UFC
Manager: Carlos Condit won't wait for GSP's return if he defeats Nick Diaz at UFC 143
Jan 30, 2012 - 4:55:09 PM Manager: Carlos Condit won't wait for GSP's return if he defeats Nick Diaz at UFC 143

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Nick Diaz and his camp may not want to take a fight after Carlos Condit on Saturday night unless it's against Georges St-Pierre, but Condit's camp certainly doesn't feel the same way.

Diaz's manager Cesar Gracie spoke with Ariel Helwani at MMAFighting.com on Monday and said that, should Diaz defeat Condit at UFC 143 on Saturday, he would wait for the Welterweight Champion to return for his next fight. Condit's manager Malki Kawa also appeared on Helwani's show, and said that Condit wouldn't be waiting for anyone.

"At the end of the day, if people are writing Carlos Condit off, it's a big mistake," Kawa said. "Carlos is coming to fight. The guy is in great shape. Remember, he was supposed to fight in October. He hasn't stopped training. He's coming to fight and this is going to be a real good fight. And if and when he wins this belt, if [the UFC] wants to put him back out to fight again, Carlos is going to fight again and defend his belt against anyone who challenges him. We're not going to sit around and wait for anyone, not Georges or anybody. If there's fights out there, Carlos wants them."

"They're talking like they already won the fight. I do that as well sometimes, but when I see someone do it to me, I have to turn around and say, 'Hey, don't write my guy off.' No one should. This is a better fight overall [than a GSP-Diaz fight]. No disrespect to Georges but we all know that these two guys will come to scrap."

Penick's Analysis: As I wrote earlier in the day, if Condit were to take on Jake Ellenberger in a rematch in early summer, it would be an excellent Interim Title bout if St-Pierre isn't ready to return until closer to November. If Ellenberger loses to Sanchez, or finds himself injured, I don't know that there's necessarily another fight that would make sense for Condit to take in the meantime if he gets past Diaz. Still, Condit's camp will position themselves as willing to take any fight that's presented to them, and depending on how it plays out with GSP's return, it may be someone other than the UFC Welterweight Champion.