last championship defense came in April an interim belt will be created for the purpose of Condit vs. Diaz. Diaz Talks his Way Into Title-Shot Both Condit and Diaz are on impressive winning streaks with Diaz’s dating back to 2007 and spanning eleven fights, while “The Natural Born Killer” has put together four victories in a row with success against Dong Hyun Kim, Dan Hardy, Rory MacDonald, and Jake Ellenberger. Each is also known for finishing opponents with Condit putting together 26 stoppages in 27 total wins and Diaz 21 of 26. UFC 143 is also scheduled to feature Erik Koch vs. Dustin Poirier, as well as Amir Sadollah in action. It is not yet known if Koscheck will be given a new opponent at the event though it seems likely given the amount of time involved before the February 4 show. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

Posted in: ufc, jake ellenberger, diaz, pierre, condit

GSP out of Diaz fight with knee injury

Dana White announced via twitter that Georges St. Pierre will be out for 10 months with a knee injury. As a result, Carlos Condit steps in to face Nick Diaz for the interim Welterweight title for the Super Bowl Weekend card February 4th. Condit was slated to fight GSP at UFC 137 and then was bumped from the card when GSP went down with an injury. After Diaz defeated BJ Penn, Diaz was awarded the title shot at GSP instead of Condit. Payout Perspective: The injury is a tough blow for the UFC as the Super Bowl weekend show is a big draw due to the amount of traffic in Vegas for the weekend. Condit-Diaz is a tough main event to sell as many casual viewers do not know Condit and Diaz is not the best at selling a fight. The rest of the card for UFC 143 is devoid of major names which is a problem. A part of this is due to the second Fox card on January 28th. But, without one of the UFC’s biggest stars (GSP), the UFC will have to scramble to make this card appealing. In addition, the GSP injury hurts his marketability as the UFC moves to Fox. Certainly GSP is one of the company’s top draws and it looks like he won’t see the Octagon until December 2012. Its definitely disappointing for GSP and puts the UFC in a position to market behind others in the Welterweight division. The only bright spot here is that Condit gets his shot at the title. Hopefully, the UFC will give him a nice push in front of the February 5th card.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, gsp, card, condit

Read the full article at MMA Payout

Georges St-Pierre Injures Knee, 10-Month Recovery Time KO's Him from UFC 143; Condit vs Diaz for Interim Title

submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [2 comments]

Posted in: title, condit, mattyblayze, georges stpierre, recovery

Georges St. Pierre out for ten months with torn ACL

Though UFC star Georges St. Pierre may appear to be super-human in the ring it turns out he is very much a mortal man after all, as the popular welterweight champion has apparently torn his ACL while training for an upcoming title-bout on February 4 against Nick Diaz. The situation marks the second time “Rush” has been forced out of a championship defense due to a knee injury. The unfortunate news was revealed earlier today by UFC President Dana White through his Twitter account. As a result Diaz will now face Carlos Condit on the same card – UFC 143 – with an interim belt at stake. Condit was already scheduled to fight at the same event with Josh Koscheck as an opponent. He also saw Diaz slide into the contendership slot he’d already been promised after UFC 137, a fact likely adding a bit of incentive to shine against the controversial Californian when they meet inside the Octagon. Condit holds an overall record of 27-5 with twenty-six stoppages and is on a four-fight winning streak including victories over Dong Hyun Kim, Dan Hardy, Rory MacDonald, and Jake Ellenberger. Diaz, a former Strikeforce champion, is coming off his finest performance to date when he dismantled BJ Penn in late October. The mean-mugged 28-year old hasn’t lost since 2007, picking up eleven straight wins in the period since. No word has surfaced on what will be done with Koscheck. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, diaz, condit, stake condit, diaz slide

Georges St. Pierre Has a Blown ACL, Condit vs Diaz for Interim Title at UFC 143

Dear. F'n Crimminy. This has been about the most bizarre couple of months inside and outside of the ring for the welterweight division I can remember in years. Not since Matt Serra bingo'd GSP has such bizarreness happened at 170 pounds. From Dana White's Twitter: @danawhiteDana White GSP blown acl will be out for 10 mos. Now Condit vs Diaz for the interim welterweight title on Feb 4th in Las Vegas!! Carlos Condit, who has been bounced around like a pinball, and Nick Diaz, for all his craziness and foibles, have found themselves poised to ascend - at least temporarily - to the throne as the best welterweight in the world without having to dethrone one of the best pound-for-pound champions in the short history of this sport. This is a huge opportunity for these men as well as a huge blow to the pockets of the UFC. St. Pierre was one of the few athletes on the roster capable of generating hundreds of thousands of PPV buys all on his lonesome. This comes on the heels of a terrible 2011 as far as buyrates go, and a still stagnant economy, so excluding 141 a few weeks from now with Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem, there's no big-name PPV to help the UFC's profit margins.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, welterweight, condit

Georges St. Pierre Blows Out ACL, Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit For Interim WW Title at UFC 143

GSP blown acl will be out for 10 mos. Now Condit vs Diaz for the interim welterweight title on Feb 4th in Las Vegas!!15 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite@danawhiteDana White It’s really beginning to look like Georges St. Pierre vs. Nick Diaz just isn’t meant to be. As seen above, Dana White tweeted just moments ago that GSP has blown out his ACL and will be out of action for 10 months, so in the meantime they’ve decided to do an interim welterweight title fight between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit at UFC 143 instead. No word yet on what will happen with Condit’s original opponent, Josh Koscheck. Major bummer, but at least they’re trying to make the best out of another shitty situation.

Posted in: diaz, vs, condit, carlos condit, welterweight title

Breaking news: Georges St. Pierre injured, 'Condit vs. Diaz' for Interim title at UFC 143

Breaking news from the desk of UFC President Dana White -- and it's a doozy. UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre has suffered an knee injury (ACL) and will be out of action for 10 months, effectively ending his participation at the UFC 143 event on Feb. 4, 2012, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Dana Tweets: GSP blown acl will be out for 10 mos. Now Condit vs Diaz for the interim welterweight title on Feb 4th in Las Vegas!! Nick Diaz will remain as headliner, but will now fight Carlos Condit for the promotion's Interim 170-pound title. That leaves "The Natural Born Killer's" original opponent, Josh Koscheck, without a date to the big dance. For now. More on this breaking news in just a bit, but for now, GSP is on the shelf (again) and we're going to have a new champ in early 2012. What are your initial reactions to this sudden turn of events?

Posted in: ufc, diaz, title, condit, news

Georges St. Pierre Out With Blown ACL, Condit vs Diaz for Interim Title

Georges St. Pierre was set to defend his welterweight belt against Nick Diaz at UFC 137 before Diaz missed a media obligation. He was then scheduled to face Carlos Condit on the same card in a title defense. Then the news broke that he suffered an injury to his knee in practice and would defend his belt against Diaz at UFC 143. It appears that the injury was much worse than originally suspected as St. Pierre will be out for more than 10 months. The UFC is now scheduling Condit vs Diaz for the interim welterweight title. @danawhiteDana White GSP blown acl will be out for 10 mos. Now Condit vs Diaz for the interim welterweight title on Feb 4th in Las Vegas!!Dec 07 via Twitter for iPhoneFavoriteRetweetReply This is terrible news for the UFC as St. Pierre is one of the few fighters on the roster that can carry a card at the box office on his own. The recovery time also suggests that he'll need a ton of rehab which could mean that when he returns, he could be with out some of that explosive movement. The Condit vs Diaz fight should be an early Fight of the Year candidate. Bloody Elbow will have more analysis as news comes in about the extent injury in the coming days.

Posted in: diaz, vs, pierre, condit, st pierre

Georges St-Pierre Injures Knee, 10-Month Recovery Time KO's Him from UFC 143

Filed under: UFC, NewsUFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre has injured his knee for the second time in two months, forcing him out of action once again. But this injury is much worse than the one that cost him a few weeks and a date with Carlos Condit in October. This time, the champ tore his ACL and will be out around 10 months, UFC president Dana White announced. The issue will cost him a spot in the UFC 143 main event, and one of 2012's most anticipated matchups against former Strikeforce champion Nick Diaz. Instead, Diaz (26-7, 1 no contest) will face Carlos Condit in a bout that White says will be for the interim welterweight championship. As you may recall, Condit (27-5) has had a roller coaster ride in the booking department recently. After knocking out Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 132, he was going to fight BJ Penn at UFC 139, then got the slot against St-Pierre when Diaz went AWOL for two press appearances. But that opportunity came and went when St-Pierre suffered his first knee injury. Condit didn't end up fighting in October, instead choosing to wait for St-Pierre to heal. But even that plan went awry when Diaz overwhelmed Penn, and St-Pierre insisted upon fighting the Stockton, California native. So Condit was moved aside and thrust into a matchup with Josh Koscheck. And now Koscheck is the odd man out. That's enough to make your head spin, but the long and short of it is that the Condit-Diaz winner will be the interim champ, and whenever St-Pierre returns, he'll face the holder of that faux belt. This is the second major injury St-Pierre (22-2) has suffered as champion. During a successful July 2009 title defense against Thiago Alves, he tore his groin and didn't fight again until over eight months later. By the time he returns, St-Pierre will have had over a year on the sidelines. His last bout was an April 2011 unanimous decision win over Jake Shields. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, month, condit, carlos condit, stpierre

UFC 143 videos: Josh Koscheck can talk as much as he wants but Carlos Condit 'will get the last laugh'

Carlos Condit has been on one hell of a ride these past few months. Initially booked to square off against B.J. Penn at UFC 137 back on Oct. 29, Condit was ripped from that bout and given a title shot, only to have that dream taken away under some shady circumstances. Now he'll face off against Josh Koscheck at UFC 143 on Feb. 5, 2012, in Las Vegas, Nevada. A win will earn him a title shot ... maybe. First, though, he'll have to get past a former title challenger in "Kos." And according to "The Natural Born Killer," no matter what the frizzy haired welterweight has to say in the lead up to the fight, it's Condit who will get the last laugh. Will he?

Posted in: title shot, bj penn, condit, carlos condit, title challenger

Photos of Carlos Condit's wife for Headrush (Pic)

Mrs. Condit poses during a photo shoot for Headrush, whose tagline says "Fortune Favors The Brave." It also seems to favor "The Natural Born Killer," who will have this buxom beauty cheering him on at UFC 143 on Feb. 4 in Las Vegas. More pics (via Cage Potato) after the jump. See the entire gallery here. For more on Carlos Condit vs. Josh Koscheck at UFC 143 click here.

Posted in: las vegas, condit, photo, cage potato, pic

Josh Koscheck vs. Carlos Condit confirmed for Super Bowl Weekend

Not wanting to sit on the sidelines and wait for his crack at the UFC welterweight strap, Carlos Condit will step back into the cage in February to take on former #1 contender Josh Koscheck with his title shot on the line. The two welterweights are set to clash at UFC 143, the night before the Super Bowl. Koscheck Tweeted that he has signed the bout agreement for the fight and posted a picture to offer proof. Condit’s had a roller coaster ride in division over the past couple of months. Originally scheduled to fight B.J. Penn in the co-main event of UFC 137, Condit was moved to the main event against champion Georges St. Pierre in place of Nick Diaz, who remained on the card to fight Penn. Unfortunately for Condit, St. Pierre had to pull out of the fight with knee injury just a week before the event. UFC president Dana White contended that Condit would remain the next challenger for the belt, no matter the outcome of Diaz vs. Penn. The Stockton native went on to dominate the Hawaiian prodigy, winning a unanimous decision, at UFC 137 and after his victory accused St. Pierre of ducking him and faking an injury. The comments upset the champion so much that he asked to fight Diaz instead of Condit in his next bout. With GSP’s decision to take on a different opponent, that left Condit without a fight. Enter Koscheck. The Ultimate Fighter 1 alum was willing to step in for St. Pierre and fight Condit at UFC 137, but nothing ever came of Koscheck’s challenge. Now, with St. Pierre taking on Diaz on the same night, Koscheck will get his wish. Both men are coming off first round Knockout of the Night victories, with Koscheck finishing Matt Hughes at UFC 135 and Condit blasting Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 132. UFC 143 is scheduled for February 4 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, fight, koscheck, pierre, condit

Josh Koscheck vs. Carlos Condit Official for UFC 143

Welterweight contenders Carlos Condit and Josh Koscheck will be squaring off at UFC 143, as Koscheck recently signed to make the fight official for the February 4 event in Las Vegas. Condit (27-5) was scheduled to fight welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre last month at UFC 137 after replacing Nick Diaz, but St-Pierre was sidelined by a knee injury and Diaz earned the next shot at GSP with a win over BJ Penn in the new UFC 137 main event. Koscheck (16-5) stepped in to score a first-round knockout of Matt Hughes in September to bounce back from a December loss to St-Pierre the followed a three-fight win streak. St-Pierre and Diaz meet in the UFC 143 main event and the winner of Condit vs. Koscheck will be a front-runner for the next title shot. For complete UFC 143 coverage stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com. Pictured: Josh Koscheck

Posted in: ufc, nick diaz, koscheck, condit, stpierre

Koscheck versus Condit is officially going down at UFC 143

Think of our MMA loving community as a ginormous global high school of sorts and suddenly Twitter becomes the vehicle that the students exploit to start spreading news and rumors. The rest of the Internet based media such as ourselves become the bathrooms and hallways where the gossip fiending students congregate to get their fill of these juicy rumors, smoke cigarettes and have impromptu random make out sessions. Actually that's wrong, I don't even think high school kids sneak cigarette breaks anymore, they have progressed to things like lunchtime 'pharm parties' and alcohol infused tampon insertion. You have got to give them props for their creativity. The MMA hallways have been buzzing for weeks about a potential matchup between Josh Koscheck and Carlos Condit following the whole GSP vs Carlos Condit was scrapped due to GSP suffering a training camp injury. Well, now according to this picture of the 'Official Bout Agreement' tweeted by Josh Koscheck late last night, this fight is officially, official: This is probably a fight we should all get pretty excited about. Kos was out for nearly 12 months and came back with a very impressive KO win over Matt Hughes at the end of September and Carlos Condit is probably brewing a small bit of anger inside at having his title shot pulled out from under his nose. It goes down February 4, 2012 at UFC 143.

Posted in: josh koscheck, koscheck, condit, carlos condit, carlo

Carlos Condit to Face Josh Koscheck at UFC 143

Filed under: UFC, NewsAs expected, Carlos Condit won't sit around and wait for Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz to decide the direction of the UFC welterweight division. Instead, Condit will face former No. 1 contender Josh Koscheck at UFC 143. Koscheck announced the fight on his own, and a source confirmed that Condit has at least verbally agreed to take the bout. Condit has been one of the winningest welterweights in MMA for years, capturing 12 of his last 13 fights, losing only a close split-decision to Martin Kampmann during that time. Condit has won four in a row overall, including three straight knockouts. Condit (27-5) was at one time pushed ahead of Diaz and into a title bout with St-Pierre, but after Diaz defeated BJ Penn at UFC 137, St-Pierre asked for and received a change, and will fight Diaz at UFC 143. If Condit wins, he's likely to be named No. 1 contender. Meanwhile, Koscheck (16-5) returned from his December 2010 loss at the hands of St-Pierre to knock out Matt Hughes in the first round of their UFC 135 fight. UFC 143 takes place from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on February 4. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, diaz, koscheck, condit, stpierre

Josh Koscheck signs the bout agreement to fight Carlos Condit at UFC 143 on Feb. 4, 2012, at the...

Josh Koscheck signs the bout agreement to fight Carlos Condit at UFC 143 on Feb. 4, 2012, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. What's your best guess for who wins this welterweight clash, Maniacs? Will "Kos" thwart Condit in his quest to regain a title shot? Or is "The Natural Born Killer" destined to fight for the gold?

Posted in: fight, title shot, condit, sign, bout agreement

Condit vs. Koscheck Official for UFC 143

If Carlos Condit wants to retain his status as the next to challenge for the UFC welterweight title, he'll have to go through Josh Koscheck first.

Posted in: ufc, josh koscheck, koscheck, condit, carlos condit

Carlos Condit talks GSP vs. Diaz, says his title shot is "Inevitable"

Top Welterweight contender Carlos Condit, who was bumped from the number-one contender slot following Nick Diaz's win over B.J. Penn, expresses his disappointment in losing the title shot and talks about his upcoming bout with Josh Koscheck. Condit admits that he had no say in "stepping aside" for Diaz to challenge GSP, but insists that the UFC is just "delaying the inevitable." Photo: Scott Hirano

Posted in: title shot, diaz, bj penn, condit, challenge gsp

Carlos Condit: The UFC is just delaying the inevitable, I'm going to get the title shot

Poor Carlos Condit. After working his way up through the ranks of the welterweight division, the Greg Jackson trained fighter was awarded a title shot against reigning division deity Georges St. Pierre at UFC 137. Of course, that was only after Nick Diaz flaked on a few press conferences and was punished for insubordination. Still, if any fighter was worthy of taking his spot, it was "The Natural Born Killer." Then the following sequence happened: Diaz was matched up against B.J. Penn, St. Pierre hurt his knee, the fight was postponed, Diaz vs. Penn was moved to the main event, Diaz smashed Penn, Diaz called out St. Pierre, "GSP" asked to fight him instead and Condit was pushed out. Got all that? Good. Reports quickly came out that Condit, nice guy that he is, had "stepped aside." This was not the case. Here's how he explains it: "The thing about it is the decision was made before I was even contacted. It wasn't really... I didn't really... The decision wasn't mine. Things happen. This is a bump in the road but I'm excited for my next fight. It doesn't knock me too far down the ladder. ... It's just delaying the inevitable. I'm going to get the title shot." The good news in all this? Condit was able to soak his tears in a large soda and an entire box of pizza before receiving a call about his next fight. Condit will now take on Josh Koscheck at UFC 143 on Feb. 4 in Las Vegas, Nevada. A win will mean he gets his shot once again. Assuming the powers that be don't find someone they feel is a better option at the last minute. Hear more from Condit about his rollercoaster ride after the jump.

Posted in: title shot, diaz, condit, carlos condit, shot

UFC 143: Carlos Condit is taking a 'big risk' fighting Josh Koscheck on Feb. 4

When the powers that be pulled a power move and took Carlos Condit out of his main event title shot against Georges St. Pierre at UFC 143 in favor of Nick Diaz, they did so while promising him a number one contender bout. A couple of top shelf welterweights, namely Jake Ellenberger and Josh Koscheck, openly campaigned for that spot. It eventually went to the latter, much to the chagrin of the former. That said, "The Juggernaut" tells ESPN Condit is taking a big risk with this fight: "I wouldn't say Koscheck is a sacrificial lamb, he's a top 10 guy for sure. It's got to be frustrating [for Condit], being the number one contender and wanting to fight. After beating some of the guys he's beaten, he's only going to get a top guy. Carlos definitely has a lot to risk by fighting Koscheck, but it's his decision." Taking a fight at all is a big risk, seeing as a loss would send "The Natural Born Killer" to the back of the welterweight line. Waiting around and being inactive can be just as bad, though. Just ask Rashad Evans. Koscheck, for his part, agrees with Ellenberger's assessment and takes it one step further. Condit isn't taking a big risk so much as giving up his chance at the 170-pound strap. Because "Kos" is going to defeat him, of course. Or so he seems to think. Do you?

Posted in: nick diaz, josh koscheck, koscheck, condit, risk

Josh Koscheck vs. Carlos Condit confirmed for UFC 143: GSP vs. Diaz card

Former UFC Welterweight title challenger Josh "Kos" Koscheck revealed via his Twitter account that he will be in action on Superbowl Weekend (UFC 143), facing The Natural Born Killer Carlos Condit. In his last bout, Koscheck impressively defeated Matt Hughes via 1st Round TKO, getting himself back on track for another shot at the UFC Welterweight title. Koscheck's opponent, 27-5 Carlos Condit, was originally scheduled to face GSP on the same card, but was forced to step aside after Nick Diaz fought (and

Posted in: ufc, koscheck, condit, carlo, bout koscheck

Koscheck vs Condit confirmed for UFC 143

Josh Koscheck has confirmed that he will be fighting Carlos Condit at the UFC’s ‘Superbowl Weekend’ card next year. UFC president Dana...

Posted in: ufc, koscheck, condit, carlos condit, ufcrsquo

Report: Carlos Condit vs. Josh Koscheck Likely for February Card

It appears that Carlos Condit will indeed be facing the toughest challenge available in his quest to re-earn a shot at the UFC welterweight title. At yesterday's UFC 138 press conference, UFC president Dana White talked about the possibility of Condit fighting Josh Koscheck. And MMA Weekly confirmed that the bout is set to go for the Super Bowl weekend card in February: "Right now, Carlos wants to fight. He wants to fight on the same card as GSP and Diaz, so we’ll see what happens. Koscheck has been offered (the fight)," White said. Sources close to at least one of the fight camps also confirmed that the bout has been verbally agreed to when speaking to MMAWeekly.com on Saturday. There has been plenty of speculation about who Condit would fight on the card over recent days, and Koscheck's twitter trash talk in the direction of Condit and his agent Malki Kawa appears to have worked in his favor. Koscheck is unlikely to get another shot at Georges St. Pierre if he wins and St. Pierre successfully defends his title against Nick Diaz on the same card (expected to be called UFC 143), but the fact that Condit is taking the most difficult fight available to him is something he should be commended for.

Posted in: ufc, fight, koscheck, card, condit

UFC eying Josh Koscheck vs. Carlos Condit in February

The last couple of months have been a roller-coaster ride for Carlos Condit. After initially being scheduled to fight B.J. Penn at this past month’s UFC 137, Condit was moved up the card to take on Georges St. Pierre for the UFC welterweight title after Nick Diaz no showed a press conference. When GSP pulled out due to injury, it was determined that Condit would wait for the champion to heal. However, yet another change of plans left the Team Jackson standout in limbo, as Diaz’s impressive victory in the show’s headliner pushed him back into the number one contender status. Now, it appears Condit is destined for a date with former top contender Josh Koscheck at UFC 143 in February. The event should also feature St. Pierre’s title defense against Diaz. At last night’s UFC 138 post-fight press conference, UFC president Dana White had the following to say on the subject: “Right now, Carlos Condit wants to fight,” the UFC President explained. “He wants to fight on the same card as GSP and Diaz, so we’ll see what happens….It could be with Koscheck. Condit wanted that fight.” Koscheck is coming off a first round knockout victory over UFC legend Matt Hughes last September in a fight he took on short notice following an extended layoff due to the injury he sustained in his defeat to St. Pierre last year. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, condit, carlos condit

Josh Koscheck may get wish as far as fight with Carlos Condit

For the last few weeks former title-contender Josh Koscheck has been very clear in his desire to fight fellow highly touted welterweight Carlos Condit. Koscheck, who initially called “The Natural Born Killer” out after Georges St. Pierre withdrew from his headlining fight with Condit at UFC 137, issued another challenge last week in light of GSP changing course and agreeing to face Nick Diaz in early 2012. Now it appears “Kos” could get what he wants. Koscheck Wants Condit in February According to UFC President Dana White, who addressed the issue at a post-event press conference Saturday in relation to UFC 138, the organization is considering booking Koscheck vs. Condit for the same Super Bowl Weekend event St. Pierre is likely to be defending his belt on. White also revealed Condit had asked for the match-up meaning Koscheck isn’t the only one interested in settling their score inside the Octagon. Koscheck is coming off an opening round knockout win of Matt Hughes at UFC 135 after nine months on the sidelines recovering from a broken orbital bone sustained in a championship clash with GSP last December. He holds an overall record of 16-5 with notable victories over Chris Lytle, Anthony Johnson, and Paul Daley. Comparably, the 27-5 Condit is currently on a four-fight winning streak including wins over Dan Hardy, Dong Hyun Kim, and Jake Ellenberger. He has remarkably finished twenty-six of the opponents he’s beaten with 13 TKOs and 13 submissions. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

Posted in: ufc, koscheck, condit, paul daley, championship clash

Dana White: Josh Koscheck Offered Carlos Condit Fight On GSP-Diaz Card

Josh Koscheck has a problem with anybody who says Carlos Condit deserves a title shot against Georges St. Pierre. Not mincing words, Koscheck tweeted the pic seen above of Condit’s record yesterday and said, “Hey media wake the f*ck up. What top 10 fighters has this kid beat? Don’t see it!” Koscheck isn’t dumb. He knows creating a little controversy and giving fans something to talk about is the most effective way to get the fight he wants. Well, guess what, it worked. According to MMA Junkie, Koscheck was offered the fight and it’s in the works for UFC 143. MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has learned from sources close to the promotion that Condit and Josh Koscheck (16-5 MMA, 14-5 UFC) have verbally agreed to meet at UFC 143 in February. UFC president Dana White revealed the likelihood of the potential booking at Saturday night’s UFC 138 post-event press conference in Birmingham, England. “Right now, Carlos Condit wants to fight,” White said. “He wants to fight on the same card as GSP and Diaz, so we’ll see what happens. Koscheck has been offered. “It could be with Koscheck. Condit wanted that fight.” According to several sources MMAjunkie.com spoke with on Saturday evening, Condit now has it. That’s a hell of a fight, but what happens if both GSP and Koscheck win??? Just throwing that out there. Yep, when I talk..... i get... Feb 4th weekend Vegas :) I will be fighting!!!!!!!!!!! Thx you DW!about 6 hours ago via TwitterrificReplyRetweetFavorite@JoshKoscheckJosh Koscheck

Posted in: ufc, fight, koscheck, condit, carlos condit

Carlos Condit vs. Josh Koscheck Expected for UFC 143

Carlos Condit will look to remain next in line for a shot at the welterweight title when he’s expected to face form challenger Josh Koscheck at UFC 143 on February 4 in Las Vegas, UFC President Dana White said after Saturday’s UFC 138 event. Condit (27-5) was scheduled to fight champion Georges St-Pierre at UFC 137 after replacing Nick Diaz, but St-Pierre was sidelined by a knee injury and Diaz earned the next title shot with a win over BJ Penn in the new UFC 137 main event. Koscheck (16-5) stepped in to score a first-round knockout of Matt Hughes in September, then offered to fight Condit on short-notice at UFC 137, but will have to wait until UFC 143 for a chance to get back in the title hunt. St-Pierre faces Diaz in the UFC 143 main event, while Condit is expected to challenge the winner should he emerge victorious over Kosheck. For complete UFC 143 coverage stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.

Posted in: ufc, title shot, condit, welterweight title, fight condit

Dana White’s UFC 138 Octagon Update (video)

UFC president Dana White looks back at UFC 138 and forward to a number of topics, including Koscheck vs. Condit, for a veritable Octagon update.

Posted in: ufc, koscheck, dana, condit, octagon

UFC 143: Carlos Condit vs Josh Koscheck booked for Feb. 4 in Las Vegas

After Carlos Condit was bumped from his welterweight title shot against Georges St. Pierre by a mean-mugging Nick Diaz following his UFC 137 win over B.J. Penn, he was promised a number one contender bout on the very same Feb. 4, 2012, Super Bowl weekend fight card. And now he's got it. That's because UFC President Dana White today revealed at the UFC 138 post-fight press conference that Condit is booked for the card and he'll be taking on recent title challenger Josh Koscheck. More on this in just a bit.

Posted in: ufc, bj penn, condit, carlos condit, contender bout

Carlos Condit vs. Josh Koscheck in the works for UFC 143 in Las Vegas

BIRMINGHAM, England - After being bumped from a championship fight with Georges St-Pierre in favor of Nick Diaz, Carlos Condit has his new target. MMAjunkie.com has learned from sources close to the promotion that Condit and Josh Koscheck have verbally agreed to meet at UFC 143 in February. UFC president Dana White revealed the likelihood of the potential booking at Saturday night's UFC 138 post-event press conference in Birmingham, England.

