Next Monday is setting up to be a big day for the legislative side of Las Vegas. The Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) announced Tuesday that disciplinary hearings for Nick Diaz, Rousimar Palhares, and Jake Shields are all scheduled to take place on Sept. 14 at the next meeting of the state’s commissioners, starting at 9:00 a.m. PT/12:00 p.m. ET.
For Diaz (26-10, 1 NC), the hearing is one that’s been months in the making. The 31-year-old former Strikeforce champion failed a fight night drug test on Jan. 31 at UFC 183 for marijuana metabolites. The incident marked Diaz’s third such offense in the state of Nevada, following failed drug tests for marijuana in 2007 and 2012.
Diaz’s hearing has been postponed numerous times while the fighter’s representation prepared its defense, which revolves around alleged discrepancies in testing methods for the three tests Diaz underwent that night.
Palhares (18-6) and Shields (31-8-1, 1 NC) will also appear before the Nevada commission, though their infractions are much more recent.
Palhares defeated Shields amid widespread controversy on Aug. 1 at WSOF 22. Palhares was later stripped off his WSOF welterweight title and suspended indefinitely by the promotion for repeatedly gouging Shields’ eyes and cranking on his fight-ending kimura for several ticks after Shields tapped.
Shields, in retaliation for the finishing sequence, threw a late punch at Palhares after the fight had already been stopped.
The incidents were a continuation of a pattern that has followed Palhares throughout his fighting and grappling career. The 35-year-old Brazilian drew a suspension in 2010 for a similar late crank on Tomasz Drwal, then lost his job in the UFC for an even worse incident against Mike Pierce. Palhares also tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone in 2012, and of his other two WSOF fights, both ended in minor controversy due to questionable late cranks.
Of note, the disciplinary hearing of UFC middleweight Caio Magalhaes is also slated to be held at the NAC’s Sept. 14 meeting.
Following a first-round loss on July 12 at The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale, Magalhaes spit blood on opponent Josh Samman and referee John McCarthy.