UFC title within Condit’s reach
While many fans of mixed martial arts were left lamenting what could have been if Nick Diaz had beaten Carlos Condit to set up a fight against Georges St. Pierre, one of those who stood to gain the most from the potential megafight is not among them.
UFC president Dana White insists he is fine with Condit getting that chance after he won the interim welterweight title by upsetting Diaz in the main event of UFC 143 at Mandalay Bay Events Center on Saturday night.
“I’m not disappointed at all. Georges St. Pierre and Carlos Condit will be a big fight. I guarantee it,” White said late Saturday. “It’s one of those things where you can’t get upset about stuff like that. You put two of the best guys in the world in there to fight the absolute best in the world, and whoever wins, wins. I don’t get upset about it or worry about stuff like that.
“Carlos won; he gets the next shot.”
Not that everyone agreed on who won the fight. All three judges scored it for Condit, and White said he agreed with that assessment. The decision, however, remained a heated debate among fans and media alike into the wee hours of Sunday, particularly on social media.
Condit said he had zero doubt about the outcome.
“From my standpoint being in the cage, I didn’t think it was all that close,” he said. “I felt like I dominated almost every round. I was pretty confident I had won the fight.”
White referred to the claim Condit dominated every round as “crazy” but also took issue with those who criticized Condit’s cerebral approach to the fight. He said Condit did what he felt he had to do to get the victory. Condit concurred.
“I did what I went in there to do. If I sat there and fought Nick Diaz’s fight, it would probably be him sitting here with this belt instead of me,” Condit said. “I did what I came to do. I did what I trained to do. I punched him in the face and kicked him in the face and landed more effective strikes than he did in the fight, and that’s what it boils down to. I did what my coaches told me to do, and I walked away with the win.”
That sets him up to fight St. Pierre, the longtime champion who is on the mend after surgery to repair a torn ACL. St. Pierre is expected to be out until November, so Condit must decide whether to wait around for him or defend the interim belt and risk the bout against St. Pierre.
Condit said it was too soon to make that determination.
“That’s something I have to discuss with my coaches and my management team,” he said. “I don’t have an answer for you right now, honestly.”
White said the decision would be up to Condit and his team but seemed to indicate he would prefer Condit take a fight in the meantime.
“I don’t ever think anything’s risky. I think if you believe you really are one of the best in the world, why not stay active?” he said. “I like guys staying active and fighting. As far as I know, Carlos came out of this fight with no injuries. He could defend his interim title, and then fight GSP.”
Condit and St. Pierre have trained together in the past at Greg Jackson’s gym in Albuquerque, N.M., but Condit already was training to fight him a few months back before St. Pierre got hurt for the first time. He says he poses problems for the longtime champion.
“I like to create chaos,” Condit said. “Georges is a very technical fighter. He likes to keep things pretty cut and dry. I like to mix it up. I’m trying to chip away at you not only physically, but break you mentally. That’s what I do. I think a lot of guys have had problems with that in the past, and I’ve only gotten better.”
Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj.
