MMANEWS.COM Staff Writer</B><BR><BR>
Given his scheduled bout with B.J. Penn (at UFC 137), it?s more than safe to assume that Carlos Condit is in excellent shape, and well prepared to fight. That said, there?s no doubt in my mind that Condit was prepared for a completely different form of chess match than the one in which he?ll engage Georges St. Pierre.<BR><BR>
The opportunity to step into Nick Diaz?s shoes at UFC 137 was unquestionably a once in a lifetime opportunity, and there was certainly no chance that Carlos Condit would refuse Dana White?s offer to replace Diaz (due to a string of questionable actions by the Stockton native). However, Condit prepared for a fighter so stylistically different from St. Pierre that although he may have been in shape and ready to fight, I have few doubts that he was ready to fight Georges St. Pierre.<BR><BR>
Battling a durable standup fighter with decent wrestling and a strong offensive jiu-jitsu from the top position is not even similar to fighting an amazingly agile fighter who?s practically mastered controlling distance, firing crisp combinations, avoiding while securing takedowns and unleashing one of the most brutal ground and pound assaults in the division today. B.J. Penn and Georges St. Pierre are almost (I stress almost) opposite fighters.<BR><BR>
If Carlos Condit hopes to dethrone the current champion, he?s going to need sufficient time to prepare a gameplan with which he can best combat St. Pierre?s incredibly intelligent fighting style. ?GSP? is not the flat footed warrior that Penn is, he?s a technical practitioner who prefers giving over receiving.<BR><BR>
Now, as both Condit and St. Pierre have trained under the tutelage of Greg Jackson, it?s important to note that that issue isn?t likely to become relevant during the fight. According to Jackson himself, the two spent very little time training together, and rarely, if ever, sparred with one another (Condit has also supported this statement). So, for those who are pondering just how well these two know each other in regards to physical techniques; apparently, not too much.<BR><BR>
Back to the fight at hand, which we now know has been postponed. Champion Georges St. Pierre has withdrawn from the slated bout citing a knee injury, and according to him, he?ll be on the shelf for some weeks, but he doesn?t expect to be out of commission too long. But as we all know, one man?s misfortune is another?s opportunity. It?s now up to Carlos ?The Natural Born Killer? Condit to invest serious time adapting his gameplan in preparation for a completely different fight.<BR><BR>
St. Pierre?s injury could serve to put him in more danger than he?s faced in years. Condit now knows the exact areas of his game with which he must focus on. For that matter, Carlos is also now aware that St. Pierre may cruise into the octagon (once the fight eventually unfolds) with a nagging injury; a target for any man hungry to lay claim to one of the sports most coveted prizes. But most of all, Carlos should have the best conceivable plan of attack with which to assault the champion. Carlos is already an aggressive competitor who knows where to take a fight, and when. The additional time to study and prepare could go a long way to improving the chances of a massive upset.<BR><BR>
While many pundits have already written off ?The Natural Born Killer?, it may be time to reevaluate the situation. When you examine the facts as they exist, Carlos Condit?s chances of success have increased astronomically. He?s now equipped with some tools that the typical St. Pierre challenger lacks. Toss in the fact that Condit not only refuses to back down, but actually becomes angry when on the losing end of a bout, and you?ve got yourself a serious chance of seeing a new champion crowned.<BR><BR>
Beware pundits, sale bets don?t always prove guarantees, and with the new intangibles in this equation, the final outcome is truly anyone?s guess.<BR><BR>
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