Esther Lin, MMA Fighting
Carlos Condit has faced plenty of tough challenges during his career but a five fight losing streak is a wholly different beast.
The former interim UFC welterweight champion returns on Saturday night for a showdown with Court McGee with many believing this could be a make-or-break moment for his future. No fighter wants to lose once much less drop five in a row and that’s a fact not lost on Condit as he prepares to compete for the first time in almost 22 months.
That said, Condit isn’t allowing the pressure get to him, especially the notion that a sixth straight loss could spell the end of his UFC career.
“I think it’s must win in the sense that if I lose, it’s going to hurt really bad and suck,” Condit told MMA Fighting during the UFC Fight Island 4 media day on Wednesday. “I’m not really attached to ‘oh this is doomsday scenario for my career.’ I think that’s putting too much pressure on things that I can’t control.
“I prepared thoroughly and rigorously for the fight and I think I got my head straight. Those are the things that I’m in control of and I know if I go out there and compete to the best of my ability, I walk away with the win in this one. If I win, I think there’s a lot to be said if I go out and put on a good show.”
While he didn’t go into any great detail, Condit admits that there have been a lot of factors at play during his recent losing streak.
He’s done his best to get past those issues as “The Natural Born Killer” seeks his first since a TKO over Thiago Alves in 2015.
“There’s been a lot of different things going on inside, pertaining to training and then my personal life,” Condit explained. “A lot of those fights I felt like I was good but in the moment things didn’t come together.”
Despite the setbacks and the do-or-die nature of this fight, Condit refuses to believe that he’s lost a step or that he somehow can no longer compete with the top fighters in the world.
At his best, Condit knows without a doubt that he’s still more than capable of making another charge at the title but for now he just needs to get the job done against McGee on Saturday night.
“My ‘why’ is fighting because I love it and making some money,” Condit said about his current motivation. “Seeing where that takes me.
“I don’t think that I’m past my prime. I’ve had a skid but I feel like I can turn it around and make a run for sure.”