Injured UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre is making no bones about picking a fighter to root for to win the interim welterweight title at UFC 143 on Saturday. The champ wants Nick Diaz to beat Carlos Condit, but perhaps his mind is clouded by passion. Passionate disdain for Diaz that is. Here's GSP talking to UFC.com:

"I am very nervous that Carlos Condit will win on Saturday night, and that I won't be able to fight Nick Diaz this summer. I feel bad, it is weird that I want (Condit) to lose, but I have never wanted to fight anyone as much as I want to fight Diaz. I don't truly hate him as a person. I don't know that he is a bad guy, but I hate what he brings to the sport with the disrespect and the unprofessional things he says and does. It is sort of a professional hatred. He has been nothing but disrespectful and arrogant towards me.

"I respect Carlos Condit, but I want Diaz to win. It will be a weird feeling, sitting at the Mandalay Bay wanting Nick Diaz to win. I want this fight with Diaz so badly, as badly as I wanted the title shot when I got down on my knees. I have never asked (UFC President) Dana White for anything, but I did ask to fight Nick Diaz. I was (crushed) when I had to pull out of this weekend's fight hurt, but I am determined to get back to the Octagon as soon as possible to fightthis guy. He needs to hold up his part and beat Carlos Condit on Saturday to make this fight happen.

""The way I see it, I am not the champion anymore on Saturday night. I have not fought since April, against my will, but I understand the champion must fight. You have to put the belt on the line in order to call yourself champion, the best in the world. Right now I am not the best in the world, I am injured. The winner of this fight on Saturday will be more than just the new No.1 contender, but he won't be the new champion either. The winner of this fight will have to beat me to become the true world champion and I will have to beat the winner of this fight in order to call myself the best in the world again.."

GSP was originally set to fight Diaz at UFC 143 but had to pull out in early December for reconstructive surgery to repair a torn right ACL. He had to miss a scheduled title fight with Condit at UFC 137 due to a strained right MCL. He is expected to return to face the interim champion in the summer or fall of 2012.

SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit