Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s constant beleaguering of other athletes has caught the attention of UFC President Dana White.The head of the UFC fired back at the WBC welterweight boxing champion in a recent episode of Fuel TV’s UFC Tonight.”First of all, what …
Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s constant beleaguering of other athletes has caught the attention of UFC President Dana White.
The head of the UFC fired back at the WBC welterweight boxing champion in a recent episode of Fuel TV’s UFC Tonight.
“First of all, what he said I think is racist. He’s made a couple of racist comments, and yes Floyd, you’re racist with the stuff that you said,” White proclaimed, while pointing directly into the camera.
Mayweather has taken heat lately for his racy remarks on Twitter about Asian basketball star Jeremy Lin. A point guard for the New York Knicks, Lin has captured Tim Tebow-like drama in the world of professional basketball, which has recently been dubbed “Linsanity.”
“Jeremy Lin is a good player but all the hype is because he’s Asian. Black players do what he does every night and don’t get the same praise. Other countries get to support/cheer their athletes and everything is fine.”
“As soon as I support Black athletes, I get criticized.”
“I’m speaking my mind on behalf of other NBA players. They are programmed to be politically correct and will be penalized if they speak up.”
White doesn’t see “Linsanity” as some phenomenon overlooking black athletes. He believes the craze revolves around the fact that Lin is an Asian American succeeding in the NBA, which is certainly a rare sight throughout the history of the sport.
“Jeremy Lin gets all this credit because he’s an Asian player in the NBA that African Americans never get? Yeah, he’s getting all this praise because he’s an Asian guy playing in the NBA,” said White. “And you say that African Americans don’t get it? Really, Kobe Bryant doesn’t get any praise? Michael Jordan never got any praise? The list goes on and on.
“Not only can he compete and make it in the NBA, the guy is tearing it up and breaking records you knucklehead.”
White didn’t stop there. He also addressed an old video Mayweather posted of himself going on a rather offensive rant about WBO welterweight boxing champion Manny Pacquiao.
“You said Manny Pacquiao should go make some sushi somewhere. Sushi is from Japan. He’s from the Philippines, dummy,” said White. “Don’t worry about what all these other guys are doing. You shoot your big mouth off on Twitter. What you should worry about is getting in there and making the fight that all the boxing fans want to see. Get in there and fight Manny Pacquiao.
“You don’t deserve more of the purse. If there was ever a fight in history that should be split 50-50, it’s the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight. Shut up, both of you split the money up and put on the fight that everybody, including me, wants to see.”
Say what you want about Dana White as a business man, but this is a guy who has never attempted to hold back his emotions. He may be ruthless, but he is real. When White doesn’t like something, everyone around him knows it, and that’s how h…
Say what you want about Dana White as a business man, but this is a guy who has never attempted to hold back his emotions. He may be ruthless, but he is real. When White doesn’t like something, everyone around him knows it, and that’s how he gets things changed.
That’s where this UFC Presidential Address and the shoot on Floyd Mayweather idea comes from.
The first thing out of the UFC presidents mouth this time is the accusation that boxing champion Mayweather is racist for both his words about New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin and fellow boxer Manny Pacquiao. While the latter is understandable because of their business relationship, Mayweather’s words on Lin rang hollow.
And White called him on it.
While White acknowledges that it is unique to see an Asian guy in the NBA, he states that the credit he gets is well deserved. He also stated that if African-American players aren’t getting credit, he needs to stand back and show Floyd the praise dumped on the Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan.
There aren’t too many times when I can say that I stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the outspoken UFC president, but this is definitely one of those situations. Lin is popular because this is out of the norm for the NBA. There is no denying that part of the intrigue is his ethnicity, but most fans sit back and just watch Lin play some of the best basketball this season.
After telling Mayweather he was racist for suggesting that Pac-Man go make some sushi, White launches into a tirade about how the undefeated champion needs to focus on in-ring tasks and get this super fight underway.
