Nick Diaz Plans Premiere of New Promotion Pending Temporary License Approval in California

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UFC welterweight Nick Diaz plans to add the title of promoter to his resume this summer.

Sherdog.com verified with a source close to the event that Diaz and his camp are in the process of creating a new, Stockton, Calif.-based promotion called War Mixed Martial Arts. The fighter has already reserved a website address and Twitter handle for Nick Diaz Promotions, and Sherdog.com confirmed with California State Athletic Commission Executive Director Andy Foster that Diaz is currently applying for a temporary promoter’s license.

Once all mandatory paperwork has been submitted, Foster said, the onus will fall on Foster to grant Diaz the temporary license. According to Sherdog.com’s source, the Diaz camp is targeting a June 22 event date at the Stockton Arena and also has plans to stream the event live on the Internet. However, Diaz cannot apply for that date and location through the CSAC until his temporary license is granted. If the temp license is awarded and the first War MMA event runs smoothly, Diaz could then appear before the CSAC at the next official meeting and apply for a full promoter’s license, Foster said.

Diaz, 29, has lost back-to-back title fights after besting B.J. Penn in his 2011 UFC return. Diaz was outpointed by Carlos Condit in an interim title clash last year, after which he tested positive for marijuana metabolites and received a one-year suspension from the Nevada Athletic Commission. The Californian then returned to the cage this past March to challenge longtime belt holder Georges St. Pierre for the undisputed title at UFC 158 but was once again outpointed in a unanimous judges’ verdict.