Matt Riddle recently found himself on the outside looking in when the UFC released him following his second positive test for marijuana after winning his fight at UFC on Fuel 7 in England.
The former The Ultimate Fighter competitor first tested positive for the banned substance in 2012 at UFC 149. After facing a brief suspension, he returned to action and a win at UFC 154 last November.
Riddle is a legally licensed medical marijuana user in his home state of Nevada, but the drug remains on the banned list for all athletic competitions. After he tested positive for the drug a second time, the UFC opted to release him from his contract.
Addressing the subject on Thursday, UFC president Dana White said the reasons behind Riddle’s release go beyond simply testing positive for marijuana.
“Everybody’s going to have an excuse of why they were cut. Matt Riddle did an interview before that fight where he said ‘I smoke weed so that I don’t beat my children’ then he tests positive for it. He’s a f—king moron,” White said following the UFC 158 pre-fight press conference.
“That’s why he’s not here. He’s cut because he’s a moron.”
The interview in question comes from Riddle in early February, when he spoke to MMAMania.com about his marijuana use.
“It makes me happy. Honestly, it probably keeps me from beating my three kids because they’re always screaming and crying at me and my wife’s crazy and you know what life’s like,” Riddle stated.
The end result of Riddle’s pre-fight commentary along with his positive drug test results have landed him with a pink slip from the UFC. Following his release, Riddle stated in an interview that he would not return to the UFC even if he were asked to return after a few fights outside the organization.
“What I see happening is, a year or two from now the UFC calls me back after I’ve won probably like five or six fights, hopefully. And I’ll probably, at the time, say, ‘No,'” Riddle revealed.
White said he has no problem with Riddle’s choice and he’ll solve Riddle’s dilemma of choosing whether or not to return to the UFC.
“I’ll make it real easy for him, we just won’t ask him (to come back),” said White.
Since being released from the UFC, Riddle has recently signed a multi-fight deal with Legacy Fighting Championships.
Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, and all quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
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