Tag: UFC 143

UFC 143: Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit Will Be the Can’t-Miss Fight of 2012

UFC champion Georges St-Pierre has recently been sidelined due to injury and will likely be on the mend for the better part of a year.However, his loss will garner huge gains for both Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit.The duo will meet this February at UFC 1…

UFC champion Georges St-Pierre has recently been sidelined due to injury and will likely be on the mend for the better part of a year.

However, his loss will garner huge gains for both Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit.

The duo will meet this February at UFC 143 where they will battle for the interim welterweight title. The winner will likely face St-Pierre at a later date in order to unify the 170-pound belt.

It seems fitting that both men who were originally slated to take on the Canadian will now meet each other in a battle that will likely garner a lot of fanfare, thanks to their similar styles of fighting.

What both Condit and Diaz represent is two of the most exciting figures in the welterweight division. This is particularly true of the Stockton native Diaz, who has become a proverbial walking highlight since venturing into Strikeforce in 2009.

Memorable battles against Frank Shamrock, KJ Noons, Marius Zaromskis and Paul Daley eventually anchored the move for Diaz to return to the Octagon, where the Cesar Gracie protege bested former two-time world champion BJ Penn this October, taking home a clear-cut decision win in a “Fight of the Night” worthy performance.

Condit has been making plenty of noise on his own. Since transitioning to the UFC after a stint serving as the WEC’s last welterweight king, “The Natural Born Killer” is currently riding a four-fight win streak in the cage, claiming bonuses for his performances against Rory MacDonald, Dan Hardy and Dong Hyun Kim, who have all become victim to the long list of accolades of the Greg Jackson product.

Both Diaz and Condit represent the consummate definition of what a fighter should be—they take risks at their own expense, all in an effort to create exciting fights that have fans clamoring for more. 

Their track records would indicate that this welterweight affair will be anything but boring, and regardless of how long the fight will ensue, the fans and media alike are in for a treat come next year. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 143: Nick Diaz’s 10 Greatest Moments

One of the best welterweights in the world is finally getting his due.Nick Diaz has been plugging away as a professional mixed martial artist for over ten years, and now at 28 years old, the Stockton fighter has reached the culmination of his career.Le…

One of the best welterweights in the world is finally getting his due.

Nick Diaz has been plugging away as a professional mixed martial artist for over ten years, and now at 28 years old, the Stockton fighter has reached the culmination of his career.

Leaving his championship reign in Strikeforce to compete in the UFC, Diaz has since emerged as the organization’s top contender and has many big fights ahead of him. 

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Fabricio Werdum Returns to UFC to Face Roy Nelson

Fabricio Werdum (14-5-1) will return to the UFC for the first time since losing to Junior dos Santos at UFC 90 to take on Ultimate Fighter winner and top-10 heavyweight Roy “Big Country” Nelson (16-6) at UFC 143, according to MMAweekly.com.UF…

Fabricio Werdum (14-5-1) will return to the UFC for the first time since losing to Junior dos Santos at UFC 90 to take on Ultimate Fighter winner and top-10 heavyweight Roy “Big Country” Nelson (16-6) at UFC 143, according to MMAweekly.com.

UFC 143 will go down at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on February 4.

Werdum was last seen losing to Alistair Overeem in a semifinal bout of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix earlier this year. Victories over Fedor Emelianenko, Mike Kyle and Antonio Silva preceded that loss.

When Werdum lost to a then-unknown heavyweight in dos Santos in 2008, his contract was terminated by the UFC. The Brazilian power-puncher went on to win the UFC heavyweight championship at UFC on FOX 1 when he stopped Cain Velasquez and is yet to be beaten inside the Octagon.

Nelson recently broke a two-fight losing streak when he stopped Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic at UFC 137. His losses to Frank Mir and Junior dos Santos left many wondering how serious he had been taking his career.

UFC 143 will be headlined by an interim welterweight championship bout between top contenders Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Hump Day Headlines with Stephanie Ann Cook

Chael Sonnen vs. Mark Munoz confirmed for UFC on Fox2. Fabricio Werdum vs. Roy Nelson set for UFC 143 in Las Vegas. Georges St. Pierre tweets knee surgery was a success. Jon Jones is losing.

Chael Sonnen vs. Mark Munoz confirmed for UFC on Fox2.

Fabricio Werdum vs. Roy Nelson set for UFC 143 in Las Vegas.

Georges St. Pierre tweets knee surgery was a success.

Jon Jones is losing to The Rock, asks for your votes to win ESPN SportsNation’s Awesomest Dude of the Year and kicks an IPad. Watch his awesome video here.

Demetrious Johnson moves to Flyweight division to compete in first UFC Flyweight Tournament, out of 135-pound fight with Eddie Wineland for UFC on Fox 2. Johnny Bedford will replace Johnson.

UFC on Fuel TV starts January 1st with marathon UFC programming… WTF channel is that???

Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort named TUF Brazil coaches, casting this week.

Report: Fabricio Werdum vs. Roy Nelson Slated for UFC 143 Super Bowl Weekend


(This will either be a really great fight or a really boring 15-minute feeling out process.)

Well, it looks like Dana White had his fingers crossed when he promised everyone this week that there wouldn’t be any more Strikeforce fighters heading to the UFC.

