At virtually, every WEC post fight press conference that involved its Welterweight Champion Carlos "Natural Born Killer" Condit celebrating a win, the inevitable questions came from the media in attendance.

"When are you going to go to the UFC?" "How do you think you'd do against the welterweights there?"

The questions will finally be answered on April 1 as the WEC's final 170-pound champion makes his long awaited UFC debut against Martin Kampmann to headline UFC Fight Night 18 on Spike TV.

Condit has been a mainstay in the welterweight rankings for the past two years. After clearing out the WEC's 170-pound weight class, the New Mexico native will look to prove why there is so much hype around him.

UFC President Dana White commented recently in an interview that he is looking forward to Condit's move to the Octagon. He's excited to see what he can do against the best welterweights in the world.

"I think it's exciting, it's interesting," White said. "He's been so dominant over at the WEC in that weight division and it's going to be fun to see him come into the UFC and that's a free fight on Spike. I'm actually excited about that fight, a lot of people are pumped for that."

After winning the WEC title by defeating John Alessio, Condit went on to defend his title three times including wins over Brock Larson, Carlo Prater and Hiromitsu Miura.

Now training at Arizona Combat Sports, Condit looks to make the same impact in the UFC welterweight division. White believes that he could be in title contention very soon.

"Definitely," White responded when asked if Condit could get a title shot in his next few fights. "I think him coming over as the champ, we'll see how he looks in this fight here, and I'm excited about him. Excited to see how he does. He's a good kid and always exciting to watch, too."

First things first, Condit have to face Martin Kampmann at UFC Fight Night 18 on April 1 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – Long considered the most prestigious title in mixed martial arts, the UFC Heavyweight Championship currently rests in the hands of two men – Champion Brock Lesnar and interim belt holder Frank Mir. On Saturday, May 23rd, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Lesnar and Mir will meet to not only determine an Undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion, but to settle some very personal business they began in this same city over a year ago.

"Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir put on one of the most intense one round fights I've ever seen at UFC 81," said UFC President Dana White, referring to Mir's submission victory over Lesnar in February of 2008. "But when it was over, both guys saw things very differently. Lesnar blamed his loss on inexperience and being too aggressive, while Mir saw his win as a triumph of his technique, something he says will happen every time they fight. On May 23rd, each fighter has his chance to prove his point, and while a lot has happened for these two since that first fight, I know the rematch is going to be just as intense as the first one, especially considering that the winner walks away as the UFC Heavyweight Champion."

Tickets for UFC 98: LESNAR VS. MIR 2 priced at $800, $600, $400, $250, $125 and $75, not including applicable service charges, go on sale Saturday, March 7 at 10 a.m. at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith's Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.ufc.com, www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

UFC® Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Thursday, March 5 at 10 a.m. PT via the website ufc.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Friday, March 6 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through ufc.com.

UFC 98: LESNAR vs. MIR 2 will be available live on pay-per-view on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, Bell ExpressVu, Shaw Communications and Viewer's Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.95 for standard definition or high-definition broadcasts (where available).

A gifted athlete with the size, speed, and power to impose his will on any opponent, 6-3 ½, 265 pound Brock Lesnar (3-1) made an immediate impact in the UFC when he debuted in February of 2008. A four-time All-American, two-time Big Ten Champion, and 2000 NCAA Division I National Champion in wrestling, Lesnar made a name for himself internationally after college as a professional wrestler, but he soon found his calling in mixed martial arts in 2006. After a 69 second win in his pro debut a year later, Lesnar entered the UFC in 2008 and was seconds away from victory against former heavyweight champ before a stoppage in the action for a point deduction allowed Mir to come back and submit the newcomer moments afterwards. But at UFC 87 in August of 2008, Lesnar showed why he was a force to be reckoned with by dominating Heath Herring, and by November 15, the ever improving Minnesotan shocked the world when he TKOd one of the greatest heavyweights of all time, Randy "The Natural" Couture. Now firmly entrenched on the top of the heavyweight division, Lesnar wants to even the score with Mir.

"I'm delighted to have a rematch against Frank Mir," said Lesnar. "I can't wait to get my revenge and finish this fight on the ground the way it should have been finished last time."

Many believe that 29-year old Las Vegan Frank Mir (12-3) was destined for stardom the moment he stepped in the UFC Octagon, and he lived up to all expectations when he submitted Tim Sylvia in 50 seconds in 2004 to win the UFC Heavyweight Championship. Unfortunately, Mir's career ground to a halt when a serious motorcycle accident later that year forced him to the sidelines for almost two years. His eagerness to return forced him into some spotty performances when he stepped back into the Octagon in 2006, but at UFC 74 in August of 2007, Mir was back in top notch form as he submitted Antoni Hardonk in just 77 seconds. He followed that pivotal win with a come-from-behind victory over Brock Lesnar at UFC 81 in February of 2008, but it wasn't until UFC 92 on December 27, 2008 that Mir came all the way back, as he became the first man to stop the legendary Antonio "Minotauro" Nogueira at UFC 92, en route to regaining the interim portion of the championship he never lost in the Octagon. On May 23rd, the 6-3, 240 pound Mir has the opportunity to once again reign as the undisputed title holder.