White hit the nail on the head on what I feel is the most important part of this video—talking about the money.
The reports are now that Mayweather does not want to split the revenue from this fight 50-50, which is the reason it is being held up. This all adds up to Mayweather just running his mouth to look better.
White isn’t always right when he calls people out, but bravo, sir, for calling out a man who needs to be called out as the sham he is.
Fraud Mayweather. I like that better.
Check back for more on Mixed Martial Arts as it comes, and check out Bleacher Report’s UFC Page to get your fill of all things UFC/MMA. For more on MMA/UFC, check out Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot topics.
It’s fairly clear that Vitali Klitschko’s reign as heavyweight champion has not been respected by all of his opponents. Prior to his unanimous 12-round decision over Dereck Chisora Saturday, the challenger made news by slapping Klitschko across the face at the weigh-in a day before the fight.
Imagine the nerve of Chisora, smacking the champion across the face as if he was a child of the 1960s getting disciplined by his father. (Nowadays, that would never happen because if you slap your own kid across the face the police get called in and I’m not kidding.)
Klitschko (44-2) could not wait to get into the ring against Chisora and teach him a lesson for his disrespect. He pretty much did just that, setting a tone in the opening round by cutting Chisora’s lip. The bout was fairly even for the next three rounds, but then Klitschko started to pound Chisora with a constant one-fisted attack.
That one fist was Klitschko’s right hand because Klitschko claimed that he injured his left hand during the early portion of the fight. Klitschko’s strong right hand was good enough to get him the victory and allow him to retain his World Boxing Council championship.
However, even though Chisora (15-3) lost he gave a fairly good account of himself during the fight. He had several rallies where he would respond to Klitschko’s punches with his own flurries. He appeared to hurt the champion from time to time, but not enough to put the results of the fight in doubt.
After the fight, Dereck Chisora brawled with David Haye. Props: IronForgesIron.com
It’s fairly clear that Vitali Klitschko’s reign as heavyweight champion has not been respected by all of his opponents. Prior to his unanimous 12-round decision over Dereck Chisora Saturday, the challenger made news by slapping Klitschko across the face at the weigh-in a day before the fight.
Imagine the nerve of Chisora, smacking the champion across the face as if he was a child of the 1960s getting disciplined by his father. (Nowadays, that would never happen because if you slap your own kid across the face the police get called in and I’m not kidding.)
Klitschko (44-2) could not wait to get into the ring against Chisora and teach him a lesson for his disrespect. He pretty much did just that, setting a tone in the opening round by cutting Chisora’s lip. The bout was fairly even for the next three rounds, but then Klitschko started to pound Chisora with a constant one-fisted attack.
That one fist was Klitschko’s right hand because Klitschko claimed that he injured his left hand during the early portion of the fight. Klitschko’s strong right hand was good enough to get him the victory and allow him to retain his World Boxing Council championship.
However, even though Chisora (15-3) lost he gave a fairly good account of himself during the fight. He had several rallies where he would respond to Klitschko’s punches with his own flurries. He appeared to hurt the champion from time to time, but not enough to put the results of the fight in doubt.
Klitschko has not made any official announcements about his future, but he is 40 years old and mulling retirement. He could step away from the sweet science at any time or he could decide to stay active for 1 or 2 more fights.
If he did retire, that would leave his 35-year-old brother Wladimir as the only active fighting Klitschko. Wladimir is considered a slightly better fighter than his older brother and is the Super WBA champion. The two have constantly avoided the prospect of fighting each other throughout their professional careers.
The nervy Chisora is a strange case. The loss to Klitschko was his third in his last four fights, but he backed up his dramatic slap by fighting with the same type of reckless abandon that he showed during the weigh-in.
After the fight with Klitschko, Chisora and former World Boxing Association champion David Haye got into a dispute with both men coming to blows. Chisora felt threatened when he saw that Haye had a bottle in his hand, so he knocked it away and then started throwing punches.
