WECWorld Extreme Cagefighting is an American mixed martial arts promotion. It is the sister promotion to the UFC, both owned and produced by ZUFFA, with a focus on lighter weight classes and talent building for the UFC. As with its older and much larger sibling, the WEC uses the same rules as the UFC, but it holds its fights in a smaller octagonal cage.
“The Natural Born Killer” Carlos Condit continued his reign as the World Extreme Cagefighting welterweight champion by finishing Carlo Prater in the first round on Wednesday night. The New Mexico native was proud to perform in front of his hometown crowd and was happy with the victory.
“I’m still kind of speechless about it,” said Condit about fighting in front of his hometown fans. “It really hasn’t even set in for me. Two or three months of really hard training, and thinking about it constantly, trying to keep my mind off it before the fight, and now that it’s over and now that it went my way, I think it’s going to take a second to set in really.”
As the fight started, it was questioned if Prater would choose to stand and trade with Condit, who has a reputation as one of the most dangerous strikers at 170 pounds, but the champion wasn’t surprised when he went for the takedown.
“He is really good at throws from the clinch and that’s something we saw in a lot of his videos, that he can break balance and trip and sweep very well,” Condit stated. “So, once we hit the ground, it was plan B.”
Plan B worked just fine, as Condit was able to apply a fight-ending guillotine choke just minutes after the takedown and finish the fight.
“I draped my body over, maybe looking for a kimura or maybe a switch to a sit out,” he commented about his positioning. “There’s a couple different things you can do from there, and he defended some of that stuff well. But when you defend on your side, sometimes you can leave your neck open and I just snagged it. He put an arm in to defend, but I was able to get enough pressure around his neck to get him to tap.”
After winning the title by submission, Condit has now finished his last two opponents in the first round, also by submission, but the New Mexico native is hoping to one day again show off the stand-up game that most of his recent opponents have feared.
“I’d definitely like to have somebody, an opponent who would stand, so I could exhibit my skills and show people what I can do,” Condit said. “I’ve been, as well as working on my jiu-jitsu, I’ve been really trying to perfect a lot of my tools in my stand-up. So when I get a chance to get somebody like that, people are going to be very impressed.”
Now Condit will take a few days off to relax, but then he’ll head back to the gym and keep his game ready for the next opponent that will try to pry the welterweight title from around his waist.
Rumors have surfaced recently that the upcoming welterweight match-up between Brock Larson and John Alessio will crown the No. 1 contender for Condit’s title, but having defeated both fighters in the last year, the incumbent is hoping for new opposition.
“I haven’t heard much about that. I guess they’re going to make one of those guys the contender, supposedly,” he commented. “I kind of wouldn’t be too happy about that. I think I beat those guys pretty decisively. I know John Alessio has had a chance to… he’s really worked his way back up, but I’d kind of like to fight somebody new.”
One day in the future, Condit would also like to unify titles with the Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight titleholder and that’s a challenge he welcomes at any time.
“I hope so, that would be an ideal scenario,” he said about the possibility of unifying the WEC and UFC titles. “I definitely want to fight some of their (fighters). They have the top welterweights in the world, and that’s where I want to be, so I’ve got to fight those guys, right? Hopefully that happens, and I’m doing my job one fight at a time and see what’s on the horizon.”
For now, Condit will wait to see who is next to take a shot at his welterweight title.
I'm not sure about their #1 contender since Condit beat both of them within the last year. But to see him stepup and try to unify the belts would be cool. I don't want to say that he wouldn't win, but he would give whoever he is fighting one hell of a fight.
He needs to fight the winner of the Larson/Alessio bout. If he beats either one of them again, there's no where to go but up. He needs to fight guys in the UFC.
I have said it before and will say it again I really really want Diego Sanchez to come down win/lose his next fight I think he should consider it. I don't think Condit would do very well against Diego and as far coming up to the UFC I think he would tooled by the likes of Koscheck, Fitch, GSP, Hughes or any of them.
I have said it before and will say it again I really really want Diego Sanchez to come down win/lose his next fight I think he should consider it. I don't think Condit would do very well against Diego and as far coming up to the UFC I think he would tooled by the likes of Koscheck, Fitch, GSP, Hughes or any of them.
I disagree with Condit vs Sanchez. I believe he would handle Diego pretty well with an above even chance at winning.
You are pretty right on with the thought of him moving over to the UFC against the top tier. They are just much stronger...much more muscular.
One thing I really like about Carlos is he not talking smak...keeping it low key seems to be his style. He talks about wanting to fight the best and I believe he honestly does...but doesn't run the "I would come over and start owning" routine.
I disagree with Condit vs Sanchez. I believe he would handle Diego pretty well with an above even chance at winning.
Really? I just don't see that way, I think Diego pushes a mean pace and can change levels and out striker Condit, not to mention his ground game is prolly light years ahead him. I think if the Diego that showed up to fight Diaz and Karo Condit is in for a long night.
Really? I just don't see that way, I think Diego pushes a mean pace and can change levels and out striker Condit, not to mention his ground game is prolly light years ahead him. I think if the Diego that showed up to fight Diaz and Karo Condit is in for a long night.
I don't see Diego outstriking Condit. And Condit's ground game is real good, why do you think Diego's is light years ahead?
I'll be honest. I don't think that Condit would do to well in the UFC, just because of the way he stacks up against the rest of the division.
While there are a few guys I think he could make it interesting with, the majority of guys are alot bigger and alot more powerful than he is. While I definitely think they lack his submission saavy, it's important to remember that guys like Fitch, Koscheck and Sanchez are going to have a serious wrestling advantage.
I don't know about the standup. I'd like to see more of Condit's hands, but I definitely don't think he'd outstrike the majority of the division. Maybe Hughes and Koscheck, but they'd put him on his back anyway.
Sanchez doesn't get the respect he deserves for his standup. The man hits like a truck, and so I'll give him that respect until I see Condit really stop someone with his strikes. (the last fight he finished with his strikes was a while ago, and with stomps, so I have a hard time giving that one to him at all)
Ironman, how would you compare Condit's and Sanchez's ground game? Who would you give the advantage to?
Based purely on the numbers, there's alot to be said for just giving it to Condit and being done with it. The fact is, he submitted Allessio and Diego didn't (though Diego had much more time on the back than Condit did).
That, though, isn't really the whole story and I don't think it's the right way to look at it.
Honestly, Condit does very well off of his back, but that's where he's going to be most of this fight. I say "but" because of who Sanchez has been able to beat when he gets into top position.
I'd like to say that Condit could pull of a big submission, but I think his only chance of doing that is to get Sanchez's back, and I don't see that happening. As far as this matchup actually ends up going if it hits the ground, I see Sanchez winning on the judges' scorecards.
Really, though, I think how Sanchez does on the ground will depend alot on his ability to focus. If this fight happens, Sanchez is going to have to shake the mental issues that came from his last two losses, even though the one against Fitch was incredibly close.
Either guy could take this, because they are both very dangerous. I give a slight edge to Diego because, though I don't think he can finish, I think he can look good through three rounds while staying on top of Condit and keeping Carlos in front of him. Still, the ground is really a place where anything can happen, and I think that, with the exception of Diaz, Condit will be able to exploit a technical mistake better than anyone Diego has fought.
Condit talks WEC title and possible unification
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