Popular UFC welterweight Nick Diaz became a cult icon over the past 18 months. The Cesar Gracie Jiu Jitsu product was already famous for his gruff attitude and exciting fights, but when he took on the Nevada Commission it became a different story. After allegedly failing a drug test on the same night he passed two, Diaz’s fighting future became an uncertainty. Following his decision loss to Anderson Silva at UFC 183, a bigger fight was on the horizon. The authority of the NSAC was challenged by Diaz and his legal team, but this had massive consequences.
Nick Diaz’s lawyer seemed to pull out an air-tight defense during the hearing. The Commission was arguably presented with a large dose of reasonable doubt in the saga of Diaz’s failed drug test. Incidentally his Brazilian opponent ‘The Spider’ had failed for anabolic steroids after their fight. The NAC abused their position somewhat, handing down an archaic five-year suspension for Nick Diaz. Suddenly it looked as though Diaz was done fighting, much to the dismay of the MMA community.
Free Nick Diaz
Here is where things took a turn for the better. The support shown for Nick Diaz far surpassed the realms of mixed martial arts, even sports in general. The ‘free Nick Diaz’ campaign hit the ground running. In no time pop icons such as Cher, the entire UFC roster and stars of movie and TV were rallying for Diaz. White House petitions were signed and a GoFundMe page was set up to help Diaz pay his $165,000 fine. Although the petition was snubbed by the government who said they had no jurisdiction in the matter, the appeals were eventually heard by the NAC.
Diaz’s fine was reduced to $100K, and his suspension dropped to 18 months. Officially the suspension was over and done with on August 1, 2016, but it isn’t over yet. Due to an outstanding balance of $75K, Diaz was unable to corner his younger brother Nate at both UFC 196 & UFC 202. This is not the only issue though. As per Damon Martin, the Nevada Commission won’t let Diaz fight until the sum of his fine is settled.
Bob Bennett from the Nevada Commission tells me to the best of his knowledge, Nick Diaz still hasn’t paid his fine so he’s still suspended.
— Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) 13 September 2016
What happened to the page set up to help Diaz pay his fine? Unlike the White House petition that reached 115,000 signatures, fans only managed to muster $925 to donate to Nick Diaz. That said, perhaps some of Nate’s cash from his two fights against Conor McGregor could help out?
We’ll keep you updated.
The post Report: Nick Diaz Still Suspended By NSAC For Non Payment appeared first on LowKick MMA.