Give fans what they want

You can’t blame Carlos Condit for wanting to decide who and when he next fights, even if it’s not the fight the fans immediately want to see.

Condit, who beat Nick Diaz at UFC 143 on Feb. 4 to claim the interim welterweight title, has his sights set for his next fight against champion Georges St-Pierre, who is sidelined with a knee injury and won’t be ready for battle until some time in the fall.

As the interim welterweight champion, Condit has earned the right to hold onto his belt until St-Pierre is fit and ready. Financially, it makes more sense rather than fighting someone else and potentially losing his title and his ranking in the division.

Condit has been a good company guy, sacrificing his scheduled bout last October at UFC 137 when St-Pierre suffered a minor knee problem and had the bout rescheduled to UFC 143. When St-Pierre’s injury turned out to be more serious than the original problem and resulted in surgery, Condit had to readjust his schedule once again, this time preparing for an opponent with a completely different style than the champion.

Winning the fight has been a just reward for Condit for all he’s been through. This should also be a time to sit back and enjoy being a champion without any pressure. Leading up to his fight against Diaz, he talked about how the birth of his son 11 months before re-energized him following a case of burnout. He also talked about how much he appreciated the schedule he has as a fighter because it allows him to spend more time with the family than if he had a regular job.

He is also paid well and is in a good situation right now to enjoy that family time and the feeling of being a UFC champion.

And yet Jake Ellenberger’s win over Diego Sanchez this week has created a scenario that doesn’t fit into Condit’s plan though certainly has fight fans eager for the two to meet. Suddenly, Ellenberger fighting Condit now has more appeal than Condit fighting St-Pierre.

It’s the latest development in a division which had been fairly stable with St-Pierre owning the title for more than three years. But that streak also created angst among fans, some of whom were clamouring for him to move up in class and challenge middleweight champion Anderson Silva.

St-Pierre’s injury has dismissed all that talk for now. His injury has created far more interest in the division than when he was active as a champion and fighting regularly. Condit and Ellenberger already have a built-in history. They fought back in September 2009 in a three-round bout that Condit won by a split decision. Both were relatively new to the UFC, Condit fighting for only the second time after starring in the WEC, while Ellenberger was debuting after fighting in various minor circuits.

He was lesser known at the time than Condit, but Ellenberger has moved impressively up the ranks since the loss, winning six in a row. This latest victory, his second consecutive fighting in the main event, comes five months after he pummeled Jake Shields in the Battle of the Jakes. It lasted all of 53 seconds before the referee stopped it following two solid kicks by Ellenberger, who sent Shields to the canvas and then fired away with a flurry of punches. It earned Ellenberger knockout of the night. His victory over Sanchez was voted Fight of the Night. He is clearly in a groove.

Sanchez predicted leading up to his fight against Ellenberger that it would be far more entertaining than the bout between Condit and Diaz, which went the full five rounds but lacked the kind of action that was expected between the two strikers. Condit’s victory by unanimous decision created a storm of controversy because some people felt Diaz deserved to win. It became a moot point a few days later when it was revealed Diaz tested positive for marijuana and would have been forced to relinquish the belt. Diaz is facing a hearing and in all likelihood will get a one-year suspension for his second positive test.

The suspension may also be a moot point if Diaz carries through with his pronouncement to quit fighting in mixed martial arts. He clearly believed he had beaten Condit because he had been the aggressor and the result afterward left him emotionally drained and frustrated.

If Diaz returns to MMA action, he might have an opportunity to fight St-Pierre, whom he verbally trashed at UFC 137, which the champion watched from cageside. St-Pierre wanted Diaz to beat Condit so he could fight him, but that plan has been wiped out for the immediate future. Rest assured if Diaz comes back and St-Pierre still wants to fight him, it will happen and produce huge publicity.

The more likely scenario, at least in the near future, is Ellenberger fighting Condit. Their prior history makes this a match that would clearly create attention. A rematch always has built-in excitement.

These two represent the new, young guard in the welterweight division. Both are good at the stand-up game, so you would expect some serious striking. Then again, everyone thought that would happen in the Diaz-Condit fight and it fizzled. But the brilliant strategy Condit used to frustrate Diaz, who should have attacked more than he did, wouldn’t work against Ellenberger. He wouldn’t make the mistake that Diaz did.

The fact Condit won in a less than impressive fashion -- at least in terms of meaningful punches and kicks -- is another reason fans want to see him fight Ellenberger. His win left fans wanting more.

If the Condit-Ellenberger fight took place, the winner would then face St-Pierre. It would perfectly fall into place, although either Condit or Ellenberger would be fighting three times in the calendar year, while St-Pierre would be fresh off a long layoff. Ellenberger took some serious shots against Sanchez, and that fight was only scheduled for three rounds. If he fought Condit, he’d have to fully recover from the physical pounding he absorbed against Sanchez and elevate his stamina for five rounds instead of three. Condit didn’t take nearly the pounding in his fight that Ellenberger did, so that might be a slight advantage.

Then again, all this is hypothetical. The two won’t be fighting if Condit wants to wait for St-Pierre. It wouldn’t be surprising though if there is pressure put on him some time down the line to change his schedule. It’s really up to him. There is a risk/reward involved in this, but at this moment what he wants to do doesn’t jibe with what fight fans want.

Standing in the middle of this is UFC president Dana White. He has said it is up to Condit what he wants to do, but ultimately, White has the power to compel him to change his schedule and fight Ellenberger. It’s a question now of whether White will listen to Condit or the fans and who will carry more clout. White usually gives the fans what they want. This fight would sell tickets and there’s no guarantee St-Pierre will recover from his injury.

From a UFC business point of view, why not go for the sure thing? If White could objectively sit back and analyze which fight carries more interest -- Condit versus St-Pierre or Condit versus Ellenberger -- the answer is easy. But Condit was supposed to fight St-Pierre once before and had that plan changed through no fault of his own. Then again, it’s the fight business and things change all the time for one reason or another, which Condit knows all too well.

Perry Lefko keeps you connected to all the news in the CFL on sportsnet.ca. He is also a regular contributor on other sports, including the UFC.