Press Release – Stockton, CA: Stockton native and UFC headliner Nick Diaz will launch his new promotion, WAR MMA, on Saturday, June 22nd at 5pm at the Stockton Arena. Tickets go on sale Wednesday, May 29th at 10am.
The card will be headlined by UFC veteran Daniel Roberts (13-4), facing off against Justin Baesman (12-4), The fight will be co-headlined by UFC and WEC vet Antonio Banuelos against up and comer Benny Vinson. The fight card will also feature Caleb Mitchell (4-3) vs. Evan Esguerra, (7-5), Roy Boughton vs. Liron Wilson, Mike Persons vs. Clayton “Money Shot” McKinney, and Darin Cooley vs. Cody Gibson. More bouts will be announced in the upcoming days. (Card subject to change.)
Nick Diaz, a former WEC and Strikeforce welterweight (170 lbs) champion, has headlined three UFC PPV cards (UFC 137, UFC 143, and UFC 158) since his return to the organization in 2011. He has previously fought in Pride and Elite XC (including a fight at the Stockton Arena) amongst other MMA promotions. This experience with multiple organizations gave Nick an interest to start his own promotion.
Bouts in WAR will be fought under the Unified Rules of MMA, modified to use a ring instead of a cage and disallowing elbow strikes to a grounded opponent. These rules are in place to encourage grapplers to advance their position instead of stalling. Regular matches will be three, five minute rounds, and future championship matches will five, five minute rounds.
For ticket and other information, please visit www.Stocktonlive.com and www.NickDiazPromotions.com. Fighters interested in competing in upcoming WAR events are encouraged to submit their contact information at www.NickDiazPromotions.com.