Nick Diaz: ‘Japan should stay with the ring’

“It’s a little disappointing that it’s going to be in a cage and not in a ring. I enjoy fighting here in Japan under the regular Dream/Pride rules with the ring and the whole rules criteria. You know, same rules but unfortunately you’ve got to switch it around. But I usually fight in a cage anyway, you know, so it’s not any different for me.”

“I think this is the wrong idea and Japan should stay with the ring and the rules that it goes by. They shouldn’t give up what they’ve got going. I think the rest of the world should adjust to it. I think that it favors the more technical fighter and the more technical aspects of mixed martial arts and it’s going to favor the better fighter and the more mixed martial arts aspect of the sports instead of the athletic part. You know, I think it’s really important how they yellow card people and there’s no elbows. You are going to have to punch down onto your opponent and in which case the guy on the bottom can make some space and try to get up and it’s the same space that your trying to make to punch.”

“It makes for transitions, it makes for action … it makes for the martial arts. It makes for the martial arts aspect to come out in the sport and for people to see who is actually who is the best mixed martial arts fighter. That’s what’s really important.”

“I think for hundreds of years or for a much longer time, people have been fighting, professional athletes have been fighting in a ring. So it’s just the way it should be. There’s no sense in making it a cage.”