NSAC Won't Hear From Nick Diaz On April 24th, Needs Copy Of Medical Marijuana Card


UFC welterweight Nick Diaz is currently suspended indefinitely by the Nevada State Athletic Commission because of a positive test for marijuana metabolites following UFC 143. It was expected that his case would be heard when the commission meets on April 24th, and Diaz's lawyer Ross Goodman even submitted a letter demanding to be on the agenda on that date:

"In discussions with Mr. Kizer, following the Summary Suspension Order, Mr. Kizer informed me and others that this matter would be placed on the NAC’s agenda," Goodman wrote. "Our client was and is confident that there is no basis for disciplinary action against him and therefore did not object to a delay beyond the required 45-day time limit as long as the matter was heard and determined in April."

However, his case will not be heard. Why? The commission wants to see his medical marijuana card first. Check out what the NSAC had to say after the jump.

"On several occasions, you told me and Mr. Kizer that Mr. Diaz had a medical marijuana card," Eccles wrote. "You agreed to produce the card prior to the disciplinary hearing. I’ve waited for more than a month for the card. As a result, I issued a Request for Production for the card and other information regarding Diaz’s case. You have chosen not to provide the requested documents, including Mr. Diaz’s card. If Mr. Diaz does not have the card, simply confirm that in writing. As to the relevance of the of the documents I requested for production, it is the Commission that will ultimately decide what is relevant."

According to Nick's friend though, there is a plan in place:

@LayzieTheSavage
LayzieTheSavage Nick Diaz gave his medical marijuana card to his attorney over a week ago. Ross Goodman knows what he's doing. Don't worry, guys. ;)
Apr 19 via Twitter for Android Favorite Retweet Reply

I'd suggest reading both statements to gain a clearer understanding of the argument and the rebuttal. Even if Goodman does know what he's doing though, it seems like it will be a while before we find out the fate of Stockton's Finest in terms of MMA. Nick is keeping busy though, and will face Braulio Estima in a BJJ match next month.

http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2012/4/19/2960762/nsac-wont-hear-from-nick-diaz-on-april-24th-needs-copy-of-medical

Having dreamed of fighting in MMA since seeing the first UFC nearly 20 years ago, Chris “Menace” Clements is finally seeing that dream become a reality. And he couldn’t be happier.

“My whole goal since I started fighting was to fight in the UFC, so to finally get that opportunity at my age is such a relief and such an amazing feeling,” Clements told MMAWeekly.com. “I’m 36 years old and I was wondering if my day would ever come.

“I can’t even really explain the actual emotions that went through me when I got (the call). It was probably one of the best things that’s ever happened to me other than my daughter being born.”

His scheduled debut for the promotion at UFC 145 on April 21 in Atlanta is made even more special due to the fact that he almost quit before he got the opportunity.

“Before I fought Jonathon Goulet (two years ago), I almost retired a couple times,” he said. “I was getting injured a lot. The call came for Goulet and I just figured I’d give it one more shot. He’d been in the UFC and it would give me a chance at a bit of a run.

“That is when I changed my camp up. I started training with different coaches and stuff and started working more on conditioning. So when I beat Goulet it kind of gave me the drive to give it one more run.”

At UFC 145, Clements will make his debut against a fighter who made his own way to the promotion last year after over 10 years in MMA in Keith Wisniewski. It’s a fight that Clements sees a lot of parallels to the one that helped earn him his UFC shot.

“He’s a lot like Rich Clementi, actually. A lot of his wins have come on the ground, he’s extremely hard to finish, and I expect him to try to take me down a lot,” said Clements of Wisniewski.

“I don’t expect anybody in the welterweight division – with the exception of a few guys – to actually try to stand with me. Winning this fight is same as any other fight this year: stop the takedowns, maybe land a couple of my own, and keep the fight where I want it and punch him in the face.”

Unlike other fighters who may clam up when it comes to their first fight in the big show, Clements doesn’t see himself holding back when he gets his opportunity on April 21.

“I only know how to try to finish fights,” he said. “I don’t know how to go to a decision for a win; I’ve never been to one. I’ve finished all my fights by TKO or knockout and this fight won’t be any different.”

Having dealt with the anxieties of doing all he can to get into the UFC, Clements now intends to relax a bit and take in every minute of it.

“I’m still in shock and I still don’t believe I’m actually fighting in the UFC until that cage door shuts,” he said. “I’m one of those people who wouldn’t believe they’re on vacation until the plane has landed. I haven’t had a chance to think of anything after this fight. I just want to enjoy each fight as they come like this one.

