Diaz vs Condit

Seems like the rematch is all but official.

@Eman, I don't blame you for not wanting to watch that fight again, in all honestly I struggled to get through it the first time around and resorted to fast occasionally fast forwarding once I got to the third round. Eventually I had to watch the whole fight because I wanted to give my honest opinion and analysis on the fight.

I figured that retirement talk was just Diaz's emotions getting the best of him and I can understand where he was coming from (I think I said that in a earlier post.) He just needed sometime to sit down and clear his head, or maybe he just needed to have a talk with his coaches.

I've actually been posting over on the UFC forums and this was my final (most clear headed post on the fight)

I initially watched the fight and couldn't really sit through it due to Condit's "game-plan" and the tactics he resorted to. I was ready for a war and I'm not even sure we got a fight. I decided to watch the fight again so I could debate the it properly and came to the conclusion Nick won rounds 1, 2 and 5 (I thought round 3 could have went either way.) I quickly realized a majority of those who thought Condit won had a hate for Diaz and I think that really clouded their judgement, or they were quick to bring up the statistics about total strikes landed. (Directed at posters from the UFC forum)

Let me make this clear, I have no problem with people thinking Condit won (although it seems like these Condit "fans" won't allow us to have out own opinion on the fight) and will agree the fight was a tough one to score. This to me shows that they're biased and they fail to listen to any opinion that doesn't match their own.

After debating with a certain poster on other forum, I decided I had to watch the fight again and really analyze each round and keep an eye out for the kicks Carlos was landing. I really concentrated on Round 1 because stats showed that Diaz was out-struck by Condit; here are the numbers...

Round 1: Diaz had 28 strikes (16 head, 11 body and 1 leg)
Condit had 30 strikes (7 head, 7 body and 16 leg)

I thought out of the 16 leg kicks, only 5-6 were actually powerful enough to do any damage and it was clear to me that round belonged to Nick. Please keep in mind the second time watching the fight I didn't bother with checking the stats and only judged based on what I saw. After all MMA fights are supposed to be judged by more than just striking...

(Judging Criteria)
1. Judges are required to determine the winner of a bout that goes to it's full time limit based upon the following criteria:
-Clean Strikes
-Effective Grappling
-Octagon Control
-Effective Aggressiveness

Round 2 Diaz out-stuck 35 to 29 and Condit landed 11 leg kicks. Just watching without thinking about statistics, I easily gave this round to Diaz. This alone is one of the reasons I have issues with two judges scoring the fight four rounds to one in favor of Diaz (but it's like I said earlier, everyone is entitled to their opinions and the fight was a difficult one to score. )

Round 4 was the only round I thought Condit took hands down and while Condit out-struck Diaz 33 to 24 in round 3 (15 of Condit's 33 strikes were leg kicks.) Only 1 out of Diaz's 24 strikes came from leg kicks. By eye alone, I thought Diaz could have been given this round as well, but I'm willing to give Condit the round.

Round 5 Condit landed 30 strikes (9 were leg kicks) and Diaz landed 19 (2 were leg kicks.) But Diaz took Condit down with 1:51 to go in the round and went to immediate back control. It looked to me like he attempted one submission, I've read from some other posters that he attempted two. I thought the take down was huge and should have helped Nick take that final round.

The fight was tight, but I thought Diaz forced the action and I thought he had the effective aggressiveness; Nick controlled the center of the octagon and somehow people still think he implemented his game-plan. Even if you come to that conclusion you can't tell me Nick didn't do what he wanted, I find it funny that people disagree just because he couldn't keep Carlos with his back to the cage (not really sure what you expected him (Diaz) to do.

At the end of the day I'm willing to hear out anyone who is willing to sit down and have an intelligent conversation about the fight. It's those who are quick to bring Nick's character into the debate that I discount, what does that have to do with the fight that took place Saturday night?

