UFC 143: Something's gotta give
Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit have run off a pair of the best streaks in the welterweight division. Their savage styles should make for a thriller
By Mike Chiappetta
NBCSports.com contributor
updated 2:25 p.m. ET Feb. 2, 2012
It takes a lot to get Georges St-Pierre mad, but all Nick Diaz had to do was be himself. The UFC welterweight champion St-Pierre is on the mend from knee surgery, but his shadow looms large over the proceedings of UFC 143.
February 4 was the day he was supposed to be defending his belt against Diaz, but instead he is left with nothing but a hope that Diaz emerges with a win and that their collision course can be re-plotted for a later date. This one is personal for St-Pierre, who has traveled to Las Vegas to watch the proceedings from a front-row seat and said that he “hopes and prays” that Diaz will beat Carlos Condit.
That might make for a weird situation, given that St-Pierre and Condit are both charges of top MMA coach Greg Jackson, but St-Pierre suggests that this is a special circumstance.
St-Pierre suggests that at this point of his career -- he’s been champion for nearly four years -- the challenge of a brash challenger is welcome.
“The fire is inside,” he said on Wednesday. “I’m boiling inside and I’ll let it out at the right time.”
Main Event
Nick Diaz (26-7, 1 no contest) vs. Carlos Condit (27-5)
Location
Mandalay Bay Events Center - Las Vegas
Diaz World
The enigmatic Californian has repeatedly referred to St-Pierre as an “athlete” rather than a fighter, a subtle descriptor that underscores the duo’s difference in approach to the sport. Diaz believes GSP is content to win on points and positioning rather than attempting to finish the fight, a critique that has been levied against the champ by others as well.
Diaz acknowledged a respect for St-Pierre’s style, but it’s clear he’s not a fan of the way the champ goes about it. Diaz’s blunt observations have rankled many in the fight community who see St-Pierre as a great representative for MMA, but his candid nature continues to make him one of the polarizing and riveting figures of the sport.
“When you see me, what you see is what you get,” he 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.”
Numbers
Diaz and Condit have run off a pair of the best streaks in the welterweight division. Diaz, who was the Strikeforce champ before vacating the title to move to the UFC, has won 11 straight fights, including nine by finish. Meanwhile, Condit has captured 12 of his last 13 bouts, with 11 wins coming via finish. The two are known for their savage, unrelenting fight styles, which should make the main event a thriller.
Forgotten Man
With the many storylines surrounding Diaz, St-Pierre and several permutations thereof, Condit has gone somewhat unnoticed, especially considering the fact that he KO’d each of his last two opponents in the first round.
Condit’s career has been a rollercoaster over the last few months, with a promised title shot against St-Pierre snatched away, and other scheduling snafus. But when the opening bell sounds, Condit always comes to scrap. He’s only been to a decision three times in 32 pro fights. He also has a fight style very similar to Diaz’s, with strong standup, a dangerous guard, and excellent stamina. Despite the similarities and a sterling record, he’s considered a fairly sizable underdog.
“I’m ready to spoil the plans for GSP to come back and fight Diaz,” he said. “I understand Diaz has said things to upset Georges, I understand he wants to fight him, but it won’t be next.”
Preliminary Conclusions
Cutting to the chase, the prelim fights lack any real compelling matchups. Part of it is due to some bad luck, as injuries scuttled several promising undercard fights, including what would have been an intriguing clash between featherweight prospects Erik Koch and Dustin Poirier. One potential gem, though, comes with the UFC debut of Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, a former kickboxing star who has won 62 straight bouts in kickboxing (57-0) and MMA (5-0). Thompson has trained with St-Pierre in the past, and has earned raves from many for his fight skills. Now, it will be interesting to see if they translate to MMA’s highest level.
“Going toe-to-toe with the world’s best, I still have a long way to go to where [St-Pierre] is, but it definitely gives me a lot of confidence going into this fight,” he told NBCSports.com.
Piercing Through
Let it be noted that the UFC loves fighters who raise their hand and volunteer for action when someone is needed. This time, it was Mike Pierce, who made a call and asked to face Josh Koscheck after Koscheck was left with no opponent due to a card shuffling. Unlike Koscheck, Pierce isn’t in the welterweight division’s top 10, but he didn’t hesitate to throw himself into the fray, where an upset win would vault him up the rankings.
He has a legitimate shot. He’s 5-2 in his UFC career, and both losses came by close decisions, one to then No. 2 welterweight Jon Fitch, the other to surging Johny Hendricks. Pierce has the skills to possibly negate Koscheck’s wrestling, and the punching power to make things interesting in the standup. It’s no gimme for Koscheck.
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