Though the exact condition of Condit’s knee won’t be known until he undergoes an MRI, MMAJunkie passes along word that the welterweight contender suffered a small meniscus tear and possibly a torn ACL, according to the initial diagnosis given to him at a local hospital following the fight. His recovery timetable is uncertain at this point; we’ll update you as soon as we know more.
After the jump: Highlights from the Condit vs. Woodley fight, and Woodley’s post-fight interview, in which he respectfully requests a title shot.
(I like the genuine look of concern on Woodley’s face. I mean, two seconds ago he was trying to tear Condit’s limbs off, but still. / Photo via Getty)
Though the exact condition of Condit’s knee won’t be known until he undergoes an MRI, MMAJunkie passes along word that the welterweight contender suffered a small meniscus tear and possibly a torn ACL, according to the initial diagnosis given to him at a local hospital following the fight. His recovery timetable is uncertain at this point; we’ll update you as soon as we know more.
After the jump: Highlights from the Condit vs. Woodley fight, and Woodley’s post-fight interview, in which he respectfully requests a title shot.
At UFC 171, Johny Hendricks decisioned Robbie Lawler
in one of the greatest fights in recent memory. The two men traded punches, bled, and even smiled during their 25-minute brawl that saw Hendricks leave Dallas as the UFC welterweight champion…but nobody really cares about that.
The “morning after” discourse isn’t about Hendricks overcoming a perilous weight cut or about the implications of Hendricks being the first champ of the post-GSP era. It’s about two stars of a bygone era—Nick Diaz and Georges St-Pierre.
At UFC 171, Johny Hendricks fought Robbie Lawler in what became an instant classic. The two men traded scores of punches, bled, and even smiled during their 25-minute brawl that saw Hendricks leave Dallas as the UFC welterweight champion…but nobody really cares about that.
The “morning after” discourse isn’t about Hendricks overcoming a perilous weight cut or about the implications of Hendricks being the first champ of the post-GSP era. It’s about two stars of a bygone era—Nick Diaz and Georges St-Pierre.
“[The UFC] bought me a ticket, for once, they bought me an actual ticket…Maybe they want me to fight Johny Hendricks! Take an ass-whooping right to your face, bro…I’m ready to fight. I’m ready to fight the right fight…I need a title fight. I need a real fight. Give the fans what they wanna see. That’s why I’m here.”
To an extent, it’s understandable why people aren’t pouring paragraphs of praise on Hendricks; he’s mild-mannered. Even his call-out of GSP was tame. And his views on star power are problematic for an organization reeling after the loss of its biggest names.
“I think you can let your fighting [talk],” Hendricks said in response to Diaz claiming he was the only draw in the division. “I think this is what’s gonna do real good for our weight class—let the fighting do everything.”
That’s certainly an admirable way to look at combat sports, but it isn’t true. To quote The Simpsons, “Every good scientist is half B.F. Skinner and half P.T. Barnum.” Just so, every fighter needs to be half Georges St-Pierre and half Chael Sonnen. It has been proven time and timeagain that emotional investment generates PPV buys. “These two fighters really hate each other” sells well, even if it’s not the truth. “I respect him; he’s a great opponent” always fails to move the needle, as factual as it might be. In that regard, not pushing Hendricks in articles is forgivable. His behavior and words won’t garner page views and aren’t conducive to strong post-fight narratives.
Dana White is also partially responsible for the lack of hype because he was mum regarding the future of welterweight. What can the media write about other than Diaz vs. Hendricks if the boss shrugs his shoulders at a division teeming with contenders? Another issue is that the would-be challengers, in the minds of some, didn’t look wholly impressive. Tyron Woodley defeated Carlos Condit due to a “freak injury” and Hector Lombard bested Jake Shields but many felt the fight was lackluster. Diaz, despite having not fought in a year and being on a two-fight losing streak, somehow came out of UFC 171 looking like the most impressive welterweight.
UFC 171 was a spectacular event, but the fallout was anything but. Perhaps some part of the blame for the UFC’s inability to create stars falls on our shoulders, since when we have a chance to try and build a new star, we ignore him and bellow smoke into old ones, just so their waning flames might linger a little while longer.
The unpredictable nature of mixed martial arts is part of the sport’s appeal, yet the abrupt end to UFC 171’s simmering co-main event between Tyron Woodley and Carlos Condit almost makes one wish we could occasionally exert some control ove…
The unpredictable nature of mixed martial arts is part of the sport’s appeal, yet the abrupt end to UFC 171’s simmering co-main event between TyronWoodley and Carlos Condit almost makes one wish we could occasionally exert some control over the chaos.
