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Diaz appearing at Stocktoncon on Sunday
nick diaz
Nick Diaz

In the world of mixed martial arts, Nick Diaz is a local product with a much-accomplished resume.

His two Ultimate Fighting Championship battles with Conor McGregor are epic.

Diaz, a former Strikeforce, WEC and IFC welterweight champion, will be among the special guests at this weekend’s StocktonCon Summer at the Stockton Arena, 248 W. Fremont St.

The 39-year-old Diaz is scheduled to be there on Sunday.

Along with the many special guests, StocktonCon, presented by Utility Telecom, is celebrating its 10th year, and will again feature over 200 exhibitors coupled with an array of artists, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both days.

The deadline for pre-sale tickets is Thursday – that’s $20 for both days at various locations or online (click on to http://stocktoncon.com/tickets-2).

A one-day pre-sale ticket cis available online-only for $16.

Children 12 and under are free with a paid adult.

After that, cost is $20 for single day, $30 for both days, paid at the door.

According to organizer Mike Millerick, StocktonCon has come a long way from that first go-around 10 years ago.

It started off as a one-day event in 2012 at the University of the Pacific’s Spanos Center. Much to Millerick’s surprise, the fan support turned out to be overwhelming.

The following year, StocktonCon was moved to its current downtown location, evolving to a two-day event held twice a year.

A portion of the proceeds are earmarked for local charities – StocktonCon has provided $180,000 in donations since its inception.

One of the highlights on Saturday is the annual StocktonCon Costume Contest, beginning at 4 p.m. The Kids Costume Contest is scheduled at the same time on Sunday.

The Supreme Pro Wrestling will take place outdoors while the Super Smash Bros. video game tournaments along with the Collectible Card Gaming including Magic the Gathering and a coloring area will be held indoors.

Special guests list also consist of Ron Perlman (Hellboy, Sons of Anarchy / Saturday only), Ryan Hurst (Sons of Anarchy, Walking Dead), Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite, Blades of Glory), Ed Begley Jr. (Young Sheldon, Better Call Saul / Sunday only), John Layfield (JBL-WWE Hall of Fame), Mickie James (WWE Hall of Fame), Thunder Rosa (AEW Women’s Champion), Maria Canals Barrera (Wizards of Waverly Place, Justice League), Debbe Dunning (Home Improvements, Leprechaun 4), and Karyn Parsons (Fresh Prince of Bel Air), to name a few.

Manteca High product Ramon Villalobos (What if Age of Ultron, Secret Wars), Arthur Adams (Fantastic Four, Batman), and Bill Morrison (The Simpsons, Futurama, Roswell) will be among the special guest creators.

For more information, log on to http://stocktoncon.com or http://facebook.com/stocktoncon.