“You work so hard at something and sometimes you just never know until you get it, and when it happens it’s just an amazing feeling.”

http://www.mmaweekly.com/ufc-145-all-chris-clements-knows-is-how-to-finish-fights

Patience Proving Tough For UFC Champ Georges St-Pierre, Hints At Middleweight


For recovering UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre, there's no tougher part of recovery than the needed patience.

After rushing his recovery from a previous knee injury, St-Pierre suffered another and was shut down in December for an ACL injury.

He's making progress and even addressed a potential move to middleweight due to UFC 145 co-headliner Rory MacDonald, but the champ has learned to follow his doctor's instructions.

"It feels very good," St-Pierre today said of his knee. "In two months, I'm back to training. I'm in good shape now, but I'm not in fighting shape.

"In two months it'll be 100 percent. Now I feel something is not 100 percent. But in two months, it'll be out of mind. I don't want to mess it up. If I try to jump or go to fast, I'll have to do it all over again. I don't want to [make] the same mistake."

While St-Pierre's knee is clearly better, he knows he needs a graft to really strengthen and supply stability before he can amp up his workouts. Right now, they're limited to work in the pool, running in a straight line, and "gymnastics stuff and things like that."

He likes the variety, but admittedly, he sure wants to punch someone in the face.

He may get that opportunity on Nov. 17, when UFC 154 is slated to take place at Montreal's Bell Centre. The French-Canadian's upcoming title-unification bout with interim champ Carlos Condit (28-5 MMA, 5-1 UFC) would be a perfect fit, but St-Pierre (22-2 MMA, 16-2 UFC) said he has no idea when it'll actually take place.

"When you get hurt for a long time and you're forced to get pulled away from training and you're forced to stop doing what you like to do everyday, it makes you see things in perspective," he said. "I just want to get back, and wherever the fight will be, I will be glad to fight. I'm very anxious to come back."

In addition to a string of fan and media commitments, St-Pierre is in Atlanta for this weekend's UFC 145 event, where friend and training partner Rory MacDonald meets Che Mills in the pay-per-view co-headliner. MacDonald, of course, is only 22 years old but already one of the sport's most promising prospects.

In fact, some folks – including St-Pierre himself – believe MacDonald will be a future titleholder.

So how would that work since he and St-Pierre are both in the welterweight division?

"I'm not interested in fighting him," St-Pierre said. "There are a lot of welterweights. I don't think we need to do it now. In two years, who knows? I may go to middleweight. Who knows what's going to happen?"

St-Pierre and Condit both train with Greg Jackson, and they're going to fight later this year. So what makes MacDonald different?

According to St-Pierre, he and Condit haven't ever really been training partners. MacDonald, meanwhile, is both a training partner and friend. And for a guy who has a hard time disliking people, fighting a friend just isn't a possibility worth a discussing.

"I have a hard time fighting guys I like already," he said. "When I fought Jake Shields, I had a hard time fighting him. So fighting a friend? I can't do it. Right now, there are so many guys right now, it's not an issue.

"But I know one day [MacDonald] is going to be world champion."

http://mmajunkie.com/news/28320/patience-proving-tough-for-ufc-champ-georges-st-pierre-hints-at-middleweight.mma

BREAKING: Frank Mir Steps In To Fight Junior Dos Santos At UFC 146


When it was revealed that Alistair Overeem tested for an elevated ratio of testosterone-to-epitestosterone, almost everyone immediately jumped on the thought that Junior dos Santos would get an opponent change for his May 26 title defense. Almost everyone targeted Frank Mir as the most likely, and most deserving, option.

UFC officials did not make and immediate change, and UFC president Dana White fanned the flames of speculation when he tweeted in response to a fan question on Twitter that Frank Mir would still be fighting Cain Velasquez.

How quickly things change.

Following Friday night’s live fight on The Ultimate Fighter, just before taking off to Atlanta for Saturday night’s UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans, again turned to his favorite social media platform to inform everyone that Overeem has been removed from the UFC 146 title fight with dos Santos.

“Taking off to Atlanta!!!! May 26 th is now Mir vs JDS for the HW title in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand,” tweeted White.

It’s unclear why the change came just days before Overeem was slated to go before the Nevada State Athletic Commission to offer up his reasoning for a T/E ratio of 14-to-1 at a surprise drug screen in March. A normal ratio for most men is 1-to-1, although the NSAC set a ratio of 6-to-1 before an athlete is considered beyond the allowable limit.

The announcement, however, isn’t a good indicator that Overeem is likely to be successful in arguing his case to the NSAC.

With little more than a month to go until UFC 146, company officials have little time left to promote the new title fight, but don’t be surprised if they start at UFC 145 on Saturday night.