Few things are more frustrating in MMA than a freak injury in the middle of an absorbing fight. It leaves everyone in attendance feeling unfulfilled, including the fighters.
This lack of closure breeds a sense of uncertainty. What if the bout had continued? Would Woodley have faded down the stretch? Would he have been able to knock Condit out and emerge as the clear No. 1 contender at 170 pounds?
Would Condit have come on strong in the third, as he so often does?
How fair is it to question the legitimacy of such wins?
Those who view Woodley’s victory as decisive have argued that he induced the injury, and they may have a point. Indeed, his takedown caused Condit to land awkwardly on his right leg, which led to a torn meniscus and a potential ACL tear, according to Mike Winklejohn, who spoke to MMA Junkie.
@JimMacDonaldMMA@stevecofieldCondit injury happened bc he injured Condit. Nobody said strip Weidman of title till he beat Silva legit
At the post-fight press conference, Woodley claimed that his win is no different to securing a limb-snapping submission: “I think if you break someone’s arm in an armbar, if you choke them out and they don’t tap…You know, it wasn’t like it came from a pre-existing injury. It came from a double-leg takedown. I saw that he was hurt and I went for the finish.”
However, the reason we feel inclined to pencil in an asterisk next to the win is because there appears to be an element of luck to winning via injury. Tearing an opponent’s meniscus off a takedown is seen as a less deliberate act than targeting a specific limb and cranking it to its breaking point.
The same logic can be applied to fights that end on cuts. Depending on the damage inflicted by a strike, our perception may shift dramatically. Understandably, we tend to emphasise the role of intent in the outcome of a fight.
While knockouts and submissions are viewed as intentional acts, we perceive cuts and injuries as incidental and orthogonal to the fighter’s primary goal.
Consider how different the reaction might have been had Condit dominated the fight up until the injury. Would we view the outcome in a similar light to Anderson Silva vs. ChaelSonnen at UFC 117, or would our focus instead shift to Condit’s misfortune?
I’ll let the readers determine the legitimacy of Woodley’s win and his place within the welterweight division. Cast your vote in the poll and offer your thoughts in the comment section.
Lots of fighters won at UFC 171 on Saturday night, and an equal number lost. That’s the nature of MMA, but it may have been Carlos Condit who lost the most of anyone.
Condit, in the midst of a battle that could have made him the top contender for Johny…
Lots of fighters won at UFC 171 on Saturday night, and an equal number lost. That’s the nature of MMA, but it may have been Carlos Condit who lost the most of anyone.
Condit, in the midst of a battle that could have made him the top contender for Johny Hendricks and his newly minted UFC title, had his knee give way after an exchange with opponent Tyron Woodley. With “The Natural Born Killer” unable to continue, the bout was halted. He was saddled with a loss, which dashed his title hopes for the time being.
The injury looked bad. His knee buckled awkwardly, and devoid of all stability, he went crashing to the ground. Those injuries are usually ligaments, and they take quite awhile to heal—usually several months.
While that’s horrible news for Condit, it’s not any better for the UFC or the welterweight class. A potential Condit absence is problematic for a number of reasons, and pretty much anyone with a stake in the 170-pound division will be affected.
The UFC loses one of its most exciting contenders—a guy who can be relied upon to make things interesting against any opponent in any circumstance. He’s also relevant enough to be a draw on any of the UFC’s broadcasting platforms.
He’s the type of commodity that isn’t expendable.
Fans across the board are unanimous on him as well, as no one can disparage his showings in the cage. It’s near blasphemy to dislike Condit, who has built a reputation on finishing fights in as spectacular a manner as he can muster every time out.
And, of course, Condit is being robbed of his prime with every minute he’ll spend rehabbing his knee. It doesn’t matter if it’s six hours or six months—at 29 years old, the New Mexican is just entering the point in his career where his years of experience will mesh with his athletic peak and propel him to his best chance at a world title.
As a result, no one will feel his absence from the sport more than he will.
The fact of the matter is that there aren’t many Carlos Condits in MMA. There aren’t many guys who are universally revered from every angle—be it promoter, promotion, opponents or fans—and have earned that reverence through pure commitment to the sport.
Condit is that guy, and without him, the entire welterweight division has a little less bite.
All anyone can hope is that he’s not out too long, and that the inevitable hodge-podge of contenders that will emerge as he’s sidelined doesn’t muddy the waters too much. After all, when he comes back, he’s going to be interested in regaining his place near the top of the heap.
