With fight scratched, Carlos Condit looking to enjoy holidays, reschedule fight with Matt Brown

While next week’s UFC on FOX 9 event is loaded with intriguing matchups, Carlos Condit vs. Matt Brown was one that seemed to truly capture fans’ attention. While that fight was today canceled, Condit said he’d be just fine with booking it again.

“I was greatly disappointed to hear of Matt Brown’s injury,” Condit said in a statement issued today by his camp. “This was a fight that I was looking forward to immensely, and I know it was a fight the fans have been excited to see. When the fight does happen, I promise that the wait will be worth it.”

As MMAjunkie reported earlier today, Brown (18-11 MMA, 11-5 UFC) suffered a pair of bulging discs in his back and was forced to withdraw from the card. With less than a week to find a suitable opponent, Condit (29-7 MMA, 6-3 UFC) was also removed from the card.

UFC officials have yet to announce whether or not the fight will be rescheduled, but if Brown can be cleared in time, it certainly wouldn’t seem fans would complain about the decision. For now, Condit said he’ll turn his attention outside of the cage, but he seems happy with that plan, as well.

“Right now, I’m going to spend time with my family over the holidays and hope that Matt heals up quickly so that we can reschedule this fight soon,” Condit said. “Thanks to all of the fans out there for their support.”

Brown, once a middle-of-the-road welterweight, has reeled off six straight UFC wins and stopped five of his opponents via knockout. Brown’s past two appearances have also won him bonuses for “Fight of the Night” and “Knockout of the Night.”

After losing a title-unification bout to champ Georges St-Pierre at UFC 154, Condit then suffered a decision loss to top contender Johny Hendricks. But the former WEC champ, who won the UFC’s interim title with a victory over Nick Diaz, recently rebounded with a TKO victory over Martin Kampmann in UFC Fight Night 27's headliner.

UFC on FOX 9 takes place Dec. 14 at Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, Calif. The main card airs on FOX following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and MMAjunkie.com.

For more on UFC on FOX 9, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.