UFC 143 Results: Breaking Down How Carlos Condit Shut Down Nick Diaz's Attack

At UFC 143, we were expecting a slugfest for the ages. However, that never transpired, as Carlos Condit shut down the surging attacks that Nick Diaz had in store for him.

Coming into the main event, Condit had amassed an incredible record of 13 stoppages and 13 submissions to boot in his 28 victories. And as a consequence, the moniker “The Natural Born Killer" was going to be symbolic in the night’s proceedings.

However, that would not be the case, as the Greg Jackson-trained fighter put a strategic nullifying clinic on the Cesar Gracie combatant.

Though his stratagem wasn’t to everyone’s liking, it resulted in Condit capturing the interim welterweight title and a date with the division’s perennial champion Georges St-Pierre.

Diaz thrives on fistic wars, and it must’ve been a rude awakening with Condit’s decision to deviate from what the Stocktonian had in mind.

From the outset, Condit’s game plan was to keep Diaz at bay, which he successfully accomplished for more or less the entire bout—dictating where and how he wanted the fight to play out.

Diaz’s attempts at pressure fighting—walking him down in view of either a toe-to-toe battle or to get him against the fence, where he could do some serious damage—bared little fruit, as Condit circled out of harm’s way while punishing him at the same time.

Though Diaz did find some success against the fence, it was short-lived, as Condit was able to distract him with his own striking and move out of danger.

This was Condit’s modus operandi throughout, synonymous to boxing’s version of stick and jab—in and out of the pocket—scoring points and giving his opponent little or no opportunity to launch any significant attacks.

What Condit proved in this matchup was his ability to adapt to certain fights—if he’d fought Diaz’s game of attempting to strike with him, it’s more than likely that Diaz would be the one on the path to St-Pierre’s crown.

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