Longtime UFC fan-favorite and former interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit will face Court McGhee on October 3 at the next UFC Fight Night card in Abu Dhabi. The 36-year-old American chatted with Heavy by phone during his quarantine day in Las Vegas as he prepared to take the long flight over to “Fight Island” for his hotly-anticipated return bout.
Condit hasn’t competed inside the UFC’s Octagon since December 2018. But the popular star still plans on making a big splash in his next fight and even said “hell yeah” to the idea of facing returning star Nick Diaz in a long-awaited rematch soon after.
“Hell yeah! Absolutely,” Condit said. “I want to be in interesting fights. That is absolutely an interesting fight.”
Condit Defeated Diaz Back in 2012 to Capture UFC Gold
Condit defeated Diaz via decision back in 2012 at UFC 143.
It’s one of the most controversial and talked-about welterweight title fights in history. Condit said he’s even come across people to this day who still want to argue with him about the result.
“There’s history there,” Condit said. “That fight was controversial. A lot of people are still real salty about that one.”
For Condit, and perhaps many other fans, all that history would make the rematch an easy and fun sell.
Moreover, enough time has passed that one really wouldn’t be able to predict the result of the fight in 2020. Would Diaz’s long layoff help or hurt him? How much has Condit improved or diminished over that same eight years?
“That was almost a decade ago…It’s been a long time,” Condit said. “So it would be interesting to see how we’ve evolved, how we’ve aged and changed as fighters and athletes.”
First things first, though, Condit plans on handing McGhee what would be the 35-year-old’s third straight loss on October 3.
After that, Condit said he would be ready to rumble again with Diaz.
“That’s definitely a fight I’d be interested in,” Condit said. “I want to be booked in fights that people are excited about.”
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Condit Returns After 2 Years Out
Condit hasn’t fought in almost two years. He was previously scheduled to fight in December 2019 before a detached retina suddenly derailed his planned bout against Mickey Gall.
Now, Condit is all healed up and ready to get back to work.
While he enters his next bout against McGhee having lost five straight contests, all five of those losses came against top-flight welterweights.
In fact, the streak started with Condit being on the wrong end of a controversial split-decision against then-UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler.
“I’ve fallen a long way in my career,” Condit admitted. “Beginning in 2016, I fought for the UFC title and lost a very close split-decision that could have gone either way. Since then, I’ve been on a skid.”
Condit’s other losses came against top contenders Demian Maia, Neil Magny, Alex Oliviera and Michael Chiesa.
Condit ‘Continued to Grow and Evolve’
Regardless, Condit said he’s constantly improved over that same timeframe.
“Throughout that, I’ve continued to grow and evolve as a martial artist,” Condit said. “Even though I lost those fights, the work I’ve put in during those camps, and the improvements that I’ve made, are still there. I’ve continued to grow through it. None of that is lost.”
Moreover, he said all the rest his body soaked up during his months of recovery after eye surgery might have been a hidden blessing.
So Condit firmly believes he’ll snap his five-fight skid next week at Flash Forum and put himself in the right spot for more important fights.
On top of that, Condit plans on staying as active as possible as 2021 approaches.
“I’d like to stay a lot busier,” Condit said. “I’d like to be busier in the next year for sure, get a couple of fights under my belt for sure.”
Why Rematch Might Make Sense
Diaz announced just a few weeks ago that he plans on returning to UFC action soon. The 37-year-old has been actively training again and should be ready to compete in early 2021.
While many fighters have come forward to suggest they would be willing and able to welcome Diaz back to the professional cage fighting ranks, there might be no better option for the gig than Condit.
“Hell yeah” and “absolutely” were how one side of the equation responded to the idea of a stunning rematch. Most fans would probably express similar thoughts, so maybe it’s on its way to becoming a reality.
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Ex-UFC Champ on Nick Diaz Rematch: ‘Hell Yeah!’