Dana White: GSP Will Be Ready to Fight By Summer

[No More Sorrow]

Nick Diaz will fight Carlos Condit for the UFC interim welterweight championship on February 4. But what happens to the interim champ after that? UFC President Dana White says he expects the interim champion to fight the reigning champion Georges St. Pierre sooner rather than later.


After UFC on FX 1 on Friday night, White told Ariel Helwani that St. Pierre is in better shape following surgery to repair a torn ACL than doctors expected, and that St. Pierre is already working out and getting himself prepared for a welterweight title unification fight in the summer. That's a more optimistic timeline than previously reported: St. Pierre had indicated he didn't think he'd be able to return to the Octagon until the fall.


"GSP's rehab could not be going better," White said. "He was texting me pictures of him kicking, doing everything. ... I think he's going to be back sooner than doctors anticipated."


So it sounds like the Condit-Diaz winner will take on St. Pierre next, rather than defend the interim title while St. Pierre continues to rehabilitate. And while St. Pierre has no control over which man he fights next, White said St. Pierre is hoping it's Diaz.


"He says, 'I am praying every night when I go to bed that Nick Diaz wins this fight,'" White said. "I have never seen Georges St. Pierre hate somebody. He hates Nick Diaz. I've never seen him so motivated to fight somebody and to beat somebody like Nick Diaz."

It's Nick Diaz time, really would be something to see him take out Georges.

 

[Ben]

Condit has got to feel like shit, really no one wants to see him win and fuck up a big fight for the UFC.

Anyways, don't want GSP rushing into a fight not at 100% would rather have him come back in the fall and between would give a chance for the interim title to be defended once.

 

[No More Sorrow]

Originally that was the plan they wanted to have the interim title defended at least once before GSP came back. They were talking about the winner of Diego Sanchez/Jake Ellenberger or Koschek getting the winner of Diaz/Condit this Summer.

That's out the window now i guess though, unless Dana is mistakened or something because it was just last week when GSP came out and said he wouldn't be back until November.

 

[Troy]

If they aren't going to have them defend the interim title then what was the point of even making this Diaz/Condit fight for the title. I am fine with bringing in interim titles when a champion is out for as long as GSP has been out but surely now they may as well just make this a number one contenders fight.