Nick Diaz Does Not Deserve an Immediate Rematch with Carlos Condit

I'll admit, leading up to last Saturday's UFC 143, I had zero confidence in Carlos Condit. I knew he had an impressive run as the WEC champion and that he had taken out some of the best in the UFC's welterweight division, but for some reason, I just didn't think he had a chance.

Like fans and analysts alike, I got caught up in the Nick Diaz spectacle, amazed by his tough exterior and hard-nosed fighting style. How could anyone, save Georges St. Pierre, even have a chance against this guy? Just looking at his fights with Paul Daley and Evangelista Santos, even when Diaz is on the brink of defeat, he finds a way to win.

But all this hype was just that; hype.

After the beautiful five-round performance that Condit turned in last weekend, it amazes me that Diaz and his supporters believe that he won that fight and deserves another shot.

Their main point as to why Diaz won comes from this notion of "Octagon control," saying that Diaz kept the pressure on Condit and forced him to "run."  But in reality, this is completely false and quite a weak argument for a Diaz victory.

Just because a fighter is walking back doesn't mean he's losing a fight, or even in danger for that matter. Condit employed the perfect strategy for defeating Diaz, fighting a counter-striking fight by sticking and moving, landing immensely more shots than Diaz.

How can you say a guy lost when, according to FightMetric, he landed 68 leg kicks to Diaz's six, as well as 151 significant strikes to Diaz's 105. In fighting, when you hit a guy more times than he hits you, it's pretty obvious who the victor should be.

Another contention I have with this argument is the notion that Condit was running scared. What the interim champ was actually doing was reestablishing his position, often in the middle of the Octagon, to avoid Diaz's strength against the cage. Condit was simply looking for the most advantageous position while avoiding damage, a strategy that has become the basis of many great fighters' styles, such as Jon Jones and Lyoto Machida.

At the end of the day, Condit won this fight and deserves his shot at St. Pierre. Twice promised a chance to fight for the real title, it's a shame that the UFC wants to make the road even harder for him.

But it isn't just that Condit deserves his shot, but also that Diaz doesn't deserve another chance.

I felt for the guy his whole career, a misunderstood figure that has been made out to be the villain by the media. I understand where his past transgressions came from, but this sore loser shtick is something I just can't support.

As someone with such a reverence for the martial arts, Diaz knows he lost this fight, whether he admits it or not. This is a move based on a misplaced sense of pride. If it wasn't for the clamoring of fans as well as the ailing St. Pierre himself, Diaz would have never gotten a rematch with Condit.

For Diaz, this rematch is an unwarranted blessing, but a lose-lose situation for Condit.  

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