Few men on this planet are capable of taking a Greg Jackson game plan and renovating it into something casual fans consistently revel upon.
Carlos Condit is one of those men.
This is why most of our hearts were about as damaged as Condit‘s ACL when news broke that his injured knee would keep him out of the cage for an extended period of time.
Known for his high-octane, strike-first mentality, Condit‘s only allowed the judges to voice their opinions on six separate occasions. For a guy who’s stepped into the cage 37 times—seeing his hand raised in 29—he’s certainly established himself as one of the better finishers in the welterweight division.
This is why most of us can’t wait for the return of the Natural Born Killer.
He’s already fought most of the who’s who the welterweight division had to offer over the last two years. He duked it out with former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz for five rounds in what could have easily been 2012’s fight of the year.
He stepped in against former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre and gave the champion a solid kick to the head and the biggest threat to his crown since Matt Serra. He traded punches with current UFC welterweight king Johny Hendricks in what was another instant classic for the Jackson’s MMA fighter.
With Condit healing up nicely, even teammate Jon Jones is excited to see the former UFC welterweight interim titleholder make his way back into the cage.
There are virtually zero fighters in the welterweight division who could share the Octagon with Condit and deliver anything but an electrifying matchup.
With Condit firmly among the welterweight’s best, it’s likely he’ll be pegged against another contending fighter upon his much-anticipated return to the cage. Hypothetical matchups against established fighters like Robbie Lawler and Matt Brown should already be in the discussion as the fight of the year for 2015.
Even fights against rising contenders in Hector Lombard, Kelvin Gastelum and Gunnar Nelson should keep you excited enough to curse the sometimes-fragile human body for keeping one of the more exciting fighters from entertaining us in the prime of his career.
With several bouts to take place before fans are graced with Condit‘s Octagon presence, it’s hard to tell who the Natural Born Killer will be standing across from as he starts his journey back to the welterweight crown. It shouldn’t matter much, though—you’d be foolish to do anything else but watch.
Kristian Ibarra is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. He also serves as the sports editor at San Diego State University’s student-run newspaper, The Daily Aztec. Follow him on Twitter at @Kristian_Ibarra for all things MMA.
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