Mention to an average mixed martial arts fan that the sport is intertwined on many levels with professional wrestling and they will scoff at the idea. How could this growing phenomenon have anything to do with the bastard child of sports and theatre?
Ask Nick Diaz. Ask Chael Sonnen. Unlike true sports and much like pro wrestling, these two fighters used their loud mouths and large fan base to garner them world title opportunities which many would argue are undeserved. In what other sport do people receive world title shots coming off of a loss?
But Carlos Condit is different. There’s a cautioned, if not cerebral pace to his words, almost as if he’s holding back. You get a piece of what he’s thinking, but never fully know what’s going on inside his head. He is a mixed martial artist who has earned his championship opportunities through his fighting style, which has decimated nearly all his competition.
At UFC 158, Condit returns to the scene where he lost his interim UFC welterweight championship Georges St-Pierre in Montreal. Former foe and St-Pierre training partner Rory MacDonald was scheduled to fight Condit, but a neck injury forced him off the card.
Instead, Condit will face Johny Hendricks; NCAA wrestling standout and top contender in many minds. MMASucka.com caught up with Condit to discuss the switch in opponent and what he expects against Hendricks.
“I was very disappointed (that MacDonald pulled out), but the fact that I get to fight Hendricks who is basically the number one contender and has a lot of hype behind him made up for the disappointment.”
There is a fine balance between training at the championship level and overtraining, which often results in injury. For a young fighter with such unlimited potential, MacDonald’s early career injury struggles are worrisome. The fine line is one Condit is forced to ride as much as any other championship contender, and he knows that injuries are a part of the game.
“Oh, you have to, but it’s really a fine line. There are so many different aspects to the sport. To be sharp at everything and have your conditioning where it needs to be, you’re constantly getting to a point where you’re overtraining and then having to dial it back to heal up. It’s a hard sport to train for.”
Fans often criticize fighters when they don’t present an “I’ll face anyone” attitude inside the cage, but this fight, perhaps more than others, shows how different an opponent can be. MacDonald, a sly well-rounded true mixed martial artists, presents many different problems than the hard-hitting, wrestler in Hendricks. For Condit, this bout is about risk versus reward, and he’s decided it’s worth the risk.
“Yes, the game-plan did definitely. Rory [MacDonald] is a very polished, technical striker and Johny Hendricks is a powerful kind of brawler. So, there are definitely some changes.”
A win over Hendricks could land Condit another championship opportunity against the winner of Diaz versus St-Pierre. Condit has proven he can have success against Diaz and considering both his ability to gameplan and his success in the first bout, there’s no telling what could happen against St-Pierre.
“I’m excited to see that fight happen. In my interest, if Diaz were to win and I were to win, that’d been a fight that a lot of people want to see a rematch of. So, it may put me right back in title contention.”
Condit is aware of the risk he’s taking. A loss, which would mark two in a row, would throw Condit out of the contenders pile, at least for the time being.
“Absolutely, it’s a tough fight, Hendricks is a dangerous guy, but the reward is definitely worth it.”