Posted in: ufc, josh koscheck, condit, championship fight, georges stpierre

Jake Ellenberger vs Carlos Condit at UFC 143 on Feb. 4? 'The Juggernaut' says yes

Back on Sept. 16, 2009, Jake Ellenberger did the UFC a solid by stepping in on short notice to take on Carlos Condit, who was coming off a close split decision loss to Martin Kampmann. After three rounds of hard-fought action, this time the judges sided with Condit, as he took home a split decision of his own. As it turned out, winning that fight was a precursor to bigger and better things. "The Natural Born Killer" went on a big run right after, besting Rory MacDonald, Dan Hardy and Dong Hyun Kim in three consecutive bonus winning efforts. This led to a bout against B.J. Penn, which turned into a title shot against Georges St. Pierre, which, thanks to an injury and a Nick Diaz, went away rather quickly and left Condit back at square one. Now all the Greg Jackson trained fighter has is a promise for a number one contender bout on Feb. 4, 2012, on the undercard of the UFC 143: "St. Pierre vs. Diaz" event. But against who? There's one name from his past who wants to get another crack at him: "That fight would definitely make sense," Jake Ellenberger told ESPN.com. "In his position, it's a dangerous fight for him. Going from the title fight to possibly... if he loses, who knows what will happen. But yeah, in a perfect world, I would like that fight myself. But that's up to the UFC and Carlos and we'll see what happens. I'm just training and preparing to fight right around January or February. We'll see what happens." Since their fight in 2009, Condit is 4-0 with three knockouts and one split decision under his belt. During that same span of time, Ellenberger is 5-0 with four knockouts and one split decision under his belt. Might as well be fate. Of course, it's entirely possible UFC brass have yet to come around to Ellenberger as a legitimate title contender. But his 53 second knockout victory over Jake Shields presented as good a case as any that he deserves to be in a number one contender bout. Anyone up for Condit vs. Ellenberger part deux with a 170-pound title shot on the line?

Posted in: ufc, fight, ellenberger, condit, split decision

Carlos Condit Needs to Earn His Title Shot By Fighting the Best

Carlos Condit is a hot topic these days. The last few weeks have been very tumultuous for The Natural Born Killer, and it's not surprising that seemingly everyone has an opinion on how he's been treated and who he should fight next. Josh Nason thinks Condit got screwed. Jonathan Snowden of MMA Nation believes that Condit never earned that title shot in the first place. Leland Roling believes that Jake Ellenberger is the best option for Condit's next fight. Luke Thomas of MMA Nation believes that Josh Koscheck vs. Condit is a terrible idea. And Matt Roth just wants you to know it's Movember (solid analysis as usual, Matt). A big question needs to be asked though: Why is Carlos Condit so special all of a sudden? Sure, he's a very talented fighter that has been on a nice four-fight winning streak over the last two years. But as Snowden rightfully said in his piece, he did absolutely nothing to earn a title shot. He just happened to be the only option available when Nick Diaz went temporarily crazy, and when Diaz beat B.J. Penn at UFC 137, the insanity ended and reality was restored. Why have people suddenly forgotten that Condit's winning streak was only good enough to earn a fight with B.J. Penn, not a fight with Georges St. Pierre? And to top it off, people really think the UFC should be protecting a future title shot by having Condit avoid the toughest challenge available for his next fight in February? I can't get on board with that. And I'm going to tell you why. Many believe that Condit's next fight should be designed as a number one contender's matchup, and a bout against a guy like Josh Koscheck makes no sense since Kos wouldn't earn a title shot if he beat Condit. But that idea can be struck down with one simple fact - Condit was originally scheduled to face Penn at UFC 137. If Condit won, he would have earned a title shot. But if Penn won, he wasn't getting a third shot at GSP (if he had defeated Diaz). The UFC booked Condit against the toughest opponent available at the time, and if Penn won, they lost a potential challenger for the belt. They were willing to risk that, and it was the right decision. Fast forward to today - if they book Condit against the toughest challenge available (hint - that's not Jake Ellenberger), it would be exactly the same type of matchmaking as UFC 137 was originally designed to be. If it's good enough for Joe Silva, why isn't it good enough for everyone else? Speaking of Mr. Ellenberger, it seems that the general consensus is that Condit should rematch him in February instead of facing a higher-ranked fighter. The reasoning is that Ellenberger just beat Jake Shields, and the first fight between the two was very close. I have a few problems with that though, the biggest being that Condit beat Ellenberger just four fights ago. Yes, the fight was close. But Condit won, and a rematch this quickly is going back to the well way too soon. In addition, wrapping it up in the "you get a guaranteed title challenger from the matchup" logic isn't based in matchmaking reality, as I pointed out above. You also lose a potential title challenger in the process. Why not let them each take their own route to the top? They don't need to keep crossing paths on the way. In addition to that, in what world does beating the same dude a second time suddenly make you worthy of a title shot? A second win over Ellenberger is way more valuable now because he dropped Jake Shields with a knee and decisioned Carlos Eduardo Rocha? No, it's not. Condit needs a bigger win to earn a legitimate shot at the title. And there's just one man for the job. Ellenberger is undoubtedly a tough fight, but Condit should be facing a tougher challenge. He needs to earn a lot more credibility before the general public will take him seriously as a threat to Georges St. Pierre (if he beats Diaz in February). Condit's biggest weakness is his wrestling, and while Ellenberger is good, he's not an elite wrestler in the division. The biggest thing Condit can do for his credibility is to defeat an elite wrestler. There are three in the division. Two are available. One wants the fight. Here's what should happen. Carlos Condit already beat Jake Ellenberger. If Condit wants to truly earn a credible title shot and the UFC wants to book the best fight possible, he should face Josh Koscheck in February. Koscheck is the highest-ranked available fighter, the fight is a lot more alluring to casual fans than Condit/Ellenberger 2, and Carlos needs that type of win to prove he's worthy of a fight with GSP. The armchair matchmakers can complain about the UFC throwing Condit to the wolves, or ruining a potential title challenger, or a dozen other things. They're still under the false impression that Condit deserves better, because Dana White gave him a gift for a couple of weeks. He does not deserve better. He should earn it like everyone else, and beating Jake Ellenberger again doesn't earn much of anything. Bring on Kos.

Posted in: fight, ellenberger, title, condit, shot

Josh Koscheck wants Carlos Condit on Super Bowl Weekend

When Georges St. Pierre went down a few weeks ago with a knee injury, polarizing pugilist Josh Koscheck volunteered to step up on short notice and face GSP’s scheduled opponent, Carlos Condit. However, Condit opted to sit on the sidelines in hopes he’d still receive his promised title-shot once St. Pierre had recovered. Now that “Rush” has been booked to face Nick Diaz rather than Condit with an anticipated date of February 4 over Super Bowl Weekend, Koscheck is speaking back up in reference to Condit. Koscheck Calls out the “Natural Born Killer” “Just thinking…That dude (Condit) should (have) took the fight with me on a week notice (because) he HAD a chance to make it a close fight…NOW zero chance,” Koscheck Tweeted. “Just for the record, I’ll be ready to fight again by February 4.” Condit has yet to respond but did mention he wants to fight on the same card as Diaz/GSP. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

Posted in: fight, koscheck, condit, week notice, fight …now

Josh Koscheck Looking for Fight With Carlos Condit in February

Josh Koscheck has never been known as the quiet type, and it seems like every time there's an opening for a fight, he's there to tweet how he'll take it. He made that offer to Carlos Condit when Georges St. Pierre pulled out of UFC 137, but Condit chose to wait. And got burned. Now, Koscheck is doing his best to provoke Condit and his agent Malki Kawa into taking a bout with him. Dana White has already said Condit will compete on the February Super Bowl card, and it looks like Kos wants to as well. He made it clear via twitter, as usual: @JoshKoscheckJosh Koscheck Just thinking!That dude should of took thefight with me on a week notice bc if he HADa chance2make it aclose fight,It was then,NOW 0 chanceOct 31 via TwitterrificFavoriteRetweetReply @JoshKoscheckJosh Koscheck Hey KAWA don't open ur mouth bc your (client) CAN'T cash this #kos-CHECK!!!!!!!Nov 02 via TwitterrificFavoriteRetweetReply @JoshKoscheckJosh Koscheck Just for the recored, I'll be ready to fight again by Feb 4 :) Training for_____________????Nov 02 via TwitterrificFavoriteRetweetReply It's never a quiet day in Kos-land. Koscheck vs. Condit is an intriguing matchup, but leaves the UFC in a tough position if Condit loses. While it's likely never a good idea to protect a contender, it might be what the UFC does to a degree here because they don't really have anyone else waiting in the wings to face GSP if he gets through Nick Diaz on the same card. If Diaz wins it's wide open, but if not, they're stuck. I believe they should make Condit fight a top guy like Koscheck or Jake Shields, but I don't think they will.

Posted in: ufc, fight, koscheck, condit, carlos condit

Josh Koscheck not done calling Carlos Condit out yet

Josh Koscheck still has Carlos Condit in his sights after already challenging “The Natural Born Killer” in the weeks leading up to UFC 137. “Kos” made a plea to UFC President Dana White to replace an injured Georges St. Pierre when the UFC welterweight king was forced out of a planned fight with Condit last weekend. However, Condit decided to remain on the sidelines and wait for his crack at St. Pierre’s championship that ultimately never came. Now that Condit has been passed over by Nick Diaz he will have to take another fight – and win it – before he can fight for the divisional belt. As such, Koscheck has stepped in once again, asking to meet Condit over Super Bowl Weekend when Diaz-GSP takes place. “Just thinking! That dude (Condit) should of took the fight with me on a week notice (because) if he HAD a chance to make it a close fight, it was then. NOW zero chance,” Koscheck wrote. “Just for the record, I’ll be ready to fight again by Feb. 4:) Training for (blank)????” The 16-5 Koscheck defeated Matt Hughes at UFC 135 earlier this year in his return to action since falling to St. Pierre. Koscheck suffered a broken orbital bone in the loss to GSP and was forced to sit on the sidelines for an extended period to recover. The curly-coiffed Californian can lay claim to a number of solid wins in the UFC including past victories over Diego Sanchez, Anthony Johnson, Chris Lytle, and Paul Daley. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, fight, koscheck, condit, carlos condit

UFC Quick Quote: Josh Koscheck has a friendly reminder for Carlos Condit

"Just thinking! That dude [Carlos Condit] should of took the fight with me on a week notice [because] if he HAD a chance 2 make it a close fight, it was then. NOW 0 chance." -- UFC welterweight Josh Koscheck recently took to his Twitter account to remind Carlos Condit that he had a chance to accept a last-minute fight with him at UFC 137; however, "The Natural Born Killer" opted to wait for welterweight Georges St. Pierre to recover from the knee injury that forced him out of their recent main event fight. Though appreciative of the bold offer, which came with just one week until fight night, company president Dana White shot it down, stating that Condit had elected to wait for the "Rush" to get healthy and preserve his title shot. Malki Kawa, Condit’s agent, said yesterday that a "curly haired blonde" was among Condit's possible next opponents since UFC officials opted to give Nick Diaz, not Condit, the title shot against Georges St. Pierre following the Canadian's apparent ringside "flip-out" upon hearing Diaz' post-fight speech after he defeated B.J. Penn this past weekend. By the looks of things, this potential welterweight clash is picking up some momentum. Is it wise for Condit to risk his title shot against a very tough contender killer, or should he hold out and wait for the winner of St. Pierre and Diaz? Or, are there better options besides Koscheck still on the table?

Posted in: ufc, title shot, condit, carlos condit, shot

Malki Kawa Releases Statement Regarding Georges St. Pierre and Carlos Condit

Last night Inside MMA aired live at the Lemp Brewery in St. Louis, MO. During the show, First Round Management CEO Malki Kawa released a statement regarding the UFC's decision to schedule Georges St. Pierre vs Nick Diaz, effectively passing over his client Carlos Condit, who was originally scheduled to fight St. Pierre upon his return from injury. "We are obviously disappointed in the UFC's decision to cancel its commitment with Carlos Condit to give another fighter an opportunity at the Welterweight title based on emotional reactions from UFC 137. Contrary to what has been stated, Carlos did not step aside to allow this to happen, and would not just hand over an opportunity for him to achieve his greatest career goal, one that he has earned through his strong performances in the Octagon. No option was given to him.For the second time in less than two weeks, Carlos has had an opportunity swept out from beneath his feet. He has shown nothing but pure class in his drive to the title, and will continue to do so. Carlos does not need motivation to fight for the title, he already has it.This situation will only motivate Carlos more. He will move forward and continue to train at the level that has made him the legitimate number one contender for the UFC Welterweight championship, and he is looking forward to the opportunity to earn that title." This decision has split the MMA community. Bloody Elbow's own Josh Nason made the case that Carlos Condit earned his title shot and taking it away is bad for business while MMA Nation's Jonathan Snowden says that Diaz is the rightful challenge to St. Pierre's belt. If Kawa is being honest with the way that the decision was made, I do feel for Condit. It's got to be rough to have a fight cancelled last minute and then the title shot that you've been awarded snatched away, especially if there wasn't a discussion and more of a ultimatum. To his credit, Carlos Condit has handled this well, at least publicly. He hasn't complained about the UFC nor has he complained about St. Pierre's injury. This is in contrast to Diaz who wasn't excited or happy at the post-fight press conference when he was told that he would get his title shot after all. These are things that Zuffa management will remember when Condit's time finally comes.

