Video: Carlos Condit impressed with Nick Diaz's toughness, predicts a win at UFC 143

"Nick Diaz is very good with his hands. He does what he does very, very well. It's not only that he does really well with his hands, but he sets a relentless pace and relentless cardio. Mostly, I'm impressed with his toughness. He's got some great skills: Good boxing, good jiu-jitsu, but just his warrior spirit. I feel I'm a more technical fighter than Diaz. I have more weapons in my arsenal -- I just bring different stuff to the table. I have good movement, use angles. Diaz, for the most part, just comes straightforward. I've been training for this fight since July, I've been putting in a lot of hard work, and I'm excited to go out and show the fans -- along with all the fighters in the division -- the new and improved Carlos Condit. I will defeat Nick Diaz and I will be the UFC welterweight champion."

Carlos Condit admits that he's had a roller coaster ride in recent months, enduring opponent switches, injuries and a whole host of issues outside of his control that have kept him out of the Octagon since a knockout finish of Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 132 back in July 2011. Good things apparently do come to those who wait -- Condit is set to tangle with Nick Diaz in the UFC 143 main event inside the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Feb. 4, 2012. The winner of the five-round welterweight fight will win the interim 170-pound title and the opportunity to challenge division champion Georges St. Pierre later this year to unify the belts. "Rush" is currently rehabilitating a knee injury and expects to return in Nov. 2012. If Condit intends to make good on his prediction, he'll have to go through the self-proclaimed "most well-rounded fighter in the world," who literally has the endurance to fight for 25 rounds if required. For "The Natural Born Killer," even though he admits to putting in a "lot of hard work" it might be all in vain if he can't keep pace with the Stockton, Calif., scrap machine. Ring rust is a serious concern ... can Condit it knock it off and go shot-for-shot, or will Diaz simply overwhelm him like he does to most others?