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JASON AMADI, MMATORCH COLUMNIST
The fact of the matter is, Condit is capable of lacing a kill shot much more suddenly than anyone GSP has faced. Beating Georges St-Pierre on points is virtually impossible at this point, but unfortunately for him, stopping opponents at 170 has been Condit's specialty for nearly a decade now.
The volume punching that Nick Diaz brings is all wrong for Georges St-Pierre, but it's great for B.J. Penn. Getting into a scrap with Penn is usually suicidal, but if Diaz can withstand punishment early on, Diaz can take him into the type of deep waters that Penn has historically drowned in.
Overall, these are better fights. Nick Diaz's ability to draw on pay-per-view is far from proven, only hardcores really know who he is, and Georges St-Pierre is still headlining this card. This card has competitive fights, high stakes, and a major draw headlining. It's got everything anyone could ever want.
FRANK HYDEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
To be blunt, I think Diaz really screwed the pooch here. I just mean for himself, as the UFC knows that GSP-Condit will draw just as well as GSP-Diaz would have. Plus, if Diaz were to beat Penn, they could try it again by threatening to cut Nick if he doesn't play nice. There's a line around the corner of guys who want to fight GSP, and they're all good fighters.
I don't think the shakeup hurts the UFC at all, but it's a major dent in Nick's career.
ANWAR PEREZ, MMATORCH COLUMNIST
The changes to UFC 137 definitely make the card almost less than stellar due to the fact that it was an anticipated build up between Diaz and GSP.� Condit will make the match interesting, but if GSP is in top form as he usually is, he will make Condit look out of place in the cage.� Diaz and Penn should be a good match, but it's almost like a fight between two fighters that seem to have had more PR issues outside of the cage, be it with Penn's greasing accusations or lack of training camps in the past, and Diaz's recent "anxiety" issues, than anything worthy in the cage.� Either way, shake ups or no shake ups, this card will indeed be a stellar one with great fights.
ERIC HOBAUGH, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
I think Nick Diaz is a great fighter. I love his 'screw you' attitude. �He is always fun to watch and usually has excellent and exciting fights. I will always remember his victory over Takanori Gomi at Pride 33 back in 2007; he was a huge underdog in the fight and almost no one gave him a chance of winning. �He beat the Pride lightweight champ, only to have his amazing victory overturned because he tested positive for marijuana. �
I think that is a good way of summing up his career. �He is one of the best fighters in the world. No doubt about it. �He also seems to self destruct at the most inopportune times. �This is a similar situation with the GSP fight. �Was he afraid to compete with GSP? �Of course not! What he was unable to do was "play the game" as Dana White put it. �It's such a waste of talent and energy. �
It is hard for me to understand how he could squander a title shot. �So many fighters would kill to have had that opportunity and he will probably never get another chance. �Do I feel like he would have beaten GSP? No, I do not realistically think he would have beaten the champ. �What I do think is that he would have gotten in GSP's face and made a better challenger than most of the opponents in recent memory. �The GSP vs. Condit fight is less fun for me, in that Condit possesses less weapons than Diaz and the fight will be drastically less exciting. �I think GSP handles Carlos Condit with little problem. �The Diaz versus B.J. Penn has the potential to be fight of the night. � That fight is a toss up, but I think Diaz will win in a razor close decision.
CHRIS PARK, MMATORCH UK SPECIALIST
The way the chips have fallen, for me, two better fights have emerged. While I don't necessarily think Carlos Condit will defeat Georges St. Pierre, I don't think any 170 pounder can and I think he will give a good account of himself.
As for Penn vs. Diaz - this could be amazing. Wherever the fight goes these two have the abilities to tackle each other head on.
If the trash talking becomes a big part of the build up then we could see a stand-and-bang war between two of the division's best chins. If it hits the mat these two are simply masters of their craft and we could see one of the most entertaining ground fights in UFC history. @MMATorchUK
ALEX WILLIAMS, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
The UFC should require Nick Diaz to obtain a psychological evaluation and, depending on the results, psychotherapy. �If he really does have social anxiety disorder, he could benefit tremendously from cognitive behavioral therapy. �The UFC should pay for Diaz to get the best services, too. �They already pay for physical injuries their fighters�suffer from accidents, training-related or not (for example, slipping on stairs). �While Diaz's condition (if he has one) likely existed before he was under Zuffa contract, his avoidance mechanisms were activated by the press conferences Zuffa required he attend. �
Even if one disagrees that this is a logical extension of the philosophy behind Zuffa providing its fighters with insurance, the company's paying for his treatment is just the decent, humanitarian thing to do. �The right business move, too. �After all, if Diaz beats B.J. Penn but goes untreated, who is to say he will not avoid the press conferences the next time he is booked in a title fight?
Mac Danzig Karen Darabedyan Viacheslav Datsik Marcus Davis Tony DeSouza
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