Former Strikeforce welterweight champion and current UFC contender Nick Diaz is going to jail…for a day. The news comes from TMZ Sports, which has been tracking Diaz‘s legal troubles.
Diaz was facing multiple charges from two separate alleged DUI incidents, one in November 2013 and one in September 2014 (via ESPN.com), and could have faced serious jail time if found guilty across the board. His lawyer instead would strike a plea deal that threw out all but one of the charges and agreed to two days of jail for the fighter. With time served, his sentence is lowered to just one day. According to TMZ Sports, Diaz also faces three years of informal probation, and he must complete a DUI educational course.
This is a big break for the son of Stockton. While Diaz has a long history of mischief, he has largely kept himself out of real trouble with the police. These alleged DUI cases could have wreaked havoc on a potential return to the cage, but the light sentence should barely qualify as an inconvenience for him.
That said, a return to the cage is no guarantee. Diaz last fought Anderson Silva at UFC 183. While the matchup of two fan favorites was an exciting slugfest that ended in a unanimous-decision win for Silva, both Diaz and Silva would fail drug tests surrounding the bout (Silva for steroids, Diaz for marijuana metabolites).
Diaz has a long history of failed drug tests due to his open use of marijuana, twice being suspended following fights with Takanori Gomi and Carlos Condit. With the NSAC’s crackdown on drugs, the Diaz camp must be worried regarding his future. He is currently on a temporary suspension and will face a full disciplinary hearing at some point in the future.
The former champ is expected to turn himself in to authorities in the near future to serve his sentence. What happens from there, however, is anyone’s guess.
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