Weighing the Options of Carlos Condit

In the main event of UFC 195, Carlos Condit challenged Robbie Lawler for the UFC welterweight title. From the moment the match-up was announced, it seemed to have all the ingredients for an instant classic, and in the end, it was just that. Their ferocious, five-round firefight will simply never be forgotten.

Unfortunately for Condit, however, the judges would award Lawler a split decision victory. And while that verdict is pretty much the most debated issue in mixed martial arts at the moment, the fact is that Condit will return to New Mexico without UFC gold.

Now, under normal circumstances, this would mean a simple return to the drawing board. Condit nearly unseated Lawler—many believe he did. Logic would suggest that all it'll take for him to earn another crack is another win or two. As we know, however, Condit is seriously considering retirement.

After all he's accomplished throughout his 40-fight career—winning WEC gold, and UFC interim gold to name a few highlights—it's hard to fault Condit for thinking about hanging up the gloves. That said, Condit is only 31 years old. Furthermore, he's still never been knocked out, and remains an irrefutable member of the welterweight division's very best fighters. He's certainly still capable of competing at the highest level, and as one of the game's most consistently exciting fighters, it would be to the benefit of every fight fan on earth if he kept at it. Of course, if he's considering a ride into the sunset, it's going to take a special matchup to change his mind. So, let's take a look at the options.

Should Condit opt for another fight, the most logical choice is undoubtedly a rematch with Lawler. These days, immediate title rematches are a polarizing issue. Cain Velasquez's looming rematch with Fabricio Werdum, for example, has plenty of dissidents. Ronda Rousey's proposed rematch with Holly Holm has generated similar pushback. That said, Lawler and Condit's UFC 195 showdown is one of the rare title fights that absolutely calls for a rematch. There's not a fight fan out there who would argue against the two fighters going at it again… and again, and again. Yes, if Condit decides he's still got some fight left in him, this is the fight to make.

That said, any number of factors could force the UFC in another direction. Both Lawler and Condit are probably pretty banged up, so the timing for a rematch could be difficult to lock down. Similarly, if Condit doesn't retire outright, he may opt for some time off. In that event, the UFC would likely push ahead with a Lawler vs. Tyron Woodley welterweight title fight, leaving Condit without a dance partner upon his return. Luckily, however, the dynamic welterweight matches up well with a breadth of other fighters.

He might, for example, be paired with the UFC's sixth-ranked welterweight, Matt Brown. The two were scheduled to meet back in 2013, in a pairing that stood out as a near guarantee of excitement. Today, the fight still makes sense from a rankings standpoint, and as two of the most venomous finishers in the welterweight division, Condit and Brown still match up beautifully on paper. Throw them atop a Fight Night, or on the main card of a Pay-Per-View and the world would tune in.

Similarly, a fight with the winner of a currently dateless, but long-rumored Rory MacDonald versus Hector Lombard bout would make an excellent choice for Condit. Should MacDonald come out on top, he and Condit would have the chance to replicate their 2010 Fight of the Night winner. If Lombard wins, Condit gets a fight with a big-name, big-power contender, in a match up that no sane fight fan would miss.

Of course, it may take more than your typical contender-versus-contender bout to pull Condit away from retirement. The possibility of vengeance, however, might be enough to sway him.

In early 2014, he experienced a TKO loss to Tyron Woodley after a second-round leg injury. And while this was an undebatable loss, it was surely a hard one to swallow. For Condit, his fans, and perhaps even Woodley, there's an asterisk attached to the outcome—so why not give the two a shot at a more definitive end?

And finally, of course, there are the less likely options; the big-name, big-money showdowns that very few fighters, at any juncture of their careers, would turn down…

In February of 2012, Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz collided for the interim welterweight title. In advance of the bout, the matchup was viewed in a similar light to Condit versus Lawler—it looked like a shoo-in for Fight of the Night honors. In the end, however, the highly-anticipated bout fell flat. Condit's conservative strategy did not go over well with fans, and the split decision win that strategy earned him remains amongst the most debated verdicts in MMA history. Sure, Nick Diaz is currently in the midst of a bafflingly long marijuana-related suspension, but his team is working toward a settlement. If he's allowed to return to competition, why not let him and Condit take another crack at producing the classic we all originally expected of their pairing?

Then, finally, there's Georges St-Pierre. Yes, he's retired, and yes he's already defeated Condit, but rumors of a GSP comeback are more alive than ever and who could forget Condit's near-finish of the Canadian legend in their 2012 title-unifying showdown. Sure its unlikely, but at this juncture of their respective fighting lives, a collision of GSP's craftiness and Condit's unique brand of destruction is as compelling as ever.

In the case of Carlos Condit, one of MMA's most consistently spectacular fighters, the moral to all this option-weighing is simple. Though he's contemplating retirement, he remains just 31 years old, and as he proved on Saturday night, he's still one of the best—if not the best—of the game's active welterweights. That means that, whether it's Robbie Lawler, Matt Brown, or a far-fetched rematch with Diaz or GSP, he's still got plenty of exciting choices at his fingertips, and no matter which option he might choose, the collective gaze of the fight game will follow.