There had been no word yet at the time of publication if Cain Velasquez would remain on the card, and if so, who he would fight.

http://www.mmaweekly.com/breaking-frank-mir-steps-in-to-fight-junior-dos-santos-at-ufc-146

TUF season seven winner Mac Danzig (20-9) has had his fair share of ups and downs in the road as a mixed martial artist.

With a record of UFC record of 4-5, Danzig doesn’t have that kind of unbelievable resume that screams title shot, but for Danzig that’s not really all that bad. Clearly, the 32-year-old wants to better his resume and improve as a fighter, and he’ll keep trying to evolve as a martial artist.

But for Danzig, titles aren’t everything. It’s more than fine to just be a competitor in the sport living your dream. And as long as he’s realistic about himself and his goals, Danzig feels just fine with life, as he knows it heading into his bout with Efrain Escudero at UFC 145 this Saturday.

“It all depends on your motivation for these type of things and you also have to be a realist,” Danzig told MMAWeekly Radio.

“A lot of these guys put that out there like a broken record, ‘yeah, you know I want to get the title and everything,’ but I’m a realist. It’s after I beat Efrain, I’ll need six solid wins in a row, and then they’ll be like, ‘hey you’ve gotten back on track, we’re going to put you in a no. 1 contender fight,’ or something like that; otherwise it’s not even on the horizon.”

Over the years, Danzig feels that some of the fans and pundits have become so ranking obsessed that they just write off talented fighters for never having held a belt. And it’s okay if you’re just a good UFC fighter that never won a title, as long as you went out there and gave it everything you had.

Danzig fights for only himself and his daughter, and titles to him are only material objects and it’ll be no different come Saturday night. The journey is what’s most important at the end of the day.

“Yeah, it is okay to be a UFC fighter that’s working hard and competing and not really worried about (the UFC title). I’ll worry about that when it comes. This whole thing is a journey for me. I do what I can every single time out, I learn from my mistakes, and I learn from my experiences; and if you don’t learn and evolve, then you just don’t. You get pushed along to the wayside but I’m just doing my thing.

“My motivation right now is to become better and to support my kid. That’s a means to support an end right there, like making the money to support my kid. It’s not just a job for me; I’m doing this because I love it. I don’t want to go back to doing a job from nine to five and I don’t ever want to do something like that. As hard as this job is, and being a professional fighter for so many reasons is one of the hardest jobs in the world, and raising a kid while you do it is hard, but this is what I chose and I’m glad I chose it.”

http://www.mmaweekly.com/mac-danzig-focused-on-improving-not-ufc-titles

UFC's Stann Explains Why He Quit Hitting Sakara, New Need To 'Fight Up The Rankings'


The elbows that ended Alessio Sakara's night this past Saturday at UFC on FUEL TV 2 were proceeded by an utterance in his native language.

"I hit him with a real quick short elbow, and it hit him on the bone just above his right eye, and then my elbow sank into his eye," winner Brian Stann told MMAjunkie.com Radio (http://www.mmajunkie.com/radio).

"I heard him say something in Italian, then right when he was saying that in Italian, that's when I hit him twice, and he went out for a second."

UFC on FUEL TV 2 took place this past Saturday at Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm. Stann (12-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) vs. Sakara (15-9 MMA, 6-6 UFC) aired as part of the FUEL TV-televised main card following prelims on Facebook.

The first-round stoppage may have looked a little bit suspicious to many fans watching the event. When Stann landed the shots at the midway point of the round and then appeared to consult the ref before leaning down and consoling Sakara, it looked a little like tampering.

But Stann said there was a telltale sign that Sakara was out, which may not have been evident to those watching on TV.

"His legs were wrapped around me so I could feel his muscles go limp, and my instincts just said this guy is no longer there," he said.

Of course, there were many that praised Stann for not delivering excess punishment to the Italian fighter, who shortly afterward regained his senses. The gesture made the home page of Yahoo! Sports.

Stann suspects Sakara may have been verbally submitting with the utterance, but can't be sure. His Italian isn't so good. Regardless, he feels he did the right thing.

"I really respect Alessio," he said. "I could feel he was done and was no longer really with us, so I looked to the ref for some help there."

The Sakara fight was notable for another reason, as well. Stann admitted that while he took the bout having lost a previous fight against now-top contender Chael Sonnen, his lower-ranked opponent presented a situation in which he had more to lose than to gain. Next time out, he wants to fight someone at or above the unofficial rankings that drive future UFC fights.

"I don't want to fight down the rankings," Stann said. "I want to fight up the rankings, so that's my biggest concern right now. I don't want to take a fight now where I have more to lose that I have to gain, which was partially the case in my last fight, which adds pressure."