For the sake of an intriguing welterweight division, everyone else should share that interest as well.
In one of the most brutal sports in the world, injuries are to be expected for MMA fighters. And like any other sport, some of the brightest stars can go down and completely shake up the sport.
On Saturday night, Carlos Condit lost to Tyron Woodl…
In one of the most brutal sports in the world, injuries are to be expected for MMA fighters. And like any other sport, some of the brightest stars can go down and completely shake up the sport.
On Saturday night, Carlos Condit lost to Tyron Woodley after being forced to withdraw due to knee injury. It was later revealed that Condit may have suffered a torn ACL, according to MMA Junkie:
Mike Winkeljohn informed MMAjunkie of Condit’s initial diagnosis via text message following their visit to an area hospital following the fight, which took place at Dallas’ American Airlines Center.
Winkeljohn also notes that Condit will have more tests done to figure out the full extent of the injury.
Following the fight Woodley spoke on Condit’s injury, courtesy of Yahoo! Sports’ Elias Cepeda:
“He’s a really tough guy. I landed some really hard right hands earlier in the fight,” Woodley said in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan.
“I heard him say ow when I took him down so I said I’m going to start chopping him down.”
Woodley also gave his thoughts on the victory and Condit as a fighter, per UFC on Fox:
Condit is not only a great fighter, but also a fan favorite. His loss to the sport is a huge hit, with his vicious finishing ability worth watching any time he hits the octagon.
Cole Miller added his thoughts on the situation late Saturday night on Twitter:
The loss was Condit’s third in his last four with the others coming against Georges St. Pierre and Johny Hendricks before avenging an earlier loss in his career against Martin Kampmann.
While it’s unknown how long the injury could have Condit out, his next opponent might have been decided later on in the night when Johny Hendrick defeated Robbie Lawler. The welterweight fighter could have a match with Lawler on his slate whenever the fighter returns.
The 29-year-old fighter still has several years in the tank and should be back whenever his injury heals up. While the specifics like whether or not surgery is required have not been issued, any updates will be added to this story as they come through.
It had been over six years since anyone other than Georges St-Pierre wore the UFC welterweight title. The pound-for-pound great’s reign came to an end when he vacated the strap at the end of 2013, and on Saturday night at UFC 171, Johny Hendricks and R…
It had been over six years since anyone other than Georges St-Pierre wore the UFC welterweight title. The pound-for-pound great’s reign came to an end when he vacated the strap at the end of 2013, and on Saturday night at UFC 171, Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler stepped in to determine who would be the new king of the 170-pound weight class.
“Bigg Rigg” was looking to make good on his second attempt to claim championship gold after he was controversially edged out by the French-Canadian at UFC 167 last November. Standing in his way was the resurgent veteran who had toppled three consecutive opponents—two of which came in brutal fashion—en route to earning his first shot at a UFC title.
With two of the welterweight division’s heaviest hitters throwing down, there was figured to be a shootout in Dallas. That’s precisely went down, and the leather flew with ferocity in the main event.
In what will go down as an instant classic, Hendricks and Lawler battled tooth and nail until the bitter end. Both men had huge moments where they staggered and wobbled the other, but it was Hendricks’ timing and will to win that earned him the unanimous decision victory. The two-time Division I national champion wrestler put together a solid flurry and finished with a takedown late in the fifth round to secure the victory.
If a new champion is going to be crowned after six years, that’s how it should be done, folks.
While Hendricks and Lawler slugged it out to determine the next welterweight champion, the co-main event carried heavy implications as well. Former interim champion Carlos Condit was looking to make good on earning the next title opportunity when he squared off with TyronWoodley, and the former Missouri University wrestling standout was eager to prove he was worthy of the same thing.
Despite the fight ending in unfortunate fashion with “The Natural Born Killer” injuring his knee, Woodley picked up the biggest victory of his young career. “The Chosen One” was able to land some big shots early and weathered the flurries Condit fired off as he picked up the win via second-round TKO.
Although the card for UFC 171 was predominantly a showcase for the welterweight division, there were fighters from all corners of the UFC roster who showed up in Dallas to sling leather and throw everything they could muster with the worst of intentions. There were shootouts up and down the card as the action rolled out at a fast and furious pace.
Let’s take a look at the good, bad and strange from UFC 171.
The Good
Four months ago, Hendricks was forced to exit the Octagon on the rough end of a debatable split-decision loss. The Oklahoma native told Joe Rogan in his post-fight interview the belt he earned had been taken away from him and promised to never let it happen again.
