Less than 24 hours after reports broke concerning a confirmed Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz rematch comes a story saying the match is off.
According to @FrontRowBrian, who has scooped a number of key mixed martial arts stories recently, “An issue arose from Nick’s camp last night. Nick will NOT be able to compete.”
While there had been mixed signals from the fighters’ management regarding the bout, the reporter says that both camps were very much interested in the fight prior to the emergence of the presently-undisclosed Diaz issue.
Condit won the UFC Interim Welterweight Championship with a unanimous decision victory over Diaz at Saturday’s UFC 143. Diaz, believing he should have won as the aggressor, ripped the decision in his post-fight interview, and actually declared his intention to quit mixed martial arts.
Though not pegged as a robbery by analysts, fan reaction to the decision was mixed enough to put a possible rematch on the radar. And insofar as either rematch outcome would heighten interest in the eventual title unification bout with the sidelined Georges St. Pierre–a Diaz victory would provide a returning GSP with his most marketable opponent, while a Condit victory would silence doubters and solidify him as an elite fighter–an effort was made to put the follow-up bout together.
Ultimately, it looks like that fell through. It is unclear if Condit will participate in another fight as he awaits GSP’s return to competition.