Roundtables
UFC 143 ROUNDTABLE: Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit predictions by MMATorch staff and contributors
Feb 4, 2012 - 10:15:19 AM UFC 143 ROUNDTABLE: Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit predictions by MMATorch staff and contributors

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Predict the outcome of Saturday's UFC 143 main event between Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz; who wins and how?

RICH HANSEN, MMATORCH COLUMNIST


I don't pick against Diaz anymore. Diaz by decision, in the most glorious fight ever. Let's just hope they don't have GSP up in the rafters of the arena, because I want him in the cage as soon as Diaz' hand is raised. UFC screwed the pooch last week by having Jon Jones in the broadcast booth instead of in the cage after Rashad Evans beat Phil Davis, so here's hoping they learned that lesson.


FRANK HYDEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR



I think Condit's going to get the TKO stoppage. It should be a really close fight, but Condit has tremendous power. If he can catch Diaz a few times he should get the win. This should be a very exciting fight, one that the UFC should have thought about putting on the FOX event.


ANWAR PEREZ, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

Nick Diaz wins against Carlos Condit. We all have read and know the fighting skills and heart of each fighter, but the scary part about Diaz is that there is some true rage and anger within him. In the UFC Primetime, when Diaz talks about how he was picked on as a kid, he said sometimes he uses that anger in the cage as if he were fighting those same bullies in there. That's a scary thought. The fact that he's able to channel his hate into the cage and use it against his opponents, with his high level skills, make him the easy pick for this fight. I've got Diaz via TKO in the second round.


ERIC HOBAUGH, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR




I think Diaz controls the fight on his feet with his superior boxing and on the ground with his world class BJJ. Diaz is just better everywhere the fight can go. I think Nick Diaz grounds out a decision victory on his way to a unification bout later this year with GSP.


BRAD WALKER, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR


The team who ran the UFC Undisputed 3 simulation may have been very accurate. Condit will probably go for a takedown and pay for it. Diaz's jiu jitsu is outstanding and he's one of the best boxers in mixed martial arts. Condit on the other hand is also dangerous but his gas tank lacks the infinite fill that Diaz had shown. It will undoubtedly be an incredible fight while it lasts and both men have a very good chance to win if they execute their gameplans. In the end I'm going to say Nick Diaz via submission in the third round.


GRIFFIN MARSH, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

This is a hard pick to make. Diaz is tough with solid ground skills and good MMA boxing. However who has he fought in the past five years? A wayyyyyy past his prime B.J. Penn. After that, there's a huge drop in competition for a long time. I'm going with Condit. But hey this is MMA. Greatest fighting sport on earth.


JASON AMADI, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

Nick Diaz is on a hell of a roll right now, but I'm going to predict the upset. Every fighter Nick Diaz has fought in the last few years has gotten the better of him at one point (and that includes Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos) but none of them has been unable to finish him. Carlos Condit is the best finisher in the division and I think he gets the same opportunity, but finishes without incident.


JAMIE PENICK, MMATORCH EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Diaz is all about accumulation of strikes and overwhelming his opponents with pressure. He's got a gas tank that will not fail him, and he'll continue throwing strike after strike after strike until his opponent breaks.

Condit will come forward with crisp technique and power, but he'll throw in a very good arsenal of kicks, knees, elbows, and more. Of the two, Condit absolutely brings more stopping power, with the ability to drop his opponents at any moment and finish them off. Diaz can stop just about anyone himself, but it's not often with one punch. Diaz's finishes come after he's worn his opponents out, and he's not afraid to fight through damaging offense from those opponents in order to do so.

The fearless attitude both fighters bring into the cage makes this one of the greatest stylistic matchups the UFC has put together in a long time, and comes as close to guaranteeing fireworks as a fight can do on paper.

Diaz being considered as big a favorite as he is doesn't seem quite right to me, and I think Condit's being undervalued coming in. Diaz is fantastic, and if the fight goes deep the advantage really does shift to him. However, Condit is capable of stopping this fight at any point in its duration, and I'm leaning towards Condit pulling off the upset and taking the GSP showdown away from Diaz. Condit by TKO in the 2nd Round