Chisora clearly has a lot of fight left in him and should remain a decent contender and a marketable opponent.
Ricky Goodall is one of those rare breed of fighters who views the sport of MMA as not only a means of putting food on the table, but also as an inherent part of his overall make-up, and one of the reasons why he’ll be throwing down in the main e…
Ricky Goodall is one of those rare breed of fighters who views the sport of MMA as not only a means of putting food on the table, but also as an inherent part of his overall make-up, and one of the reasons why he’ll be throwing down in the main event at Aggression AMMA 9 this Saturday weekend.
Following an injury sustained to Tyson Steele, Goodall was ushered in to fill the void, albeit at short notice (less than two weeks) and is now slated to lock horns with Ryan “The Real Deal” Ford.
The aforementioned situation is akin to Michael Bisping supplanting Mark Munoz in the co-main event at UFC on Fox 2. However, according to Goodall, it’s just another day at the office.
“I stay in shape and take my training very seriously; I would be ready to go at a moment’s notice,” Goodall told Bleacher Report.
This won’t be the first time that the Canadian denizen has had to compete in an event following an opponent pulling out due to an injury.
Back in May of 2011, Goodall, promoting his second MMA event under his company name East Coast Fight Productions, stepped in as a replacement when the main attraction of ECFP ll: Resurgence, Jaret MacIntosh was dropped from the card due to illness.
He went on to win the bout, defeating MacIntosh’s original opponent, Lenny Wheeler via first-round TKO. Goodall (9-4-1NC) accomplished that feat with less than two weeks preparation.
“I have fought twice in the last three months and have sustained no injuries, my store is located inside my MMA club so I eat, sleep and breathe this sport.”
So what is the motivation behind his frame of mind?
“I love the sport, inside and out. I’m lucky enough to have a disconnection to it emotionally in any way that hinders me and a strong emotional connection in all the ways that help me.”
Whilst Goodall has three apiece with regards to TKO’s, submissions and decisions in his win column, his opponent, fellow Canadian Ford, holds a record of 16-4 (eight stoppages and seven submissions), nevertheless, that has done nothing to deter or cause him any anxiety whatsoever.
“He’s human like anyone else.”
Though, that said, Goodall doesn’t even have a game plan heading into the bout, except for doing what his métier suggests—fight.
“I expect the bell to ring, the fight to start and two guys going to work until the jobs done. I’ve seen most of Ryan’s fights as I’m sure he’s seen mine, the game plan is to fight.”
If the fight goes in Goodall’s favor, he has two potential fights in the offing.
“I have a title fight with Extreme Cage Combat in Halifax in April and am signed for one more fight with Instinct MMA.”
As earlier mentioned, Goodall owns ECFP, but he also owns a relatively new combat sports store, called Collision Sports which is also his other pursuit.
“My store is my passion outside of fighting.”
So the 170-pounder is a fighter, promoter and entrepreneur all in one, something that most would find an arduous task, but that isn’t the case with Goodall when asked how he manages to juggle all three.
“The same way fighters with full time jobs and families do it; a passionate, make-no-excuses attitude. If you love it, it’s never work.”
Goodall continues “Fighting pays my bills.”
It’s highly admirably the way he goes about his life and business with a fervent viewpoint, something akin to “no mountain is insurmountable” and a “life is what you make it” outlook.
It shows he’s made of sterner stuff—he knows where he’s going and knows what he wants.
Though at present, Goodall, who turned 28 just yesterday would like two things—to promote shows in his hometown of Halifax as well as the promotion of one of his training partners at Titans MMA.
“I like having the small shows in my home town to bring MMA to smaller areas where it wouldn’t otherwise reach.”
“Gavin Tucker, one of my teammates is by far one of the most entertaining, high energy, focused fighters I have ever had the pleasure of meeting or training with. You’ll see his name in lights one day.”
