UFC Interim Champ Carlos Condit explains waiting for GSP, thoughts on Kampmann, Hendricks

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Interim UFC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit has caught some backlash from fans and fighters in recent months for sitting on the sidelines and waiting to face Georges St-Pierre in November. With the Interim Title in place to keep the division moving, it wasn't seemingly sensible to then have him hold out until facing the Champ himself.

He then caused another stir when he said Martin Kampmann would be the name he'd like to face in the case of St-Pierre being delayed past November. That drew the ire of Hendricks, who felt he was being passed over in that pecking order.

Condit has now decided to try to clarify some things this week, to let everyone know where he's coming from in his decision making process.

"I don't make the matches. If UFC wanted me to fight somebody else, they're the boss, they can ask me to fight and I would be up for it," Condit told Fuel TV on Friday (transcribed by MMAWeekly.com. "They want me to fight Georges St-Pierre, and that's who I want to fight as well, so that’s what I'm going to go with."

"As far as I know, I've seen some videos recently of him out running, doing sprints, doing some of his rehab and conditioning, looks good. As far as I know, we're on for November 17, and if anything changes then we'll kind of reconsider our options."

Those options would, of course, be either Kampmann or Hendricks. Condit has already expressed his desire for the Kampmann fight, and he further clarified just why that's the fight that makes sense to him if GSP isn't ready in November.

"The question that was put to me was 'if Georges isn't ready to fight in November, who would you like to fight?' and so my answer to the question was Martin Kampmann," Condit explained. "He was my first loss in the UFC, my only loss [in the UFC], my only loss in the last six years or so. Not taking anything away from Johny Hendricks, he's obviously a top contender, had some great wins recently, but it's a more compelling fight. It's a fight I was absolutely be motivated for if Georges isn't ready.

"Georges is the guy I have my eye on and as far as I know he's going to be ready to go in November."

Penick's Analysis: This is as much the UFC's issue as it is Condit's, as far as the Interim title situation is concerned. He's not outright refusing fights being offered to him to wait for St-Pierre, the UFC simply feels he's the guy for that fight and they don't want anything else happening to derail another fight in the division. It makes sense on some levels, even though it negates the need for an interim belt. He also wasn't skipping over Hendricks; his reasonings for wanting a rematch with Kampmann are perfectly logical. It was a controversial decision, the only loss he's had in six years, and the only loss in the UFC. Of course he wants to avenge that. That leaves Hendricks aside should that come to pass, but it's not a personal slight to him in any way. Still, hopefully St-Pierre can just return to action in November so that fight and Hendricks-Kampmann can go on as planned.

[Carlos Condit art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_13567.shtml

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