There are times when Nick Diaz feels like he doesn’t get the credit he deserves as a mixed martial artist.
While his actions are often misunderstood, Diaz remains as one of the top fighters at 170 pounds and he’ll have his chance to be fully accepted when he meets Carlos Condit in the main event at UFC 143. Both men will meet to determine the UFC interim welterweight champion while current champion Georges St-Pierre recovers from a knee injury.
Although he didn’t get the matchup he hoped for originally, Diaz feels Condit provides more of a challenge than the champion does.
“He’s winning his fights, he looks good. He’s beat everybody, he fights better than everybody,” Diaz said during a pre-fight interview on UFC.com. “In my eyes, he’s better than Georges St-Pierre.”
The winner is slated to meet St-Pierre in a title unification bout later this year, in which Diaz envisions himself taking part of.
The former Strikeforce welterweight champion holds victories over some the division’s top competitors, including Paul Daley and B.J. Penn, and he could potentially solidify his pound-for-pound status with a victory over Condit, a spot he feels he rightfully deserves.
“I think I’m the most well-rounded fighter in the world,” he said. “I deserve a spot in the pound-for-pound rankings. And that’s what I’m fighting for…This is my lifestyle, this is what I do. I’m going to be ready to fight Carlos Condit.”
UFC 143 is scheduled for Feb. 4, live from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.
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