Nick Diaz is a great man. Like all great men, he can sometimes be misunderstood. I myself have been guilty of this in the past, but I have since realized the error of my ways.

Greatness.

What this incorrigible rapscallion has managed to do for the advancement of society is nothing short of monumental. You know all those weird noises people have been putting on youtube? That's the Diaz Paradigm Shift bitch. The fact these noises occurred long before the Condit fight is inconsequential.

Nick Diaz has blazed a trail for millions of Closet Marijuana Users across the country, and I salute him.

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Long time lurker, first time poster here.

Anyway, for the hardcore kickboxing fans here--where do you guys get your news sources? I've been searching for a while, and the only site I've come across that gives dedicated coverage to pro kickboxing is liverkick.com, but... I don't like it.

Sherdog and BE both have active communities, credible ranking lists, historical articles, etc. Liverkick has, like, 1 comment per post, rankings that haven't been updated in forever, and pretty shallow coverage of kickboxing events. No in-depth post/pre-fight analyses, no nothing.

Yeah, there's headkicklegend, but HKL covers MMA wayyy more than kickboxing.

So, help, kickboxing fans, for a kickboxing noob like me?

Posted from http://thefightweek.com MMA training, sport and culture

Nick Diaz likes to get high. This week he failed his second drug test for marijuana fighting in the state of Nevada. Nick Diaz doesn’t care. He’ll do whatever he wants, as long as he can get away with it. After which he’ll play the contrite company man, earn his dollars, and swiftly return to his bubble in Stockton, California, back to the only life he’s ever known.

This is the Nick Diaz who’s earned the status of cult hero among fight fans. And he’ll never change.

Dana White may say that he is “beyond disappointed” with Nick’s failed test, which comes in the wake of his controversial title loss to Carlos Condit, but the UFC president knew exactly what he was getting when he re-signed Nick to the organisation after a four-year hiatus.

“The problem with Nick Diaz is Nick won’t play the game,” said Dana last January, five full months before offering him a contract. “When Nick Diaz wants to play the game just a little bit, we’d love to have him back.”

But Nick didn’t have to play the game, or even make any such promises to persuade the UFC to line-up a dream fight between him and outstanding UFC Welterweight Champion, George St. Pierre.

St. Pierre had triumphantly cleaned up the welterweight division and the UFC was struggling to find him a worthy opponent. Even Jake Shields, brought over from Strikeforce with much hype, failed to offer St. Pierre any kind of effective resistance.

Nick would be different. He was the Strikeforce champion and had a hypnotic, relentless fighting style which at the time was crushing all in his path. What’s more, he got under St. Pierre’s skin.

But all Nick cared about was getting paid: “playing the game” wasn’t in his vocabulary. He missed two press conferences in the build-up to his fight with St. Pierre, giving the UFC no choice but to drop the contest and substitute him with Condit.

Stil, Nick was Nick, he was a tantalising star, and his scant punishment was an equally thrilling match against former Welterweight Champion BJ Penn. Despatching Penn with little trouble, the UFC moved quickly, sidelined a reluctant Condit and again tried to make the match with St. Pierre happen.

If St. Pierre hadn’t been injured, it would have been him and Nick who’d have fought at UFC 143, instead of Condit. That match did not go down the way the UFC or MMA fans wanted. Condit’s win made a George St. Pierre v Nick Diaz match an ever more frustrating impossibility, leading to Nick’s dramatic announcement that he was retiring from the sport. “I don’t need this shit anymore,” he told the audience after his loss.

In the days between that fight and Nick’s failed drug test, the UFC was scrambling for a rematch between Condit and Diaz, which could once again pave the way for an imminent showdown with St. Pierre following the champion’s expected return in November. That now is impossible. The Nevada State Athletic Commission is likely to impose a year-long ban.

Shortly after the announcement of his failed test, Nick’s brother, Nate, told ESPN.com that Nick is going to stay retired. Maybe he really doesn’t “need this shit” anymore. Besides, a drugs ban would never get him to change his ways.

Even after he tested positive for “off the charts” levels of marijuana in 2007, following his submission victory over Takanori Gomi, Nick refused to apologise for his behaviour. He argued with the commission that he wanted more time, to be forewarned of drug tests so he can clear it out of his system before his fights.

