Diaz, Condit set on collision course at UFC 143

The path taken by Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz to their title fight at UFC 143 is a strange one that has included countless twists and turns. There have been several different match-ups in two different locations and one very significant injury that has led to this bout.

For a little back story, Diaz was originally announced to fight current UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre at UFC 137 in October. That was scratched after Diaz did not show up for scheduled media appearances. Condit was then placed into a title fight with St. Pierre and Diaz was slated to fight B.J. Penn.



Neither Diaz or Condit thought they'd be fighting for an interim
title, but now that they are both are ready for a fight.



The Condit-GSP fight never happened as Georges suffered an injury and had to withdraw from the fight. Diaz and Penn became the main event at UFC 137; Diaz won by unanimous decision and subsequently called out GSP for a title shot. Condit, who had taken Diaz’s place in the original bout, was slated to fight GSP in 2012. UFC President Dana White announced Condit would take a back seat and Diaz would get his shot.

Following along? Good, because it’s about to get more difficult.

Diaz and GSP were announced to finally go at it on Super Bowl weekend, but during training on December 7 GSP suffered a hyper-extended knee and is likely sidelined until this upcoming summer. That’s when it was announced that Diaz and Condit would meet on February 4, 2012 for the interim UFC welterweight title. The winner will then fight GSP to unify titles in late-2012.

Did everybody get that? I lose anyone?

And, that is where we are now. Diaz and Condit are two very similar fighters inside the octagon, but could not be perceived to be more different outside of it.

Diaz is the brash, smack-talking Stockton native that is seen as the “bad boy” of mixed martial arts. It is a title that he has lived up to on several occasions, but it is hard to deny the talent he has in the cage. Diaz is praised for his jiu-jitsu, boxing and his cardio. He is considered one of the most well-rounded fighters in MMA.

On the other hand, there is Carlos Condit. Also known as the “Natural Born Killer”, a nickname that he has earned inside the cage but you could not imagine it outside of it. Condit is riding a four-fight win streak, three of which have come by KO or TKO. He is a similar fighter to Diaz, in both have a great stand-up and are just as dangerous on the mat.

With a interim title and an opportunity to unify title with GSP on the line, expect both men to come out with their best. However, watching UFC Primetime has given a glimpse into both fighters’ personal lives and that has show a lot in the mentality of each fighter heading into their title fight.

Diaz seems more focused than ever and that’s saying a lot, because he is one of the most focused fighters to ever grace the octagon. As for Condit, he seems slightly adrift. He is a brand-new father and has never been in a position as he is now.

Any questions, doubts and concerns over who will be ready to fight and who will come out on top will be answered this weekend. What we do know is that as good as this fight looks on paper, it will be even better in the octagon.

Follow me on Twitter @NiteshDutt.