Goodall, who began his professional mixed martial arts career in September of 2007, is currently riding a three-fight win streak; a win on Saturday could garner him interest from other organizations as was the case with Sean Pierson who defeated Goodall back in 2010—the UFC came calling.
Goodall also harbors ambitions of one day making it big in the MMA world, and he isn’t fussy about which organization he’s signed to in order to realize that dream, however, his answer was an affirmative “Yes” when the subject of crossing to the UFC was mentioned.
“My plan is to be at the top of any organization I fight for and to one day live financially free.”
Whenever a debate arises surrounding who the pound-for-pound king of the MMA realm is, two names are most likely to crop up—Anderson “The Spider” Silva and Georges “Rush” St-Pierre.
Goodall’s take on the matter is somewhat different.
“I think that’s hard to peg, I’m not so sure records prove who the best is, but Jon Jones is definitely at the top.”
That said, Jones ranks alongside Wanderlei Silva, Nate Marquardt and Matt Hughes as Goodall’s favorite fighters.
During a fighter’s career, some fights are both won and loss, however, the defeats are sometimes the hardest to swallow, especially when the combatant in question feels he was cheated out of a victory or at worst a draw.
That happened to Goodall when he faced off against Travis Briere at Unified MMA 5, losing via unanimous decision, a result that hasn’t sat too well with the Canadian; to such a degree that if there was one fighter he’d loved to throw down with, it would have to be Briere.
“We fought 5 rounds, with him being deemed the winner by one point, and he’s avoided the rematch ever since.”
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By CagePotato Boxing Correspondent Steve Silverman
Angelo Dundee understood the game of boxing perhaps more than any trainer the sport has ever known.
He trained Muhammad Ali and “Sugar” Ray Leonard, and his influence on their careers was significant. Dundee died Thursday night after complications from blood clots at the age of 90.
There is no doubt that Ali was among the most talented fighters in the history of boxing. But Ali was different than most great heavyweights. He had lightning speed and quickness and he used his ability to motor around the ring as if he were a lightweight or a welterweight.
Dundee began training Ali, who was then still known as Cassius Clay, shortly after he won the Olympic gold medal in the 1960 Rome Olympics. A trainer who did not have Angelo’s foresight would have immediately tried to change Ali’s style and take the movement out of the equation. Instead, Dundee embraced Ali’s athleticism and his ability to move around the ring.
“Why would I have ever changed that,” Dundee asked during a 1989 interview. “There were a lot of old timers who would say that’s not how a heavyweight is supposed to fight and that he only moved around so much because he wasn’t a real puncher. They didn’t have a clue about my guy. He was great from the time he started and all they wanted to do was criticize him.”
Dundee almost always referred to Ali as ‘my guy.’”
The sentiment was mutual.
By CagePotato Boxing Correspondent Steve Silverman
Angelo Dundee understood the game of boxing perhaps more than any trainer the sport has ever known.
He trained Muhammad Ali and “Sugar” Ray Leonard, and his influence on their careers was significant. Dundee died Thursday night after complications from blood clots at the age of 90.
There is no doubt that Ali was among the most talented fighters in the history of boxing, but he was different than most great heavyweights. He had lightning speed and quickness and he used his ability to motor around the ring as if he were a lightweight or a welterweight.
Dundee began training Ali, who was then still known as Cassius Clay, shortly after he won the Olympic gold medal in the 1960 Rome Olympics. A trainer who did not have Angelo’s foresight would have immediately tried to change Ali’s style and take the movement out of the equation. Instead, Dundee embraced Ali’s athleticism and his ability to move around the ring.
“Why would I have ever changed that,” Dundee asked during a 1989 interview. “There were a lot of old timers who would say that’s not how a heavyweight is supposed to fight and that he only moved around so much because he wasn’t a real puncher. They didn’t have a clue about my guy. He was great from the time he started and all they wanted to do was criticize him.”
Dundee almost always referred to Ali as ‘my guy.’”