“I think smoking pot is good for mixed martial artists,” Nick told Sherdog.com following his loss. “I’m going to tell all you fighters out there something right now, from my experience, if you have friends that you get high with, get them to train with you.”

There were videos posted on YouTube as recently as 2010, showing Nick on triathalon bike rides, smoking weed from a pipe. He never had any intention of playing the game. And that’s exactly what makes Nick, Nick.

He’s not a professional fighter. He’s just a fighter. As soon as he returned to the UFC and its media machine, there was talk of his “demons”, his reluctance, nay anxiety, at being an MMA star. His inability to control his behaviour, to attack his boss’s for not paying him enough, his hatred for the sport and the demands of the professional circuit.

No one “out-crazies Nick” said his manager Caesar Gracie after his pre-fight weigh-in with BJ Penn almost turned into a brawl. That was to be expected. This is the same man who started another fight with Joe Riggs in the hospital after losing a unanimous decision to him hours before. This is the same man who threw the first punch against Jason Miller when the fighter challenged his friend Jake Shields to a rematch inside the cage – a brawl which almost cost Strikeforce a lucrative television deal.

Nick isn’t a professional fighter, he’s just a fighter. That’s unlikely to change if Nick does decide to come out of retirement, or is coaxed out with an extravagant pay-day by the UFC after serving his ban. The company chairman, Lorenzo Fertitta, has already hinted that he’s standing by Nick.

“He will be back. [I] really like the kid [he] just needs to get it together,” Fertitta tweeted. “I’m a sap for real fighters.”

And that’s why he’s a cult hero. He’s a real fighter. Not a professional athlete, or a sportsman. But just a fighter, through and through, doing the only thing he knows how.

Posted from http://thefightweek.com MMA training, sport and culture

Amidst the confusion, disagreements, and palpable frustration following the Diaz v. Condit decision, a recent, somewhat controversial decision lingered, unnoticed by most, but it temporarily distorted my view of judges’ role in the whole scheme of MMA.

I may be looking into this too much, but here it is anyways.

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Hi Nicholas,

Is it ok if I call you Nick? I think it is, hey Nick, sup.

If you only knew how much you've affected MMA media with your antics you'd give a fuck. Brock Lesnar's diverticulitis didn't spawn as many topics and debates as you have. The average person probably has no idea who the fuck you are and doesn't care at all if you fight again, but these keyboard warriors here, they'd die to prove their points about you. You lost that fight against Carlos Condit but no one cares about him, I don't see anyone even talking about him even though he's wearing an Interim Title belt.

They wanted to see you, a couple hardcores on here will pretend that Carlos Condit vs. GSP is the fight they wanted but that is just some trolling or something, the people who mattered, (DFW and co.) they wanted you in the limelight.

But apparently you never got this memo. I don't know if it is you being ignorant, your management not telling you, or maybe you need an internet connection and a computer so you can log on and see how much drama everything you do creates and maybe you'd clean up your act.

You had every opportunity for all the things you claimed you wanted but never got. They bent the rules and screwed people to try to get you where you wanted to be and in the end you just fucked yourself.

This may come off as whiny and useless but you're the biggest fucking disappointment since Kimbo Slice. No, Gina Carano. Or Chael and his problems with three sided objects. Or maybe Brock's early career demise and Fedor's fall combined with Anthony Johnson's weight cutting. I don't know, at the end of the day I can't believe how pissed off I am because you literally have no one to blame but yourself. You're like the whiny spoiled brat who gets what he wants for reasons beyond anyone's comprehension and then you thank them by pissing all over it.

I thought I didn't have to ragequit being a fan the way you ragequit after you lost because they were gonna give you another thing you didn't deserve, a rematch, but you fucked that up so I guess I'm done here.

Peace Homie

We caught up with John Danaher at the UFC on FOX 2 open work outs.... Now I can say in this industry I have meet some characters, but none, absolutely none are as unique at John Danager. After walking around in Chicago during the freezing cold, John Danaher decided to tell me a short story about how the Mongols invaded Russia during the winter and that we are not cold, but basically wimps. Thanks Danaher for a very unique experience with you. (Sorry guys no Mongolian story in video)

So uh, Nick Diaz tested positive for weed have you heard? Listen, I was going to come up with a solid introduction later followed by the obligatory transition into the meat of my post, but then I thought “for why?” and said forget it. So I’ll just skip right to it.

Nick Diaz is not like other people. He truly is a special and unique snowflake that happens to be so special and unique that many are quick to misinterpret his behavior in the most negative way possible and hold it against him. Maybe it’s the fact that he and I share a similar background and similar experiences so I can easily relate to him. Maybe it’s because I like that he keeps it real even to a fault. Maybe it’s because I can tell that whatever he loves, whether it be his home, his job, or his family, he loves deep down to the core of his soul. But at the end of it all, I think it boils down to the fact that Nick Diaz clearly suffers from a psychological condition that is so severe that it debilitates him, disorients him, and I’m willing to bet at times even scares him. Somehow he finds a way to keep going.

If you haven’t figured it out yet, I have a soft spot for Nick Diaz there I said it. He had me at “beauty pageant.” It bothers me when people refer to him as classless, think of him as scum, and wishes to deny his participation in something that he loves simply because of his condition. Watch his interviews and compare the ones where he is not sitting out in front of a large crowd filled with cameras and reporters to the ones where he is. Watch him suddenly start to fidget and squirm, stutter and become flustered when he can’t find his words. Watch as his downturned eyes struggle to remain on a fixed spot when someone asks him the simplest of questions. Watch how awkwardly he smiles when he realizes that he might get into a little bit of trouble for what he is about to say, because he knows people will misinterpret it. It’s a little bit more than “classless” and “socially awkward” and “unprofessional” don’t you think? Actually it’s not any of those things; it’s just him trying his damndest not to lose his shit.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; Nick Diaz is not actively seeking to cause trouble and he’s not trying to hurt himself, his opponent (outside of the cage that is), or the UFC. He’s trying to navigate a minefield of voracious spectators dissecting his every move waiting until he fucks up again so they can say “I told you so.” Newsflash: He told us so, like many many years ago. When it comes to this popped test, it’s a non-issue. I can’t believe I’m defending a pot-head because I hate pot-heads—they’re annoying as shit and either they laugh at absolutely everything OR they force me to listen to their conspiracy theories on the Illuminati—but this particular pot-head has what basically amounts to a prescription for medical marijuana. It’s his own personal choice of treatment for whatever it is that ails him, and if he treats his ailment in his own home in his own fucking state where he has the legal permission to do so, that should not come back to haunt him 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 2 months down the line while he is obeying the rules in another state (presumably). For those who don’t understand this I will assume you don’t have first-hand knowledge of what synthetic drugs do to people who suffer from mental illness.

Doctor: “Having anxiety attacks, Nick? Here, take this Klonopin and suffer from the following side-effects of drowsiness, dizziness, unsteadiness, problems with coordination, difficulty thinking or remembering, muscle or joint pain, and blurred vision. I know you’re a cage fighter and all but that’s neither here nor there because this is approved by the NSAC. Oh, and FYI you have to take this for 6 months before you really start to benefit from the effects, and if your system doesn’t take to it very well we’ll have to change it up and try out a different drug or a combination of many drugs for another 6 months. Oh and that/those drug(s) might increase the frequency and duration of your anxiety for a while or cause intense suicidal thoughts before it actually starts working, or doesn’t LULZ!”

Nick Diaz: “I’m outta this shit.”

I know he’s supposed to promote fights but it’s not in him to do things their way all the time. It’s not that Nick cannot do it their way; it’s that he is rendered incapable of doing it their way consistently when his stress levels are peaked. He simply cracks under too much pressure. I don’t know how to solve this problem myself as he is a very unique snowflake: I feel his anxiety alone is a disability and he should have a bit of an exemption in some cases, or even be allowed to video conference. Or the UFC should construct smaller and more contained press junkets and if that’s not possible then maybe the last case scenario could leave them giving him a small fine for not fulfilling his duties of showing up to press conferences to appease the fans who take offence to that sort of thing (I don’t take any offence to that sort of thing). That’s all I got but whatever the case, releasing him from the UFC because of this is ridiculous. I say just get over it and let the motherfucker fight.

