Condit will step into the cage on the strength of back-to-back victories when he confronts Max Griffin in the featured UFC 264 prelim on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The Albuquerque, New Mexico, native owns a 9-9 record in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Condit last appeared at UFC on ABC 1, where he laid claim to a three-round unanimous decision over Matt Brown in their Jan. 16 co-main event.
As Condit prepares what figures to be an entertaining battle with Griffin, here are five things you might not know about him:
1. He made the most of his youth.
Condit made his professional debut as an 18-year-old on Sept. 6, 2002, when he submitted Nick Roscorla with a rear-naked choke at Aztec Challenge 1. He went on to win seven fights before the age of 20.
2. His nickname fits.
“The Natural Born Killer” wields a lethal set of offensive tools, as evidenced by the fact that 28 of his 32 career victories (88%) have resulted in finishes. He has secured 15 victories by knockout or technical knockout and 13 more by submission. Condit’s long list of victims includes Thiago Alves, Martin Kampmann, Dan Hardy, Dong Hyun Kim, Rory MacDonald and Frank Trigg.
3. He once mastered his domain.
Condit was one of only five men who captured the welterweight championship in World Extreme Cagefighting. Nick Diaz, Shonie Carter, Karo Parisyan and Mike Pyle were the others. Condit held the 170-pound title from March 24, 2007 to Feb. 3, 2009, successfully defending it against Brock Larson, Carlo Prater and Hiromitsu Miura.
4. Quick-strike offense made him a must-see regional attraction.
The longtime Greg Jackson protégé boasts seven sub-minute stoppage wins on his resume. Condit submitted the aforementioned Roscorla in 52 seconds, dispatched Tommy Gouge with an armbar in 45 seconds under the Reality Fighting Championships banner on Jan. 25, 2003, cut down Antonio Zamora with punches in 29 seconds at a Fresquez Productions show on March 15, 2003, tapped David Lindemeyer with an armbar in 46 seconds at King of the Cage 26 on Aug. 3, 2003, dismissed Jarvis Brennaman with an armbar in 34 seconds at King of the Cage 35 on Feb. 28, 2004, put away Brandon Melendez with a triangle choke in 50 seconds at a Ring of Fire event on May 22, 2004 and wiped out Renato Verissimo with knees and punches in 17 seconds at Rumble on the Rock 8 on Jan. 20, 2006.
5. He monetized his violent tendencies.
Condit has procured post-fight bonus money in more than one-third (eight) of his 23 appearances in the WEC and UFC. He has been awarded “Fight of the Night” on six different occasions and “Knockout of the Night” twice, resulting in $447,500 of additional income.