While he took a beating in the middle rounds of his title fight against Lawler, BiggRigg became the new welterweight champion based on his heart and ability to utilize his superior wrestling at the most opportune moment of the fight. The Team Takedown representative stood toe-to-toe with one of the most feared knockout artists in the game and earned every ounce of gold that now is wrapped around his waist.
With Hendricks making good on his second championship attempt, he will now await the UFC’s decision as to which welterweight deserves the next shot.
Despite his loss in the main event, there is no reason for Lawler to hang his head following the five-round war the two men put on in Dallas on Saturday night. The savvy veteran put on one of the definitive performances of his storied career as he took the heavy-handed Hendricks to the wire.
When Woodleyasked for the fight against former interim champion Condit, his intention was to jump to the front of a crowded welterweight title picture. While The Chosen One came into the fight as the obvious underdog, his power punching and takedowns made the difference in the opening round.
Where Woodley‘s conditioning was figured to come into question against the high out attack the Albuquerque native historically brings, the 31-year-old St. Louis native held strong and was able to keep Condit at bay. The surging contender was in control of the action, and when a leg kick forced Condit to drop to the canvas in agony, Woodley picked up the biggest win of his career.
With fellow American Top Team fighter Hector Lombard putting on a touchy performance earlier in the night, Woodley‘s stoppage victory over the former WEC welterweight champion will certainly put him within striking distance of the title shot he’s so hungry to earn.
The lightweight division is brimming with talent, and there may be no brighter prospect at the current time than Myles Jury. The Team Alliance fighter has put together a consistent string of impressive performances, and he added the biggest of his young career in Dallas.
The 25-year-old Michigan native worked a cerebral and precision game plan as he picked apart gritty veteran Diego Sanchez. Where “The Dream” stayed true to form and attempted to turn the action into a dog fight, “Fury” kept his cool and punished Sanchez at every turn. By the end of the fight, the former The Ultimate Fighter winner’s face was a bloody mask, and Jury picked up the lopsided unanimous decision victory.
With the win over Sanchez on Saturday night, Jury will absolutely move into the next tier of the division. He has collected five consecutive wins and has looked more impressive with every showing as he’s climbed the divisional ladder. The next few months will provide several clashes in the elite tier of the weight class, and Jury will certainly be paired up with one of the winners later in the year.
***Ovince Saint Preux had zero mess around in him as he made short and violent work of Nikita Krylov. The former Tennessee University linebacker dusted off the classic Von Flue choke to leave the Ukrainian motionless on the canvas. “OSP” picked up a highlight-reel finish and his third consecutive victory under the UFC banner.
***There were some full fledged wars on the card for UFC 171, but none better in my humble opinion than Kelvin Gastelum vs. Rick Story. The 22-year-old TUF winner came out crisp and sharp in the opening frame as he peppered the Brave Legion fighter. Gastelum appeared to be cruising to victory when Story rocked then dropped him in the second with the Yuma native being saved by the bell. The final frame saw plenty more of the back and forth with Gastelum taking the win via split decision on the cards.
While I personally disagree with one judge scoring all three rounds for Gastelum, I don’t disagree with the talented young welterweight picking up his third consecutive victory under the UFC banner.
***As the only female pairing on the card, Jessica Andrade and Raquel Pennington had to represent for WMMA, and they put on one heck of a show. It was a back-and-forth affair throughout the 15-minute tussle with the Brazilian taking the split-decision nod on the judges’ scorecards. Andrade overcame a huge size and reach disadvantage to pick up her second win under the UFC banner.
***Winning streaks are tough to come by at the highest level of the sport, but Dennis Bermudez is in the process of building a monster. TheTUF alum made JimyHettes his sixth consecutive victim as he drubbed the Pennsylvania native en route to stoppage in the third round. On the strength of this run, the 27-year-old will undoubtedly see a fighter from the next tier of the featherweight division in his next outing.
***The bout between Alex Garcia and Sean Spencer may have ended in a split decision in favor of the Tristar fighter, but both men were winners on Saturday night. The two welterweight fighters put a high-paced 15-minute firefight where both Spencer and Garcia were rocked on multiple occasions. It was far from a technical affair, but sometimes an old-fashion slugfest is chicken soup for the soul.
