UFC President Dana White stated Tuesday that his opinion about Nick Diaz's suspension doesn't matter because it doesn't carry any weight with the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
Mike Bohn and John Morgan of MMA Junkie (Warning: Contains NSFW language) noted Monday the fighter received a five-year ban and a $165,000 fine for testing positive for marijuana on Jan. 31, the day he battled Anderson Silva. Two prior positive tests meant he was treated as a repeat offender.
White responded (Warning: Contains NSFW language) to an inquiry about the situation on social media and said the entire thing was completely out of his control: "What I think isn't important. I have no say in the matter. They don't give a s--t what I think. People who know MMA know that."
Diaz, whose lawyers plan to appeal the ruling, told MMA Junkie that he was "pretty pissed off" about the decision and how it will impact his career. Moreover, the suspension also prevents him from being in the corner of other fighters, including his brother Nate Diaz: "I can't even go—my brother has a fight coming up; are you going to tell me I can't even go corner my brother when he goes in? This isn't a sport, this is war; this is warfare. This is a war game. He's going in there to fight for his life and I can't even go stand next to him?"
The fight in question was eventually changed to a no-contest because Silva also tested positive for banned substances. By contrast, the punishment the NSAC handed down to him only included a one-year suspension to go along with a $380,000 fine.
Even considering Diaz was treated as a repeat offender, the length of the two suspensions don't seem to match up given the violations. The 32-year-old fighter will be well past the prime of his career by the time his ban ends, if it's upheld.
White is rarely afraid to speak his mind, which makes his brief comments on the matter a bit of a surprise. Perhaps he just doesn't want to enter a battle he clearly doesn't think he can win due to a lack of influence with the NSAC.
