Carlos Condit Must Make The Most Of Opportunity

By Raphael Garcia

When two people come together on the dance floor, or the cage for that matter, sometimes, one person is left out. This time, that individual is Carlos Condit. While the “Natural Born Killer” may not have the title shot that he was expecting, this development may end up being a blessing in disguise for the former WEC Welterweight Champion.

A little more than two weeks ago, Condit was expecting to face off against Georges St. Pierre at UFC 137 in what was to be the biggest fight of his career. However, a knee injury forced the champion off the card, and Condit into the waiting room once again. Yet the roller coaster ride had just begun for the contender, as things took an even more sudden turn for him right after the Pay Per View event.

At UFC 137, Nick Diaz put on a rousing performance as he defeated BJ Penn by unanimous decision. During the post-fight interview he went into his normal act of saying and doing whatever he wants by calling out GSP, much to the delight of the crowd in attendance. Smelling money, Pay Per View buys, or a desire to give the fans what they want, UFC President Dana White announced during the post-fight press conference that Nick Diaz will now be the next challenger to St. Pierre’s crown, and the fight will go down during Super Bowl weekend in early 2012. The announcement left Condit standing on the sidelines of the dance floor holding two cups of fruit punch.

Now before we sit back and bemoan how Condit has been “screwed” or “left out to dry,” this may be an opportunity in disguise for the former WEC Welterweight champion. Though the threat of missing out on a shot does abound, this development may actually bode well for his career.

First things first, this is a less desirable position for Condit, who would rather have the shot as soon as possible. Rashad Evans is a recent example of a top fighter who decided to wait before getting a title shot, and was forced out of two due to injuries to his hand and knee. Anthony Pettis is another example, but on the other side of the coin; he took a fight and was defeated by Clay Guida. Now Pettis must climb his way back to the top for the title shot he seemed to have earned at the end of 2010. It will be interesting to see how Condit stays active while avoiding the possibility of an injury or loss derailing his title chances.

The other side of the argument, though, is that stepping aside gives Condit the opportunity to become even more prepared for this bout. In sports, an athlete can never be over-prepared to compete, and the extra time will give Condit another opportunity to study both Nick Diaz and Georges St. Pierre, as they compete against one another. Many people felt that Condit was a viable threat to the champion because his willingness to throw caution to the wind and do whatever is needed to earn the victory. And with more time to develop an effective game plan, Condit now has an additional opportunity to find exactly where his potential opponents are weakest, and focus his game plan on attacking those weak points. While both GSP and Diaz have very solid styles, it will be important for Condit to create an effective strategy.

In time we will see whether Condit does in fact receive the title shot he was awarded in early October. If he does, the extra preparation time, and the opportunity to better research his opponent, may give him an upper hand, justifying what has become a “wait your turn” position.