Nick Diaz put on a wonderful show at yesterday’s UFC 158 pre-event press conference. He called Georges St. Pierre a whiny, phony, ‘roided up point-fighter but then basically shrugged his shoulders when asked if he would pass his own drug test Saturday.
In case he was too vague in his accusations of St. Pierre, Diaz clarified and expanded while on the Tim and Sid radio show shortly after the presser. In addition to his allegations of St. Pierre, Diaz decided to throw his employer under the bus as well.
It all started with Nick saying that he believes the UFC wants him to lose to St. Pierre Saturday night. “I would imagine that they do,” he laughed.
As for St. Pierre, Diaz confirmed that the champion was indeed the strong steroids guy that he alluded to during the presser. “I believe that he’s on plenty of steroids,” Diaz casually said before implicating Canadian and UFC officials.
(No Wolf Tickets)
Nick Diaz put on a wonderful show at yesterday’s UFC 158 pre-event press conference. He called Georges St. Pierre a whiny, phony, ‘roided up point-fighter but then basically shrugged his shoulders when asked if he would pass his own drug test Saturday.
In case he was too vague in his accusations of St. Pierre, Diaz clarified and expanded while on the Tim and Sid radio show shortly after the presser. In addition to his allegations of St. Pierre, Diaz decided to throw his employer under the bus as well.
It all started with Nick saying that he believes the UFC wants him to lose to St. Pierre Saturday night. “I would imagine that they do,” he laughed.
As for St. Pierre, Diaz confirmed that the champion was indeed the strong steroids guy that he alluded to during the presser. “I believe that he’s on plenty of steroids,” Diaz casually said before implicating Canadian and UFC officials.
“I don’t think they test around here, I doubt I’ll be tested either [*ed note* We’re betting you will be, now, Nick]. I don’t care what [the UFC is] saying…to the media. I don’t think either one of us is going to be tested. And, if so, he’s probably got a bottle of piss in his pocket. I doubt they are standing over him making sure he’s not on steroids.”
The 209 solider was then asked,”You’re suggesting that the face of the franchise is on steroids and that Dana White is complicit on that?
Nick didn’t hesitate. “Sure, why not?”
And no, Diaz isn’t naive. He knows that the UFC’s President will not be happy with him for saying he’s probably involved in a scheme to break the law and circumvent proper regulation.
“I’m sure [White] will [be mad], but like I said in the press conference…I will always tell you the truth…I will never sell you a handful of wolf tickets.”
You got that, people? No Wolf Tickets, ever, from Nick Diaz. He told you once at the presser, no Wolf Tickets, and he’s telling us again – No. Wolf. Tickets.
I have no idea what Wolf Tickets are. Urban Dictionary claims to, however. So go learn something.
And, just to be clear, Diaz is sure that St. Pierre is using banned substances and will be protected by regulators and the UFC in a fraudulent way, but he has no idea whether or not he himself will pass his own test. You know, on account of the weed.
“Hell no, I’m not guaranteeing anything…if I don’t pass the test, I’m sorry,” Diaz said sarcastically. “But I could probably use another year off, vacation. It’s not like I enjoy this – taking punches to the mouth. I need to feed my family that one day I can acquire.”
So, bring it on UFC and athletic commissions. Diaz is coming off of a year suspension for testing positive for marijuana metabolites but he’ll totally take another year of forced vacation because, you know, maybe he’ll have a family one day.
Saturday can’t come soon enough. Join us at 10 PM EST here for our play-by-play live blog as things finally get serious between Georges and Nick.
Whatever the case, Silva will be given what we can only assume is his final, final chance at UFC 162, where he will meet fellow piss test savant Rafael Cavalcante.
(Seen here: Something Thiago Silva has not been able to honestly do since 2009.)
Whatever the case, Silva will be given what we can only assume is his final, final chance at UFC 162, where he will meet fellow piss test savant Rafael Cavalcante. Ironically enough, Cavalcante will also be coming off a drug test-related suspension, this one dating back to last May when “Feijao” was popped for stanozolol in the aftermath of his victory over Mike Kyle at Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier. Although if you were to ask Cavalcante, his positive test was the result of a massive conspiracy carried out by the California State Athletic Commission. So we should probably assume that Rafael is on thin ice as well.
Seven months after failing a drug test for marijuana at UFC 149, Matthew Riddle appeared to be back on track as he stepped into the cage at UFC on Fuel 7. As it turns out, he apparently didn‘t learn from his mistake as a second failed drug test has now caused the UFC to release […]
Seven months after failing a drug test for marijuana at UFC 149, Matthew Riddle appeared to be back on track as he stepped into the cage at UFC on Fuel 7. As it turns out, he apparently didn‘t learn from his mistake as a second failed drug test has now caused the UFC to release […]
For the second time in less than a year, UFC welterweight Matt Riddle has tested positive for marijuana in a post-fight drug test, spurring the UFC to release him from his contract. Riddle’s latest failed test followed his split-decision win over Che Mills at UFC on FUEL 7 in London on February 16th, which came just seven months after his 90-day marijuana suspension following his UFC 149 win over Chris Clements. That victory was later changed to a no-contest, and it’s likely that Riddle’s latest win will be overturned as well.
