Issue 131
August 2015
Fan favorite Carlos Condit returned with a bang in June, but what drives him to fight and whose style does he enjoy watching most?
Congratulations on your return performance against Thiago Alves in June, that was one hell of a finish.
“Thank you. I’m not sure whether I won or lost the first round. Honestly, the overall strategy was pushing the pace and finding my distance and really opening up. Thiago is a warrior, I have nothing but respect for him. He didn’t want to quit, the doctor stopped it.”
Q. Why do you fight?
A. “MMA is an emotional roller coaster. Why the hell am I doing this? You don’t have to fight some terrifying Muay Thai expert who wants to kill you. You don’t have to do it, but it sure is a lot of fun.
“I’m literally living my dream and I want to cement myself as one of the greatest welterweights to have competed in the UFC. First step on that road was not only beating Thiago Alves but also finishing him in Brazil.”
Q. Can you believe how far you’ve come since turning pro in 2002?
A. “As my career started to take off, all of a sudden I started fighting guys who I had idolized. I found myself treading water a couple of times, but I also found out pretty quick that everybody is human. And everybody is beatable. For anyone who hasn’t experienced a competitive mixed martial arts fight it’s the most alive I’ve ever felt. It taps into something very primal and real in your psyche and in your soul.”
Q. After being out for 14 months with a knee injury it must have been very rewarding to get your hand raised in Goiania?
“It’s been a rocky road. I lost a decision to Johny Hendricks, then won a fight against Martin Kampmann, then lost a fight to Tyron Woodley… The ref stopped the fight and I knew something was wrong.
“After the fight I got it diagnosed as a blown ACL and a torn meniscus. I had surgery a few weeks later and then jumped straight into recovery. I got my knee strong and stable, and was back into sparring.
“I put in the work and I believe I’m actually better now than before I got hurt. Now I’m ready to get back in the title mix.”
Q. You’re so many fans’ favorite fighter, but who are your favorites?
“It’s hard to choose just a few because I am such a huge fan of the sport. To narrow it down is tough. Off the top of my head I’d say TJ Dillashaw. I love his dynamic striking and what he has been putting together lately. I also like Matt Brown, and I like Rick Story. I really like his style and how he works the body and lands great body shots. I love seeing the body shots and body work in MMA.”
Q. You boast one of the best stoppage rates in the UFC, 93.3% with 28 finishes in 30 wins. But who has left an impression on your chin?
“The hardest I have ever been hit in competition was by Jake Ellenberger when we fought in 2009. If you saw that fight he actually dropped me twice. I don’t know if it’s because he hits harder than everybody else or what. But he has a lot of power and he just caught me clean a couple of times. That was the hardest I’ve been hit in a fight.”
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