Posted in: ufc, title, st, condit, carlo

Condit may have lost his title shot, but when he goes home to this, I'm sure he feels just fine.

submitted by j3t [link] [comment]

Posted in: title shot, title, condit, shot, im

Agent: Carlos Condit did 'not step aside' for Nick Diaz's UFC title shot

Carlos Condit "didn't step aside" and relinquish his guaranteed title shot with UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre so Nick Diaz could cut to the front of the line. That's according to Condit's agent, Malki Kawa, who released a statement to HDNet's "Inside MMA" program on Monday. The claim is contrary to what UFC president Dana White told MMAjunkie.com following Diaz's win over B.J. Penn this past weekend at UFC 137.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, bj penn, condit, mma program

Carlos Condit can’t fight GSP & Nick Diaz can’t live in a good neighborhood #ufc @MMASupremacy @robnashville

Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz have some grievances they want to share with you.

Posted in: diaz, nick diaz, nick, condit, carlos condit

Read the full article at Fight Opinion

Carlos Condit camp 'upset' with Georges St. Pierre, fight with 'curly haired blonde' possible

Could tension be brewing at the Greg Jackson camp ... again? After Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) official's pulled the old switcharoo on Carlos Condit by taking away his title shot against welterweight champion, Georges St. Pierre, immediately after Nick Diaz defeated B.J. Penn this weekend, Malki Kawa, Condit's manager, took to the Twitter boards to express his unhappiness with the decision. In case you missed it: "Last I checked, 'Carlos is the harder fight.' So I guess now he'll fight Nick. Wasn't our choice and def not happy. BUT It is what it is, and we'll figure some things out. In the mean time, I'm sure @danawhite Is going to make it worth his while ;)." Kawa, who represents many of today's top mixed martial arts (MMA) stars, elaborated a bit more today on "The MMA Hour:" "I could understand them coming to us like that, the issue with the whole 'he decided to step aside,' obviously, that wasn't the case. There was no just stepping aside. There was a little bit more than that. It's going to take more than that. I think we're way more upset with Georges and the way Georges handled it than we are with the way Dana presented it or anything like that. Are we pissed off about it? Absolutely, but it's not like I've never been on other end of stick where I put one of my fighters ahead of someone else and another guy got shafted or screwed over. It's just business, it's not personal. It's nothing personal with Georges. Are we upset with him? Absolutely." Kawa went on to say that Condit -- who wept upon initially learning that he was granted a UFC title shot -- was very heart broken having to bow out of the fight with St. Pierre. However, not all is lost, as the power agent shed some light on a few possible opponents for his client that the promotion offered him, possibly on the same card as Nick Diaz vs. Georges St. Pierre on Super bowl weekend: "Possibly a curly haired blond." One would assume he was referring to none other than UFC welterweight Josh Koscheck. When asked if a fight with Jake Ellenberger -- a person who Condit has already defeated -- appealed to them, Kawa said it's all about what benefits his client the most: "It's more about whoever brings the most to the table, we want to make it a big-money fight. Whoever that is. Make it a big-money fight. A No. 1 contender, possibly make it a five-rounder if we could. And somebody who win, lose, or draw, we can take something from it." Though St. Pierre's home camp is with Firas Zihabi at TriStar gym in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the 170-pound kingpin splits his training time with Jacksons' camp out of Albuquerque, N.M., which is the home of "The Natural Born Killer." Both Jackson-trained fighters had kept it cordial leading up to their highly anticipated fight that was scheduled for UFC 137. Whether this will cause increased tension between the welterweights remains to be seen. For what it's worth, head trainer Greg Jackson previously stated that he would not train either fighter prior to UFC 137. Now that his dance card is empty, who would you like to see Condit face off against in order to reclaim his title shot?

Posted in: ufc, fight, st, condit, george

Manager: Condit did NOT step aside for Diaz

UFC president Dana White told media at Saturday’s post-UFC 137 press conference that Carlos Condit had “stepped aside” to allow Nick...

Posted in: condit, carlos condit, manager, ldquostepped asiderdquo, manager condit

Carlos Condit’s camp says he didn’t willfully give up title-shot

There seems to be plenty of confusion from Carlos Condit and his camp in regards to the new planned fight between UFC welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre and Nick Diaz. For those out of the loops, Condit was originally scheduled to face GSP this past weekend at UFC 137 before the French-Canadian title-holder went down with a knee injury. Though told he would maintain his top contendership regardless of what unfolded between Diaz and opponent B.J. Penn at the same show, Diaz lit a fire under “Rush” by questioning his manhood and honesty about being hurt, thus earning the crack at St. Pierre’s belt and leaving Condit on the backburner. Condit has yet to say anything to the public, but his manager, Malki Kawa, sent a message to MMAWeekly saying, “We didn’t step aside. That’s not what we do. GSP doesn’t want to fight Carlos.” It would seem by those comments that Condit is trying to play the Diaz approach and show disrespect towards St-Pierre. However, it is too little, too late for anything to change – assuming Diaz plays the media darling the UFC wants in the lead-up to the title bout. St-Pierre said before his fight with Condit was scrapped due to a knee injury that the two were not friends and that he would finish “The Natural Born Killer” when they locked up. GSP normally tends to be very respectful towards his opponents and not make comments like that, so there does seem to be some bad blood brewing there. The UFC, though, cannot afford to miss out on the opportunity to put St-Pierre and Diaz in the Octagon together, especially after the war or words the two exchanged immediately following UFC 137. This is a super fight between two very different men and the UFC Primetime specials alone should be PPV worthy to hear what each has to say about his opponent. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, condit, knee injury

Manager: Carlos Condit Mad at Georges St-Pierre, Not UFC, for Losing Title Fight

Filed under: UFC, MMA Fighting Exclusive, NewsMalki Kawa had a bad feeling when he heard his phone ring and looked at the caller ID. It was then that he realized UFC president Dana White was on the other line. UFC 137 had just ended 30 minutes earlier, and it was already after midnight on the east coast. It was not a time for mindless chit-chat. It was a time for serious business. As is his style, White cut to the chase. Georges St-Pierre no longer wanted to fight Kawa's client Carlos Condit next. Instead, the UFC welterweight champ wanted to fight Nick Diaz, the winner of UFC 137's main event. We all now know the outcome. St-Pierre got the fight he wanted, and he'll be fighting Diaz in early February. Condit? He wasn't too happy, and he didn't exactly "step aside" as White told the media at the post-fight press conference. "I could understand them coming to us like that," Kawa said on Monday's edition of The MMA Hour. "The issue with the whole 'he decided to step aside,' obviously, that wasn't the case. There was no just stepping aside. There was a little bit more than that. It's going to take more than that. I think we're way more upset with Georges and the way Georges handled it than we are with the way Dana presented it or anything like that." Everything changed in the moments after UFC 137. Diaz got the ball rolling by saying St-Pierre was scared and by questioning his injury just after his main event win. According to White, St-Pierre then "flipped out" and demanded that he bypass Condit and face Diaz next. But as Kawa pointed out, Diaz had previously called out St-Pierre after he was originally replaced with Condit, and St-Pierre never responded. In addition to that, St-Pierre had gone on record saying that believed Condit presented the tougher challenge. "I don't know if the emotions of the moment got to him, and he just decided to do that," Kawa said. "It's kind of un-Georges-like." Kawa said that he and Condit didn't step aside as graciously as it sounded, describing the ordeal as "gut-wrenching." "[Carlos'] words were, 'My heart hurts,'" he said. But ultimately, Kawa said that they are "company men" who made the move that the promotion wanted. He also suggested that there was some financial reward for bowing out. "Dana always does the right thing and in this case, he'll do the right thing again," he said. Kawa said he tried to keep things in perspective by noting that he originally got Condit moved into the title slot with some hustle of his own, and that sometimes, that sort of thing works against you. He even candidly admitted that if he was Diaz's manager, he would have lobbied for the fight, too. "Are we pissed off about it? Absolutely," he said. "But it's not like I've never been on other end of stick where I put one of my fighters ahead of someone else and another guy got shafted or screwed over. It's just business, it's not personal. It's nothing personal with Georges. Are we upset with him? Absolutely." Meanwhile, Condit has every intention of fighting again instead of waiting to take on the St-Pierre vs. Diaz winner. Kawa said the UFC has thrown out some possibilities, but that nothing has been decided upon. The biggest factor is that it has to be someone that Condit can gain something from in fighting, mentioning Josh Koscheck and Jake Ellenberger as possibilities. "It's more about whoever brings the most to the table," he said. "We want to make it a big-money fight. Whoever that is. Make it a big-money fight. A No. 1 contender, possibly make it a five-rounder if we could. And somebody who win, lose, or draw, we can take something from it." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, diaz, condit, stpierre, kawa

UFC 137 Results: Carlos Condit's Misfortune Should Create Opportunity for Jake Ellenberger

Former welterweight title contender Carlos Condit can't be too shocked at the events that unfolded at UFC 137 on Saturday night in Las Vegas, Nevada. Despite being dubbed the #1 contender after Diaz no-showed two consecutive press conferences, did anybody actually believe UFC President Dana White would stick by his word that Condit would face St. Pierre next? An impressive beatdown of UFC legend B.J. Penn and the subsequent call-out of St. Pierre during the post-fight interview is all it took for White to reconsider Diaz. White stated that Condit stepped aside during the post-fight press conference, but it was later revealed that St. Pierre was angered by Diaz's remarks and wanted the fight. We can trick ourselves into believing St. Pierre has total control over who he fights next. In reality, the UFC likely sees the potential business this fight could bring, and waiting will only lessen the dollars it could produce for the company. Strike while the iron is hot as the saying goes. Depending on how you look at it, the situation could be construed in a number of different ways. One of the stronger opinions is that Condit was a victim, unfairly tossed from title contention even though Diaz was punished for his incompetence. Diaz's actions outside of the cage aren't relevant, however, when he's stepping into the cage and bombarding a UFC legend. Those actions speak louder to fans than anything else. So here we are. Diaz vs. St. Pierre is happening whether Carlos Condit feels cheated or not. What's the next move for the Team Jackson fighter? The logical choice is a rematch with Jake Ellenberger. Condit holds a split decision win over the Nebraska-native at UFC Fight Night 19 back in September of '09, but Ellenberger's fifty-three second knockout of Jake Shields at UFC Fight Night 25 in September along with a five-fight winning streak has vaulted him into contention talk. Jon Fitch is another option, although he's tied up in December when he battles Johny Hendricks at UFC 141. That leaves Josh Koscheck and Anthony Johnson as upper-tier welterweights basking in the sun waiting for a phone call. Koscheck is likely out if Condit's next fight is for contention. He's already fought St. Pierre twice and lost both encounters by unanimous decision. The UFC won't risk Koscheck somehow derailing a contender they can line up against St. Pierre and sell as fresh blood. 'Rumble' Johnson remains, but does he have the resume to stake a claim at fighting for contention? After losing to Koscheck at UFC 106 in November of '09, Johnson was shelved for sixteen months due to injuries, returning in March to defeat Dan Hardy via unanimous decision. He most recently crushed Pennsylvania-based wrestler Charlie Brenneman at UFC on Versus 6 on October 1. In my mind, Johnson's accomplishments aren't enough, nor has he been in the eye of UFC fans long enough after the layoff to produce any buzz for a showdown with Condit. While both Condit and Ellenberger are far from popular, recognizable fighters, a rematch between the two makes the most sense. Their past engagement can serve as a storyline to build hype around the fight, and it is considered a fight between the two clear cut frontrunners. Make it happen.

Posted in: ufc, fight, pierre, condit, st pierre

Carlos Condit's team upset with St. Pierre, not the UFC

Following UFC 137, UFC President Dana White made the announcement that Georges St. Pierre was going to fight Nick Diaz and not Carlos Condit when he recovers from the injury that knocked him from the October 29 card. St. Pierre, according to White, was incensed by Diaz’s actions after Diaz had defeated BJ Penn in the main event of UFC 137. According to White, Condit agreed to step aside so that the St. Pierre versus Diaz fight could take place. Condit’s manager Malki Kawa appeared on

Posted in: ufc, diaz, pierre, condit, st pierre

Carlos Condit vs Jake Ellenberger, who wants to see it happen?

I think it's a logical fight for both people, and I think it would be a really exciting fight. It would really make sense after Jake's last fight, and since Condit wants to be on the next card, why not make the fight? Anyone agree? submitted by bobman15 [link] [12 comments]

Posted in: fight, jake, condit, fight anyone, jakes

Carlos Condit steps aside

Looks like I was totally 100% mega wrong when I said Carlos Condit was smart for sitting UFC 137 out and waiting for Georges St Pierre. Nick Diaz punched BJ Penn in the face a thousand times and without an equally impressive Carlos Condit asswhuppin, the Diaz hype train pulled so far ahead that it made this all but inevitable: According to White, St-Pierre approached him backstage and said he felt disrespected by Diaz. In White's words, the normally composed GSP "flipped out." He wanted Diaz, and soon. So White audibled, contacting Carlos Condit and asking him to step aside.Condit, stuck in a terrible situation, agreed, and White had his matchup. Poor Carlos Condit. I feel really bad for him. Not that I would have kept him on deck for GSP. Fuck that. But I'll take a few seconds and feel bad for a guy who now owns the title of Most Jerked Around Dude in the history of the UFC. Okay, now that that's out of the way, we can move on to being excited about Georges vs Diaz!