MMAWeekly is reporting that Fabricio Werdum (14-5-1) will be returning to the Octagon for the first time since being knocked out at UFC 90 by current UFC heavyweight kingpin Junior dos Santos when he takes on Roy Nelson (16-6) at UFC 143 February 4 in Las Vegas.


(This will either be a really great fight or a really boring 15-minute feeling out process.)

Well, it looks like Dana White had his fingers crossed when he promised everyone this week that there wouldn’t be any more Strikeforce fighters heading to the UFC.

MMAWeekly is reporting that Fabricio Werdum (14-5-1) will be returning to the Octagon for the first time since being knocked out at UFC 90 by current UFC heavyweight kingpin Junior dos Santos when he takes on Roy Nelson (16-6) at UFC 143 February 4 in Las Vegas.

Since being dropped by the UFC, “Vai Cavalo” has had an impressive run, including wins over highly-regarded heavyweights Antonio Silva and Fedor Emelianenko including a surprise triangle submission upset over “The Last Emperor” back in June 2010. He dropped a lackluster decision to then-Strikeforce heavyweight champ Alistair Overeem in his last outing in June that elicited boos aimed at both fighters from the displeased crowd. A multiple-time ADCC champion, Werdum’s strength is his ground game, having notched eight of his 14 wins by submission. He originally lobbied for a UFC bout with Brendan Schaub, but he got an upgrade in the form of “Big Country.”

Nelson’s forte is his striking game, with nine of his 16 wins coming by knockout, but he’s no slouch on the ground either. A 2003 Grappler’s Quest champ, Roy has never been submitted in his 22 fights. It will be interesting to see how his grappling matches up against a fellow Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt of Werdum’s caliber.

The card will be anchored by a main event welterweight interim title bout between former Strikeforce champ Nick Diaz and former WEC champ Carlos Condit.

UFC 143
February 4, 2012
MGM Grand Garden Arena
Las Vegas, Nevada

Interim Welterweight Championship Bout
Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit

Fabricio Werdum vs. Roy Nelson
Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce
Rafael Natal vs. Michael Kuiper
Scott Jorgensen vs. Renan Barão
Erik Koch vs. Dustin Poirier
Alex Caceres vs. Edwin Figueroa
Jorge Lopez vs. Amir Sadollah

Carlos Condit Is a Nick Diaz Fan, and Looking Forward to Matchup of Similar Styles

Filed under: UFC, MMA Fighting Exclusive, NewsWhat a stretch it’s been for Carlos Condit. First he was going to fight BJ Penn at 137, then he was going to fight Georges St-Pierre for the title. Then St-Pierre got injured and Condit got neither. Then, h…

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What a stretch it’s been for Carlos Condit. First he was going to fight BJ Penn at 137, then he was going to fight Georges St-Pierre for the title. Then St-Pierre got injured and Condit got neither. Then, he was going to wait for his title shot with GSP, until he was moved aside in favor of Diaz. Then, Condit was going to fight Josh Koscheck at UFC 143, until a new St-Pierre injury occurred. And now, Condit is preparing for an interim welterweight title match against Nick Diaz.

Got all that? If not, the bottom line is Condit and Diaz are paired up in a bout that promises fireworks. And as far as Condit is concerned, that’s just fine.

“Seeing everything that’s happened over the past couple months, I kind of just had to laugh,” he said on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour. “It’s crazy, a lots of ups and downs but after all this turmoil and stuff, it ended up going my way.”

Condit (27-5) said that he is a fan of Diaz’s fight style, likening it to his own aggressive approach that often leads to crowd-pleasing fights.

Because of their similar styles and go-for-broke mentalities, many believe that a Condit-Diaz bout will be more intriguing than one involving St-Pierre. Though he doesn’t necessarily agree, Condit is convinced the duo will produce something special at UFC 143.

“Whether it’s an interim title or not, this is what the fans have been screaming for from the welterweight division,” he said. “They’re looking for exciting fighters, guys who go out and put it on the line and come to thrown down win, lose or draw. I think both Diaz and myself are those guys.”

The switch from Koscheck to Diaz was a major shift in opponent base. Given his NCAA wrestling pedigree, Koscheck brings with him the constant threat of the takedown. Diaz is nowhere near as accomplished in that area though he compensates well for it with his dangerous ground game.

Condit noted that he could be described in a similar way, and even though he believes he had the tools to overcome Koscheck, he likes the Diaz matchup.

“Nick is a physically tougher guy, but I think his style matches up better with me, he said. “We’re both standup fighters and we both have a jiu-jitsu base. I think Nick’s style is definitely a better matchup for me.”

Condit said he still hopes to fight Koscheck at some point in the future, but his long-term hope is of course to fight St-Pierre, the longtime division champion who will be on the sidelines for possibly up to 10 months will recovering from a torn ACL in his right knee.

To do that, he’ll have to get through one of the sport’s most fierce competitors, a guy who he has come to enjoy watching.

“As a fighter, I am a fan,” he said. “I think he’s a great fighter. He’s had an impressive run lately. He’s top notch, one of the best in the world. I don’t know the guy personally, so I can’t really speak to whether I’m a fan of his personally. I think he’s got a bad attitude, but you’ve got to be yourself, so that’s just him doing him.”

 

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