Does Carlos Condit deserve to be a large underdog against GSP?
Much of the focus and speculation of the MMA world remains centered on the November 17th return of Welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre from a devastating knee injury. Set to face interim champ Carlos Condit in his hometown of Montreal, the fight is one of the most anticipated bouts of 2012. Adding to the intrigue are the many variables involved here, as GSP comes in off an almost 19-month layoff after a lengthy rehabilitation. Condit has fought only once this year, taking the famous decision from Nick Diaz. St-Pierre is quite a large favorite at around 3-to-1. Will the odds prove true in this pivotal 170 lb. bout? Carlos Condit believes that GSP is not as hungry to win as he used to be. The Natural Born Killer believes he is more motivated here, telling the Las Vegas Sun:
“I’m hungrier. I’m the one that’s been chomping at the bit to get this thing on. I haven’t fought competitively since February. I’ve just been training an sparring and preparing for this opportunity. I’m just ready to go, man. A lot of stuff has happened between last October and now. To finally get a chance to fight Georges, I feel great.”
Still, GSP has stated that his love for MMA has returned, with his motivation at an all-time high since his rematch with Matt Serra to reclaim his belt. It is no secret that St-Pierre will use his superior wrestling to attempt takedowns, of which Condit has defended 44% of throughout his career. GSP’s knee is an obvious factor here, as his ability to drive through the takedowns will be tested from the onset. Condit has proved to be a vicious finisher with both strikes and submissions, so I think it’s a bit unfair to label him such a large underdog in a fight so unpredictable.
Ring rust will have to play some sort of factor here for GSP. Even though all the media coverage has shown him to be in excellent shape, his last fight was in April of 2011 against Jake Shields. I can’t say that I see GSP finishing Condit like he has been discussing much recently, but in a way, GSP actually has more motivation than Condit does. If GSP loses, especially badly, then his stock may fall rapidly in an ultra-stacked division. A rematch for Condit with the last man to defeat him, Martin Kampmann, could be on the horizon. People will be quick to say, “I told you so, he’s overrated,” and similar comments. I simply believe that Georges St-Pierre is too talented and focused an athlete to let this happen at this point in his career. With his legacy on the line, I expect GSP to grind out another workmanlike win, gaining more supporters and more detractors at the same time. What are your thoughts on the odds and the outcome of this huge fight?