This fight has consumed my life for the last couple of days and I thought this would be the perfect thread to make my final post (on any forum I visit.)

Update on the Diaz v Condit rematch...

Condit had agreed to the rematch and it was supposedly going to take place, but now it seems Diaz will be taking a break from MMA.

http://mmajunkie.com/news/27345/carlos-condit-vs-nick-diaz-ii-already-a-no-go-says-cesar-gracie.mma

I'm a bit shocked with this decision, but it's clear to me Diaz is still bothered by the decision. My only guess is that he didn't have any interest in fighting Condit again; perhaps he thought Condit would resort to the same tactics, or he just would like sometime to clear his head.

Some people on the UFC board thought Nicks actions after the fight were done in order to get the rematch with Condit, but that doesn't seem to be the case. I'll keep y'all updated on the situation.

It looks like Condit might defend the belt once before GSP returns. I wonder who he will face...perhaps Ellenberger if he looks good against "The Dream?" I think that would be a good fight considering how back and forth their first fight was.

Nick Diaz tests positive for marijuana

Welterweight contender Nick Diaz tested positive for marijuana after his interim title bout loss Saturday night to Carlos Condit, Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Keith Kizer revealed Thursday.

Several fighters who competed on the UFC 143 card were subjected to postfight drug and steroid tests.

"All results received thus far have been negative, except Mr. Diaz [who] tested positive for marijuana metabolites," Kizer said in a statement. "A complaint for disciplinary action against Mr. Diaz has been filed."

UFC president Dana White planned to meet with Condit on Friday in hopes of working out details for a rematch. But that meeting will likely be canceled, now that Diaz faces a possible suspension.

"I am beyond disappointed that [Diaz] tested positive for marijuana," White said. "It is now in the hands of the Nevada State Athletic Commission."

With a rematch against Diaz off the table, White told ESPN.com there is no plan to have Condit put his interim title on the line.

"He will wait [for St. Pierre]," White said.

The failed drug test is Diaz's second in Nevada. He also failed a drug test taken shortly before his win over Takanori Gomi during a Pride lightweight nontitle bout in April 2007.

Diaz was suspended for six months by the NSAC and fined 20 percent of his fight purse. The result of the fight was changed to a no contest.

After losing a unanimous decision Saturday night in Las Vegas to Condit, Diaz promised to retire from mixed martial arts competition.

With a victory, Diaz would have been in line to face current UFC 170-pound titleholder Georges St. Pierre. But with St. Pierre expected to be out of action until November with a torn ACL, there was talk of a rematch with Condit.

But Diaz's manager/trainer Cesar Gracie told ESPN.com Wednesday that the fight would not happen. Gracie would not offer a reason why the rematch would not take place.

http://espn.go.com/mma/story/_/id/7559816/nick-diaz-tests-positive-marijuana-loss-carlos-condit

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SMH. What a way to go out.

What do you mean by go out?

If you're referring to his "retirement" it isn't official and chances are he'll be suspended for 6 months and come back to the UFC.

I'm not making any excuses for him, but Diaz is a medical marijuana card holder in California, so it's not like he's smoking illegally. I don't know why exactly he smokes Marijuana and I disagree that it should even be tested for in fighters; I fail to see how it would give a fight any type of advantage in the ring. At the end of the day Nick is aware he isn't allowed to test positive for marijuana (before/after fights) and he made the decision to smoke.

Had he won the fight, the result probably would have been stripped away anyway like what happened when he beat Gomi back in the day (most people thought he was high during that fight ).

Pretty cool interview I came across earlier this week.

THC 10 wrote:

Pretty cool interview I came across earlier this week.

GSP wants to see proof of Nick's weed. LOL

I expect better from you, sbaggio; 1/10

THC 10 wrote:I expect better from you, sbaggio; 1/10

How about St Pierre WW champ of UFC, Diaz WW champ of THC?

You've set the bar quite high in the past, not sure why you're currently trying to limbo underneath it...