With an eye on retirement, can Condit get back to his best at UFC On Fox 21

With an eye on retirement, can Condit get back to his best at UFC On Fox 21

Carlos ‘The Natural Born Killer’ has long been one of MMA’s most entertaining combatants. Fourteen tough years of professional combat does take its toll, and it’s not letting up just yet. However, in recent interviews, Condit has discussed retirement possibilities, as well as his future in the cage.

It’s usually a warning sign for fans and pundits when a fighter suggests he has an eye on hanging up the gloves, but does it necessarily have to be the case? Condit is always one to make his case in a cerebral manner, and thinking of his future doesn’t have to mean he isn’t still engrossed in the present. 

(Condit talks retirement possibilities and Maia game plan)

“I’m focused on the next three days,” Condit mused earlier in the week. “And that will have a bearing on what I do after that.”

He meets BJJ sensation Demian Maia in the main event of UFC On Fox 21, a true submission fighter who has shown his prowess against elite level opposition time and time again. Condit, a former WEC champion and UFC title contender, may see this as make or break – a fight that is a must-win if championship aspirations are to be realized.

His failed attempts against Georges St-Pierre and, most recently, Robbie Lawler were both hard-fought and closely contested. For those performances and his wins over the division’s elite, Bet365 betting odds have him at 8/11, compared to Maia’s 11/10.

In terms of momentum though, it is Maia who takes to the cage with that on his side. Condit has been out since his title defeat in January, whilst Maia was in action in May and rides a five-fight win streak. His opposition hasn’t been littered with the same density of top ten opponents that Condit’s has, but there have been some stellar performances to pick from.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BJcB6A1gM9X/
(Condit image – preparing for UFC On Fox)

The only straightforward thing about preparation for a fighter like Maia is you know precisely what his end goal is. Conversely, preparing to fight Condit is a much more difficult prospect. His manner of striking and movement is hard to emulate, and that almost certainly gives him an edge in the early running.

It won’t get much easier for Maia either, who comes into his third five-round fight. The first – his own title challenge at 185lbs against Anderson Silva – saw him face a fast, sharp striker, and he was on the receiving on a largely one-sided decision (although the contest was one of the ‘stranger’ Silva title defenses).

Condit is a fighter that continues to get stronger as the rounds progress and if you start to fade, you will be punished. Martin Kampmann found this out as he was finished in the championship rounds, and Robbie Lawler also struggled to keep the pace late on. 

Whilst it might not have the fanfare of last week’s Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz main event with two more low-key adversaries, it has all the skill and potentially all the excitement, as Condit finds it impossible to be in a boring fight. 

Questions about his focus and desire will be answered on Saturday night, and whether it’s sensible or misguided to open up about retirement thoughts in the run-up to a UFC main event.