Posted in: diaz, bj penn, condit, carlos condit, carlo

UFC 137 Results: Carlos Condit Got Jobbed Out Of His Title Shot

"(Carlos) Condit's in. He's sitting and waiting." -- UFC President Dana White this past Tuesday on whether the outcome of B.J. Penn/Nick Diaz would affect Condit's impending title shot.How quickly a decision can change, huh?After Diaz' stirring victory over Penn to close out UFC 137, the question was not if, but when he would get his shot at Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre and atone for his previous anti-press conference sins.But according to White, Diaz would have to wait. The shot had been given to Condit after Diaz' wacky no-show antics and if not for a knee injury to St. Pierre, that title fight would have happened last night. Unless there was a draw, we would have had a nice clean road to another good championship clash next year with deserving competitors.What's that saying about the best laid plains? They didn't just go astray last night. They went off the road into the abyss.At the post-event press conference, White said he had a big announcement and was going to wait for Diaz to appear before he said it. At that point, everyone knew what was up. It was just a question of him saying it. Then he did."Georges St. Pierre flipped out tonight after Nick Diaz was in the ring. Nick needs motivation...he's got it. He's going to fight Georges St. Pierre. Carlos Condit has agreed to step aside and get the next guy," White told the media. The light that started burning the fuse was Diaz' post-fight comments about how St. Pierre (sitting cageside) wasn't injured but he was scared to face him. According to White, he has never seen St. Pierre that upset and had to put together the fight. Amazingly by pure coincidence, the battle for the belt will take place in February during Super Bowl weekend -- generally one of the UFC's biggest PPV weekends of the year.But according to Condit's manager Malki Kawa, Condit didn't step aside at all and that St. Pierre "is choosing to fight Nick", adding the following on Twitter: @malkikawamalki kawa last I checked "carlos is the harder fight." So I guess now he'll fight nick. Wasn't our choice and def not happy about it, BUTOct 30 via UberSocial for BlackBerryFavoriteRetweetReply Kawa followed up by saying the situation is what it is and that he was sure White would "make it worth his while" for Condit to not take the fight. But if he doesn't. what is Condit's recourse? He has no leverage. But fear not! Condit will get a fight on that Super Bowl card against that "next guy". If he wins, he gets the next shot…unless someone else irritates St. Pierre and leapfrogs him again, I guess. At this point, I would assume Fitch or Jake Ellenberger would be Condit's opponent.Real TalkListen, we all know what the deal is here. For a promotion that is being heavily questioned about its dropping pay-per-view buy rates, they need heavy hitters on the docket. St. Pierre vs. Diaz does just that. St. Pierre vs. Condit doesn't. So if you're White, simply say that. Explain how even though it's sport, the game is still show business and you have to give the people what they want first while always keeping competitive fights in mind. But don't come out and say that Condit stepped aside and that GSP demanded Diaz instead. Condit is a competitor that got a crack at the biggest prize in his division. Remember the story of when Condit broke down in tears upon being told about being given the title opportunity? I do. You're telling me he simply said, "Sure…give Diaz a shot."? Hell, no. He was told, not given an option. To think otherwise is lunacy. And If you're in the camp of thinking Condit didn't earn this shot to begin with, you're crazy. Aside from Jon Fitch, take Diaz out of this equation and there was no one else you could justify getting a crack at GSP. Food for thought: if Fitch had finished or decisioned Penn in a rematch Saturday, would he have leapfrogged Condit as well? Perhaps he just needed to call St. Pierre scared all along? White needs to be careful about promising things, supporting those promises and then changing his mind. There are times I wish he would simply say that title shots are given on a 'what do we need' basis. It's been that way for a while, we all know it and have benefited from that attitude. Drop the pretense of rankings or that shots are earned. They are given and can be taken away based on simple business needs.The fight promotion has been a shady place since the first time someone knew they could make money off it. Perhaps I'm too idealistic to think that word is bond these days, but myself and others took White at his word and you can see where that got us. It's not the first time it's happened and unfortunately, it probably won't be the last. SBN coverage of UFC 137 Results: Penn vs. Diaz

Posted in: fight, diaz, pierre, st, condit

UFC Quick Quote: Carlos Condit didn't step aside, Georges St. Pierre wants Nick Diaz fight

"Carlos Condit didn't just step aside. GSP is choosing to fight Nick. Last I checked 'Carlos is the harder fight.' So I guess now he'll fight Nick. Wasn't our choice and (we're definitely) not happy about it, BUT it is what it is, and we'll figure some things out. In the meantime, I'm sure Dana White is going to make it worth his while." -- Following the main event of UFC 137 last night (Oct. 29, 2011), which saw Nick Diaz blast his way past B.J. Penn, UFC President Dana White announced at the post-fight press conference that Carlos Condit had agreed to step down in favor of Diaz getting an immediate title shot against Georges St. Pierre over the Super Bowl weekend early next year. Well, Condit's manager, Malki Kawa, wants to make it clear (via Twitter) that this is not the case ... at all. "The Natural Born Killer" didn't agree to just step aside, he simply had no choice but to move out of the way. St. Pierre was reportedly so upset at being called out by Diaz during his post-fight interview that he wants to give the bad boy from Stockton his comeuppance sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, that means Condit has to once again take a back seat. He has been promised a spot on the very same card in what will be a guaranteed number one contender bout to the winner of St. Pierre vs. Diaz. Anyone feeling bad for Condit right now? Or is this just the way it had to be after the events of UFC 137? Opinions, please.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, pierre, condit, carlo

Dana White: Georges St. Pierre vs. Nick Diaz Planned For Super Bowl Weekend UFC Event

If you haven't heard Carlos has agreed to step aside to let GSP fight Diaz! GSP flipped out after what Diaz said and wants him next.about 1 hour ago via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite@danawhiteDana White Dana’s tweet says it all. Nick Diaz, not Carlos Condit, will challenge Georges St. Pierre for his title next. As Dana told it, GSP didn’t like how Diaz said he was scared, not hurt, in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan following his win over BJ Penn tonight at UFC 136, and flipped out, asking for the fight with Diaz. “I’ve known GSP since 2004, he’s one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met. GSP flipped out tonight when Nick was in the ring. Nick needs motivation, he’s got it. He’s gonna fight GSP,” White stated. “I’m going to give him an ass whooping like no one’s ever seen,” St-Pierre conveyed through UFC President Dana White. According to Dana, Carlos Condit agreed to step aside to let the fight happen, however Condit’s manager, Malki Kawa, claims that’s not how it went down. “We didn’t step aside. That’s not what we do,” Kawa wrote in a text message to MMAWeekly.com. “GSP doesn’t want to fight Carlos.” Whatever the case may be, Condit is going step aside and GSP vs. Nick Diaz is going to happen, likely at the Super Bowl weekend card. Dana says Condit will also compete on that card, and if he wins, he’ll get the GSP-Diaz winner. I’m sure some people will bitch about it not being fair to Condit, but I think GSP-Diaz is the right fight to make. Coming from Strikeforce, many people doubted if Nick Diaz was good enough to compete against the tougher competition in the UFC, let alone if he was worthy of fighting for the title. Diaz answered that question tonight with a record 178 significant strikes landed against BJ Penn. There’s no denying now that Diaz is an elite welterweight and after his performance tonight, during and after the fight, there’s no better time to make St. Pierre vs. Diaz happen. Dana White and the UFC would be stupid not to.

Posted in: fight, diaz, gsp, dana, condit

Dana White reaffirms that Carlos Condit is next in line for welterweight title shot

Chael Sonnen thinks the winner of B.J. Penn vs. Nick Diaz at UFC 137 on Oct. 29 in Las Vegas is getting the next 170-pound title shot against Georges St. Pierre. Cesar Gracie agrees and wants Diaz to fight St. Pierre next if the former Strikeforce welterweight champion can finish "The Prodigy" this weekend in "Sin City." Unfortunately for them (and fortunately for Carlos Condit), that decision is up to Dana White, who told reporters yesterday at the UFC 137 press conference (via 5th Round) that no matter the outcome on Saturday night, "The Natural Born Killer" is still next in line. "No, Condit’s in. Condit’s sitting and waiting. [Georges St-Pierre] should be [out] six to eight weeks. He’s just gotta have some rehab on his knee. Hopefully it doesn’t lead to surgery." St. Pierre was forced to withdraw from the UFC 137 headliner after injuring his knee in training camp. Condit opted to preserve his 170-pound title shot, which he absconded from Diaz after the Stockton slugger failed to play by the rules. Now Diaz has a chance to make a convincing argument that he is indeed the second best welterweight on the planet, if he can somehow find a way to overcome the dangerous Hawaiian. Even if he does, he may need to take another fight while he waits for St. Pierre and Condit to settle their differences. As of now, the only forecast we've heard for the champ's return is "early 2012." Any fight fans out there want to see the winner of Penn vs. Diaz get the next title shot? Or does it belong to Carlos Condit, for better or for worse? Thoughts?

Posted in: diaz, title, condit, carlos condit, shot

UFC boss: Carlos Condit's title shot secure regardless of UFC 137 results

LAS VEGAS - This weekend's UFC 137 event features a key clash in the welterweight division, but it will not determine the next challenger for Georges St-Pierre's championship belt. While some fans and pundits have speculated that impressive Nick Diaz win over B.J. Penn could catapult the controversial former Strikeforce champ back into a matchup with St-Pierre, UFC president Dana White today said that's simply not the case. "Condit's in," White told MMAjunkie.com. "Condit is sitting and waiting."

Posted in: ufc, nick diaz, condit, strikeforce champ, mmajunkiecom condit

Nick Diaz Wants Next Shot at Georges St-Pierre If He Finishes BJ Penn at UFC 137

If Nick Diaz beats BJ Penn in impressive fashion in Saturday’s UFC 137 main event, his trainer and manager, Cesar Gracie, will ask UFC President Dana White to give Diaz the next shot at welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre over Carlos Condit. “This is the UFC so there’s always that chance,” Gracie recently said on The MMA Hour. “There’s no question about it that I will ask for that if Nick has a tremendous performance and he can finish BJ, I would ask for that. But the biggest thing is if the fans want it. If the fans all ask for that, Dana [White] is a smart guy. He knows the sport is about the fans. So who knows?” Diaz was originally scheduled to fight St-Pierre in the UFC 137 headliner, but the UFC replaced him with Condit after he failed to appear for a pair of press conferences. St-Pierre was then forced off the card last week with a knee injury that will sideline him until early next year, and Condit decided to wait for St-Pierre’s return rather than risk his title shot. Unless Condit suffers an injury of his own, it is unlikely that the UFC would pull him from a promised title shot against St-Pierre, leaving Diaz to likely wait for the winner if he beats Penn at UFC 137. For UFC 137 results and complete UFC 137 coverage stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com. Pictured: Nick Diaz

Posted in: ufc, diaz, nick diaz, condit, stpierre

Carlos Condit’s trainer excited about challenge of out-planning GSP’s coaches

Carlos Condit and Georges St. Pierre share many of the same coaches at Greg Jackson‘s camp in New Mexico. So, when the UFC paired the two to meet at UFC 137, Jackson split up duties to get his trainers set with each fighter. Now that the bout has been scrapped due to a knee injury suffered by GSP, the UFC’s welterweight champion, those working with Condit have more time to prepare and plan for St-Pierre. Condit has said that he will wait for a healthy St-Pierre before stepping back inside the Octagon, not risking his No. 1 contender spot in the meantime. “The Natural Born Killer’s” coach, Mike Winkeljohn, talked with Sherdog Radio this past week about the yet-to-be-announced bout. “We had a game plan. We felt good with it, but Chris Luttrell and I were talking about some things we’d like to see Carlos do, but we figured it was too late to even try to implement those things,” Winkeljohn said. “In a way, now we can come up with a couple of more things to put us in a couple of better positions for this fight. Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise.” Winkeljohn felt like Condit was in the right place mentally to challenge “Rush”, but added that he wants to face the best GSP possible to prove his worth. The coach added that, while he works alongside St. Pierre at Jackson’s MMA, he has only held mitts for GSP in practice on a few occasions and is embracing the chance to coach against the prized fighter. “I’m excited about having Carlos fight him,” Winkeljohn said. “It’s kind of neat to game plan against his other coaches up there in Canada. It’s kind of an honor, and we’re excited about doing it.” PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, coach, condit, carlo, game plan

UFC 137: Carlos Condit's Trainer Says Georges St. Pierre Injury May Be a Blessing in Disguise

Carlos Condit may have gotten a UFC welterweight title shot against Georges St. Pierre more through Nick Diaz's shortcomings than any specific thing Condit did himself, but Carlos and his team say they were ready to make the most of their opportunity. Unfortunately, after an almost full training camp, the fight won't happen after a knee injury put GSP on the sidelines. Condit's trainer, Mike Winkeljohn, says that the injury to GSP may have actually been a good thing for Carlos in the long-term (via Sherdog): "Maybe it's a blessing in disguise," Winkeljohn told the Sherdog Radio Network's "Beatdown" show. "We had a game plan. We felt real good with it, but Chris Luttrell and I were talking about some things we'd like to see Carlos do, but we figured it was too late to even try to implement those things because the fight's coming up and you can only fill your fighter's head with so much information. In a way, now we can come up with a couple of more things to put us in a couple of better positions for this fight." Despite some feeling that the UFC will skip Carlos' title shot should Nick Diaz beat B.J. Penn in the now main event UFC 137, UFC president Dana White says that won't be the case and that Carlos still will get his shot. It will be interesting to see if Condit's camp can keep him from overtraining while continuing to get him ready in small doses for the shot at GSP. The one area where the challenger may have an advantage when the fight eventually does go down is that he'll fully trust his body (GSP may still be hesitant to trust his knee) and will have only been working toward the fight, not getting himself healthy. Time will tell if Winkeljohn is correct that the fight is truly a blessing in disguise.

Posted in: ufc, fight, condit, thing, carlo

'Killer' coach: St. Pierre injury puts Carlos Condit in a 'better position' for GSP fight

Carlos Condit has time on his side. That's because the UFC welterweight number one contender will be riding the pine until early 2012 following an injury to reigning division champion Georges St. Pierre, who was forced to withdraw from their UFC 137 title fight originally booked for Oct. 29 in Las Vegas. There are, perhaps, two schools of thought moving forward. Instead of cramming for the big exam, Condit can now revisit several different aspects of his training camp that may have been glossed over during initial preparations. Then again, it's been said that a knife can only be sharpened for so long before it becomes dull. "The Natural Born Killer's" striking coach, Mike Winkeljohn, is choosing the former (via Sherdog.com): "Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise. We had a game plan. We felt real good with it, but Chris Luttrell and I were talking about some things we’d like to see Carlos do, but we figured it was too late to even try to implement those things because the fight’s coming up and you can only fill your fighter’s head with so much information. In a way, now we can come up with a couple of more things to put us in a couple of better positions for this fight." Condit's biggest hurdle to clear will be the Canadian's wrestling. St. Pierre has baffled many had-hitting sluggers en route to easy unanimous decision wins, including Thiago Alves at UFC 100 and Dan Hardy at UFC 111. He's also demonstrated a superior jab when paired against another offensive wrestler in Josh Koscheck at UFC 124. Can the extra time to prepare give Condit the necessary skills to upset the champ? Or is St. Pierre just too good to be defeated by the former WEC titleholder? What are your thoughts on St. Pierre vs. Condit, take two?

