MMA Weekly Wrap Up - Mixed Martial Arts News - MMA News - Roger Gracie to the UFC - The Blackzilians - Nick Diaz Failed Drug Test

MMA Weekly Wrap Up

Mixed Martial Arts Betting and Odds
Feb 20, 2012 by Dan Sofia

It has been a busy week in the MMA world, on Saturday news broke from GracieMag that Heavyweight Rodger Gracie was being called up from Strikeforce to the UFC. 


Rodger Gracie would be the most decorated Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighter to ever enter the UFC with 10 IBJJF World Championships and two ADCC gold medals.  Later Dana White confirmed that Gracie was NOT signed by the UFC.


We also learned this week that UFC Heavyweight #1 contender Alistair Overeem has become the newest member of the newly formed Blackzilians gym in Boca Raton, Florida. Overeem will join fellow Blackzilian members Rashad Evans, Melvin Guillard, Jorge Santiago, Miguel Torres, Eddie Alvarez, Anthony Johnson and others. 


Overeem will be fighting Junior Dos Santos for the UFC Heavyweight Championship the target date is May 26th at UFC 146. 


After UFC on Fuel TV 1 Wednesday night the UFC has now confirmed that going forward all main events will be five rounds.  Up until this point only title fights and non title PPV main events were five rounds.  UFC president Dana White addressed the media Wednesday night following the Diego Sanchez Jake Elleberger fight admitting the UFC “Blew it.”  "We blew it tonight. It should have been a five-round fight." 


Several fans and experts feel that if the fight would have gone two more rounds that Sanchez could have pulled out the come from behind victory.


In yet another crazy turn in the Nick Diaz failed drug test due to marijuana, the Nevada State Athletic Commission is undecided with the disciplinary actions they will take on Diaz. 


Diaz has admitted in the past he attempted to flush traces of cannabis out of his system in order to pass drug tests. 


According to (NSAC) Executive Director Keith Kizer, Diaz had another option: due to the fact that Diaz lives in California and has a legal prescription for medicinal marijuana he could have come to the commission and applied for therapeutic exemption. 


The exemption would require the applicant to apply a few weeks prior to the fight date and cannot be given retroactively.  This is the second failed test for Diaz in 5 years.  


It will be interesting to see what disciplinary actions are taken by both the Nevada State Athletic Commission and the UFC.

Dan Sofia Follow on twitter: dansofia77