UFC 143 | UFC Betting Sites - The Best MMA Online Bookies

Nick Diaz’s Loss Was Good for MMA: A Positive Drug Test Would Have Ruined a Win

What a difference a decision makes.Fans should be thanking the judges who scored the fight for Carlos Condit at UFC 143. They saved the welterweight division from being thrown into confusion and people from feeling cheated.It was found out recently tha…

What a difference a decision makes.

Fans should be thanking the judges who scored the fight for Carlos Condit at UFC 143. They saved the welterweight division from being thrown into confusion and people from feeling cheated.

It was found out recently that Nick Diaz tested positive for marijuana after the fight. No matter what a fan’s stance may be on the drug, it was a banned substance and Diaz used it before a main-event match for the interim title.

It isn’t the first time Diaz has been busted for using pot. He actually failed a test after fighting Takanori Gomi in Pride and had it ruled a no contest years before.

Just like his fight with Condit, the fight with Gomi was in Nevada. This time, Diaz had won by submission, but it was overturned thanks to his positive test.

It looks like Diaz hasn’t learned much since then.

While the drug in no way helps Diaz win fights, it does seem a little ridiculous that he continues to use when he knows that it could wash away any wins he has over opponents. It may not be fair, but Diaz chose a certain profession, and he has to deal with the effects of it.

He chose not to do that for his fight and competed anyway.

But what if he had won?

In the short-term, fans would have been happier. It would have meant a more exciting fight, and journalists and fight lovers alike would have started anticipating the showdown between Georges St-Pierre and Diaz.

Until the drug test came out.

No matter how many negative reactions it would have made, the fight would have been changed to a no contest and the interim title would be vacant, leaving St-Pierre without an opponent.

Worse is the feeling that it would have left fans with.

There is something hollow about a no contest. It leave fans without the outrage that a debatable loss does or even an outright robbery gives them.

Fans love to argue. It is part of the enjoyment of the sport. As much as there is a passionate love when things turn out their way, it turns quickly into rage when things don’t. No contests just give them neither emotion.

There is a vacuum, an emptiness that comes from having an entire contest between two fighters nullified. It doesn’t affect their careers or their standings in the history of the sport or even in the current standing of their division. The only thing it helps is fighters’ pocket books.

So, fans are lucky that Condit won. It doesn’t mean that it will change their opinion of the verdict or that they enjoy it, but it does give them one thing that a Diaz win wouldn’t have.

Closure.

Fans know who got the victory. There is a win and a loss and an argument over who should have won, but it is there and outrage or joy can be felt. It isn’t perfect, but it is MMA.

And it is a little better off thanks to Diaz losing.

Matthew Hemphill writes for the MMA and professional wrestling portion of Bleacher Report. He also hosts a blog elbaexiled.blogspot.com that focuses on books, music, comic books, video games, film and generally anything that could be related to the realms of nerdom.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

What UFC Interim Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit Should Do for the Interim

Carlos Condit, after winning the UFC Interim Welterweight Championship belt in UFC 143 last Saturday night, is set to fight Georges St-Pierre for the undisputed version of the title.However, as St-Pierre claims that it will take him nine months to full…

Carlos Condit, after winning the UFC Interim Welterweight Championship belt in UFC 143 last Saturday night, is set to fight Georges St-Pierre for the undisputed version of the title.

However, as St-Pierre claims that it will take him nine months to fully heal his injured knee, then Condit has almost a year to prepare for the fight of his life.

The following are what the newly crowned interim champion can do for the interim, to enhance his chances of pulling off two major upsets in a row.

Begin Slideshow

Go Figure, Nick Diaz Will Not Be Fired for His Botched UFC 143 Drug Test

(I may not know how to buy a house, but if you give me fifteen minutes I WILL make a four percolator bong out of this.)

Man, the UFC marketing department intern in charge of Lorenzo Fertitta’s Twitter account must be working overtime these past few days. Aside from announcing the Mir/Velasquez, Griffin/Ortiz, and Overeem/JDS fights last night, “Lorenzo” recently held a Twitter Q & A session to set the record straight on this whole Nick Diaz/Puff the Magic Dragon thing. And even if Diaz is planning to retire, his contract with the UFC will remain. You know, just in case he gets the sudden desire to fight B.J. Penn, Karo Parisyan, or Joe Riggs again in some small promotion somewhere.

When asked about Diaz’s Zuffa future, Fertitta was quick to respond, “[I] really like the kid [he] just needs to get it together. I’m a sap for real fighters.” We know, Lorenzo.

