At UFC 132: Cruz vs. Faber 2, UFC welterweight Carlos Condit brutally defeated hot South Korean-prospect Dong Hyun Kim in the first round with a perfectly-timed flying knee that sent the judoka crashing to the canvas. Condit immediately followed up with a barrage of punches to the downed opponent, forcing the referee to immediately save Kim from further damage. While Condit had long been regarded as an excellent finisher, Kim was heralded for his superior strength, grappling, and technical defensive abilities. For Condit to not only stop Kim - something that had never happened before - but to do so with ruthless efficiency, meant that 'The Natural Born Killer' was on the welterweight short list for a potential title shot.
And while the Greg Jackson-product openly asked for a title shot against the winner of Georges St. Pierre vs. Nick Diaz, the timing may not work to Condit's favor. Even if he's granted his wish, it will likely mean he won't compete until January 2012 or later, a delay he is not willing to take even for such a lofty prize.
In this exclusive interview from MMA Nation on 106.7 The Fan, Condit tells SB Nation's Luke Thomas that while a title shot would be nice, he'd rather avenge his loss to former Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shields. The timing of that fight is also problematic as Shields is currently set to face Jake Ellenberger at UFC Fight Night 25. Still, Condit says sooner or later, he'd like to avenge his 2006 loss he suffered to Shields at the Rumble on the Rock tournament.
Condit also talks about the atmosphere at Greg Jackson's gym in the absence of Rashad Evans, if he's got a preference among Josh Koscheck, B.J. Penn or Jon Fitch as potential opposition, how soon he's ready to compete, what having a child did for his personal maturity as well as career and much more.
Full audio below. The interview begins at approximately 2:28 of the video: