Hyden's Take
HYDEN BLOG: Thoughts on GSP-Diaz and Condit-Hendricks at UFC 158
Mar 14, 2013 - 1:10:59 PM HYDEN BLOG: Thoughts on GSP-Diaz and Condit-Hendricks at UFC 158

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By: Frank Hyden, MMATorch contributor

UFC 158 is this Saturday and the main event is a Welterweight Title fight between Champion Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz. There's been a lot of talking between these two, and it appears to be real bad blood here. However, I do expect GSP to be gracious after the fight, as that's how he's always been. GSP is very sanitized, he's a very corporate type of fighter.

I don't mean that in a bad way, GSP is great for the sport of MMA. He's the guy you trot out to all the MMA-haters out there as an example of the kind of guy most fighters are. He's clean-cut, well-spoken, and a great role model. The only time I remember GSP saying something that I personally thought was wrong was when he said he was uncomfortable with women's MMA.

On the other hand, you have Nick Diaz. He's the guy that you try to hide from the MMA-haters because they would likely take him the wrong way. Nick is brash, outspoken, and prone to using lots of profanity. I'm personally not bothered in any way by swearing, but there's a lot of Puritan types out there who find it to be extremely repellent. Underneath the trash talk is a guy who lives by a code. Many of us may not agree with it, but at least the guy is who he is. You know what you're going to get with Nick, just as you know who you're going to get with GSP.

As for the actual fight, I think this is actually an easy fight to predict. As talented as Nick Diaz is, GSP is on a different level. Nick's a very good fighter, GSP is an all-time great. I think Nick can win a win or maybe even two, but that GSP wins a clear decision. I think the fight is more a 49-46 GSP, but a 48-47 GSP wouldn't surprise me. GSP is too good at what he does to realistically think otherwise. Nick is known for his volume of punches, but GSP is good at boxing in his own right. GSP is known for taking his opponents down and working some ground-and-pound, and I think he works that gameplan here. Nick is very dangerous on the ground, but GSP is also very dangerous.

What I'd like to most see from this fight is for GSP to do what he said he was going to do, put the worst beating ever on Diaz. I've been critical of GSP in the past for not finishing opponents, but this time he's going to get a pass. Nick is so tough that I can't imagine GSP finishing him, I don't see a way for that to happen. Regardless of what any of us might think of Nick's talking and behavior, there's no question that he's one of the toughest fighters in the UFC. Just like I don't see Diaz being finished, I can't see GSP being finished either. I think this fight will go the distance and GSP adds another notch to his belt and his legacy.

*************

Carlos Condit fights Johny Hendricks at UFC 158 as well. The stakes are simple for Hendricks, win and get a title shot. There's no way that he can denied a shot if he beats Condit. Hell, he's the one that should be getting the title shot now instead of Diaz. The guys that Hendricks has beaten is a who's who of top contenders in the welterweight division. If Hendricks wins this fight, he gets the chance he's been after.

For Condit, it's a little bit more murky. He just lost to GSP in his last fight. It was a good showing against an all-time great, but it was still a clear loss. So if GSP wins and Condit wins, it's not likely that Condit gets a rematch so soon. However, if Diaz wins, it's very possible. Condit beat Diaz not that long ago.

I think that Condit gets the submission win over Hendricks in this fight. I think Condit is more well-rounded and that he will use that to his advantage. I think Condit wins in the second round.


Comments and suggestions can be emailed to me at hydenfrank@gmail.com