We don’t want you to argue about whether or not marijuana should be considered a banned substance, or illegal for that matter, because we already have. Needless to say, if anyone out there actually thinks weed enhances anything but zombie mode on Call of Duty and the enjoyment of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives, then they are clearly unfamiliar with the term “enhance.” What we are interested in is what kind of punishment you think Diaz should receive for violating a rule, as silly as it may be. Three months? Six months? A year? Well, barring a successful appeal, which, come on, it’s looking like it will be a year or more before we see Diaz in the octagon, if at all.

Perhaps even more hilarious than the predicament Diaz has put himself in was how the MMA community responded to his failed drug test. Check out some of the best tweets, compiled by MMAFighting.com, after the jump.

(I may not know how to buy a house, but if you give me fifteen minutes I WILL make a four percolator bong out of this.)

When asked about Diaz’s Zuffa future, Fertitta was quick to respond, “[I] really like the kid [he] just needs to get it together. I’m a sap for real fighters.” We know, Lorenzo.

@TimKennedyMMA: Nick Diaz was the aggressor of the fight while he was high as a kite is a testament to how good he really is and how much pot he can smoke.

@malkikawa: I was positive after 143…. Very positive, condit won… Lol

@FilthyTomLawlor: Telling me that the top fighters in MMA smoke pot regularly is like saying that @ryanbader and @Kingsbu suck at beerpong: FACT

@Schindiggity: Nick Diaz tests+ for weed, so Fkn what!! He should be praised for doing so well hi! Plus he has a medical marijuana license! Wtf

@ForrestGriffin: I don’t do drugs…. I suck naturally.

@MieshaTate: “@Michael_Pugh: @mayhemmiller and @MieshaTate What are your thoughts about Diaz’s test failure?” #stupid

@mayhemmiller: They shouldn’t test for it but they do.

@DUANEBANGCOM: “@spilledbagofice: Nick should just say there was some THC in a supplement he got from GNC. #blameGNC” everyone else does. Haha

@lastcall155: @KCBanditMMA The @DiazBrothers209 R 2 of the realist doods I’ve met in this sport! Ive got nuthin but good things 2 say about em. #Realtalk

@joerogan: To make you feel slightly better after the shit news of Nick Diaz testing positive, I offer the black keys.

@JoeDuarteMMA: Tricky Nicky got caught smokin’ that sticky! # #UFC #RT

While we’re on the subject of shameless plugs, have you followed us on Twitter yet? Seriously, we need help understanding what the hell all these hashtags are supposed to mean.

-J. Jones

Lorenzo Fertitta on Nick Diaz: "He Will Be Back"

Despite an impending suspension, Nick Diaz’s UFC future will remain intact. Zuffa CEO Lorenzo Fertitta chatted with fans on Thursday via Twitter, where he answered numerous questions regarding the sport’s biggest names. Fans were especially interested …

Despite an impending suspension, Nick Diaz‘s UFC future will remain intact.

Zuffa CEO Lorenzo Fertitta chatted with fans on Thursday via Twitter, where he answered numerous questions regarding the sport’s biggest names.

Fans were especially interested in Diaz.

After losing a unanimous decision to Carlos Condit at UFC 143, it was revealed that the former Strikeforce champion’s drug test came back positive for marijuana.

“Really like the kid, just needs to get it together,” Fertitta posted. “I’m a sap for real fighters. He will be back.”

Diaz has had his share of troubles since returning to the UFC. At UFC 137, he was set to challenge Georges St-Pierre for the UFC welterweight title, but after missing multiple scheduled press conferences, UFC President Dana White revoked his title shot.

A suspension for this sort of offense can range anywhere from six to 12 months.

For Diaz, there is a good possibility he incurs the harshest penalty from Nevada State Athletic Commission and gets a one-year suspension.

This isn’t the first time his drug test results have come back positive.

At Pride 33 in Las Vegas, Nevada, Diaz had his submission win over Takanori Gomi overturned after his post-fight drug test results came back positive for marijuana.

This hopefully serves as a wake-up call for Diaz, who is easily one of the best welterweights in the world. He’s in the prime of his career, and the kind of opportunities he continues to get in the UFC don’t come around often.

Even after losing to Condit, Diaz was offered an immediate rematch.

This situation doesn’t boil down to whether or not marijuana is a “performance-enhancing drug.” It comes down to doing the right thing, and unfortunately for Diaz, smoking a little grass isn’t considered as such by commission standards.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Nick Diaz’s Failed Drug Test: Legal Debate Aside, Its Unprofessional and Dumb

Nick Diaz got popped for marijuana following his “controversial” unanimous decision loss to Carlos Condit at UFC 143.Now the Internet explodes with rebuttals about how dumb it is to test for marijuana and you have those who think they should.Personally…

Nick Diaz got popped for marijuana following his “controversial” unanimous decision loss to Carlos Condit at UFC 143.

Now the Internet explodes with rebuttals about how dumb it is to test for marijuana and you have those who think they should.

Personally, either way, it doesn’t matter for me. The matter at hand shouldn’t be whether or not to test for marijuana—it should be how unprofessional and stupid it is to test positive for a drug you know you will get caught for.

Nobody is perfect and I understand that, but this isn’t the first time Diaz has tested positive for the drug. That alone should make him more aware, especially heading into a title fight knowing that if you get caught the belt will be stripped.

Its like he didn’t care and seeing how Diaz has been in the past and just his overall personality, he didn’t.

See, it doesn’t matter for me. Its his body and he can do whatever he wants. To the commission though, the drug will make you fail the test.

This was a big moment in Diaz’s career and almost gave the UFC their dream fight for current undisputed welterweight champion, Georges St-Pierre.

It was huge and if he would have won it would have gone up in a cloud of marijuana smoke.

Again, the debate at hand isn’t whether or not this should be tested for and whether or not he should be suspended for it. The debate at hand is how unprofessional he is, knowing what he was doing would get him caught for the second time.

To me, doing something you know you’ll get caught for is just dumb. I’m not perfect—nobody is—but to do something like this on the biggest stage and almost getting a rematch for the belt you so coveted, is just inexcusable.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Nick Diaz Testing Positive for Marijuana: Rehab Before Rematch with Condit?

Nick Diaz has to do some serious thinking, on his UFC career and the lifestyle that goes along with it. Never mind his other issues that other professionals are best trained to deal with, if he ever seeks their services. Post-UFC 143, and for the secon…

Post-UFC 143, and for the second time in his MMA career and in the state of Nevada, Diaz tested positive for marijuana. The first time was in 2007, with the Cesar Gracie protégé fresh off a submission victory over Takanori Gomi in Pride Fighting Championship 33.

His win was changed to a no-contest, and he was fined and meted a six-month suspension.

One fact that MMA fighters have to deal with is that marijuana use is prohibited by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC). It doesn’t matter if it’s medicinal marijuana or not.

Come drug-testing time, the NSAC must not find a trace of that drug (or herb) in your urine—regardless of whatever purpose or form you used the weed.

The pros and cons of marijuana use, for fighters or the general public, are for the moment marginal as far as the NSAC’s standing rule on that drug is concerned—the rule stands and any fighter better stand by it to further his career.

We can debate on the drug’s effects—or lack of them—on athletic performance all we want. We can even campaign for its legalization, for it to be stripped from NSAC’s list of banned substances for all its merits, but the rule remains “indefinitely” effective for now.

Getting back to Diaz, well, it seems he was just being consistently in character, reckless even in drug use (or abuse). Maybe homie already needs help in this department, after getting caught and jeopardizing his still-rocketing MMA career for the second time.

Even those who inordinately take too much caffeinated coffee and suffer from its ill effects can benefit from rehabilitation. Maybe that’s what Diaz already needs, for marijuana use and other life issues.

If only all fighters would just train, eat, rest and take supplements NOT banned by the NSAC and other sports governing bodies while preparing for a fight—if only.

Now, if ever Diaz gets slapped in the face with a six-month suspension, then it will render moot and academic the controversial issue of an immediate rematch with Carlos Condit. (Anyway, as of last update, Diaz’s trainer Cesar Gracie himself said there would be no rematch.)

UFC President Dana White will be spared from making a “Solomonic” decision; the polarized fans will simmer down and just speculate and babble on who else Condit should fight within six months.

Then, after nine months, hopefully the real welterweight championship match between Condit and a fully healed Georges St-Pierre will happen, as many originally believed immediately after The Natural Born Killer beat Diaz.

And through all this time, hopefully Diaz will become a better person and fighter. After all, his MMA career is still up there in the sky with diamonds.

Lastly, thanks NSAC, for playing deus ex machina.

Previous article: Carlos Condit is Being Dealt the Jon Fitch Treatment with that Rematch Gibberish.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com