Riddle was already on thin ice with the UFC because of the quality of his recent fights. Here’s Dana White calling him out by name while discussing the UFC’s decision to cut Jon Fitch: “Riddle fights just like Fitch. Has been lately, anyway. He went from being super exciting to now he wants to grab your legs and hold you down.”
Riddle had long maintained that he doesn’t use marijuana to get high, but for therapeutic purposes. As Riddle explained on The MMA Hour last October:
“I do smoke but I’m not smoking to get stoned. I’m smoking so I can finally relax, sit back and just not worry about things. People, maybe they did it in college one way, but for a guy like me, for a professional athlete that goes through what we go through, it’s medicine for me. Maybe for some little stoner sitting on the couch playing XBox, for him, it’s a drug. For me, it’s medicine…
For the second time in less than a year, UFC welterweight Matt Riddle has tested positive for marijuana in a post-fight drug test, spurring the UFC to release him from his contract. Riddle’s latest failed test followed his split-decision win over Che Mills at UFC on FUEL 7 in London on February 16th, which came just seven months after his 90-day marijuana suspension following his UFC 149 win over Chris Clements. That victory was later changed to a no-contest, and it’s likely that Riddle’s latest win will be overturned as well.
Riddle was already on thin ice with the UFC because of the quality of his recent fights. Here’s Dana White calling him out by name while discussing the UFC’s decision to cut Jon Fitch: “Riddle fights just like Fitch. Has been lately, anyway. He went from being super exciting to now he wants to grab your legs and hold you down.”
Riddle had long maintained that he doesn’t use marijuana to get high, but for therapeutic purposes. As Riddle explained on The MMA Hour last October:
“I do smoke but I’m not smoking to get stoned. I’m smoking so I can finally relax, sit back and just not worry about things. People, maybe they did it in college one way, but for a guy like me, for a professional athlete that goes through what we go through, it’s medicine for me. Maybe for some little stoner sitting on the couch playing XBox, for him, it’s a drug. For me, it’s medicine…
I don’t really understand the process anymore because I thought if you have a medical license and you’re prescribed by a doctor, all the guys are taking HGH and testosterone and fighting and getting the upper hand on people and I’ve already had serious injuries in my career already and I am only 26 and I am in serious pain sometimes and I use that. I use medical marijuana for my pain and I use it for everything else, too. I don’t take anything else while I see all of these other fighters popping Oxycontin and taking testosterone and just beating themselves up, so you know. They can do whatever they want to do, I am going to do what I do, and there is a reason why I am who I am. There is a reason why I don’t get hurt or don’t get tired.”
“You can do steroids in the UFC now, didn’t you hear? [TRT] is steroids and you can do steroids as long as you get a doctor’s note now. So Vitor Belfort just pops for testosterone and everybody’s like, ‘Oh, he failed.’ No he didn’t, he has a doctor’s note so it’s okay. And honestly, I think it’s ridiculous. The reason why they say I can’t use marijuana is because it’s a performance-enhancing drug. Okay, I understand that. It’s a performance-enhancing drug to you. Whatever. But testosterone isn’t? Steroids aren’t? And if you’re saying I can’t smoke because you need to keep other fighters safe or myself safe because I’m too high, don’t you think you should keep others safe by not letting people using steroids into the cage? That’s how I look at it…
“And on top of all that, it wouldn’t bother me if they tested for THC, because I would never fail for THC because I would literally have to be that high when they tested me or I’d have to be high the day before. Instead they just test you for metabolites which you just mentioned which can stay in your system for up to a month after you’re done smoking. Let’s be honest. It’s White America, it’s the big man, it’s the guy with the money, it’s the pharmaceutical companies, it’s the alcohol companies that don’t want want marijuana legalized and they’ll do anything. They’ll ridicule it, they’ve already had slanderous campaigns about it.
I’ve been smoking weed since I was 13 and look at me. I’m in the UFC and I smash people with a smile on my face. It’s not a performance enhancing drug. It makes me relax. 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. It’s hard sometimes and honestly, I like to go to my game room and rip a tube and just sit back and relax and enjoy a 20 minute show, go out, see my family, take care of everything I have to take care of, and that’s what I do. A lot of people think it’s okay to drink a fifth of jack and beat their wife. I don’t.”
