Almost three years have passed since a unanimous-decision defeat to Georges St-Pierre started the worst run of results in Carlos Condit’s career, but the welterweight contender hopes to one day get his chance at vengeance.
Now preparing for another shot at Robbie Lawler’s welterweight title at UFC 195, Condit is hoping GSP will make his way back to the Octagon after two years of retirement, telling Fox Sports’ Heidi Fang the Canadian is assuredly in his sights:
I’ve had the honor of stepping in the Octagon with Georges before and I would love to again, especially because of the fact that he beat me. I have a loss to him and I want to avenge it. I want to avenge my losses. I want to avenge as many losses as I can. I’ve already avenged two in my career and I still have a couple more to go. Avenging a loss to GSP, it’s definitely on my radar.
A long list of variables lie in the way of that bout coming to fruition, but St-Pierre’s coach, Firas Zahabi, recently teased a comeback, telling The MMA Hour host Ariel Helwani his disciple’s fighting “itch hasn’t gone” (via Chuck Mindenhall of MMAFighting.com).
Of course, it wouldn’t hurt Condit’s case for another meeting with St-Pierre were he to defeat Lawler and claim the welterweight belt in January, the title GSP retired with in 2013 following UFC 167.
As mentioned by Fang, Tyron Woodley is the man currently next in line to have a shot at the welterweight crown, but a comeback from the 34-year-old St-Pierre would make for a major stir at the peak of the class.
Tension was at a high in Las Vegas on Thursday as Lawler and Condit met face-to-face for the media day release building up toward the January date:
Condit will be Lawler’s first matchup since the historic slugfest that was UFC 189, where Lawler stopped Rory MacDonald in what may go down as one of the best mixed-martial arts bouts ever; however, Condit says he’s looking to avoid that kind of battle, per Fang: “Fights like that, they change you. It’s an ordeal. I think some guys are able to take more damage, some guys are more resilient than others. The object is to hit the other guy and not get hit. I think the least amount of damage you can take is the best route.”
The St-Pierre battle was the last time The Natural Born Killer was forced to go the distance, winning two and losing two in the wake of that UFC 154 loss.
Lawler, on the other hand, has gone to the fifth round in each of his last three matches, claiming two of those by decision and of course ending MacDonald back in July.
Condit may be a challenge for Lawler, however, in that his record of 28 finishes in 30 wins suggests a much more clinical approach than anything MacDonald could have mustered.
These two were delayed from facing off at UFC 193 next month, but the anticipation is once again building toward what should be an epic clash between two of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s toughest figures.
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