I absolutely do not buy into the idea that MMA has become boring or that game plans and fights going to decision have ruined the sport. I have thoroughly enjoyed the year in MMA so far and there are plenty of bouts that I am anticipating with childlike glee. Here's my top five.

1 - Junior Dos Santos vs Alistair Overeem

Images via chesterkickboxing and UFCdogbet

It looks like, on May 26th Junior Dos Santos should defend his Heavyweight Title against Alistair Overeem. I should not have to explain why this is going to be great, the only thing that can wrong with this fight is if it is over too quickly. Dos Santos and Overeem are the two best strikers in their division and both come into this fight on the back of great knockout victories. Dos Santos is a boxer with supreme power and Overeem is a kickboxer with brutal knees. They both have the capability to hold their own on the ground, but it is unlikely to go there. This is destined to end with a beautiful knockout.

2 - Ben Henderson vs Frankie Edgar

via 5thround

At the end of this month, the UFC takes a stacked card to Japan and the title fight between Ben Henderson and Frankie Edgar promises to be great. Edgar will be glad that this guy is not called BJ or Gray as he has fought two opponents in his last four fights. Ben Henderson faces a very different test for the champion with his insane pace and work rate and his powerful wrestling. Edgar is a decent wrestler himself and has some of the best boxing in MMA, should he be able to stand long enough to use it. Those factors, plus the fact that Frankie Edgar has been doing Rocky impressions in his past few fights, mean this is sure to entertain.

3 - Rousey vs Tate

via 5thround

Ronda Rousey talks the talk, on the 3rd of March we will see if she walks the walk. This fight is the most hyped fight in women's MMA since Gina Carano fought Cris Cyborg. There is debate about whether this is too soon for Rousey, but now that it is set it promises to be intriguing. Rousey is an olympic bronze medallist in Judo and has finished her first four MMA fights by armbar in the first minute. Miesha Tate is the newly crowned Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Champion and on a six fight win streak, including four finishes. Tate has a wrestling background and plenty of MMA experience, Rousey a Judo background and is untested at the top level.

4 - Jon Jones vs Rashad Evans

via mmamania

All being well, this fight should finally go down on April 21st in Atlanta at UFC 145. It has been a while in the making as injuries and schedules got int he way of a fight that needs to happen. Jones and Evans fell out due to friction in their camp over the eventuality of them fighting each other. Ever since, a war of words in the media has built the hype. As Evans put away Phil Davis last month with a dominating performance, he took away the last obstacle between him and Jones. Now let's hope they both make it safely to the cage in April.

5 - Anderson Silva vs Chael Sonnen

via fightmania

This June, probably in a Brazilian football stadium, Chael Sonnen is (hopefully) getting his rematch with Anderson Silva. In August of 2010, Sonnen came the close to upsetting the great Brazilian before he succumbed to to a triangle choke. A suspension, two wins and a lot of strange ranting later and Sonnen finds himself in a position to have another crack. Was Sonnen's good performance the result of his cheating? Was Anderson Silva out of sorts because of an injury or is Chael really his kryptonite? We should find out later this year.

So, what do you think? Have I left anything out or included fights that you could not care less about? Hit the comment section and let me know.

This post was first published at jiMMA.

This is not a defense of Nick Diaz.

Nick Diaz broke the rules and now he has to face whatever punishment is meted out by his employer and the Nevada State Athletic Commission. I leave the debate over what that punishment should be to a dozen other posts, and thousands of other vitriolic comments.

via www.emersonkent.com

What this is, is a defense of basic logic, and the hopefully noncontroversial premise that words have meanings that should be respected.

First, let's break down the deductive method behind the belief that Nick cheated by using marijuana:

1) Using marijuana is against the rules

2) Violating the rules is cheating

3) Nick Diaz used marijuana

Therefore

4) Nick Diaz cheated

The process of that deduction is fine, but the outcome is wrong, because one of the premises -- 2) violating the rules is cheating -- is demonstrably incorrect.

