"Big Country" Comments On Big Win, Big Belly, Weird Al

Ariel Halwani of MMAFanHouse.com seems to have tracked Roy Nelson down in a hotel lobby or some sort of office building. Roy comes across slightly less self-deprecating than in his post-fight chat with Joe Rogan, which is refreshing because he deserves this moment in the spotlight. When you think about it, Roy made an incredibly bold move staking his hard-won reputation on the outcome of a reality show.

Also, Sherdog.com caught up with Jon Jones to discuss his DQ loss to Matt Hamill and where he feels he should go from here (CLICK HERE for the video). Personally, I say give Jones a fight with Brandon Vera and make it happen as soon as possible.

TUF 10 Finale: Results + Reactions

I made decent picks, but my slump will still carry over to next week's UFC 107 where I'll have another chance to break out. I went 2-3 on the main card, with my boy, Jon Jones, losing via DQ (illegal elbows). At least I scored a win in the main event. I caught some flack for taking Nelson, but he demonstrated the true value of experience tonight. My record now stands at 120-74 (%61.9) and 15-5 (%75) in main events.

Main Event

***Roy Nelson def. Brendan Schaub by KO (punch), Rd. 1

Main Card

---Matt Hamill def. Jon Jones via DQ (illegal elbow), Rd. 1
---Kimbo Slice def. Houston Alexander by Unanimous Decision
***Frank Edgar def. Matt Veach by Submission (rear naked choke), Rd. 2
---Matt Mitrione defeats Marcus Jones by KO (punches), Rd. 2

*** Correct Pick ---Incorrect Pick

Realistically, I could have foreseen that Marcus Jones' absurdly fragile chin and rudimentary boxing technique were a bad match for Matt Mitrione's very decent striking. Still, Mitrione's ground game looked terrible on T.U.F. 10, so I can't quite blame myself for picking a BJJ specialist like Jones.

I was spot on that Houston Alexander work leg kicks early against "Kimbo Slice" before going for a finish via knees; however, I was wrong to think it would work. As we all saw, "Kimbo" weathered the early storm...well...it wasn't actually a storm...the early sprinkle? He went on to dominate round two. Personally, I had Alexander winning round three, and thus the fight, but it wasn't a horrible decision.

Frankie Edgar was in a tough spot tonight against an unknown, undefeated fighter in Matt Veach. Like a true contender, he found a way to win. In fact, aside from Veach's impressive slams in round one, "The Answer" turned in a near-flawless performance. His boxing looked crisp yet again, but I still have lingering doubts about his size.

Jon Jones looked every bit the world-beater I thought he was as he put an unprecedented hurting on Matt Hamill. Jones beat Hamill standing, owned him at wrestling, and damn near decapitated him on the ground. Really, the fight could have been stopped earlier due to the cuts bleeding into Hamill's eyes. Unfortunately, it continued long enough for Jones to get frustrated and eventually lose by DQ. Were the elbows illegal? Certainly. Did they have any bearing on the outcome? No way. Oh well, at least Hamill's record is now balanced out for that awful decision he lost to Mike Bisping.

What can be said about Roy Nelson? He took Bendan Schaub down just like I thought he would and proved too crafty on the feet for the promising youngster. Still, I have serious doubts that he can hang with the elite of the UFC's heavyweight division. How would "Big Country" deal with the strength and reach of Todd Duffee or Junior Dos Santos, for example?

Undercard

James McSweeney def. Darrill Schoonover by TKO (knees and punched), Rd. 3
Jon Madsen def. Justin Wren by Split Decision
John Howard def. Dennis Hallman by KO (punch), Rd. 3
Brian Stann def. Rodney Wallace by Unanimous Decision
Mark Bocek def. Joe Brammer by Submission (rear naked choke), Rd. 1

For the record, I am greatly underwhelmed by the choices of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz as coaches for The Ultimate Fighter 11. After all, these two have a combined one victory since they fought each other in 2006! Besides, Liddell smashed Ortiz in both previous meetings. I predict epic failure in the ratings for the show and the eventual fight, which should air on Spike for free if the UFC knows what's good for it.

TUF 10 Live Finale: Main Card Predictions

My overall prediction record was battered a bit by UFC 105 and 106, but all I can do now is dust myself off and try to learn from my mistakes. With that in mind, I'm here to breakdown the main card of Saturday's T.U.F. 10 Live Finale. My overall prediction record now stands at 118-71 (%62.4), and 14-5 (%73.7) in main events.

Ranked Fighters Include (USA Today/SBN Poll):
Roy Nelson (#25 HW), Jon Jones (#15 LHW), Matt Hamill (#20 LHW), and Frankie Edgar (#5 LW)

Main Event:

Roy "Big Country" Nelson (-250) vs. Brendan Schaub (+190)

Heading into T.U.F. 10, most hardcore MMA fans saw Roy "Big Country" Nelson (13-4) as the clear favourite. Everyone else probably thought he looked more like a competitive-eating champion than a high-level mixed martial artist. There's just no way around it, Nelson looks nothing like a prototypical fighter. Then again, it's also impossible to deny either his career successes or how easily he ran through the T.U.F. 10 field. That said, Nelson faces a stern challenge in Brendan Schaub (4-0) who will try to keep the fight standing where he feels he has an advantage. I expect Nelson will eventually want to take it to the ground looking for his trademarked belly-to-face crucifix. It pains me to pick Roy Nelson because I believe that Schaub's size and raw talent may one day enable him to deal handily with the likes of "Big Country." Right now though, Nelson is too well-rounded, while Shaub's takedown defense remains too shaky.

I'm taking Nelson as my straight-up pick, but that didn't stop me from laying a bit of cash down on Schaub. Mostly because I see his odds line as the only one worth wagering on at this event.

Nelson By Unanimous Decision


Jon "Bones" Jones (-325) vs. Matt "The Hammer" Hamill (+250)

Speaking of live underdogs, many argue that Matt Hamill's (7-2) wrestling ability could neutralize Jon Jones (9-0) en route to an upset victory. Besides, they say, there's no way Jones' flashy,unorthodox style can work on everyone. Those arguments would be more convincing if Jon Jones hadn't also enjoyed a successful amateur wrestling career, which should greatly diminish Hamill's only apparent advantage. Also, Hamill's wrestling base is Freestyle while Jones' is Greco-Roman. Meaning that, if Jones can stuff some of Hamill's double-leg attempts, and I think he can, he should have a significant advantage in the clinch and along the fence. As for Jones' creativity being a liability-- I guess I'll have to believe that when we see it. So far, all I have ever seen is that Jones is much faster than Hamill, with a wider array of effective strikes, and a significant reach advantage.

I'll take Jonny "Bones" in this one-- think Franklin vs. Hamill from UFC 88 only with more spinning-back-elbows.

Jones by TKO, Rd. 2


Houston "The Nebraskan Assassin" Alexander (-295) vs. Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson (+235)

First, strip away all the "Kimbo Slice" (3-1) hype. Now, forget about how many fair weather fans Houston Alexander (9-4) has lost since his last octagon win at UFC 75. What you're left with is a pair of powerful, one-dimensional, strikers meeting to determine who is really better at what they do. Both will look to finish the other quickly and brutally, which is a likely outcome since neither possesses a particularly stalwart chin. The difference is that Houston Alexander is in better health and has a vastly larger arsenal of strikes. The presence of arthritis in "Kimbo's" knees was well documented throughout the second half of T.U.F. 10, and is exactly the type of information you wouldn't want leaked to a proficient Muay Thai striker like Alexander. On top of that, "Slice" has repeatedly complained to the media about the difficulty he had in cutting down to their catch-weight of 215lbs. "Kimbo" will come out looking to trade shots, but he might just end up getting picked apart.
Houston should use leg kicks to weaken "Slice" before unleashing knees from the clinch, but he can likely hold his own in a brawl, too, since he only really has to avoid "Kimbo's" hands.

Alexander by TKO, Rd. 2


Frankie "The Answer" Edgar (-650) vs. Matt Veach (+450)

Frankie Edgar (10-1) is easily among the world's best lightweights with wins over Tyson Griffin, Spencer Fisher, Hermes Franca, and former UFC champion Sean Sherk. His wrestling has always been top-notch and he has silenced questions about his strength and striking ability in recent fights. "The Answer" was set to fight fellow contender Kurt Pelligrino at the T.U.F. 10 Live Finale before "Batman" pulled out with an injury. As a result, "The Answer" was forced to settle for lesser-known Matt Veach. Veach trains at Matt Hughes' HIT Squad Gym and could have a shot if Edgar foolishly underestimates him. Another powerful wrestler, the undefeated Veach has only been to decision once in his entire career, while Edgar is certainly not known as a closer. That could give Veach plenty of time to look for a finish.

A value bet on Veach makes some sense here if you like slim-chance gambles, but Edgar's game is most likely too refined for an inexperienced prospect to cause him many problems.

Edgar By Unanimous Decision


Marcus "The Darkness" Jones (-340) vs. Matt Mitrione (+260)

These two both went deep into the T.U.F. 10 tournament, but only Marcus"The Darkness" Jones (4-1) truly endeared himself to the fans. So much so that the entire MMA-nation seemed to shed a collective tear for "Big Baby" when he was bludgeoned into unconsciousness by Brendan Schaub in the semi-finals. The grudge aspect of this fight makes so little sense that it's almost not worth mentioning. Basically, Jones was furious because Mitrione hurt Scott Junk while the two were fighting. Go figure that one out. The fight itself is an interesting stylistic match up that pits the formidable striking of former-NFL scrub Matt Mitrione against the highly-technical Jui-Jitsu of former NFL first-round draft pick Marcus Jones. Marcus has a size and strength advantage that should make the difference in this fight, not to mention that Mitrione has about as much of a gas tank as an electric car.

Look for "Big" Marcus to utilize one of his bear-hug takedowns to haul Mitrione to the canvas. If Matt's fight with James McSweeney taught us anything, Mitrione won't last long from there.

Jones by Submission, Rd. 1

I realize I picked all favourites on this card. I usually try to avoid doing that just for the sake of sport, but there weren't any underdogs I could quite pull the trigger on this time. I think the main event is the closest fight on the card, though, which is exactly the way it should be.

MMA Programming: MFC 23 and K-1 World GP Both Air Tonight on HDNet

I know many people out there don't receive HDNet, but if you do there are a pair of great events on tonight.

The first is Maximum Fighting Championship 23 from Edmonton, Alberta. It airs live on HDNet starting at 7:00pm PST and features several UFC veterans including Jason "The Athlete" MacDonald and former MW #1 contender Thales Leites. As always, the card also features slew of up-and-coming Canadian stars. Click HERE to see the complete card.

Also airing tonight, live from Japan at 12:00am PST, is the K-1 World GP Final. Given that there's no ground game, K-1 is not technically MMA, but, this year, successful MMA fighter and Strikeforce's heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem [pictured above] is in the mix. I like his chances to move to the second round and, from there, it's anyone's guess. I don't watch many of the K-1 events, but I always try to catch the World GP. It's an eight-man, single-night tournament featuring all of the promotion's best fighters from around the globe, meaning the winner must defeat three world-class strikers in one night. It's pretty intense.

The K-1 GP will be replayed on HDNet this Saturday following the T.U.F. 10 Finale on Spike. That's a great option for those who prefer not to stay up until 4:00am watching fights, which is understandable...I suppose. In fact, I may just wait until tomorrow myself. So, if I don't post for 24-hours after this evening it will be because I've imposed a media blackout on myself in order to avoid seeing the results. Apologies in advance.

Rampage Is Coming Back...Anyone Surprised?

Quinton Jackson's "retirement" was a blatant cry for media attention to begin with, so it should surprise no one that he has announced his return to the UFC in 2010 and his intention to fight Rashad Evans.

"I've noticed that the UFC & TUF have some fans brainwashed or something. They still haven't realized yet that the TV show is just a TV show. I did my job by entertaining people and if you ever paid any attention to me, that's what I'm known for doing.

Now, I wanted to let my fans know that I'm going to come back to the UFC & finish my contract. Not because the haters are talking shit about me being scared of Rashad or Titties or anybody else. I'm coming back for my fans & to shut Rashad's mouth up & shut Dana's mouth up. Then after that I'm going back to doing movies & I might do a boxing match once a year just to stay in shape. Hate on dis!"

There are, however, some interesting aspects to this "news."

First, how will this fight be affected by the outcome of Rashas Evans vs. Thiago Silva at UFC 108? In terms of rankings it would make sense for "Rampage" to simply fight the winner, but the fight with Rashad has been so heavily hyped already that it would be financially irresponsible not to set it up. Here's the thing, though: what if Rashad gets destroyed by Silva early in their fight? That would mean that, in his last two fights, Rashad would have been finished by both Lyoto Machida and another guy that Machida has destroyed--putting him a couple notches below the top of the division. They'd probably set up Rashad vs. "Rampage anyway, but it wouldn't be nearly as exciting. Of course, if Rashad beats Silva this match becomes huge with the winner possibly earning a title shot.

That brings up a new issue, though. The way Jackson is talking, it sounds like he wouldn't even want to fight for the belt because winning it would seriously hamper his budding film career. How serious is he about all that? For that matter, how many jobs can "Rampage" really find in Hollywood? Is he the next Dwayne Johnson, or just the next Hulk Hogan in tinsel town? We'll have to wait until after the release of "The A-Team" to find out. I'm encouraged by the fact that the picture above looks totally lame, though. It would have been much smarter if the director had just let "Rampage" play the role as his hilarious, 21st-century self rather than allowing him to mug about as a pathetically dated caricature of Mr. T. That mohawk looks ridiculous.

UFC Signs Pair Of Intriguing Fights: Dos Santos vs. Yvel (UFC 108); Jardine vs. Bader (UFC 110)

Tatame.com is reporting that Gilbert "The Hurricane" Yvel (36-13-1, #22 HW [pictured here]) has been booked as an opponent for surging, young heavyweight Junior "Cigano" Dos Santos (9-1, #5 HW) at UFC 108 (Jan. 2nd, 2010).

"Cigano," last seen pummeling Mirko "Cro Cop" into blindness at UFC 103, was originally set to face Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 108 before "Napao" pulled out with a staph infection. The Gilbert Yvel booking is interesting given that Yvel is not currently a member of the UFC's heavyweight division. He was last seen by most MMA fans in a losing effort against Josh Barnett, at Affliction: Day Of Reckoning, in early 2009. Since then, "The Hurricane" scored a first round KO over always-tough Pedro Rizzo to bring his record to 8-2 in his last ten with every victory by way of stoppage. It's worth noting that Yvel's ferocious style has led multiple DQ losses in his career, though he seems to have cleaned up his act.

In other scheduling news, Sydney, Australia's UFC 110 (Feb. 21st, 2010) now features Keith "The Dean Of Mean" Jardine (15-6-1, #12 LHW ) facing ever-improving, T.U.F. 8 winner Ryan "Darth" Bader (10-0). Jardine will attempt to herky-jerk his way to a career-salvaging victory, while Bader looks to use a win over Jardine to vault himself into the contenders discussion at LHW.

"T.U.F 10 Live Finale" Media Blow-Out

"The Ultimate Fighter 10 Live Fianle" airs live on SpikeTV this Saturday (Dec. 5th) at 6:00pm PST. It will be replayed at 10:00 pm PST. To get everyone amped up for the T.U.F. 10 Live Finale, B.C. MMA Fan has rounded up some of the best videos and interviews about Saturday's fights.

Probably the most in-depth preview of the main card available anywhere is: RIGHT HERE. It's an episode of a weekly, online recap show put together by Spike. The show is called "The Aftermath" and features T.U.F. 7 winner Amir Sodallah as the host. This week he's joined by T.U.F 8 winner Ryan Bader and T.U.F. 1 finalist Stephan Bonnar.

This breakdown of Jon Jones vs. Matt Hamill was posted earlier in the week, but here is it is again in case you missed it. It features Joe Rogan's commentary and a slick package of career highlights from both fighters.

But wait, there's more:

T.U,F 10 Season Finale Reactions + Live Finale Matches

I wasn't surprised that "Kimbo" didn't agree to fight, he had expressed concern the week before about his knees and didn't appear to be in the necessary psychological state to fight.

John McSweeny looked okay against Matt Mitrione, but he seems to lack power in his hands and got way too cocky-- sticking out his chin and getting drilled for it. His array of kicks and knees is impressive, but his defense seems pretty porous. McSweeney cleared the quarter-finals by taking Mitrione to the mat, but neither really looked like a world-beater on the ground. I wasn't surprised when, in the semi-finals, Roy Big "Country" Nelson picked McSweeney apart and eventually finished him inside of a round.

Marcus "The Darkness" Jones used his excellent grappling and sheer size to overwhelm Darrill Schoonover. That set up a semi-final showdown with Brendan Schaub. I liked Schaub going in, but have to admit I was a bit worried when Jones secured full-mount. Eventually though, Schaub proved powerful enough to buck the big man off. He then rocked Jones standing and began frantically raining down to earn an impressive first-round TKO.

Overall, season ten of 'The Ultimate Fighter" was a bit of a hot mess, with several fights so atrocious (McSweeney vs. Shiver; Mitrione vs. Junk, Madsen vs. Wagner ) they were actually hard to watch. That said, it also had its moments. Besides, T.U.F. rarely features heavyweights specifically because the talent field is markedly thinner and they generally need a full training camp to avoid gassing. Educated fans know this, so it's a bit disingenuous to act surprised over substandard fight quality. Plus, in Shaub and Nelson, the UFC's heavyweight division now features two additional fairly legit, outside contenders, which is about the most you can hope for from any season of T.U.F.

Immediately after the show, the remaining fights for this Saturday's live finale were announced on SpikeTV. They include, the final tournament round between Brendan Schaub and Roy "Big Country" Nelson, a grudge match between Marcus Jones and Matt Mitrione, and two under card bouts: John Madsen vs. Justin Wren and Darrill Schoonover vs John McSweeney. Schoonover, who "Rampage" Jackson maliciously called "Titties" throughout the season, has been called to return to active duty because of the American military build-up in Afghanistan, so it would be nice to see him get a win here. Of course, it would also be nice to see him lose the forty-odd pounds of fat he is carrying and fight at light heavyweight where he clearly belongs.

The Live Finale card looks like this:

Heavyweight Finals:
Roy "Big Country Nelson vs. Brendan Shaub

Main Card (Guaranteed To Air on Spike):
Jon Jones vs. Matt Hamill
Frankie Edgar vs. Matt Veach
Houston Alexander vs. Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson
Marcus Jones vs. Matt Mitrione

Under Card:
James McSweeney vs. Darrill Schoonover
Jon Madsen vs. Justin Wren
Dennis Hallman vs. John Howard
Brian Stann vs. Rodney Wallace
Mark Bocek vs. Joe Brammer

I'll be back with main card predictions before the T.U.F. 10 Finale, which airs this Saturday (Dec. 5th) on SpikeTV. The three hour broadcast begins at 6:00pm PST and will be replayed at 10:00 pm PST.

T.U.F. 10 Final Episode: 2 Hours, 4 Fights, Airs Tonight

The final episode of The Ultimate Fighter 10: Heavyweights (T.U.F. 10) will air today at 6PM/PST and again at 8:00PM/PST on Spike TV. It's a massive two-hour event that features the remaining two fights of the quarter-finals and both semifinals match-ups for a total of four fights.

The two fighters that began the season with the most hype from hardcore MMA fans, Roy Nelson (13-4) and Brendan Shaub (4-0), are already through to the semi-finals and are awaiting their opponents.

The first quarterfinals match on Wednesday will be between rugged kick boxer, James McSweeney (3-4) and total headcase/former NFL player, Matt Mitrione (0-0). The word is that Mitrione may be unable to fight due to a head injury and that "Kimbo Slice" (3-1) may step up to take his place, but that could also just be marketing hype. The other quarterfinal match is between massive, submissions fighter, Marcus "The Darkness" Jones (4-1) who is sometimes called "Big Baby" for his mild mannered personality, and Darril Schoonover (10-0) who "Rampage" Jackson has relentless called "Titties" for his obvious man-boobs.

It's clear that SpikeTV and the UFC wanted to have a big finish just three days out from the T.U.F. 10 Finale on Saturday December, 5th. Even if you haven't been watching much of this season, tonight would be a good time to catch up and to get a primer for Saturday's live finale. As usual, the best fighters have definitely made it to the end.

Joe Rogan Breaks Down Saturday's Hamill vs. Jones

The UFC's ringside commentator Joe Rogan breaks-down Jon "Bones" Jones vs. Matt "The Hammer" Hamill, alongside an awesome highlight package, in a video available on SpikeTV.com. Find the video: RIGHT HERE.

That fight will be the co-main event at this Saturday's "The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale." Keep in mind that the participants in the main event, a showdown for the coveted UFC contract, along with several other filler fights featuring T.U.F. 10 cast members, will be announced following T.U.F. 10's season finale. That two-hour, four-fight, face-bashing bonanza airs this Wednesday (Dec 2nd) at 6:00pm on Spike.

What we know already is that the co-main event fight is a real doozie. Jon Jones (9-0) is easily among MMA's most highly regarded prospects with a flashy style that nearly defies physics. The undefeated Jones has already spinning-elbowed and suplexed his way through three UFC opponents. Now he'll meet his stiffest test to date in the reliable and ever-improving Matt Hamill (7-2), an insanely strong wrestler with a growing penchant for nasty knock-outs. A win here marks either fighter as a certified bad-ass and a legit light heavyweight title contender.

Saturday`s T.U.F. 10 Finale card also features the official UFC debut of Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson (3-1) who will square off against Houston "The Nebraskan Assassin"Alexander. The two share a similar approach to MMA-- they generally swing wildly for the fences until somebody in the cage loses consciousness. Unsurprisingly, both fighters have reaped mixed result from their brawl-first-ask-questions-later style.

So far, the announced card looks like this, but, again, more matches will be added by this Thursday morning. Expect a breakdown and predictions before the fights, right here on BCMMAFan:

Main event:

265 lbs.: TUF Finalist No. 1 vs. TUF Finalist No. 2

Main card (Televised):

205 lbs.: Matt "The Hammer" Hamill (7-2) vs. Jon "Bones" Jones (9-0)
155 lbs.: Frankie "The Answer" Edgar (10-1) vs. Matt Veach (14-4)
185 lbs.: Lucio "Spartan" Linhares (13-4) vs. Rousimar "Toquinho" Palhares (9-2)

Under card (May not be broadcast):

170 lbs.: Dennis "Superman" Hallman (41-12-2) vs. John "Doomsday" Howard(12-4)
155 lbs.: Mark Bocek (7-2) vs. Joe Brammer (7-0-1)

Marquardt vs. Belfort Rumoured For UFC 109

After TKO'ing Rich Franklin inside a round at UFC 103, Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort (19-8) was scheduled, some say undeservedly, to meet Anderson Silva for the middleweight title at UFC 109. Luckily for idealists everywhere, a nagging elbow injury has sidelined "The Spider" and, according to CagePotato, it now appears likely that Belfort will face Nate "The Great" Marquardt (29-8-2[seen with his hommies above]) in a true number-one-contender match.

Marquardt, fresh off a pair of dominant 2009 victories over Wilson Gouveia and Demian Maia, was set to fight Chael Sonnen, but that fight was scrapped in favour of a showdown with Belfort. It's a bit of a shame for Sonnen, who looked amazing in his domination of Yushin Okami at UFC 104, but Nate is looking for his second shot at Anderson Silva's belt and, right now, that road goes through Belfort. Marquardt mounted very little offence in his first encounter with Silva back in July 2007, but Nate "The Great" appears to have matured and developed a great deal since then.

In other UFC 109 news, Josh Koschek (14-4) vs. Paulo Thiago (12-1) II has been tentatively scheduled. It's a rematch of one of the biggest upsets of 2009. In their first fight, Koscheck was winning handily before a sloppy-looking, though evidently powerful, left hook from Thiago landed flush on Koscheck's chin. The infamously yellow-fro'ed wrestler, who was getting a bit overconfident with his developing stand-up game, went down like he'd been shot, but claims it was an early stoppage. Following his co-main event appearance at UFC 106, in which he choked out Anthony "Rumble" Johnson, Koscheck claimed that he was deserving of his first welterweight title shot. Avenging his dramatic TKO loss to Thiago would go a long way toward realizing that ambition. After also securing a win, over Jacob Volkmann, on the main card of UFC 106, Paulo Thiago will be a much more marketable commodity for the Koscheck rematch.

The CSAC Introduces "The Nick Diaz Rule"

The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) has announced that even if a fighter holds a valid medical marijuana card, they still can't compete in the Golden State with any remnants of the substance in their blood. This is being aptly referred to as "The Nick Diaz Rule" since obtaining a license to smoke up was his latest attempt to thwart the CSAC.

According to the commission:

"Marijuana is a banned substance pursuant to Rule 303 and that any positive drug test may result in discipline. … The California Supreme Court has weighed in on 'medical marijuana' in the employment context and has found that an employer may discipline an employee for off-duty medical marijuana use. The court found that the Compassionate Use Act did not legalize marijuana use per se, but merely provided a defense to criminal charges under particular circumstances."

With this move, a new chapter has been added to the ongoing feud between Nick Diaz (20-7) and the country's various athletic commissions. They've been at odds for years over what Nick feels is his right to smoke-- while the commissions feels it is their duty to stop him. One of the more noteworthy events in this years-long battle came in early 2007 when the Nevada State Athletic Commission stripped Nick Diaz of what was arguably his biggest career win over Japanese lightweight sensation Takanori Gomi (31-5), who was ranked, at the time, among the very best in the world at 155lbs. Diaz finished Gomi with an exotic gogoplata submission in the second round, only to have the fight ruled a No Contest when it reportedly became known that his THC levels were so high that he had probably smoked marijuana on the day of the fight.

According to Nick's longtime friend and head-trainer Ceasar Gracie, in comments to MMAWeekly, what Diaz is doing isn't simple rebellion, it's a civil rights movement:

"I can't stop him. He's an adult man...What can you do, man? Rosa Parks wasn't supposed to ride in the front of the bus. She was supposed to be in the back of that bus. Nick is the Rosa Parks of MMA."

Given B.C.'s reputation as a mecca for Nick Diaz's beloved buds, there is little doubt that at least a few of you out there can sympathize with his plight.