***South Carolina native Justin Scoggins provided yet another example of why he’s one of the brightest young prospects in the flyweight ranks as he worked over veteran Will Campuzano on the preliminary portion of the card in Dallas. “Tank” picked up his second victory under the UFC banner and kept his undefeated record intact by utilizing a high-paced, pressure-filled attack to pick up the unanimous decision victory.
***First impressions are huge, and Sean Strickland made a great one on Saturday night. The 23-year-old stepped in on short notice to face veteran Bubba McDaniel and was able to keep his undefeated record intact as he submitted the Albuquerque-based fighter via rear-naked choke.
The Bad
On a card filled with great fights, the welterweight showdown between Jake Shields and Lombard was the sleeper. With so much at stake where potential title shots were concerned, every 170-pound fighter on the bill needed to come out and show some moxie.
Although the Olympic judoka landed some blasters in the opening round, the final 10 minutes of the fight were lackluster. There is no doubt the former Strikeforce champion is a difficult matchup for any fighter inside the cage, but the American Top Team fighter basically went into cruise control once the action hit the canvas. While Lombard took the unanimous decision victory, it wasn’t the caliber of showing that will earn him any favor in a heated title race like the one currently raging in the welterweight division.
The former Bellator champion is undoubtedly one of the biggest power punchers at 170 pounds, but his inability to keep pace throughout the entire fight will continue to haunt him in the aftermath of UFC 171.
There are going to be some tough times ahead for Robert “Bubba” McDaniel. The TUFalum was coming off a loss to Brad Tavares in his last showing, and he certainly needed a victory to keep the pulse on his roster spot in the middleweight division.
While the Texas native was originally slated to face Tor Troeng, the Swedish fighter suffered an injury and was replaced by undefeated 23-year-old Strickland on short notice. At nearly 30 fights logged on his career, McDaniel certainly had the edge in experience in the matchup, but he failed to utilize that advantage as Strickland locked in a rear-naked choke and forced him to tap in the opening round.
After catching criticism for his willingness to quit during his time on The Ultimate Fighter, and losses in two of his three showings since the show, McDaniel could be looking at a pink slip in the aftermath of UFC 171.
Another fighter who will most likely be looking for a new job on Monday will be Campuzano. The WEC veteran dropped down to flyweight hoping to put the brakes on a three-fight skid, but Scoggins proved to be too difficult a task on Saturday night. With four consecutive losses it will be difficult for Campuzano to keep his roster spot, even in a thin flyweight division.
When it comes to enthusiasm for what is happening inside the cage, Rogan‘s energetic commentary is certainly nothing new, especially when the action hits the canvas. The Eddie Bravo-trained practitioner is well-versed in jiu-jitsu and has been a crucial part in educating fight fans to what they are seeing unfold on the mat.
That said, Rogan‘s overexcitement when any variety of submission is attempted can have a wearing effect.
The Strange
Scoggins can certainly fight, but his singing and dancing on the way to the cage toed the line the separating peppy and weird. That said, you can’t knock the 21-year-old’s enthusiasm and live-wire energy.
Nicknames in the fight game can cover the entire spectrum of strange, but Krylov‘s “Al Capone” moniker deserves a mention. It’s also worth noting he was submitted with a Von Flue choke. That’s right…a Von Flue choke.
Moving on.
Fighters are paid to step into the cage and to put on a show. When those performances are of the special variety, the athlete’s work is heralded and praised by the fighting faithful. That said, there are those unsung heroes behind the scenes who are never given their moment to shine.
On Friday afternoon at the official pre-fight weigh-ins, a white towel with the UFC logo played a large role in the drama that unfolded. Where the towel typically comes out once during the average pre-fight ritual, it was on overtime in Dallas, as UFC President Dana White and Burt Watson brought it into the game on three occasions.
Renee Forte was the first victim as he missed weight on the first attempt then proceeded to forfeit 20 percent of his purse to his opponent, Francisco Trevino. The Ultimate Fighter 17 winner Gastelum would be the next to get the towel treatment as he took to the scale for his bout with Story. The Yuma-based fighter missed the mark by two pounds on his initial attempt but circled back to make the 171-pound limit within the extra time allotted.
While the towel’s two earlier appearances were solid stage time, there was no moment more tense than when Hendricks stood behind it for his time on the scale. The Oklahoma born knockout artist missed the mark by a pound and a half, which put the main event on the brink of chaos, but he was able to make the 170-pound mark within the two-hour period he was given.
It was a tough day on the grind for the official towel, and such hard work deserves to be recognized.
Duane Finely is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report.
The unpredictable nature of mixed martial arts is part of the sport’s appeal, yet the abrupt end to 