Nick Diaz has been given an unprecedented five-year ban after testing positive for marijuana during the aftermath of his defeat to Anderson Silva in January.
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Nick Diaz’ career could be technically over if the five-year ban imposed on him by the Nevada State Athletic Commission stands.
“My brother has a fight coming up”, Diaz said.
By the time Diaz has served his suspension he’ll be 37 years-old, so it’s possible that the outcome of today’s hearing has all-but ended the career of one of the sports most colorful, but chaotic characters.
Diaz’s attorneys argued that the Quest results were “scientifically unreliable”, unlike the SMRTL results, which were obtained using WADA’s higher standard of protocols.
For what it’s worth, it takes at least five failed marijuana tests within a two-year window for players to be suspended that long in Goodell’s National Football League, while the fines are significantly lower than failed tests for other banned substances. Commissioner Skip Avansino gushed over the heavyweight so much that you thought he was going to ask him out for dinner and offer to that Overeem could marry his eldest daughter if he were so inclined.
“I don’t think marijuana should be part of the conversation at all”, Rousey said.
The second takeaway is that the rules and regulations surrounding the use of marijuana need to be reformed, not just in the sport of mixed martial arts either. The in-competition cannabis ban only exists for protection of the fighter consuming the drug. “I’m the first one to say, you break a law, you’ve got to deal with it”.
Five years was a shocking amount of time for the 32-year-old fighter.
What makes Diaz’s punishment so egregious is that after almost four hours of testimony from both his legal representation and the NSAC, the decision appeared to be made out of disdain for Diaz’s character rather than the facts of his case.
The National Basketball Association, NFL, MLB, and just about every other sport has cracked down on its athletes for marijuana. From commissioners laughing when Diaz’s lawyers raised sensible objections to apparent double standards in how they treated Diaz’s witnesses compared to Nevada’s there is little shortage of perceived unfairness.
In fact, Silva, who was Diaz’s opponent at UFC 183 and originally won by unanimous decision, also failed drug tests around the event.
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“I think we do have a positive test today”. I already know that. Now there’s new rules in effect and there’s guys who aren’t on steroids now, but they used to be.
