.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
Carlos Condit: 'I don't know if I belong here anymore'
Carlos Condit isn't sure he has anything left to give inside the Octagon after spending the last 14 years of his life as a professional fighter.
Following a disappointing first-round submission loss to Demian Maia on Saturday night, Condit was contemplative about his future and whether or not he wanted to compete again.
The former interim welterweight champion was already talking about walking away following a heartbreaking split decision loss to Robbie Lawler earlier this year, and this latest setback put Condit in a place where he's not sure he still belongs amongst the elite fighters in the UFC.
"I've been at this for a very long time and the pressure of kind of being one of the top guys for almost a decade, it's been awesome. I loved to be involved in the sport at the time I have and got to do what I love for a living for a long time, but I don't know. I don't know if I belong here anymore," Condit said at the post-fight press conference. "We'll see."
Possibly the toughest part for Condit after Saturday night is the thought of ending his career on a loss.
Condit has fought the who's who of top fighters throughout his career, but walking away without adding one more victory onto his record might not sit well with the veteran UFC welterweight.
"Honestly, it's definitely been in the back of my mind for a while now. It's been a long career and I think there comes a point in every fighter's career that they have to question how long they're going to continue to do that and I've been doing that for a little while," Condit said. "It wasn't my night tonight. I don't know if that's going to be the swan song for me.
"Hopefully not — I'd hate to go out on a loss like this. I've at least like to have put on an exciting show like I usually do. But I don’t know what's in the cards. I'm leaning towards possibly being done."
Condit also raised concerns about longevity due the damage he's endured throughout his 40-fight career. Condit said he may have been rattled by a shot he took from Maia on the ground that set up the submission, and his normally durable chin getting cracked would be rather worrisome if he continued to fight.
"Some aspects I'm still passionate about, I love the preparation. I trained really hard for this camp, really hard. Honestly, I've had a tough career with a lot of fights and I've taken a lot of punishment," Condit said. "I don't know if I can continue to take shots, honestly."
Obviously, Condit wasn't ready to make his final decision just minutes after losing the fight with Maia, but he said he would have a long conversation with the people closest to him before making the call on whether or not he'll step back into the Octagon or walk away for good.
"I'll probably talk to the people around me, talk to my wife, and kind of make the decision after we've had some discussion and done a little bit of assessing of where I’m going and what's on the horizon," Condit said.
If Condit calls it a career he would finish with a 30-10 record including a 7-6 mark in the UFC, including an interim welterweight title reign and three championship fights during his time spent in the Octagon.
