UFC 143 Results: What's Next for Carlos Condit After Beating Nick Diaz?

Carlos Condit's victory over Nick Diaz at UFC 143 earned the New Mexico native the ability to choose his fate as interim welterweight champion.

The true 170-pound champion, Georges St-Pierre, has said he could be recovered from knee injury and ready to return by November. In one of the UFC's most competitive divisions, a worthy contender will certainly be available during the next nine months for Condit to defend his interim belt against. 

Once Condit finishes celebrating the biggest win of his 33-fight career, he will have to weigh his options and decide whether or not he wants to risk losing the chance to fight the best welterweight in MMA history by defending his interim belt against another one of the division's up-and-coming contenders.

While nine months is certainly a long layoff for a fighter who appeared healthy after his narrow decision win over Diaz, it could be the perfect opportunity for Condit to get his ducks in a row for what will be an even tougher match-up against St-Pierre.

Given his involvement with St-Pierre and Condit in the past—and his take on the issue of teammates competing against one another—it is very possible that trainer Greg Jackson would remove himself from Condit's camp for a potential title fight between the two fighters he has had close ties with.

By taking the full nine months Condit has available to prepare for a fight with St-Pierre, "The Natural Born Killer" would have time to regroup and set up a Jackson-free camp he can feel confident in. Additionally, Condit would have the time needed to prepare a strategy for a bout with a fighter no one has beaten since mid-2007.

Such a long period of time without a title fight in the welterweight division may not be what fans would like to hear about, but it is probably in Condit's best interest to use his interim title as a free pass to wait and ready himself for battle with one of the sport's all-time greats.

Sean Smith is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. For the latest insight and updates on everything MMA, Follow Sean Smith on Twitter