The circumstances surrounding Nick Diaz‘s failed UFC 183 drug test just keep getting worse.
News broke yesterday that Diaz, along with his UFC 183 main event co-star Anderson Silva, failed a drug test (per Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports) and will likely incur a fine and suspension from the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC).
Silva’s failed test indicated the use of anabolic steroids, while Diaz tested positive for marijuana metabolites. Silva won the fight via unanimous decision.
Now, MMA Fighting’s Marc Raimondi is reporting that Diaz nearly didn’t even get to fight Silva at all due to licensing issues. NSAC Executive Director Bob Bennett told MMA Fighting that Diaz did not provide the commission with a clean drug sample until “days before” the bout, which took place Jan. 31.
According to Raimondi, Diaz did not receive his license until the week of the fight because of this.
Unsurprisingly, Diaz then failed his post-fight drug test, indicating the use of marijuana while “in competition,” the period of time 12 hours before and 12 hours after an event.
“It’s obvious once he provided us a negative one he started smoking again,” Bennett told MMA Fighting.
Bennett also revealed that Diaz‘s test showed 300 ng/ML of marijuana metabolites in his system. The NSAC threshold is 150 ng/ML, half of what Diaz‘s results contained.
Diaz has tested positive for marijuana twice before—once after his 2007 showdown in Pride against Takanori Gomi and once after his UFC 143 main event against Carlos Condit. Both of those events were also held in Las Vegas.
Diaz will appear in front of the NSAC for a hearing to learn what exactly this third strike means for his fighting future. This, according to Raimondi, will likely occur “in March or April.”
For now, Diaz‘s situation is simple: He knowingly broke the rules—again—and will suffer the consequences. Wishful thinking says Diaz will learn something from this and finally exercise more restraint before, during and after a fight.
Logical thinking says he’ll smoke as soon as his meeting is adjourned.
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