Posted in: ufc, pierre, st, condit, st pierre

Condit’s Trainer: GSP Injury Could Be Blessing in Disguise

Carlos Condit was disappointed last week when Georges St. Pierre had to pull out of their UFC 137 welterweight title fight due to a knee injury, but the bout’s postponement could benefit him, according to trainer Mike Winkeljohn.

Posted in: injury, condit, carlos condit, knee injury, trainer

Should Carlos Condit have taken another fight?

Joe Rice over at MMATraining says so: Condit is a fantastic talent; a tiger shark swimming in the deep in of the UFC’s 170-pound pool. However, if we’re facing facts it implies the understanding Condit’s title-shot is the result of Nick Diaz’s disinterest in public appearance outside of the arena on fight night, not an opportunity he directly earned through his own accomplishments. Furthermore, if Diaz defeats B.J. Penn next weekend at UFC 137, why wouldn’t he leapfrog a thumb-twiddling Condit and get the go at GSP he was originally scheduled for with a new appreciation for certain media obligations?The bottom line is Condit is taking a huge gamble by following the lead of his former teammate at Jackson’s MMA, Rashad Evans, and waiting out a championship fight that may never actually come. If you believe Condit’s clash with St. Pierre is actually guaranteed just because Dana White said so, I have some stock in YAMMA Pit Fighting I’d like to sell you that’s bound to go up. In reality there have been countless competitors in the UFC who were promised one thing only to watch it evaporate faster than the sticky stuff in Joe Rogan’s dresser drawer. This is all very true, but if Condit takes another fight, he goes from only possibly losing the GSP fight (right now he's still earmarked for GSP's return) to nearly guaranteeing his title shot goes up in smoke. He'd have to fight and win, for one. Not a guarantee at all especially with sharks like Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck looking to make their mark atop the divisions. And he'd have to win well to keep the inevitable fan comparison between him and Nick Diaz from siding with Diaz.He'd also have to win clean - no hand injuries, no tweaked muscles, no nasty punch ups - to keep a commission from suspending him 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, or more. Any one of these issues could cost Condit his shot. The UFC is getting Georges St Pierre back into the cage as soon as possible and whoever's ready is going to get that shot. This isn't a situation where Condit is waiting on a guy who's going to be out for several months. Georges will be back to training in a month, and Condit has probably never stopped. While it's certainly less entertaining for us fans not having Condit at UFC 137, he'd have to be crazy to take another fight given these circumstances.

Posted in: ufc, fight, day, condit, st pierre

A 'positive' Carlos Condit ready to get off the UFC 137 roller coaster

All Carlos Condit has ever wanted since signing with the UFC was the chance to fight for the welterweight title. After stunning Dong Hyun Kim earlier this year, he finally got the chance to challenge Georges St. Pierre for the 170-pound strap at UFC 137 on Oct. 29 from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. And he had a little help from Nick Diaz. But just under two weeks from the fight, "Rush" blew out his knee in training camp, postponing the contest until an undetermined point in 2012. Condit's reaction: "It's been a roller coaster to say the least. I'm trying not to get bummed out about the situation and trying to stay positive. It's just something that happens, it's the nature of the sport. I'm just trying to keep a positive outlook, it's the best I can do." Hear more from "The Natural Born Killer" in his interview with FOX Sports after the jump. All Carlos Condit has ever wanted since signing with the UFC was the chance to fight for the welterweight title. After stunning Dong Hyun Kim earlier this year, he finally got the chance to challenge Georges St. Pierre for the 170-pound strap at UFC 137 on Oct. 29 from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. And he had a little help from Nick Diaz. But just under two weeks from the fight, "Rush" blew out his knee in training camp, postponing the contest until an undetermined point in 2012. Condit's reaction: "It's been a roller coaster to say the least. I'm trying not to get bummed out about the situation and trying to stay positive. It's just something that happens, it's the nature of the sport. I'm just trying to keep a positive outlook, it's the best I can do." Hear more from "The Natural Born Killer" in his interview with FOX Sports after the jump. Anyone think the layoff will help Condit get better? Or is he overmatched regardless of how long he trains?

Posted in: ufc, fight, sport, condit, carlos condit

Josh Koscheck says he wants to fight Carlos Condit at UFC 137

Polarizing pugilist Josh Koscheck is quickly shedding his “bad boy” persona for that of “problem solver” after going online to once again volunteer his services in hopes of replacing an injured peer at the last minute. The 33-year old’s latest plea came as the result of welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre’s removal from an October 29 show after spraining his knee while training for opponent Carlos Condit. While Condit ultimately decided to sit the show out as well and wait for his title-shot, the top contender’s decision didn’t prevent Koscheck from letting it be known that he would have filled in at UFC 137 had he been given the chance. Koscheck took to Twitter where he, after asking Dana White if “duty” had called again, was turned down based on Condit’s refusal to risk his crack at GSP’s championship. “That sucks (Dana) but you’re the boss….Now what?? I just get to sit around and play with my ding dong? I need more excitement in my life,” Koscheck humorously replied. “Some things (are) out of your control but you can put it out there. Hoping the other guy MANs up and (doesn’t) let (Dana) save him from an asskicking!” The circumstances are similar to those surrounding a September scrap with Matt Hughes where Koscheck agreed to the match-up on short notice after Diego Sanchez broke his hand while training for the fight. The American Kickboxing Academy staple went on to knock Hughes out in the final seconds of the bout’s opening round. Koscheck Comes Away with Knockout of the Night Honors at UFC 135 The curly-coiffed Koscheck is 16-5 in his career with ten stoppages and past victories over some solid opposition including Sanchez, Anthony Johnson, Chris Lytle, and Paul Daley. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

Posted in: ufc, josh koscheck, koscheck, condit, night honors

How GSP’s Injury Affects His Opponent and UFC Itself

As we learned following yesterday’s announcement from Dana White, UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St Pierre (22-2) has been forced to pull out of his UFC 137 title defense against the number one contender, Carlos Condit (27-5) due to a knee injury sustained in training. GSP’s injury throws up interesting repercussions not only for Condit, but for the UFC itself. With the fight postponed until “early 2012″, Condit’s camp made the decision that their fighter will wait out UFC 137, despite a last minute offer from Josh Koscheck to take St Pierre’s place. Malki Kawa (Condit’s manager) stated that as the #1 contender, there is no sense in the former WEC champion gambling his title shot and risking injury to himself in an impromptu replacement fight. Both Condit and Kawa have to be fully aware of the recent drama in the light heavyweight division involving Rashad Evans and his woes with then-champion Shogun Rua. With a title fight booked following Rua’s return from injury, Evans elected to sit out any additional fights while waiting for Shogun to recover. In a cruel twist, by the time the champion healed up, Evans himself went down with an injury and was forced to pull out of the fight. The fight was scrapped completely, and Rashad’s title shot was then handed to Jon “Bones” Jones, who successfully went on to win the belt. As a result, Evans has spent the majority of the past year on the bench, as well as arguably damaging his credibility as a legit top contender for the belt. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Junior Dos Santos, number one contender for the UFC Heavyweight Championship, chose to remain consistently active after champion Cain Valasquez was injured. Taking fights while waiting for the champion to heal enabled JDS to build additional credibility and legitimacy as a top contender in the eyes of fans. Condit has chosen the Evans route, but only time will tell if that was the right decision for himself, his career, and his reputation as an active contender. As for Dana White and UFC officials, they are once again confronted with the biggest challenge with promoting the sport of Mixed Martial Arts: the unpredictability factor. Cancelled fights, replaced opponents and rearranged main events are never a good thing for UFC, especially now as the company attempts to break into mainstream America once and for all with an upcoming stacked card on the FOX network. Will a regular audience be forgiving of a fight that has been built up and hyped for weeks, only to be scratched or reshuffled a week before showtime? In sports such as football or baseball, while there are standout big name players that fans love to follow, overall it’s the team itself that draws the interest and sells the tickets. Not too many Cowboys fans would sell their ticket if Tony Romo was unable to play in a particular game. But in UFC, when the marquee fights rest squarely on the shoulders of individuals and not teams, the risk is much higher when that individual is unable to perform. This is a sport where the individual fighters, and the specific match ups with other individual fighters, are the attractions. One guy getting hurt ultimately can change everything. In a full contact combat-based sport like MMA, such problems are difficult to resolve, and impossible to avoid. In 2011 alone, over ten marquee fights have been cancelled or shuffled due to injury. With St Pierre no longer a selling point for UFC 137, will Penn vs Diaz be enough to grab those same PPV dollars that fans were preparing to hand over to see the champion in action? What about the fans who have already bought tickets and incurred travel expenses to see “Rush” fight live in front of their eyes? Will they be satisfied with a replacement? Hardcore MMA fans are likely to enjoy a card regardless of “big names”, but it can be a different situation for the larger, and less understanding, mainstream audience. While seemingly unavoidable, one has to wonder if White and his team are looking at ways to avoid this in the future as they continue to grow their business. In an ironic twist, this now pushes the BJ Penn vs Nick Diaz into the main event slot of UFC 137. Diaz was previously in the main event as GSP’s original opponent and number one contender for the title, before some bizarre press conference no-shows forced White to revoke Diaz’s title shot and award it to Carlos Condit. UFC 137 will take place next Saturday night, October 29, at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The night’s main card airs on pay-per-view, with prelims to air free on Spike TV and Facebook. Look for our breakdown of the card next week as well as my predictions for each fight. For up to date information about the event, head over to UFC.com.

Posted in: ufc, fight, injury, condit, contender

Read the full article at Octagon Mania

Carlos Condit Discusses UFC 137 Bout Cancellation

See what Carlos Condit has to say about yesterday's news that he won't be able to face GSP at UFC 137.

Posted in: ufc, condit, carlos condit, yesterdays news, face gsp

Carlos Condit: 'A fight against anyone other than Georges St. Pierre wouldn't make sense'

In other words, thanks for the offer Mr. Koscheck, but no thanks. UFC welterweight mercenary Josh Koscheck, who earlier this week said he wants big money fights, offered his services to Carlos Condit for the UFC 137 main event set to go down a week from Saturday (Oct. 29, 2011) in Las Vegas, Nevada. That's because reigning welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre was felled by a knee injury and forced to withdraw from the "Sin City" headliner. He is not expected to return to action any sooner than 2012. The "Natural Born Killer," who contemplated staying on the re-worked fight card, eventually gave way to "logic" and will opt for a temporary layoff while "Rush" gets his affairs in order. Condit explains to ESPN.com: "I want to fight next week. It's in my heart to fight, but logically, I need to be patient. No matter who the opponent was -- right now, a fight against anyone other than Georges wouldn't make sense. I have some small -- I wouldn't even call them injuries -- that come from training day in and day out, so I guess I have time to heal now. But I would rather have just fought through it. I was ready to fight. The layoff isn't huge, but, you know, it's kind of a crappy situation all around." Crappy indeed. With both Condit and St. Pierre off the card, the co-main event between B.J. Penn and Nick Diaz has been promoted to headliner. Taking their place is the titanic tilt that pits Matt Mitrione vs. Cheick Kongo and Brad Tavares vs. Dustin Jacoby will climb a few rungs to round out the pay-per-view broadcast. Anyone out there disagree with Condit's decision to wait? For all the changes to the UFC 137: "Penn vs. Diaz" fight card -- and there are aplenty -- click here.

Posted in: fight, week, vs, condit, carlos condit

With GSP vs. Carlos Condit postponed, a second look at BJ Penn/Nick Diaz #ufc @MMASupremacy

Now that GSP vs. Carlos Condit has been postponed, it's time for a renewed focus on BJ Penn vs. Nick Diaz.

Posted in: diaz, vs, gsp, condit, bj

Read the full article at Fight Opinion

Georges St-Pierre Targets Early 2012 UFC Return, Carlos Condit Will “Work a Little Longer”

The knee injury that forced UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre to withdraw from next Saturday’s UFC 137 main event is only a sprain that should allow him to return to face Carlos Condit in early 2012 after four-to-six weeks off, UFC Chairman Lorenzo Fertitta told the LA Times. I am greatly disappointed, for both myself and UFC fans, that I will no longer be fighting for the Welterweight title at UFC 137, but I also understand that injuries are a part of this business,” Condit said in a statement. “This is the best training camp I have ever had, and I look forward to carrying over the growth that I’ve experienced in this camp to my next one. “I have trained for over a decade in mixed martial arts with the clear goal of becoming the best fighter in the world at my weight class. I have worked this long to become the UFC Welterweight Champion. I will work a little longer.” While Dana White announced the new UFC 137 main event between BJ Penn and Nick Diaz would remain a three-round fight, Diaz’s camp wants Penn to agree to make it the first five-round non-title fight. Finally, a middleweight bout between Brad Tavares and UFC newcomer Dustin Jacoby has been promoted from the Facebook prelims to fill the UFC 137 main card, leaving Donald Cerrone vs. Dennis Siver and Tyson Griffin vs. Bart Palaszewski on the Spike prelims. For UFC 137 results and complete UFC 137 coverage stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.

Posted in: ufc, welterweight, facebook prelims, condit, camp

Carlos Condit statement on St. Pierre pullout

Carlos Condit has issued a statement regarding the cancellation of the UFC 137 fight with Georges St. Pierre.St. Pierre suffered a ‘bad sprain’...

