Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit (James Law/HeavyMMA)
Controversial welterweight said he’s quitting after decision loss to Condit
LAS VEGAS –Raise your hand if you predicted Nick Diaz would lose in the main event of UFC 143 on Saturday and then quit the sport after the fight. If your hand is up, you’re probably lying.
In a bizarre twist to the interim welterweight title fight at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, Diaz lost a unanimous decision to Carlos Condit – and then told Joe Rogan he’s leaving the sport because of the decision.
“I’m not going to accept the fact this is a loss,” Diaz said. “I’ve lost fights before, but that ain’t right. I pushed him back the whole fight, I walked him down, I got the takedown (in the fifth round). I don’t think I’m going to keep going in this MMA. I don’t need this (crap). I pushed this guy backwards and he ran from me the whole fight. And he kicked me with little baby leg kicks the whole fight. If that’s the way they want to play this game. I’m out of this (crap).”
But after the fight, UFC president Dana White said he doesn’t think the controversial welterweight, a former Strikeforce champion, will wind up following through on his promise – though he left it open for anything to happen.
“I didn’t talk to him (after the fight),” White said. “I think Nick’s upset. He 100 percent believes he won the fight, and he’s upset about it. Once he goes home and relaxes and calms down, I don’t see Nick Diaz retiring. But who knows.”
Two judges scored the fight 49-46, four rounds to one, for Condit. A third scored it 48-47. Diaz’s contention that he came forward the whole fight and chased down Condit is essentially true. But from Condit’s perspective, it was merely the perfect execution of the perfect game plan to beat Diaz, who was coming off a one-side beating of former champ BJ Penn in October.
“I couldn’t have done it wrote my coaches and teammates – I did what they told me to do, and I walked away with the victory,” Condit said. “I’ve got to come on strong toward the later rounds, and I did. Hat’s off to Nick Diaz – he’s a warrior. I have nothing but admiration and respect for him.”
Though the instant response online was all over both sides, with a large contingent believing Diaz won a close fight, but an equally large contingent believing the scoring was right on the money, White had no problem with the result.
“I actually had it scored the first two rounds for Diaz and the last three for Condit,” White said. “I didn’t expect it to be as technical as it was. Those types of fights are sometimes hard to score. But Im not a judge.”
Condit’s upset spoils what welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre was hoping for – a grudge match with Diaz. St-Pierre is on the shelf for much of the rest of this year and has grown to if not “hate” Diaz, at least strongly dislike him. But if that fight happens, should Diaz decide his retirement was a knee-jerk reaction, it will now be quite a ways in the future.
But White said even though a St-Pierre vs. Diaz fight would have been extremely bankable for the UFC, it’s nothing he can be upset over.
“It’s one of those things – you can’t get upset about stuff like that,” White said. “You put two of the best in the world (for a chance) to fight the absolute best in the world.”