Opponents who suit him include Michael Bisping, Mark Munoz, Chris Weidman, Alan Belcher and Rousimar Palhares. Unfortunately, all but Weidman are booked.

"I'm probably going to have to wait a little while and see what shakes out from a lot of those fights to see who I'm going to get," Stann said.

But with a knockout such as the one he recently delivered, he may get his wish.

"Fighting anybody else, I'm giving them more of an opportunity than I'm getting," he said. "I think every fighter wants to fight up the rankings."

http://mmajunkie.com/news/28314/ufcs-stann-explains-why-he-quit-hitting-sakara-new-need-to-fight-up-the-rankings.mma

Alvarez Stops Aoki; Spang, Falcao Book Final, Nearly Complete It


Is Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney still rooting for Eddie Alvarez?

"Show me the money," were among the first words out of the former Bellator lightweight champ's mouth as he avenged a previous loss to Shinya Aoki with a first-round knockout at Bellator 66, which took place Friday at I-X Center in Cleveland, Ohio.

The headliner managed to distract from a near-brawl between season-six middleweight finalists Andreas Spang and Maiquel Falcao.

Bellator 66's main card aired live on MTV2 while preliminary-card action streamed on Spike.com.

The pressure weighing on Alvarez after losing his belt this past November to Michael Chandler – and at the tail end of his contract – seemed to have no effect on his performance. As expected, Aoki dove at his legs in an attempt to reproduce the submission that forced him to cry uncle four years ago in Japan under the DREAM banner. But he rejected that attempt, walking to the other corner of the cage, and waited for the right moment to strike.

Pawing out with faux-strikes, he prompted Aoki to take a risk with an uncharacteristic elbow strike out of the blue. In response, he uncorked an uppercut that dropped the submission specialist. Aoki seemed confused and unprepared for a lunging overhead punch that caught him on the temple and prompted a swarm of punches from Alvarez that forced referee intervention at the 2:14 mark of the first.

In reality, though, Aoki's corner had thrown in the towel several beats before the official wave-off.

With a big bargaining chip hanging around his neck, Alvarez implored his boss to come over the top of a perhaps inevitable offer from the UFC, which has long hovered as an option for the popular fighter. Rebney had previously told MMAjunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com) that he was pulling for the first Bellator champ, but would be firm in making him fight through a tournament to get a rematch with Chandler.

All demands aside, however, Alvarez (23-3 MMA, 8-1 BFC) had a lot to be thankful for.

"I was in a bad spot in the last couple of months," he said. "I left my home for the first time to prepare for this fight, and it was heart-wrenching for me. But I'm going to be able to go home with a check for my kids and my wife tonight, so I'm happy."

Aoki (30-6 MMA, 0-1 BFC), meanwhile, goes home with less. The DREAM lightweight champ sees another win streak (seven) fall to a superior striker.



Post-fight brawl mars Spang's come-from-behind knockout

Andreas Spang has certainly made his presence known in Bellator, and not entirely for the right reasons.

The short-notice replacement came back from the brink of unconsciousness to knock out Brian Rogers at the 3:34 mark of the second round of the middleweight semifinal fight.

But the goodwill earned from the amazing finish was completely forgotten when he shoved Maiquel Falcao during a perfunctory square-off between tournament finalists. The two nearly brawled in the cage before officials, including Bellator commentator Jimmy Smith, were able to calm things down.

In addition to a trip to the finals, Spang could now face disciplinary action from the Ohio Athletic Commission, who oversaw Friday's event. It was the second time he got physical with an opponent outside the bounds of competition; he shoved Rogers at the weigh-ins the day prior.

That confrontation was forgotten when the two earned each other's respect in the first round of the sanctioned fight. Rogers landed a huge punch and would have decapitated Spang had he not missed a high kick. Seizing opportunity, Spang lept on Rogers' back and nearly sunk in a rear naked choke. When Rogers escaped, the two air-tapped gloves.

Then Rogers went back to battering Spang with huge, swinging punches to the head and body. After a particularly nasty flurry in the second frame, Spang wobbled dazedly as he looked for the finishing blow. But when he did that, he left himself exposed to the counter. As he wound up, Spang snuck in a left hook that connected flush and sent him stiff to the mat.

A subsequent hammerfist had the referee diving in to protect the downed fighter.

"He caught me with some really hard shots," Spang said as boos rained on the cage. "I love you guys. You guys were booing me when I came out; you called me a bunch of names. I'm sorry for my antics after the fight. I love to fight, I'm here to win. I'm just doing my job."

