When you go by the name of “Natural Born Killer” you don’t expect to win many “Man of the Year” awards, but Carlos Condit has the ability to become one of the most hated men in mixed martials arts today if he goes out and performs the task that 18 other men have been unable to. At UFC 154, Condit will attempt to unify his Interim Welterweight title with Georges St. Pierre’s “real” welterweight strap. But in what could be considered the most anticipated fight of 2012, there is a lot more on the line than who holds the belt.
In recent weeks it has been reported that Anderson Silva will be sitting cageside at UFC 154. Normally, where a fighter will sit as he enjoys his day off and watches his coworkers do what they do best is not newsworthy. However, this seat signifies what many fans are hoping the UFC is planning, and that is a “super fight” between Silva and St. Pierre sometime in 2013. But before fans can throw their hands up in anticipation of the two most dominant champions we’ve seen in the Octagon squaring off, we should ask the guy who will be standing across the cage from St. Pierre how he feels about this news.
Condit is not new to this position. Even before he pissed off much off the MMA world by beating Nick Diaz at UFC 143, he has played the spoiler more often than not. He was the underdog when he faced Dan Hardy at UFC 120, but ended that fight by becoming the first individual to send Hardy to sleep village. Highly-touted prospect Rory MacDonald had Condit defeated at UFC 115 and could have coasted to a decision, but Condit snatched that victory away with seven seconds left in the bout. The Jackson’s MMA team member has been consistently overlooked, even though his track record has shown that not only does he win, but that he knows how to do so without needing the judges’ help. 26 of his 28 wins have come by way of stoppage, but that still can’t get the fans behind him going into this fight.
Believe it or not, this is a very dangerous fight for St. Pierre as he comes back from multiple knee injuries and subsequent surgery. We’ve seen ACL injuries ruin careers of athletes across sports, and it has been even worse in MMA. Mauricio Rua has not looked like his Pride days since having two knee surgeries. How well will “Rush” fare as Condit employs the low kicks to the knees that have become so popular in recent months? GSP is known for his ability to quickly transition from striking to wrestling takedowns, and his ability to change levels for a shot is very dependent on the strength of his knees. Extended lengths of time on his feet taking leg kicks will only lower his effectiveness throughout the contest. Condit has not only been a great finisher throughout his MMA career, but he has been a very intelligent fighter, and it would be irresponsible for GSP and his fans to overlook that fact while talking about the potential outcome of this fight.
Whether MMA fans like it or not, Carlos Condit intends to ruin yet another super fight that the UFC has long been trying to create. If he defeats Georges St. Pierre, the shine of the St. Pierre vs. Silva superfight — perhaps in Cowboys Stadium — goes away immediately. But Condit wouldn’t mind that one bit. He has been granted a once in a lifetime opportunity, and he won’t let it go to waste, even if he has to play the role of spoiler in order to seize it.