Posted in: pierre, st, condit, carlo, statement

Carlos Condit issues statement on Georges St. Pierre injury, feels 'greatly disappointed' UFC 137 fight canceled

Carlos Condit admittedly wept with joy when he heard the news that he would fight welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre in the UFC 137 main event. After learning today that "Rush" sustained a knee injury in training and was scratched from their fight on Oct. 29, 2011, he was likely reduced to tears once again. Well, that's likely an exaggeration, considering "The Natural Born Killer" is still the next in line to attempt to dethrone the 170-pound deity. However, the former World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) champion will just have to wait a little longer for the opportunity. Shortly after we learned that St. Pierre would be sidelined for four to six weeks, and the he would not return to the Octagon until the first quarter of 2012, Condit issued a statement on the situation, saying that "this is the best training camp I have ever had," but is willing to work "a little longer" to "become the UFC welterweight champion." Read Condit's complete statement on his postponed fight with St. Pierre after the jump: "I am greatly disappointed, for both myself and UFC fans, that I will no longer be fighting for the Welterweight title at UFC 137, but I also understand that injuries are a part of this business. As a professional fighter, it is my job to be prepared for any and all circumstances, positive and negative, that come my way during training and the actual fight. Georges is a great competitor and I know that he will want to return to 100 percent health as soon as possible so that this fight can be rescheduled. This is the best training camp I have ever had, and I look forward to carrying over the growth that I've experienced in this camp to my next one. I have trained for over a decade in mixed martial arts with the clear goal of becoming the best fighter in the world at my weight class. I have worked this long to become the UFC Welterweight Champion. I will work a little longer." More on this breaking news shortly.

Posted in: ufc, fight, st, condit, st pierre

Manager says Carlos Condit waiting for GSP title fight is 'most logical decision'

When injured UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre today scratched from next weekend's UFC 137's main event, Carlos Condit was right behind him. Condit, in fact, learned of the canceled title fight when MMAjunkie.com called him for reaction immediately following Dana White's announcement of a St-Pierre injury. While disappointed he won't be on next week's UFC 137 card, Condit's best play is to wait for the champ's recovery rather than take another fight, his manager, Malki Kawa, explained.

Posted in: ufc, condit, carlos condit, champs recovery, stpierre injury

Carlos Condit Issues Statement Regarding Georges St. Pierre's UFC 137 Withdrawal

Carlos Condit's dream was shattered in a manner of minutes earlier today when Georges St. Pierre was forced to withdraw from the UFC 137 welterweight title matchup just 11 days before the fight was set to go down. Condit, who will be held off the card so he can face GSP as soon as he's healthy, issued a press release through his management company just a little while ago. Here's what he had to say: "I am greatly disappointed, for both myself and UFC fans, that I will no longer be fighting for the Welterweight title at UFC 137, but I also understand that injuries are a part of this business. As a professional fighter, it is my job to be prepared for any and all circumstances, positive and negative, that come my way during training and the actual fight. Georges is a great competitor and I know that he will want to return to 100 percent health as soon as possible so that this fight can be rescheduled. This is the best training camp I have ever had, and I look forward to carrying over the growth that I’ve experienced in this camp to my next one. I have trained for over a decade in mixed martial arts with the clear goal of becoming the best fighter in the world at my weight class. I have worked this long to become the UFC Welterweight Champion. I will work a little longer." Tough break for everyone involved, obviously. Condit went from a co-main event slot, to a main event title fight, to sitting on the sidelines over the last two months. B.J. Penn vs. Nick Diaz will move up to the main event slot. More SB Nation coverage of UFC 137

Posted in: ufc, fight, condit, management company, event slot

Knee Injury Forces Georges St. Pierre Off UFC 137, BJ Penn vs. Nick Diaz New Main Event

I just land in NYC and what do I always say!? I have to deal with bad shit everyday!! GSP is out with an injury!!! #oneofthosedaysabout 2 hours ago via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite@danawhiteDana White In another unfortunate turn of events, the UFC 137 main event has changed once again. Dana White broke the news earlier this afternoon on Twitter that Georges St. Pierre is off UFC 137 with a knee injury. GSP’s lead trainer in Montreal, Firas Zahabi, told MMA Junkie the injury occurred when GSP sprawled during a sparring session. “After he cooled down, I knew he couldn’t fight anymore,” Zahabi said. “I’ve been around, I’ve seen injuries, and I know that that kind of injury is going to take at least two to five weeks of not standing on it for it to be really good (and) sturdy to fight. That’s just me estimating with what I’ve seen in the past.” “I don’t know what the medical term is,” Zahabi said. “I don’t know which tendon, or ligament, or whatever is sprained. I’m not a doctor, but I know he’s [had] an MRI, he got tested, and he won’t be able to fight. “I think we all had mixed feelings,” he said. “Some guys were pissed off. Some guys were disappointed. But at the end of the day, it’s sparring. There’s nothing you can do to predict those things, and the sparring was not out of control. It was well within control. But when you’re fighting, you push yourself. Georges has been pushing himself a lot and just pushed himself a little too far.” Rather than give Carlos Condit another fight, it looks like he’s going to wait until GSP is healed up and ready to go. Dana White told Dave Meltzer that it doesn’t look like GSP will need surgery and hopes to reschedule the fight for later this year or early 2012. Zahabi told MMA Fighting however that GSP can’t train for at least a month, so early 2012 seems more likely. As you can imagine, Condit was pretty disappointed when he heard the news. “Oh, shut the [expletive] up,” a flabbergasted Condit told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) when told the news. “I’m pretty disappointed, man. That’s, wow. Just disappointed, that’s all I can say. But I gotta go, brother.” So what does that mean for UFC 137? Well, just like BJ Penn’s been saying all along, his fight against Nick Diaz will be the main event. On his official website, Penn said he was excited to be in the actual main event and wished GSP a speedy recovery. “I wish GSP a healthy recovery and I’m very excited to be competing in the main event. We wish the champion well with his recovery!” As for GSP vs. Condit, bummer. Major bummer.

Posted in: fight, gsp, event, injury, condit

Carlos Condit Disappointed, but Hopeful Shot at GSP Could Still Happen Soon

Carlos Condit is "super disappointed" that GSP had to bow out of their fight at UFC 137, but he's willing to wait a couple months in hopes of capturing St-Pierre's UFC belt.

Posted in: ufc, gsp, condit, carlos condit, couple months

UFC welterweight bad boy Josh Koscheck offered to step up and fight Carlos Condit on a week's...

UFC welterweight bad boy Josh Koscheck offered to step up and fight Carlos Condit on a week's notice after learning that Georges St. Pierre blew out his knee and would not be able to compete at UFC 137. While Dana White "respects the shit outta Josh" for the offer, it looks like Condit will hit the showers and wait for the champ to recover. Any fans out there want to speculate as to how that possible match-up would have went down?

Posted in: ufc, condit, josh, weeks notice, ufc welterweight

Diaz vs. Penn Now Main Event @ 137; Condit Will Wait For GSP

submitted by yarp-yarp [link] [2 comments]

Posted in: diaz, vs, gsp, condit, yarpyarp

UFC 137: Georges St. Pierre Out With Injury

As if UFC 137 wasn't crazy enough, UFC President Dana White just announced that welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre has pulled out of his fight with Carlos Condit due to injury. Condit had originally been scheduled to fight B.J. Penn, but he was moved into the main event after Nick Diaz no-showed two consecutive press conferences. White's tweet announcing the news: @danawhiteDana White I just land in NYC and what do I always say!? I have to deal with bad shit everyday!! GSP is out with an injury!!! #oneofthosedaysOct 18 via Twitter for iPhoneFavoriteRetweetReply This leaves the UFC in an interesting position. With less than two weeks away from the event, it's unlikely they'll find a replacement for Condit to fight. It's even more unlikely they'll find a replacement for Condit to fight in the main event. So Penn and Diaz, it would seem, slot into the top spot, which of course puts the UFC in the hilarious position of having Diaz in a position where he has to carry some of the PR load. Lance Pugmire of the L.A. Times tweets that "UFC leaders" told him that St. Pierre went down with a knee injury in camp. MMA Junkie broke the news to Carlos Condit. His response: "Oh, shut the [expletive] up," a flabbergasted Condit told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) when told the news. "I'm pretty disappointed, man. That's, wow. Just disappointed, that's all I can say. But I gotta go, brother." Expect a rash of updates throughout the upcoming days.

Posted in: ufc, fight, injury, condit, carlos condit

Carlos Condit Says Georges St-Pierre Injury News 'Took the Wind Out of My Sails'

Filed under: UFCCarlos Condit had just finished doing about an hour of phone interviews to hype his title fight against Georges St-Pierre at UFC 137 when he heard the bad news. St-Pierre was out with a knee injury, the bout was postponed, and the welterweight tilt between B.J. Penn and Nick Diaz would now take the main event spot on October 29. "It was a surprise," Condit told MMA Fighting on Tuesday afternoon. "...This has probably been the longest training camp of my career. Everything's been going well, and then I get the call that [St-Pierre] is hurt. It took the wind out of my sails to say the least." Instead of getting his long-awaited shot at the UFC welterweight title at the end of the month, Condit is now off the UFC 137 card altogether. He'll wait until the champ is healthy and the fight can be rescheduled, he said, since St-Pierre isn't expected to be sidelined too long. With a relatively short time to wait, Condit said, taking another fight in the interim "just doesn't make any sense." "From the sound of it, Georges, his recovery time isn't going to be six months or anything like that," said Condit. "From what I heard, they're looking at more like six weeks. To take another fight just doesn't make sense." The setback is obviously disappointing for Condit, who was pulled out of a bout with Penn and slotted into the title fight after Diaz's press conference no-shows got him yanked from the main event, but the challenger said he's doing his best to maintain a positive outlook. "I'll just have more time to work on things," he said. "This is what I do for a living. This is my job, is to get up every day and go train. Not much has changed." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: fight, time, title fight, condit, stpierre

Georges St-Pierre Off UFC 137 Due to Injury; Penn vs. Diaz New Main Event

Filed under: UFC, NewsGeorges St-Pierre has been forced to withdraw from his UFC 137 title fight against Carlos Condit due to a knee injury suffered in training on Tuesday, MMA Fighting has confirmed with St-Pierre's head trainer Firas Zahabi. UFC president Dana White broke the news earlier in the day via Twitter. According to White, who spoke to MMAFighting.com via text message after making the announcement, Nick Diaz vs. BJ Penn will now main event next week's pay-per-view event from Las Vegas. The new main event will remain a three-round affair. Carlos Condit has been removed from the card, and according to Condit's manager Malki Kawa, Condit will receive his title shot against GSP as soon as the champion is cleared to fight again. "He's out for a month," Zahabi said of GSP. "I would say at least a month he can't train. So unfortunately, he's out of the fight, that's for sure. "He's not in any condition to fight, that's for sure. No doctor will clear him." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, fight, event, condit, fight thats

The Best Fighter vs. The Best Finsher

In less than two weeks, Georges “Rush” St. Pierre (22-2 MMA, 16-2 UFC) will look to defend his 170 lb. title for the 7th straight time. Carlos “The Natural Born Killer” Condit (27-5 MMA, 4-1 UFC) is the man he must defeat in order to preserve his legacy. GSP has come under fire lately for a precieved inability to finish his opponents (9 decisions overall, 6 in his last 7), while Condit has finished 26 out of his 27 opponents. Will Condit be the man to dethrone the dominant champion? Will GSP come out and simply dominate, or will he come out looking to end the fight early? Let’s take a closer look. Early in his career, it was easy to see that GSP was the future of the division. His striking is crazy accurate and his speed is unmatched. He built himself into a complete MMA fighter by training with high class olympic wrestlers to give himself possibly the most effective wrestling in MMA (while lacking a wrestling background), and earning his black belt in 2008. Some would say the key to being a successful wrestler/fighter in MMA is to mix your take downs with strikes, use punches and kicks to confuse the opponent and shoot for a take down when they’re expecting a strike. GSP took that concept a step further. He doesn’t necessairly just mix his strikes and take downs, he blends them. He’ll shoot for a take down while throwing a punch. He’ll throw a superman punch, followed by a kick, leading directly into a take down. He’s unpredictable, and can control where the fight takes place. In order to defeat someone like GSP, you’re going to need a miracle, or an iron will and the ability to end the fight at any time. Carlos Condit has both. As the former (and last) WEC WW Champion, Condit came into the UFC with some momentum. His first fight was against the dutch striker Martin Kampmann, where he lost a close split decision. He followed that up with a close decision win over a strong figher in Jake Ellenberger, and then a KO sandwiched inbetween two TKOs. He has seem to found his stride and is coming off a very impressive TKO over Dong Hyun Kim. He did show some holes in his game against Rory Macdonald, who landed three of four take downs in the first round. But in the second round Condit came to life and shut down Rory’s take downs, stopping the next four. He also showed that he’s never out of the fight winning via TKO at 4:53 of round three. He also has a KO win over an opponent GSP couldn’t finish in Dan Hardy. His striking is very strong and accurate, and has strong submissions skills too (13 (T)KOS and 13 submissions). He’s a handful for any fighter to deal with, because his game plan is to finish you. The biggest question in this fight is if Condit will be able to stop or prevent the GSP take down. Carlos has a listed take down defense of 45%, while GSP has a take down accuracy of 78%. I don’t think it’s a question of if, but a question of when. There is no question about it, GSP will be able to land take downs on Carlos. If he can’t stop the take down, he must be able prevent it. Condit has to be able to strike with GSP and strike with speed and accuracy. GSP has a statistical striking advantage, but Carlos definitely has the stronger strikes. GSP has also been stopped by strikes before, being overwhelmed by Matt Serra. In order to win, Carlos has to be able to endure the take downs, be able to get up, and land significant strikes on GSP. In order for GSP to win, he just has to be GSP. Land your strikes, work your take downs, wear down and defeat the opponent. This is a solid match up between the best fighter at WW, and the best finisher at WW.

