These days, Carlos Condit finds himself between multiple rocks and a hard place.
He’s the UFC interim welterweight champion, and he’s tentatively penciled in for a title vs. title bout with Georges St-Pierre on November 17. That’s assuming St-Pierre’s knee continues to heal properly, of course, but all recent signs point to St-Pierre making the date.
You’d think fans would be excited about St-Pierre vs. Condit, but that hasn’t been the case. The only thing Condit hears these days are complaints: Why isn’t he fighting Johny Hendricks? Why isn’t he defending the belt against Martin Kampmann? Interim championships are created so that a belt can be defended while the true champion is out of action, so why is Condit sitting on the shelf until St-Pierre comes back?
“The bottom line is that the UFC has not offered me another fight. I haven’t been contacted, nor has my management been contacted about fighting anybody else other than Georges St-Pierre,” Condit told Bleacher Report in an exclusive interview during last week’s UFC Fan Expo in Las Vegas. “So Georges is the guy I want. And if the UFC wants that fight, I’m content to wait for him to be ready. If it’s in November, of course.”
What happens if St-Pierre suffers a setback during the rehabilitation of his knee?
“If it’s going to be longer, then I will entertain the idea of taking another fight,” Condit said. “As far as I know, Georges’ recovery is on track, and he’s going to be ready to go November 17.”
It’s not just the fans who have been upset at the idea of Condit sitting on the sidelines. Fellow welterweight Hendricks wants a shot at Condit, and he’s got the record to back it up. Kampmann is also in contention after wins over Rick Story, Thiago Alves and Jake Ellenberger.
Condit recently told the media that he was more interested in facing Kampmann. This enraged Hendricks, who felt that his win over Josh Koscheck—coupled with a four-fight winning streak—should have been enough to earn him a crack at the belt.
But Condit has very specific reasons for his interest in fighting Kampmann.
“I mean, he’s had a good run recently. But his last fight was a pretty close decision with Josh Koscheck. Kampmann, on the other hand, finished Thiago Alves. He knocked out Jake Ellenberger,” Condit said. “He’s had a stellar run as of late. And it’s just a fight that I’d be more motivated for. And I think there would be more hype for the fans. That’s just the bottom line.”
And so, Condit patiently awaits the return of St-Pierre and the title unification bout that just might be one of the UFC’s most interesting fights on the fall schedule.
Truth be told, it’s a fight that has intrigued Condit for years, mostly because he thinks he might have the perfect style to give the long-reigning welterweight champion some serious problems in the cage.
“I think I pose some problems for Georges that he maybe hasn’t seen in the past. I’m well-rounded. Some of the guys he’s fought before were relatively one-dimensional. I’m dangerous and I can finish from a lot of different positions,” Condit said. “And I know that I have my hands full and it’s a huge task. Georges is one of the best guys that’s ever stepped in the Octagon. That’s actually the main reason I want to fight him. I look for a challenge. To be the best, you’ve gotta beat the best. And Georges St-Pierre is the best.”
Condit will likely get his chance to prove that he’s the best at UFC 154 in November. And with Hendricks and Kampmann scheduled to meet on the same card—likely in the co-main event—the UFC’s welterweight division will finally start to gain some stability.
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