It’s been a rough go-round for Alex Nicholson (14-9) in the past few years, but with ventures outside of the sport he loves, he’s determined to march right back to prominence.
“Technically, I’m still not cleared through the Nevada State Athletic Commission,” Nicholson said. “Mississippi allowed me to compete in bareknuckle MMA, and I’m going to be able to compete in Santa Domingo, but when I got popped in Vegas about two-and-a-half years ago, they handed me a four-year suspension.”
Nicholson is very upfront about the PED suspension that he received in 2019 but comes clean about the fact that there was far more in his system than steroids. It was the wakeup call he needed, and despite turning his life around, he’s still facing the music so that he can one day return to the sport he loves.
“We’ve been doing everything we can with the Nevada State Athletic Commission to appeal,” Nicholson said. “I’ve offered tests and blood, but I’ve still been banned from fighting and competing. Then again, a lot of things have changed in my life. COVID also made it very hard. You can’t really appeal to a commission that’s shut down.”
Nicholson has remained determined to stay active in any way, shape or form. Ventures into other combat sports he’s never been known for have become the norm for the former UFC middleweight, and if he’s showed the world anything, it’s that he’s still a fighter to keep an eye on.
Next up, he competes at Sunday’s Titan FC 75 event in the Dominican Republic, which streams live on UFC Fight pass.
“I think being honest and transparent about everything that’s happened in my life and taking this fight for a kickboxing title just shows that I’m still eager to compete and I’m still one of the best in the world,” Nicholson said. “I also just won a grappling tournament. Fighting this guy is going to show there’s levels to this.”
Nicholson claims his partying days are behind him, as well as his PED days. If Nicholson was able to earn a ‘W’ in the pinnacle of the sport back then, what threat does he possess now?
He assures the entire sport that if you thought he was a tough night out before, avoid him in his prime.
“I’m 31 now and my record is already what a legend in the sport would have,” Nicholson said. “I think I’m going to be unstoppable. I’ve trained with guys at the highest level of the sport and I still do at Fusion. The guys at the highest level say the same thing. They all say that I’m at the highest level of the sport. It’s time to have the opportunity to go prove that.”
This story first published at UFC.com.
