5. Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit
“It’s gonna be a dogfight,” promised Condit in a voiceover for the UFC 143 promo, as highlights from Diaz’s run as Strikeforce champion and Condit’s vicious string of knockouts played in the background.
It would be high stakes and no mercy, a chance for the enigmatic Diaz to prove that his time away from the promotion really had made him the best in the world. For Condit, it would be a validation of his long road to the top and of his go-for-broke approach. In other words, the fight served as confirmation to both the fighters and the fans that style points did in fact matter, that a focus on leaving your opponent battered, bloodied or unconscious rather than taking safe decisions was a viable route to gold in the world’s biggest promotion. The fight itself was not by any means terrible, but it was nowhere close to the dogfight Condit promised or that most had predicted. Rather than go toe-to-toe with Diaz’s long punching combinations and playing into his pressure game, the New Mexico native leg kicked, circled out and leg kicked some more. He out-landed Diaz -- 151-105, per FightMetric -- at a sound clip -- 151-105, limited his time near the fence and won a unanimous decision.
It was a mature and strategically sound performance, but, as a far cry from the ultra-violent scrap fans and the media had expected to see, it won Condit few fans.
Number 4 » Anticipation ran high, and there was a real question as to whether the fight’s winner should be considered the world’s best heavyweight. Unfortunately, the bout itself fell far short of what most had expected.