Roundtables
UFC 143 ROUNDTABLE: Nick Diaz or Carlos Condit? Who has the better chance at defeating Georges St-Pierre?
Feb 2, 2012 - 9:45:01 PM UFC 143 ROUNDTABLE: Nick Diaz or Carlos Condit? Who has the better chance at defeating Georges St-Pierre?

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Between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit, which fighter has the better chance at defeating Georges St-Pierre in a unification bout later this year? Do you believe St-Pierre would defeat them both?

RICH HANSEN, MMATORCH COLUMNIST


I've learned my lesson. I'm never picking against Nick Diaz again. I don't care if he's weak against wrestlers, I don't care if GSP (maybe) is vulnerable to massive KO power. I don't care. Nick Diaz gets in the cage against someone as fast as Demetrious Johnson or as massive as Alistair Overeem, I pick Diaz.


FRANK HYDEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR



I think St-Pierre would beat either guy, but I'm a big Condit fan so I think he poses a bigger threat to GSP than Diaz does. Both Condit and Diaz are really good fighters, but I think Diaz would be more stubborn in sticking to his stand-up even if GSP were winning there. I think Condit would be more likely to try to change strategy whereas Diaz would keep it standing even if he were losing.


ANWAR PEREZ, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

The best chance between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit to defeat Georges St-Pierre is easily Diaz. Nick Diaz has the striking and ground game to take out GSP, or at the very least, give him more trouble than any other fighter has recently. Diaz can also take a lot of punishment, and he hasn't been finished since 2002 (not counting the doctor's stoppage against K.J. Noons), and I don't see GSP finishing Diaz if they do end up fighting at the end of the year. Diaz will hang in the fight and either put away the champ, or give him the best competition that GSP has faced in his long reign as Welterweight Champion.


ERIC HOBAUGH, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR




Both Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit are legit top five welterweights. Condit is good everywhere, but Diaz is GREAT everywhere. Diaz made B.J. Penn look terrible at UFC 137. He dominated one of the best fighters to ever enter the Octagon that night, and he possesses the best chance of dethroning GSP. His cardio is unmatched by any other MMA fighter. He matches up better in all areas and has a small chance to defeat the champ. If GSP makes an error, Diaz will win. That is a huge "if." Whoever wins between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit at UFC 143, GSP will defeat them though. He can beat either potential opponent wherever the fight might go. The only person that can beat GSP at this point, is himself.


BRAD WALKER, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR


Honestly I think Nick Diaz has the better chance at dethroning GSP, primarily because he has reached his goal of getting inside St-Pierre's head. Diaz is dangerous in many ways, but his ability to make his opponents skin crawl is probably his greatest advantage. We saw his brother Nate do the same thing to Donald Cerrone and then take him out of his very own gameplan. I do believe Condit would also have a reasonable chance to beat GSP as well, he's a very skilled fighter who - no matter what the scenario is - will find a way to beat you. Diaz holds a larger advantage in my book, his mouth and his fists do equal amounts of damage.


GRIFFIN MARSH, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

I don't think it really matters who wins this week end, GSP is gonna dominate either.  If I had to pick I'd go with Condit, but that's a long shot in my opinion.


JASON AMADI, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

Carlos Condit can stop any fighter in the welterweight division with a suddenness that Nick Diaz simply can't match. The Robbie Lawler KO will always be prominently featured on Nick Diaz's highlight reel, but Diaz can't leap into the air and crack a dude with a flying knee like Carlos Condit can. Nick Diaz hasn't shown the ability to secure a takedown and cave a dude's face in like Carlos Condit has. Nick Diaz simply can't finish the way Carlos Condit can.

Nick Diaz usually wins fights by drowning guys in deep water and I don't see Diaz being able to put that sort of pace on Georges St-Pierre. If at any point GSP feels threatened by Diaz on the feet, he'll take him down and there's nothing Diaz can do about it.

I don't think any fighter at 170 is going to win a points battle with St-Pierre, so if he's going to lose again, someone is going to have to catch him with something. I'd favor St-Pierre to decision both, but Carlos Condit simply has the better chance.