So let's talk about that premise. I've looked up cheating in every dictionary I can get my hands on, and the primary definition is, universally, some variation of the following:

"Act dishonestly to gain an advantage, esp. in a game or examination: 'she cheats at cards.'"

In all cases, the primary definition of cheating focuses around an act of deception intended to defraud or deprive another person out of something of value. Without the intent to gain an unfair advantage, the dishonest act itself is not enough to constitute cheating. So unless you can make a case that Nick Diaz smoked marijuana to gain an advantage over his opponents (and I'd be interested in seeing that logical process unfold) you can't make the case that he cheated.

So let's go back to that second premise: 2) violating the rules is cheating. It fails its own deduction.

Both of the following premises are correct

1) all rules prohibit cheating

2) some rules prohibit things that are not cheating

Therefore

3) While all cheating is rule breaking, not all rule breaking is cheating

Nick Diaz violated the rules, but he didn't cheat, and that's not just semantics. His actions are missing a critical element of willful, purposeful deception that makes cheating so odious in sport. He should be judged for his rule violations, but not against the standard of cheaters.

My comment would've been buried under the countless others but here is my opinion:

Nick Diaz has a prescription for Medical Marijuana and in terms of state law can legally carry and smoke it in California. He takes it to relieve an actual medical condition and a doctor has given him that right (yes, I'm aware of the apparent ease of getting a prescription in Cali).

Nick Diaz is a draw. I have several friends who only follow a handful of fighters and Diaz has become a favorite among them. Before this positive test showed up I was making fun of them and their bitching about Diaz being "screwed out of a decision." I actually did score it 1,2,5 for Diaz but believed, after watching the fight again, that it could have went to Condit just as easily. It wasn't anything to cry about.

Now, I find myself arguing for Diaz. Why? because posts talking about firing a fighter who was taking something medically prescribed to him has actually become a solid argument.

I'm aware Marijuana is a banned substance in the Nevada fight game. I also agree Nick Diaz should have taken more care of this issue and been more responsible. But I also believe that smoking Marijuana cannot be put in the same ball park like doing steroids, greasing, or TRT supplements. It didn't give Nick an advantage, was taken to help in his personal life (not inside the ring) and lets not kid ourselves, it's pretty much been accepted into our culture by now. I could get weed much easier than I could ever get alcohol in my teens. Shit, even now it's easier to grab an 8th than getting up and going to the liquor store.

Here's my issue. Sonnen was charged with fraud (not fight related) and increase testosterone levels (100% fight related). The man is one of the most recognizable faces in the UFC and even though his talent is very debatable, the man is popular, draws seats and is still in the UFC. Rampage Jackson goes off about Dana and also has an incident where he hits a poor women with his truck. I don't remember if she was pregnant or something, but these charges were dealt with and he's still in the UFC. GSP greased, lets not kid ourselves (and I'm a big fan), Guillard greased.

Chris Leben 2x, Thiago Silva,Sonnen, etc. These guys all did something that directly affected their performance in the ring. They knew what they were doing and they are all still employees. How can you justify firing Diaz? and don't even get me started on TRT therapy being allowed (basically doctor approved Steroids) while doctor approved Marijuana is still worth a suspension?

The firings must be standardized. That's how a socially responsible employer works. You can't just fire off peoples jobs depending on how you feel about the issue. If Diaz is to be fired for some marijuana, but all those cases above are forgotten, then the UFC is not being ethical or fair to it's employees and fans.

Here in Canada I can smoke up and have no worry about a cop arresting me. Sure it's illegal, but I'll be damned if I can remember the last time anyone I heard someone was arrested for carrying some weed (other than a buddy who had over 15lbs of it in his trunk, but that's another story). Should we really be putting Diaz on the firing line because of something almost every North American has tried at least once? Especially when he's legally allowed to do it in his state?

I agree the suspension should and will most likely stand. The damage is done, Diaz screwed up and will have to do his time. But as a fight fan, I see way too many fun fights for him in the welterweight division. He is a draw, a real fighter, an honest human being, and an exciting character to watch. His hands are great, and he comes in, in perfect, steroid free shape everytime. As a human being, I see it unjustified to see a man lose his job over such a weak positive "drug" test.