I tend to quote Dr. Drew in situations like this: Addiction is continued use in the face of adverse consequences. I know some people will want to turn this story into a conversation about personal freedom, and how athletic commissions shouldn’t even be testing for marijuana metabolites in the first place. And I certainly don’t disagree with that. But the reality is, marijuana is currently an unapproved substance in MMA, and if Riddle continued to smoke after his first suspension, it suggests that his usage is now beyond his control. Does weed improve his mood, and help him to avoid beating his wife and kids? Sure, probably. He’ll just have to decide if it was worth screwing his career over.
When Jake Shields tested positive for having a banned substance in his system during his UFC 150 fight against Ed Herman last August, we assumed that the no-no substance was of the weed variety. Given some of his training partners and friends, it made perfect sense.
Here’s the thing: The sanctioning body of that fight, the Colorado Boxing Commission, never specified which banned substance Shields tested positive for. But Herman, who Shields beat by decision before the fight was changed to a No Contest, isn’t buying the marijuana story.
“I think Colorado is one of the HIPAA privacy states where they weren’t allowed to release what he tested positive for. I’m pretty sure it was for some type of performance enhancing substance, just by looking at his physique going in to the fight,” Herman told Bloody Elbow recently.
A lil Mary Jane to relax before fighting another trained professional is one thing, according to Herman, because, you know, all the cool kids do it. But “Short Fuse” is coming right out and accusing Shields of being more ‘roid monkey than stoner kid in an apparent effort to discredit him.
“He looked pretty puffed up and exhibited the common signs. As an athlete, you can recognize those signs. I can’t guarantee it, but I’m pretty positive that it was for some kind of performance enhancing drug. If it really was for marijuana, it’s a lot easier for a guy to come right out and say, ‘I smoked a joint, sorry,'” Herman continued to narc.
When Jake Shields tested positive for having a banned substance in his system during his UFC 150 fight against Ed Herman last August, we assumed that the no-no substance was of the weed variety. Given some of his training partners and friends, it made perfect sense.
Here’s the thing: The sanctioning body of that fight, the Colorado Boxing Commission, never specified which banned substance Shields tested positive for. But Herman, who Shields beat by decision before the fight was changed to a No Contest, isn’t buying the marijuana story.
“I think Colorado is one of the HIPAA privacy states where they weren’t allowed to release what he tested positive for. I’m pretty sure it was for some type of performance enhancing substance, just by looking at his physique going in to the fight,” Herman told Bloody Elbow recently.
A lil Mary Jane to relax before fighting another trained professional is one thing, according to Herman, because, you know, all the cool kids do it. But “Short Fuse” is coming right out and accusing Shields of being more ‘roid monkey than stoner kid in an apparent effort to discredit him.
“He looked pretty puffed up and exhibited the common signs. As an athlete, you can recognize those signs. I can’t guarantee it, but I’m pretty positive that it was for some kind of performance enhancing drug. If it really was for marijuana, it’s a lot easier for a guy to come right out and say, ‘I smoked a joint, sorry,’” Herman continued to narc.
Though his allegations lack hard evidence, Herman’s lay-logic does strike a common sense chord upon first hearing. If Shields had indeed only tested positive for marijuana, why not just come out and say that, since most fans don’t consider that a performance-enhancement or cheating?
That type of circumstantial vagueness is the stuff of witch trials, though. And besides, this writer isn’t so sure that any top-level fighter should be throwing stones in the banned substance glass house that most of them live in.
Well screw all that, because the dude just threw his own career under the bus again. The UFC released the following statement this evening:
“Thiago Silva tested positive for marijuana metabolites following his bout at UFC on FUEL TV in Macau. The UFC organization has a strict, consistent policy against the use of any illegal and/or performance-enhancing drugs, stimulants or masking agents. Silva has admitted to taking the banned substance and has agreed to participate in an approved drug-rehabilitation program and serve a six-month suspension retroactive to the November 10 event. He must pass a drug test upon completion of the suspension before receiving clearance to fight again.”
(Huh. I always figured Thiago was more of a PCP guy. / Photo via Sherdog)
Well screw all that, because the dude just threw his own career under the bus again. The UFC released the following statement this evening:
“Thiago Silva tested positive for marijuana metabolites following his bout at UFC on FUEL TV in Macau. The UFC organization has a strict, consistent policy against the use of any illegal and/or performance-enhancing drugs, stimulants or masking agents. Silva has admitted to taking the banned substance and has agreed to participate in an approved drug-rehabilitation program and serve a six-month suspension retroactive to the November 10 event. He must pass a drug test upon completion of the suspension before receiving clearance to fight again.”
This is usually the part where you guys moan in the comments section about how marijuana isn’t a performance enhancer, and that the metabolites stay in your body for a long time after you’ve stopped smoking, and it just isn’t fair, and blah blah blah you liberal pansies. But unfortunately, these are the rules, every fighter is informed of them, and if Thiago Silva can’t abide by those rules, maybe he can find different job that never tests for steroids and lets him smoke as much herb as he wants.
The next time I see the guy who delivers my Thai food on his bicycle, I’ll ask him if he needs an intern.
