First off, we the MMA media would like to thank one, Nick Diaz for screwing up his shot at the title just so we could enjoy a nice breakfast with Carlos Condit this morning and discuss his newly bestowed honor to face Georges St. Pierre,October 29th at UFC 137 for the Welterweight Champion belt. Yesterday, we learned from Dana White in a press conference that Condit was so overcome with emotion and tears that he could barely speak when offered the title-shot. Condit hung up the phone and called back 15 minutes later.
Today, we were surrounded by a calm collected very focused Carlos Condit who unlike the guy he’s replaced on the card, was very clear on his appreciation for this opportunity… not that he isn’t absolutely sure he deserves it. Condit says he was after that title once he defeated Don Hyun Kim (at UFC 132) and he expressed that he definitely has earned his shot.
Not much was said about Nick Diaz though he agreed with Georges St. Pierre that filling press tour obligations is a part of the job description of being a fighter. I asked UFC’s Director of Communications, Dave Sholler if he’d seen Nick Diaz ‘s You Tube video with Diaz saying he was on his way to the airport to fly to Vegas then learned he was pulled from the fight. Sholler said he had seen the video and the UFC has no comment. Ah but, I bet privately they have plenty.
Condit’s first phone call after hearing the news was to his father, who has been his life long supporter. Condit then called his wife, and what followed was a succession of phone calls to all his friends that have been there for him since the start of his career, the ones that travel to every fight and sleep in bathtubs in hotel rooms, make financial sacrifices, just to be able to see him and cheer him on. It was something that echoed Georges St. Pierre’s sentiments yesterday when he was baffled by Diaz’s behavior. If you don’t do it for yourself, do it for your family and the people that stand by you.
No trash-talk will be tossed around in the weeks ahead leading to this title fight. These are just two very talented men that respectfully cannot wait to face each other. Though both fighters have trained with Greg Jackson under his camp, neither are expecting to work with him. Condit will instead be training with Mike Winkeljohn who had been preparing Jon Jones to defend his title against Rashad Evans when Jackson refused to train either fighter for that bout. [Jones had injured his thumb and pulled out of that fight.] Though Condit acknowledges the significance of having Jackson in your corner, he is confident with his trainers, who he was already working with to face BJ Penn.
And what about BJ? Condit hasn’t heard from him and no word has yet to be released on who Penn will face as his replacement for the UFC 137 co-main event. But Dana says he is in the works to try to give Penn a great match up.
As for Nick Diaz, who at least said, “sorry I didn’t make it to the beauty pageant”… Well, actually we should all thank you, Diaz… I thank you not just for breakfast this morning, but for reminding me that it shouldn’t be about the most controversial match-ups, but it should be about two people who esteem all apects of their career as fighters, meeting one another in the cage to fulfill their biggest dreams.