UFC News 2016: Veteran Nick Diaz Only Wants Big Fights; UFC Fails To Get New York MMA Sanction Anew
Mixed martial arts veteran and former welterweight title contender Nick Diaz is only interested in "big fights."
The 32-year-old Stockton, California native, and one-half of the infamous Diaz brothers, last saw action in January 2015 at UFC 183, against former long-time middleweight champion Anderson Silva.
After the said bout, both men tested positive for illicit substances: Silva for anabolic steroids and Diaz for marijuana metabolites. The Nevada Athletic Commission then slapped the former with a one-year suspension, while the latter got a graver sentence of five years.
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However, Diaz's sentence had been recently reduced to just 18 months. In a recent interview with MMA Mayhem TV, Diaz spoke about his current situation while still on the sidelines. According to him, his focus is mostly on guiding his younger brother Nate, who is still actively fighting in the UFC.
But with regards to his own immediate future, the elder Diaz says he is no longer willing to take on small-time matches.
"I'm just working on the rest of the people I'm training with, on their camps," Diaz said. "And then we gotta establish who I'll be fighting next. I'm only trying to go big, I'm not trying to do no small fights."
The report adds that Diaz's current layoff has been the longest period of inactivity he has had for his entire career.
Meanwhile, the UFC has once again failed to achieve progress in their campaign to have mixed martial arts fights legalized in New York City.
In a report by Zane Simon for Bloody Elbow, the recent injunction filed by the company that would finally give them a chance to hold an event in New York for 2016 has been denied.
Three men were mentioned in the injuncton: Attorney General of New York State Eric Schneiderman, Commissioner and Chairman of the New York State Liquor Authority Vincent G. Bradley, and Commissioner of the New York State Liquor Authority Kevin Kim. However, it was Federal Judge Kimba Wood who gave the verdict.
Because of this, the UFC's planned April 23rd event at the Madison Square Garden is not expected to push through.