Then Spang (8-1 MMA, 1-0 BFC), who with the knockout boosted his current win streak to three, failed to differentiate between work and promotion.

Rogers (9-4 MMA, 2-2 BFC) sees a second tournament go south after falling short in the semifinals of the season-five competition.

Spang KOs Rogers



Falcao pushed to the limit by Vasilevsky

Maiquel Falcao earned a unanimous decision (29-28 on three scorecards) over Vyacheslav Vasilevsky to earn a ticket to the middleweight tournament finals.

But the Brazilian was pushed to his limit. Former M-1 champ Vasilevsky opened a lead in the first half of the semifinal fight with superior grappling and deft boxing technique, and Falcao had to fight his way back.

The UFC vet managed to do that in the latter half of the second frame when he managed to reverse a takedown attempt (aided by a fence grab). Vasilevsky was unable to free himself as Falcao pounded away with thunderous shots from top position.

After a largely ineffective striking attack of big punches in the first round, Falcao found his range in the third round with a right hand that badly hurt Vasilevsky. Knees in the clinch did further damage, and for a brief moment the Russian teetered at the abyss. But he escaped and took Falcao to the ground.

It seemed to be anyone's fight when Falcao escaped mount position and attempted to seal victory with more ground and pound. But Vasilevsky got back up and bowled him over in the final moments of the fight.

The final sequence did not sway the judges, who awarded Falcao (30-4 MMA, 2-0 BFC) the decision. The Brazilian is now 3-1 since his released from the UFC this past year.

"I don't want to say too much; I just want to wait for the finals," he said afterward.

Vasilevsky (16-2 MMA, 1-1 BFC) suffers his first loss in 15 fights and nearly four years of competition.

Hawn smashes "Cupcake" for second trip to finals

Rick Hawn brilliantly exploited the brawling desires of Lloyd Woodard.

After frustrating "Cupcake" in the first round with a wall-and-stall attack, Hawn planted his feet and landed a right hand that dropped his aggressive foe 10 seconds into the second round.

"We had a gameplan for this guy," Hawn said afterward. "We knew he was going to come out strong, and you can't get sucked into that. You've got to play a smart fight, a chess match, and that's what I did."

Woodard certainly tried to convince Hawn otherwise. After a couple of stints against the cage, he goaded the Olympic judoka to trade punches with him. Instead, Hawn stuffed him against the cage and kneed the legs.

A subsequent charge from Woodard made it easy for Hawn to sweep him to the mat, though he couldn't do much with top position. Woodard couldn't either when he repaid the sweep.

Woodard was charging forward to throw a knee when Hawn threw the right hand. He immediately protested the stoppage, but his legs betrayed him from the moment he rose.

"Like I said in interviews, something would open up, and there it was," Hawn said of his right hand."

It's the second time Hawn (13-1 MMA, 5-1 BFC) has advanced to the finals of a Bellator tournament after his bid to win the season-four welterweight tournament ended in a decision loss to Jay Hieron. As a lightweight, his early status as favorite appears well-justified.

The freewheeling Woodard (12-2 MMA, 2-2 BFC) goes back to the drawing board after an upset over favorite Patricky Freire in the opening round of the season-six competition.

Weedman squeezes by Michel for first finals bid

In the first lightweight tourney quarterfinal, Brent Weedman's grappling earned him enough points to top a late-fight rally from Thiago Michel.

Two judges gave the father-to-be scores of 29-28 while one gave the same score to Michel.

"I want my son to meet me the way I am," Weedman said afterward as his pregnant wife looked on cageside. "I thought it was a close fight. I could see me winning the first two rounds, maybe. In the third, I could see it going either way."

Takedowns likely informed that call. Evenly matched with Michel on the feet, Weedman ended the first and second rounds in top position. Although unable to submit the Brazilian, he landed knees from side control and fended off a submission attempt in the second round.

Michel picked up the pace in the third round with Weedman's right eye swollen almost completely closed from an earlier strike. In response, Weedman again took the fight to the ground but couldn't keep the fight there. A spinning back kick from Michel wouldn't deter his advance, but a bevy of kicks had Weedman gunning to take the fight down at the bell.

"All the respect to Thiago Michel, the toughest opponent I've ever had," Weedman told Bellator commentator Jimmy Smith.

That's two in a row for Weedman (20-7-1 MMA, 6-2 BFC), who prior to the season-six tourney had dropped back-to-back bouts against Jay Hieron (season-four) and Chris Lozano (season-six).

Michel (10-3 MMA, 1-1 BFC) sees a three-fight win streak snapped.

http://mmajunkie.com/news/28350/bellator-66-results.mma