Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit and the 10 Closest Decisions in UFC History

Nick Diaz (left) squaring off with Carlos Condit/ photo cred: Scott Petersen for MMAWeekly.com

This past weekend, the MMA world was set ablaze when welterweight contenders Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit squared off at UFC 143, challenging for the organization's interim title.

The action was tight knit throughout, though, in the end, Condit earned the contentious decision win, though many believed that Diaz was the rightful winner.

This particular bout is one of many over the years that have been a hot topic of debate. Here, we will take a look back at other pivotal bouts that were both close and controversial. 

 

Nick Diaz (left) squaring off with Carlos Condit/ photo cred: Scott Petersen for MMAWeekly.com

UFC 125: Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard II

Frankie Edgar (left) squaring off with Gray Maynard/ photo cred: Scott Petersen for MMAWeekly.com

In a highly anticipated rematch, Frankie Edgar finally got his chance at exacting revenge when he took on rival Gray Maynard at UFC 125.

Edgar and Maynard had met some years ago, when the Xtreme Couture product earned a dominant decision win over the New Jersey fighter, though, this time the two met for Edgar's lightweight title.

In the early goings of the bout, Maynard rocked and dropped the wily fighter with heavy shots in the opening round, but Edgar survived to make the action close in the later rounds.

In the end, the fight remained tight knit throughout, with both men showing moments of superiority. After five rounds of action, which was regarded as 2011's "Fight of the Year," the bout was ruled a draw, which resulted in their inevitable rubber match some months later. 

UFC 104: Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio Rua

Lyoto Machida (left) posing with Mauricio Rua/ photo cred: Dave Mandel for Sherdog.com

In a light heavyweight encounter, Lyoto Machida was looking to make the first defense of his 205-pound title against the resurgent Mauricio Rua.

After dropping his UFC debut to Forrest Griffin, Rua was riding a two-fight win streak which included knockout victories of former champions Mark Coleman and Chuck Liddell.

To the surprise of many, Rua was aggressive from the onset, tagging Machida on several occasions, though, "The Dragon" answered back with strikes of his own. "Shogun" continued his assault in the later rounds, crippling the lead leg of Machida with low kicks of his own.

After five rounds of action, the consensus felt that Rua had done enough to unseat the champion, though, Machida was awarded the controversial win, much to the dismay of the attending crowd.

The two engaged in a rematch soon after, with Rua scoring a first-round knockout. 

UFC 127: BJ Penn vs. Jon Fitch

BJ Penn (left) head-to-head with Jon Fitch/ photo cred: James Rees for MMAWeekly.com

In a welterweight affair in February of last year, former champion BJ Penn took on Jon Fitch in a likely No. 1 contender bout.

Many pegged Fitch, the much bigger man, to be the consummate favorite, but Penn surprised most by getting off to an early head start against the former title contender.

Penn took Fitch to the mat early and deftly took the back of the AKA product, looking for the rear-naked choke finish. In the second round, the Hawaiian looked to do much of the same, though Fitch reversed Penn midway through the fight and proceeded to ground-and-pound "The Prodigy."

In the final round, it was all Fitch, who quickly brought Penn to the mat, who was clearly fatigued from the hard work put in the early moments of the fight.

The fight resulted in a contentious draw, with judges awarding Penn the first two rounds and Fitch the final stanza, giving him a 10-8 round. 

UFC 49: Karo Parisyan vs. Nick Diaz

Karo Parisyan/ photo cred: Scott Petersen for MMAWeekly.com

Some years ago, then-budding welterweight contenders Nick Diaz and Karo Parisyan met in a pivotal 170-pound affair.

It was a clash of styles, as Diaz was able to exploit Parisyan with his superior boxing skills, hitting the Armenian each time he waded in for the clinch.

Once "The Heat" managed to grab a hold of Diaz, the Judo specialist was able to work the Cesar Gracie fighter to the mat with his superior takedowns.

In the end, the judges awarded Parisyan the split-decision win, favoring his takedowns over the damage inflicted by Diaz. 

UFC 132: Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber

Dominick Cruz (left) staring down rival Urijah Faber/ photo cred: Scott Petersen for MMAWeekly.com

In the first bantamweight bout to headline a major UFC pay-per-view, Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber quickly turned in what became the year's "Fight of the Year" candidate.