The sentiment was mutual.
Ali had great respect for Dundee’s uncanny ability to help thoroughly prepare him for his most important fights and he also enjoyed working with the respected trainer throughout the training process. Ali said that whenever he was in the middle of a fight and he would come back to the corner at the end of a round, he knew Dundee would give him effective and concise advice.
“You come back to the corner and he’ll say, ‘The guy’s open for a hook.’ If he tells you something during a fight, you can believe it,” Ali told the New York Times back in 1981. “As a cornerman, Angelo is the best in the world.”
(Video courtesy of SportsandTorts)
Although Dundee, who was born Angelo Mirena, is best known for guiding the careers of Ali and Leonard, he first came to prominence in the 1950s when he trained welterweight and middleweight champion Carmen Basilio. He also trained champions Willie Pastrano (light heavyweight), Jimmy Ellis (heavyweight) and Luis Rodriguez (welterweight).
He also advised George Foreman when he mounted a comeback in 1987 following a 10-year ring absence and he helped the former heavyweight champ re-invent both his boxing style and his personality. Prior to his resurgence, Foreman had been among the most intimidating athletes of all-time with his baleful stare and threatening language. When he came back, Foreman was seemingly America’s favorite uncle. Much of that was due to Dundee’s influence.
Dundee understood that much of boxing’s appeal came from a fighter’s ability to reach the ticket-buying and television-watching public.
“That’s what this game is all about,” Dundee explained. “If you have ability and nobody’s watching, who cares? You have to find your people and you have to reach out to them.”
Ali and Leonard clearly knew how to do this and Foreman got the message in his second incarnation. Dundee helped drive this lesson home to all of his fighters every time he had the chance.
In addition to doling out the proper in-fight strategy to his fighters, Dundee had a gift for finding the proper inspirational language throughout a fight. When “Sugar” Ray fought Thomas Hearns in a highly anticipated showdown for the welterweight championship in 1981, Leonard had used his speed, quickness and outstanding left jab to build up a lead in the early and middle rounds of the fight. However, the formidable Hearns reversed the flow of the fight and had started to take over as the fight approached the later rounds.
Dundee knew that Leonard was starting to give the fight away and he was not about to blow smoke up Leonard’s butt by telling him he was doing fine. Instead, Dundee leaned in and put his hand on Leonard’s shoulder before telling him that he was about to lose the fight. “You’re blowing it, son, you’re blowing it,” Dundee said.
That bit of clarity got Leonard back into the attack mode. Despite having a badly swollen left eye, Leonard let loose with a two-fisted attack in the 13th round and knocked Hearns down. The following round, Leonard continued his attack and Hearns was not able to defend himself. The fight was stopped and Leonard won on a technical knockout.
Dundee had everything a great trainer needed and it earned him a spot in the boxing Hall of Fame. He generally loved his business and relating to his fighters. He got along with them and those associated with the sport. He taught his fighters and he inspired them. He brought more to the sport than nearly any other trainer.
Even more importantly, in a sport often associated with louts who take advantage of their vulnerable clients, Dundee had no such black mark on his resume. He was a man of honor in a sport that too often has very little.
The upcoming welterweight tilt between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit at UFC 143 (February 4th, Las Vegas) is an exciting prospect for casual viewers and passionate fans alike. The match-up will answer no questions about Diaz or Condit’s ability to deal with the great wrestlers of the division — Diaz in fact hasn’t fought a real takedown artist in half a decade — but it promises to be a damn good tear-up. With Georges St. Pierre out of the fight game for a while and an interim title on the line it also provides just what UFC brass has likely been seeking: We will finally see an exciting striker at the top of the welterweight division.
The match is expected to stay on the feet and it is hoped the two men will “bang it out” until one is left standing. Assuming that neither fighter will come out with the plan of exposing the other’s takedown defense, this article examines the assets and deficits in each man’s bag of tricks from the standing position.
