UFC 143 Results: 5 Fights for Nick Diaz to Take

For UFC welterweight Nick Diaz, the road to UFC gold got a little longer last night as the former Strikeforce champion dropped a close unanimous decision to Carlos Condit at UFC 143.

Condit, now the UFC's interim welterweight champ, will be next in line for Georges St. Pierre as he continues to rehab following surgery.

Back to the drawing board, Diaz will have to put together another impressive run before he finally gets a shot at the champion.

Here are five fights Diaz should take to get himself back into title contention.

Loser of Thiago Alves vs. Martin Kampmann

Headlining the the next FX card in March, striking specialists Thiago Alves and Martin Kampmann would be great challenges for the former Strikeforce champion.

Kampmann's technical style would be a great test for Diaz as it contrasts his pseudo-brawling boxing style.  Alves' knockout power, on the other hand, would once again challenge Diaz's chin.

Regardless of the opponent, fans sould expect a stand-up war if Diaz were to face the loser of this match-up.  

Mayhem Miller

While both men were making their mark in Strikeforce, a feud began to form between Mayhem Miller and Nick Diaz, culminating in the infamous Nashville brawl between Mayhem and the entire Cesar Gracie team.

With so much animosity between each other, Diaz could make the move up to middleweight and finally challenge the Bully Beatdown star.

As both fighters are coming off losses, the trash-talking between these two foes would make for television gold.

Loser of Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger

Having lost to Diego Sanchez at the Ultimate Fighter 2 Finale back in 2005, Diaz should be highly motivated for a potential rematch.

Both fighters are known for their explosiveness and pre-fight intensity, making for a very intriguing fight.

If Jake Ellenberger were to lose and go on to face Diaz, the former champion would have an opportunity to rectify teammate Jake Shields' 2011 knockout loss to Ellenberger, another motivating factor.

Either of these UFC on Fuel TV headliners would make for a great match-up for Diaz. 

BJ Penn

Appearing to be on good terms following their UFC 137 bout, it was all just a ruse as bad blood continues to be shared between BJ Penn and Nick Diaz.

Offended by Diaz's actions in and outside the Octagon, a temporarily retired Penn would jump at the chance to avenge his loss against the former Strikeforce champ.

Pitting these two welterweight warriors against each other again would be another huge draw and would get the winner that much closer to a shot at St. Pierre.

Jon Fitch

For years, Jon Fitch was considered the second-best welterweight in the world as well as being one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world. 

But after fighting to a draw against BJ Penn and getting knocked out in just 12 seconds by Johny Hendricks, Fitch is in the back of the title-shot line.

A high-profile fight against Nick Diaz would give both fighters a chance to jump the ranks and get back into title contention.

And with such widely different styles, the fight itself would be an interesting battle between two of the best welterweights in the UFC.

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