Cruz, the 135-pound champion, was able to stifle Faber with his underrated wrestling skills, though the quicker "California Kid" was able to rock and drop his foe on several occasions. 

It was a dog fight throughout, but in the end, judges awarded the output and takedowns of Cruz, who took the decision win after five close rounds of action. 

UFC 98: Matt Hughes vs. Matt Serra

Matt Hughes (left) squaring off with Matt Serra/ photo cred: MMAJunkie.com

It was a fight that was originally set to take place some time before, when Matt Serra still resided as champion. However, former rivaling coaches on Season 6 of The Ultimate Fighter finally stepped into the cage at UFC 98.

The bad blood between the two had heated up over the years as the opposing welterweight finally stepped into the cage. Serra managed to rock Hughes early, seemingly cinching the first round with the telling blow.

In the second, it was all Hughes, who was able to control the smaller Serra on the mat with his double leg takedowns and stifling top game.

In the third, Hughes was again able to take down Serra, though the jiu-jitsu ace threatened with submissions of his own, later getting back to his feet where he scored a trip takedown of his own in the closing moments of the round.

In the end, Hughes was awarded the loft decision, which has since been the hot topic of debate over the years. 

TUF 1 Finale: Stephan Bonnar vs. Forrest Griffin

Forrest Griffin (left) squaring off with Stephan Bonnar/ photo cred: MMAWeekly.com

In the first-ever light heavyweight finale for the inaugural The Ultimate Fighter Finale, Stephan Bonnar and Forrest Griffin were dubbed as finalists for the initial season. 

In what became a barn burner, the dynamic duo engaged in a back-and-forth affair, with both men rocking one another on several occasions with wading hooks and knees galore.

The two were battered and bruised after the tight-knit, 15-minute affair, but the judges deemed Griffin the winner by decision, catapulting his career in the process. 

UFN 20: Gray Maynard vs. Nate Diaz II

Gray Maynard (left) lunging at Nate Diaz/ photo cred: Dave Mandel at Sherdog.com

In a rematch from their stint on Season 5 of The Ultimate Fighter, Gray Maynard and Nate Diaz engaged in a pivotal lightweight bout.

Diaz served as the final test for Maynard, who would eventually go on to a No. 1 contender battle against Kenny Florian.

The Stockton fighter in Diaz kept Maynard honest early, using his jab and straight punches to keep the Xtreme Couture product at bay. Maynard, a wrestler by trade, showed off some much improved strikes of his own, sitting Diaz down with a short hook to the dome.

The action was close knit throughout, but two of three judges awarded the Las Vegas transplant in Maynard with the decision win. 

UFN 19: Carlos Condit vs. Jake Ellenberger

Carlos Condit (left) squaring off with Jake Ellenberger/ photo cred: MMAJunkie.com

After dropping a close decision of his own to Martin Kampmann in his organizational debut, Carlos Condit was looking to grab his first victory inside the Octagon when he took on then-relative unknown Jake Ellenberger.

"The Juggernaut" quickly asserted his dominance when he rocked and dropped Condit all about the cage in the early moments of the fight, courtesy of his crushing right hand, which has knocked out lesser opponents on many occasions.

Condit barely survived the first round, though, soon thereafter, he asserted himself in later rounds with his superior conditioning and strikes, with knees galore finding their home on Ellenberger.

In the end, Condit edged the welterweight bruiser just barely, taking the split-decision win. However, many have since become hip to the would-be contender in Ellenberger, who has now won five straight fights since dropping the decision to Condit. 

UFC 143: Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit

Nick Diaz (left) posturing with Carlos Condit/ photo cred: Scott Petersen for MMAWeekly.com

In a bout that promised fireworks, Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit met at UFC 143 last weekend, where the duo vied for the promotion's interim welterweight crown while champion Georges St-Pierre remained on the mend from knee surgery.

Though both men have been coveted as two of the sport's most exciting fighters in the past, the bout largely became a game of cat and mouse, as Diaz stalked his opponent for five rounds, while Condit skillfully pivoted away from the cage, tagging the Gracie fighter on the exit.

It was one of those fights where the action was tough to call. Do you favor the aggressive nature of Diaz or the skillful strikes of "The Natural Born Killer"?

In the end, it was unanimous, and Condit was awarded the lofty decision, which has since become the hot topic of debate amongst the fans and media alike.