Nick Diaz’s Boxing
Much has been made of Nick Diaz’s pugilistic talent, and rightly so. His excellence while boxing against pure strikers over recent years almost excuses the lack of skilled wrestlers on his record in that time. Nick has taken on the likes of Paul Daley, Evangelista ‘Cyborg’ Santos, KJ Noons, BJ Penn, and Marius Zaromskis in striking contests and got the better of all of them through his ferocity, grit and unique style.
Diaz is a prolific volume puncher, having been known to crash the Compustrike computer by throwing over a hundred punches a round. His form is not attractive in that it rarely provides one-punch knockouts, but his straights are uncompromisingly straight, his hooks loop in behind his opponents guard and when he sets his feet he rips terrific punches to his opponents’ torso; unquestionably he is the poster boy for body-punching in the sport.
Nick often attacks almost side-on in an old fashioned boxing stance with his lead foot turned in, allowing him to turn his lead shoulder further towards his opponent and gain a couple more inches on his already considerable reach (a stylistic feature he shares with his younger brother Nate). Often taking a few substantial punches in the opening exchanges, the Diaz brothers seem near impossible to knock unconscious, yet every opponent they face seems to labor under the illusion that they will be the first to do so.
The upcoming welterweight tilt between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit at UFC 143 (February 4th, Las Vegas) is an exciting prospect for casual viewers and passionate fans alike. The match-up will answer no questions about Diaz or Condit’s ability to deal with the great wrestlers of the division — Diaz in fact hasn’t fought a real takedown artist in half a decade — but it promises to be a damn good tear-up. With Georges St. Pierre out of the fight game for a while and an interim title on the line it also provides just what UFC brass has likely been seeking: We will finally see an exciting striker at the top of the welterweight division.
The match is expected to stay on the feet and it is hoped the two men will “bang it out” until one is left standing. Assuming that neither fighter will come out with the plan of exposing the other’s takedown defense, this article examines the assets and deficits in each man’s bag of tricks from the standing position.
Nick Diaz’s Boxing
Much has been made of Nick Diaz’s pugilistic talent, and rightly so. His excellence while boxing against pure strikers over recent years almost excuses the lack of skilled wrestlers on his record in that time. Nick has taken on the likes of Paul Daley, Evangelista ‘Cyborg’ Santos, KJ Noons, BJ Penn, and Marius Zaromskis in striking contests and got the better of all of them through his ferocity, grit and unique style.
Diaz is a prolific volume puncher, having been known to crash the Compustrike computer by throwing over a hundred punches a round. His form is not attractive in that it rarely provides one-punch knockouts, but his straights are uncompromisingly straight, his hooks loop in behind his opponents guard and when he sets his feet he rips terrific punches to his opponents’ torso; unquestionably he is the poster boy for body-punching in the sport.
Nick often attacks almost side-on in an old fashioned boxing stance with his lead foot turned in, allowing him to turn his lead shoulder further towards his opponent and gain a couple more inches on his already considerable reach (a stylistic feature he shares with his younger brother Nate). Often taking a few substantial punches in the opening exchanges, the Diaz brothers seem near impossible to knock unconscious, yet every opponent they face seems to labor under the illusion that they will be the first to do so.
In addition to his brilliant jab and body work, Diaz also draws punches better than any fighter in the sport — sticking his chin out and raising his hands in the taunting posture that has become iconic in MMA fight photography. As soon as his opponents attempt to punch his head he slips or parries and counters with a salvo of his own blows. Factor in Nick’s habit of throwing multiple punches with the same hand consecutively (“doubling up” or “lever punching”), his ability to launch double-digit punch combinations, his range, and his aptitude for changing rapidly from offense to counter-punching, and Diaz’s boxing begins to look more and more like a minefield for Carlos Condit.
