Condit Ready for Prater; Governor to Attend

By Frank Curreri

When you think of MMA in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the natural tendency is to think of Jackson's Gaidojutsu school, breeding ground for some of the nation's best fighters. Greg Jackson, the geeky-looking guru who lives, eats and breaths fighting, is almost as well known as many of his protégés. And that's saying a lot for a soft-spoken guy whose stacked stable includes the likes of Georges St-Pierre, Rashad Evans, Keith Jardine, Nate Marquardt, Leonard Garcia, and Joey Villasenor (oh, and Jackson groomed Diego Sanchez, too, before "The Nightmare's" departure last year).

Simply put: Greg Jackson is on pace to become the Bill Belichick of MMA, minus the hoodie sweatshirt and Spygate scandal.

Carlos Condit, who was born and raised in Albuquerque, is well aware of Jackson's lofty status. The WEC welterweight champ trains just four miles away from Jackson's gym, at FIT NHB. Condit (21-4) has never second-guessed his decision to train at the lesser-known, lower-profile academy. He is not falling prey to the grass-is-greener temptation.

"I have a lot of guys out of my camp that you haven’t heard of, but you will soon," the 23-year-old champ said recently as he gears up for a Feb. 13 rematch with Carlo Prater. "We don’t have a lot of big name guys, but we have the guys that you need to be successful. The formula that we’re using, and the tools we have at my school -- that’s what has brought me the success that I’ve had."

Condit then mentioned John Alessio, whom he choked out last year. Alessio trains at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas.

"John Alessio trains with some of the biggest (name) guys in the sport," he said. "But in our fight the other guys can’t be in the ring with you .No matter who your entourage is, it’s the guys in the cage that make the difference.”

Tom and Arlene Vaughn, husband and wife, are the pair who taught Condit much of what he knows about kicking tail in the cage. Arlene Sanchez-Vaughn is a former pro kickboxer and Army soldier. Tom Vaughn is actually a former student of Jackson's, though he branched off on his own nearly a decade ago and founded his 11,000-square-feet school. The longtime bouncer holds two black belts, one of them in Kenpo karate. The Vaughns coach a dozen or so pro fighters and their team is relatively young. At the moment, Condit is the lone star. But there is no way the lanky athlete could become a standout -- regarded by many as one of the top 10 welterweights in the world -- without being pushed in practice by teammates like Thomas Schulte, Coty "Ox" Wheeler, Toby Johnson, Craig Zellner, Donald Sanchez and Mike Maestas. None of those fighters are considered elite, but they have tasted some success. Schulte, a 170-pounder, has amassed a 15-6 record -- with 14 wins coming by submission. Wheeler, Johnson, Zellner, Sanchez and Maestas each have at least six pro fights and winning records.

With each victory, FIT NHB's stock quietly continues to climb. Especially whenever Condit has his hand raised. But in Carlo Prater, Condit is facing a well-rounded foe who submitted him during their first outing. Prater also won a decision over Schulte, making him 2-0 against the Vaughns' two best students. Condit doesn't seem worried. He doesn't believe Prater is a bad stylistic match-up for him or, as they say, "has his number." Many fighters claim to be haunted by losses, itching to avenge

them -- as was the case during Chuck Liddell's revenge circuit. But Condit never asked WEC promoters for this rematch. And the no-nonsense champ sounds sincere when he says vengeance isn't on his mind headed into the looming 5-round title bout.

“I’m leaps and bounds from where I used to be back then," he said, referring to the first encounter with Prater. "It doesn’t haunt me at all. It’s not even in the back of my mind, really. It’s a motivating factor for sure, but that was about three and a half years ago. I hate to make excuses, but back then I did it more as a hobby. These days this is my livelihood and what I do for a living. I know the mistakes that I made and I’ve remedied those problems.

"He’s a good jiu jitsu fighter and has good Muay Thai. He’s pretty good in the clinch, a very talented fighter and a legitimate contender."

But, Condit added, he does not consider Prater (21-5) to be his toughest opponent ever. Strong words, perhaps, but remember that Condit has also fought the likes of Jake Shields, Frank Trigg, John Alessio, Brock Larson and Kyle Jensen. Collectively, those foes have compiled a 119-32-3 record. Only Shields, a phenomenal grappler, defeated Condit. Condit believes he was simply overpowered that night. He has worked on adding muscle to his 6'1 frame and defending submissions, given that three of his four defeats have come via tapout. Prater, who finished Condit with a triangle choke, may want to test and see if that vulnerability still exists.

“I think this fight will be real fast-paced," Condit said. "I think we’ll be switching positions from ground to stand-up and going all over the place. I think he’s definitely going to want to keep it on the ground.”

Condit expects the Santa Ana Center in Albuquerque to be electric for the nationally televised main event (available on the Versus cable network, 9 PM EST). There will be 6,500 or so crazed fans, most of them pulling for Condit. The fight is so big in Albuquerque, even New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson is expected to be ringside.

"I know for a fact he's going to be," assured Condit, whose father is a high-ranking staffer under Richardson.

It will be the biggest stage of Condit's five-year career, and yet another chance for him to prove he's not too skinny to be a top-notch fighter and that what they teach at FIT NHB works. Condit says he will walk toward the cage, reminding himself of this mantra: "We make our own destiny in this world. Your destiny is basically in your hands right now."

When he steps into the cage, a sinister, menacing look comes across his face. He goes from looking like a clean-cut college kid to looking like someone auditioning for a part in "The Exorcist." He's ready to prove himself once more and hunt down the respect and stature he feels he rightfully deserves.

"I’m not your typical fighter," he said. "I’m not a super muscular guy, I don't have tattoos or a cool mohawk. People don’t give me my due as a tenacious or dangerous fighter. These people doubt me and its fuel for the fire.

"I find a way to win, in spite of the perceived handicaps that people put on me. A lot of people have preconceived notions as to what will make you successful in this sport. I know what works for me. And the formula that we have (at FIT NHB), and are using, works. Time and again I’ve proved that.”