Issue 127
April 2015
Follow the elder of Stockton’s most notorious brotherhood as he prepares to wage war in Las Vegas against Anderson ‘The Spider’ Silva
JANUARY 2015
THURSDAY 15TH
Diaz is a keen and experienced triathlete as well as one of the world’s top mixed martial artists, so he takes time away from his fight camp to do some night biking with friend and training partner Kron Gracie.
SATURDAY 17TH
Diaz cheers on his long-time sparring partner and former Strikeforce middleweight champ Jake Shields, who beats Brian Foster at World Series of Fighting 17 in Las Vegas. “Congrats,” Nick posts on social media.
FRIDAY 23RD
He’s set to take on arguably the greatest striker in MMA history, so Nick knows his hands will have to be on point. With the fight just over a week away, he gets in a session at Niavaroni Kickboxing in Roseville, California.
TUESDAY 27TH
Diaz is due to catch a flight from Sacramento to Las Vegas where he is scheduled to face Anderson Silva in the UFC 183 main event on Saturday night. The timing of the flight means Nick should arrive in time for the open workouts on Wednesday, but when the plane arrives in Vegas, Diaz isn’t on board. That sparks hysteria and headlines among MMA media.
WEDNESDAY 28TH
He missed his flight, so Nick isn’t at the UFC 183 media day. “I can’t speak to why Nick decided not to get on the flight, but we’re moving on as if the fight is happening Saturday,” UFC PR head Dave Sholler tells the press. Later that day, the 209’s finest touches down in Nevada.
SATURDAY 31ST
The night of the middleweight contest has finally arrived. After a lay-off of almost two years, Diaz enters the Octagon inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena. From the opening bell, he reminds fans why he’s one of the sport’s biggest attractions by taunting the man widely regarded as MMA’s greatest of all time. After five rounds, though he is competitive throughout, Nick comes up on the losing end of a unanimous decision.
FEBRUARY 2015
TUESDAY 3RD
The Nevada State Athletic Commission confirms Anderson Silva has tested positive for steroids in an out-of-competition drug test. They also confirm Diaz has tested positive for marijuana metabolites. Both await official hearings where they are expected to receive penalties.