"Brock Lesnar has been calling for a rematch with me ever since I beat him the first time," said Mir. "All I can say to Brock is be careful what you wish for because I'm a better, smarter, stronger, and faster fighter than I was the last time. He won't be able to push me around like he's done smaller opponents, and I'm looking forward to becoming undisputed champion again."

Source: UFC.com

The cancellation of the World Extreme Championship 39 main event between champion Carlos Condit and challenger Brock Larson could mark the end of the welterweight division in the WEC.

Condit (22-4) suffered a sprained wrist serious enough that he has pulled out of his scheduled title defense at WEC 39 on March 1 in Corpus Christi, Texas. In their first meeting in August 2007, Condit submitted Larson (24-2) with an armbar in two minutes and 21 seconds.

But the bigger news is that the WEC will wipe out the welterweight division and move the top fighters in the division to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Condit could be transferred to the UFC as soon as April 1 at UFC Fight Night 18.

The welterweight division is the WEC's heaviest weight class. The promotion last month phased out the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions. The removal of the welterweight division will leave lightweight as the only division remaining in both the WEC and the UFC.

On March 1, the World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) will run a show in Texas for the first time, bringing along two championship bouts.

Mike Brown, in his first fight since shocking Urijah Faber, will defend his featherweight title against Leonard Garcia, while Carlos Condit will give Brock Larson another shot at the WEC welterweight belt.

WEC 39 happens from the America Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas and will air live on Versus.

Tickets go on sale to the general public Monday, January 19 at 10 AM CT. The pre-sale date is this Friday, January 16 at 10 AM CT by entering "FIGHT" as the presale password.

Carlos "Natural Born Killer" Condit sees only one man on the horizon. And the man is Brock Larson.

Condit defeated the Minnesota Mixed Martial Arts Academy standout in convincing fashion at World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) 29, another blip on his submission radar. Larson didn't see an armbar coming off a scramble, and it was game over.

But as the top dog of a thin division, the WEC Welterweight Champion has to shrug his shoulders. He doesn't have many choices, and the ones he has are not camera ready to face him.

"It's not ideal, because I have everything to lose, and he has everything to gain," Condit told. "The pool of contenders is a bit shallow. There's not a whole lot of guys for me to fight."

Condit has been inactive since August 2008, when he triumphed over the tough Hiromitsu Miura in his first title defense to go past the third round. Rumored returns in December and January have not materialized, so he's used the time off for a change of scenery.

In November, Condit traded one desert for another, moving from Albuquerque, New Mexico to Tempe, Arizona. He had spent his entire fighting life in New Mexico, and had reached a plateau in his development. He was burnt out.

"To the point where I wasn't motivated to train," Condit explained. "I felt like I'd pretty much done everything there was to do. The only thing that really got me motivated out there was running in the mountains and spending time outside. Other than that, well, I've already done all the clubs. I've already sparred with everybody there is to spar with. I needed something new to do."

Training at the city's other big gym, Jackson's MMA, was not really on the table. Condit's trainer, Tom Vaughn, had made a name for himself after earning a black belt with Greg Jackson, opening Fit NHB, the place Condit would call home. Though Condit would stop in to Jackson's from time to time, he couldn't see himself there, or in Albuquerque, for the rest of his career.

Through the WEC, Condit befriended Jamie Varner, the WEC Lightweight Champion, and the two talked about training together. Condit had friends in Tempe, where Varner's gym, Arizona Combat Sports, was located, and he knew of the gym's pedigree. They had a room of Division I wrestlers who liked all out wars in the gym. Like a lot of jiu-jitsu experts, Condit felt wrestling was his weak point. It didn't take long for him to see the benefit of moving.

"Over there, they've got a bunch of really talented wrestlers; wrestlers who like to fight, who are becoming or are very good mixed martial artists," he said.

In that way, the layoff has treated Condit well. He's had the chance to plug holes in his game. The wrestling's a work in progress.

"It's not come as far as it needs to, but it's been improving for sure," he said.

For the most part, wrestling was the unanswered question of Condit's fight with Larson. Most saw Larson's mat expertise as the key to beating Condit's jiu-jitsu. But he made a mistake early, and in the absence of sweat, Condit capitalized.

Should they fight again, Condit sees as much danger as he saw before.

"He's a very tough guy, and just because I beat him before doesn't mean anything," he said. "I'm going to have to be on my toes. I'm very motivated to fight him, and I'm looking forward to a very tough training camp."

Condit would also jump at a rematch with his old foe Jake Shields, who defeated him in a Rumble on the Rock tournament in 2006.

"I'd definitely like to rematch Jake," he said. "I would welcome that fight for sure."

That said; nothing is set in stone for his return. Right now he's helping Varner prepare for his upcoming fight with Donald Cerrone -- a former training partner -- at WEC 38.

"It is a bit awkward," he comments. "I wouldn't want to let the cat out of the bag and give Jamie all the secrets or anything, but on the other hand, I want Jamie to be ready for this fight. So it's a bit of a fine line to walk."

He expects to return to the WEC in March, where a fight with Larson seems inevitable if the promotion is not able to import a recognizable candidate.

"I'd like to fight more often, but I'm still going to be really sharp when I come back," Condit said.