Posted in: gsp, condit, strike, down, carlo

Read the full article at Octagon Mania

Carlos Condit: Disappointed but understanding regarding UFC 137 changes

Carlos Condit was a little more than a week away from getting his first shot at UFC gold when news broke that Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre was forced to withdraw from the fight due to a knee injury he sustained while training for UFC 137. The UFC announced that Condit would not get another opponent for the fight; instead he would be pulled from the card and will get his shot at St-Pierre as soon as possible. Soon after the news broke that the October 29 title fight was off, Condit released a

Posted in: ufc, condit, carlos condit, knee injury, ufc gold

Carlos Condit: I have everything to gain and nothing to lose at UFC 137

"The Natural Born Killer" Carlos Condit will step inside the Octagon at UFC 137 with sights on ending Georges St. Pierre's amazing run as the UFC Welterweight Champion. Speaking to HDNet's Bas Rutten and Kenny Rice, Condit declared he has everything to gain and nothing to lose at UFC 137, claiming that he will give GSP his toughest test to date. NBK is currently 4-1 in the UFC, losing to Martin Kampmann via a Split Decision in his Octagon debut at Fight Night 18. Condit finished three of his last opponents

Posted in: ufc, condit, octagon debut, carlos condit, kenny rice

Carlos Condit thankful for Greg Jackson, but undeterred by his absence at UFC 137

When news broke that Carlos Condit would be stepping in to challenge fellow Jackson's MMA associate Georges St. Pierre for the Welterweight title, head coach Greg Jackson responded by immediately removing himself from the equation. Having worked extensively with each competitor over the years, Jackson cited "teammate protocols" for his unwillingness to choose sides. Now training primarily under Chris Luttrell, it appears Condit is not only comfortable with the current structure of his camp, but he says...

Posted in: jackson, condit, carlos condit, chris luttrell, teammate protocols

Carlos Condit: “I’m the best that I’ve ever been.”

Though Carlos Condit has been fighting for close to a decade and has won twelve of his last thirteen fights with the lone exception involving a Split Decision, “The Natural Born Killer” believes he has never been better than he is right now. The timing works out well considering Condit will face UFC welterweight ace Georges St. Pierre for the divisional title in a few weeks at UFC 137. Condit recently spoke about how he’s been preparing for the opportunity he’ll receive on October 29 since before he ever strapped on a pair of MMA gloves. “I’ve been training for this my entire life. Every wrestling match, every amateur boxing match that I’ve ever done, was in preparation for this,” said Condit in a preview for his headlining clash with St. Pierre. “I’m the best that I’ve ever been. I’m more motivated, more focused, than I’ve ever been in my entire career. I’m stepping into that cage and I’m coming to take his belt.” St. Pierre in No “Rush” to Meet Condit at UFC 137 At 27-years old with as many wins on his record as years on this planet, not to mention 26 stoppages in said victories, it sounds like Condit might be the scariest thing GSP sees on Halloween Weekend. You can watch the entire video below: PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

Posted in: i ’m, condit, ’m, ’ve, i ’ve

UFC 137 main event: If it goes to decision, Georges St. Pierre is probably going to beat Carlos Condit

Those are Carlos Condit's words, not mine. UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre may catch flak from the media and fans for being a "decision fighter" but it's created a certain mentality in his opponents that they have to finish him in order to defeat him. St. Pierre's two career defeats both came in the first round, one by way of knockout and one by way of submission. Condit knows he needs to emanate one of the two in the main event of UFC 137 on Oct. 29 in Las Vegas, Nevada. "I would like to finish. I feel like if it goes to decision I'd probably be on the losing end of the scorecards. Hopefully not, you know. In a perfect world I can get in there and win rounds and be able to stop takedowns. But I think my best chance in this fight is my stopping ability, my striking and my submissions." "The Natural Born Killer" is nothing if not a finisher; 26 of Condit's 27 career victories have come without assistance from cageside judges. That's an insane finishing rate but will he be able to end St. Pierre's night early when the two square off later this month? Hear more from Condit on the biggest fight of his life after the jump.

Posted in: pierre, st, condit, carlos condit, end st

UFC 137 ‘St. Pierre vs. Condit’ Pre-Fight Interview: Carlos Condit

Carlos Condit challenges Georges St. Pierre for the UFC welterweight title on Saturday, Oct. 29, at UFC 137.

Posted in: ufc, pierre, condit, carlos condit, pierre vs

Carlos Condit considers Georges St. Pierre to be as good as it gets in MMA

UFC welterweight contender Carlos Condit may hold an overall record of 27-5 with 26 stoppages but even he admits current champion Georges St. Pierre poses a challenge unlike any he’s seen so far in his career. St. Pierre, considered to be one of MMA’s pound-for-pound greats, is one of the few competitors who blend every aspect of the sport together seamlessly. A tremendous grappler with diverse stand-up and never-ending cardio, GSP hasn’t been beaten in more than four-and-a-half years while picking up wins over a number of highly-respected peers like B.J. Penn, Matt Hughes, Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck, and most recently Jake Shields. Condit understands the significant task at hand, a point he drove home in a recent interview with the UFC relating to his October 29 headliner against the popular French-Canadian at UFC 137. “Georges is very hard to gameplan against. He’s as dynamic and well-rounded as they come. He’s a very, very tough puzzle to solve,” Condit explained before making it clear he’s no slouch either. “I’m hard to fight. No matter what position we’re in I make you very uncomfortable. I try to not only beat you down physically but break you mentally.” You can catch the full segment by checking out the video below: PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, matt hughes, st, condit, carlos condit

Zuffa releases extended preview for UFC 137

Four of the best welterweights in the world will collide at UFC 137, as champion Georges St-Pierre defends his title against Carlos Condit, and B.J. Penn welcomes former Strikeforce champ Nick Diaz back to the Octagon. This card has been through several changes, as GSP was originally slated to meet Diaz. But, Diaz was removed after no-showing several press conferences and replaced by Condit. The UFC went ahead and placed Diaz against Penn, who was slated to face Condit. For Condit, he had no hesitation in accepting the change in opponent, especially with a shot at St-Pierre and the UFC gold on the line. “This is my dream. This is what I’ve wanted to do since I was a little kid,” Condit said. “I have nothing to lose and everything to gain.” St-Pierre has done everything asked of him since claiming the title, and says he will, “dictate the pace of the fight. We will fight my fight and I will take him out.” Heavyweights Cheick Kongo and Matt Mitrione will also meet on the pay-per-view main card, which takes place October 29 from Las Vegas, Nevada’s Mandalay Bay Center. Mirko Filipovic and Roy Nelson, along with Hatsu Hioki and George Roop, round out the main card. Check out an extended preview of UFC 137 below:<

Posted in: ufc, diaz, “ i, condit, roy nelson

UFC 137: Carlos Condit Is ‘Coming to Take Georges St-Pierre’s Belt’ (video)

For UFC 137 results and complete UFC 137 coverage stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com and check out the Carlos Condit UFC 137 walkout shirt at FightTrends.com.

Posted in: ufc, result, condit, carlo, st-pierre

GSP vs Condit: Head to Head

submitted by ialsolovebees [link] [comment]

Posted in: vs, gsp, condit, head, ialsolovebee

5 Reasons to Get Really Pumped Up for UFC 137: St-Pierre vs Condit

By @Greg Riot 1.) Carlos Condit Will More Than Test GSP GSP is praised as being a complete fighter, but everyone will agree, including GSP, that he can’t finish fights. Condit can. He has finished 26 opponents and is also an all around fighter who has 13 wins by KO and 13 wins via submission. [...]

Posted in: fighter, vs, gsp, condit, everyone

Read the full article at Fighthub TV

Condit expects to lose decision if he cannot put GSP away

Carlos Condit expects to lose a decision if he cannot beat Georges St Pierre inside the distance.He faces the French-Canadian welterweight champion at...

Posted in: decision, gsp, champion, condit, carlos condit

Five Things GSP Must Do To Beat Carlos Condit

Our friends at Bleacher Report detail five things Georges St-Pierre absolutely must do if he wants to beat Carlos Condit.

Posted in: condit, carlos condit, thing, carlo, things gsp

Georges St. Pierre sees Carlos Condit as extremely problematic opponent

When Carlos Condit was named as a replacement for Nick Diaz in a headlining title-fight against Georges St. Pierre at UFC 137 it may have initially felt like a step down in competition for the welterweight champion given the hype surround Diaz. However, according to the one opinion mattering most in the equation – St. Pierre’s – Condit is far from being a lesser opponent. In fact, GSP feels he may be the toughest adversary he’s faced off against to date. St. Pierre recently offered up his thoughts on “The Natural Born Killer” in a promotional video for the event where he explained Condit’s polished attack is the best he’s encountered. “I believe Carlos poses more problems for me than I’ve ever seen,” said St. Pierre. “I have to deal with a guy who has knockout power, a very technical striker and great ground game as well – an unpredictable fighter.” Considering Condit has finished 26 of the 27 fighters he’s beaten with an even split between TKOs/submissions it’s hard to argue against the French-Candian’s assessment, especially when looking at the number of “specialists” St. Pierre has faced over his seven-plus year career in the UFC. You can watch the entire GSP interview clip below: PHOTO CREDIT – AP Tweet

Posted in: pierre, st, georges st, condit, carlos condit

GSP: Condit is not my friend

submitted by tbolts48 [link] [comment]

Posted in: gsp, tbolt, condit, friend

Georges St. Pierre confident that he will finish Carlos Condit

Georges St-Pierre will defend his UFC Welterweight Championship against Carlos Condit on October 29 at UFC 137. St-Pierre has not lost April 2007, when he fell to Matt Serra, who entered the fight as a huge underdog. Since that time he has run off nine straight victories. Condit’s last loss was his UFC debut, a split decision loss to Martin Kampmann on April 1, 2009, since then he has won four straight. Throughout his career Condit has ended 26 of his 27 victories by stoppage. St-Pierre is confident

Posted in: ufc, condit, carlos condit, st-pierre, condit ’s

New (and different) UFC 137 video trailer for Georges St. Pierre vs. Carlos Condit

With UFC 136: "Edgar vs. Maynard 3" in the rear view mirror, it's time to focus our attention on UFC 137: "St. Pierre vs. Condit," which is scheduled for the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Oct. 29, 2011. Georges St. Pierre vs. Carlos Condit will serve as the main event, while B.J. Penn vs. Nick Diaz will serve as the co-featured fight of the night. It's perhaps the promotion's biggest pay-per-view (PPV) before the year-end blockbuster. Are you ready? To check out the complete UFC 137 fight card and rumors click here.

Posted in: ufc, vs, condit, carlos condit, pierre vs

FOTD: Carlos Condit's Flying Knee at UFC 132

submitted by tbolts48 [link] [9 comments]

Posted in: ufc, tbolt, condit, fotd, carlos condit

Georges St. Pierre says Nick Diaz fight was hype, Carlos Condit is true #1 Contender

Reigning Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre, who will look to make his seventh consecutive title defense when he meets Carlos Condit at UFC 137, discusses his opponent, as well as Nick Diaz's withdraw from the fight. St. Pierre says that while he was looking forward to facing Diaz, he believes that his new opponent, Condit, is the true number-one contender.

Posted in: diaz, pierre, st, condit, carlos condit

UFC 137: Georges St. Pierre on FOX Sports talks Carlos Condit, Nick Diaz and more (Audio)

Even though the landmark television deal between Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and FOX Sports isn't official until 2012, it hasn't stopped them from staging their first-ever event, UFC on FOX 1: "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos," later this year on Nov. 12. It also hasn't apparently prevented the dynamic duo from promoting other stars such as UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre, who was recently a guest of the network, dishing on his upcoming fight against Carlos Condit at UFC 137 on Oct. 29, 2011. "Rush," naturally, also touched on the Nick Diaz-inspired drama surrounding the marquee match up, which forced the promotion to demote the Stockton slugger to the co main event opposite B.J. Penn. His trainer, as well as Condit's, Greg Jackson, was also a topic of conversation. Listen to the entire three-minute interview with St. Pierre after the jump:

Posted in: ufc, fox, st, condit, stockton slugger

Dan Hardy Helping Georges St. Pierre Train For Carlos Condit at UFC 137

Guess who landed in town yesterday night to come train with me?for sure he'll bring the much needed intensity to get prepared...Dan Hardy!!!about 3 hours ago via Twitter for BlackBerry®ReplyRetweetFavorite@GeorgesStPierreGeorges St-Pierre It looks like Georges St. Pierre has enlisted the help of a former opponent to get him ready for his fight against Carlos Condit at UFC 137. GSP sent out the tweet above this morning confirming that Dan Hardy is helping him train for the Oct. 29 title fight. It’s kind of an odd choice considering Hardy only spent a few minutes in the cage with Condit before getting knocked out. Perhaps Hardy can show GSP what not to do. HT: MMA Mania

Posted in: georges st, condit, carlos condit, train, pierre train

Georges St. Pierre will train with Dan Hardy for UFC 137 fight against Carlos Condit

UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre is calling on a former foe to help get him ready to rumble against Carlos Condit at UFC 137 on Oct. 29 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Dan Hardy, to be specific. "The Outlaw" knows a thing or two about fighting Condit, as the two 170-pounders made hay while the sun shined at UFC 120 back in October 2010. He also knows a thing or two about getting knocked clean out, which is what happened at the hands of "The Natural Born Killer" when they traded blows last year across the pond. The defeat to Condit was loss number two in his current four-fight skid, which makes Hardy's addition to the TriStar training camp an unusual choice. Then again, St. Pierre said he was adding "intensity." Hardy, who was submitted by Chris Lytle at UFC on Versus 5 just last month, struggled against the wrestling-based attack of Anthony Johnson prior to that in his UFC Fight Night 24 bout earlier this year. In fact, he hasn't won a fight since taking a judge's decision from Mike Swick at UFC 109 back in 2009. How about it fight fans, what do you make of the newest addition to the St. Pierre training camp? Can the talented but down-on-his-luck Hardy help "intensify" the daily operations? Or was this a miscalculation at a critical point in the "Rush" camp? Opinions, please.

Posted in: ufc, fight, pierre, condit, carlos condit