What may interest some fans of fight strategy is the question mark over Nick’s ability to take a body shot. The last man to beat him was the lightweight KJ Noons, who had Diaz breathing hard and attempting to fight from the “butt scoot” position through the use of body punches in the opening stanza of their first meeting. Unfortunately this fight was called off due to the cuts which had opened on Nick’s face at the end of the first round and Noons largely neglected body work when they fought for a second time at welterweight, so the question mark over Diaz’s abdomen remains.
Carlos Condit’s Muay Thai
Condit for his part lacks the boxing prowess of Diaz — often allowing his elbows to flare out when on guard or punching, exposing his body — which could be costly against Diaz, but he has crisp combinations and power to his shots. Being a long, lanky fighter, Condit throws his punches in what are best described as “looping straights,” similar to the way Tommy Hearns threw his right hand in an arc to use momentum.
Condit is also the owner of a solid left hook as he demonstrated against Dan Hardy, though it was his attacking of Hardy’s front knee, taking away Hardy’s stance and making him reluctant to be the aggressor which meant Condit could step into punching range and land his power. If Condit has used that win over Hardy to convince himself that his hands are world-class he may run into problems as he finds out just the same way Donald Cerrone did a few weeks back against Nate Diaz that good punching does not equate to good boxing.
Where Condit does excel however is in combining kicks and punches and in throwing his opponents off of their game with his unusual arsenal of techniques. Great grapplers such as Dong Hyun Kim have had trouble with Condit because of his ability to keep them at range and punish them when they step in. His reach is substantial to begin with but he often uses front kicks to establish an even greater distance between himself and his opponent — such as the one he threw at Kim before finishing him with a spectacular flying knee strike.
One of the interesting points coming into this fight is the weakness against low kicks that both the Diaz brothers have show in the past. Evangelista Santos, Hayato Sakurai and Paul Daley use kicks far less commonly than Condit and found great success against Nick Diaz with low kicks before mysteriously abandoning them to swing for Diaz’s head when he taunted them. Several weeks ago, Donald Cerrone, after being beaten savagely in the first round attempting to box with Nate Diaz, showed how effective kicks could be against the Diaz brothers, but also demonstrated the need to commit to them early when he gassed — just as Santos did against Nick Diaz.
The front-foot-turned-in stances that the brothers present mean that they are particularly vulnerable to kicks to the outside of the leg, rather than the inside. As southpaws, kicking the outside of their lead leg requires the opponent to use his lead leg, just as Fedor Emelianenko did to break Jeff Monson’s leg in November, and this would be a good strategy for Condit to follow. His push kick to the knee may also buckle Nick’s leg inward while preventing Nick from entering punching range, and it would be sensible for Condit to commit to this from the beginning in an attempt to slow Diaz down and limit engagements. When he does find himself in punching range it is in his interest to immediately attempt a Thai Plum or neck clinch in order to prevent Diaz’s combination punching and enable himself to land the clinch knees that have changed the course of so many of his matches.
The Bottom Line:
Carlos Condit is not going to be able to knock Nick Diaz out with pure punching any more than Paul Daley, Cyborg Santos, or Scott Smith could. However, if he combines his biting kicks (particularly his push kick to the knee) with punching combinations, and never attempts to engage Diaz in prolonged exchanges, instead choosing to tie him up or circle out, he may be able to strike his way to a decision or even stop Nick with a high kick or knees.
For Nick Diaz the game plan is clear — get close enough to volume punch against a taller opponent with an identical reach, a challenge he has never faced before. He must convince Condit to meet him in punching range (and his gamesmanship has proven to be up to the task before) or push Condit backwards to prevent him from kicking. Donald Cerrone had so much trouble kicking in the second and third rounds against Nate Diaz even though it was having an effect simply because it is impossible to kick with power while backing up, and eating any amount of punches is detrimental to a fighter’s discipline and wind. If Diaz can begin to back up Carlos Condit by the end of round one, we are unlikely to see Condit reverse the momentum of the fight in the second or third round.
Ricky Goodall is one of those rare breed of fighters who views the sport of 
