Check out “Dapper” Roy Nelson in the three piece! (Video: Youtube/UFC)
“He’s the most disrespectful human being I’ve ever met, and I’m going to put the worst beating you’ve ever seen on him in the UFC.”
With those uncharacteristically aggressive words, Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre verbally accepted the bout against Nick Diaz in a backstage conversation with Dana White.
And just like that, Carlos Condit’s “guaranteed” title shot went up in smoke faster than a fatty in the 209. All of the events surrounding GSP’s next challenge have been bizarre, but that’s what happens anytime you’re dealing with the “Pride of Stockton”. Just last weekend, MMA’s least credible source, Chael Sonnen, predicted that Condit would get bumped back in line should Diaz get past Penn, and he was right on the money.
Check out “Dapper” Roy Nelson in the three piece! (Video: Youtube/UFC)
“He’s the most disrespectful human being I’ve ever met, and I’m going to put the worst beating you’ve ever seen on him in the UFC.”
With those uncharacteristically aggressive words, Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre verbally accepted the bout against Nick Diaz in a backstage conversation with Dana White.
And just like that, Carlos Condit’s “guaranteed” title shot went up in smoke faster than a fatty in the 209. All of the events surrounding GSP’s next challenge have been bizarre, but that’s what happens anytime you’re dealing with the “Pride of Stockton”. Just last weekend, MMA’s least credible source, Chael Sonnen, predicted that Condit would get bumped back in line should Diaz get past Penn, and he was right on the money.
Only Diaz didn’t just get past Penn, he dominated the former lightweight and welterweight champion, abusing him in the stand up en route to a unanimous decision. Sure, his post fight speech–“I don’t think Georges is hurt. I think he’s scared…I think he’s scarred to fight everybody right now. What’s up? Where you at, George?”–wasn’t as eloquent as Chael’s “loser leaves town” proposition to Anderson Silva, but it earned him a shot at the title on Super Bowl weekend nonetheless.
Now we’ve got a fight that everyone—champ, challenger, and fans—is clamoring for. The hype and speculation surrounding the pre-fight press conferences alone will eclipse that of some title fights themselves. If Diaz took a swing at his friend BJ Penn at the weigh-ins, what do you think he’ll do to an opponent he openly disrespects? You may think Diaz is just the animal to unseat GSP from his throne, or you may think he poses no serious threat at all, but come February 5th you’re going to see St. Pierre in a very different title fight against a very different fighter, and in a division with dwindling credible challengers and somewhat repetitive performances by the champ, it’s a welcome bit of chaos.
– Chris Colemon (@ChrisColemon)
