It seemed no one in the MMA world (especially Nate Diaz) was too happy about Bryan Caraway being awarded a $65,000 Submission of the Night bonus for his fight at UFC 159 only after Pat Healy tested positive for marijuana.
The UFC gave the money to Caraway, which conformed to their rule that no fighter can receive a discretionary post-fight bonus if they test positive for any banned substance after the fight is over. Healy‘s test returned a positive result for marijuana and the New Jersey Athletic Control Board suspended him 90 days. His win over Jim Miller was changed to a no-contest.
In addition, Healy lost out on $130,000 in bonuses for Fight of the Night and Submission of the Night.
Caraway was given the bonus but then proceeded to state in an interview with MMAJunkie.com that he had “zero remorse or guilt” for taking the bonus after Healy tested positive and that he has “zero tolerance” for people that smoke marijuana.
Regardless of Caraway’s comments being in good taste or not when it seemed he was somehow gloating while Healy was left $130,000 poorer, UFC President Dana White says the decision to strip the bonuses from one fighter and give to another was absolutely the right move to make.
“He wasn’t eligible for that bonus. I know nobody likes Bryan Caraway. Bryan Caraway followed the rules. He had a submission that night and he followed the rules,” White said on Thursday about the decision when speaking to the media at UFC 160. “He absolutely, 100 percent deserves that bonus.”
The use of marijuana in sports continues to be a controversial and much-debated subject, but for now it is still deemed illegal and White says Healy knew that going into his fight at UFC 159. Whether he believes the drug should be banned or not doesn’t matter. Marijuana is illegal right now, and Healy tested positive for the drug and thus becomes ineligible for the bonuses.
“It’s illegal. You can’t do it, it’s a banned substance,” White said. “Should it be? I necessarily don’t think so. It doesn’t matter. It’s a banned substance. Every fighter knows you go in and you use marijuana and you get caught, you’re busted.”
White also points out that the rule affects any fighter on the UFC roster who fails a post-fight drug test no matter what substance they used. It also counts for fighters who miss weight; they are no longer eligible to win post-fight bonuses, either.
Whether marijuana usage should land in the same category as a serious performance-enhancing drug like steroids remains a subject worth discussing, but White believes there is no grey area on this matter when it comes to UFC policy.
Cheating is cheating and cheaters will not be rewarded.
“Imagine what it would say if I gave that kid $130,000 for not following the rules?” White said in closing.
Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, and all quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
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