Diaz Tests Positive for Marijuana After UFC 143 Loss to Condit

NSAC Executive Director Keith Kizer informed Sherdog.com of the test result this afternoon. According to Kizer, a complaint for disciplinary action against Diaz has been filed.

Condit was also among the 18 fighters tested following the event. According to Kizer, Fabricio Werdum, Josh Koscheck, Renan Barao, Ed Herman, Dustin Poirier, Max Holloway, Matt Riddle, Henry Martinez, Edwin Figueroa, Alex Caceres, Matt Brown, Chris Cope, Rafael Natal, Michael Kuiper, Stephen Thompson and Dan Stittgen were also tested.With the exception of Diaz, all results received thus far have been negative. However, the NSAC official did not specify how many tests had come back as of yet.

The positive test marks Diaz’s second drug screen violation in Nevada. The Cesar Gracie pupil was first flagged for marijuana by state officials in 2007 following a gutsy non-title submission victory over Pride Fighting Championships king Takanori Gomi. The bout’s result was changed to a no-contest and Diaz was suspended for six months in addition to receiving a fine.

Diaz, a former Strikeforce welterweight champion, returned to the UFC this past fall at UFC 137, beating B.J. Penn in a bloody battle that earned “Fight of the Night” honors. Diaz had initially been expected to challenge Georges St. Pierre at the event, but was pulled from the headliner after missing a pair of media appearances.

Carlos Condit stepped in as his replacement, but saw his title shot postponed until February when St. Pierre tweaked his knee in training. However, following Diaz’s victory over Penn and his subsequent harsh words for St. Pierre in his post-fight interview, Diaz landed himself in the UFC 143 headliner instead of Condit.

St. Pierre then tore his ACL, and Condit was once again inserted into the main event, this time meeting Diaz for the interim welterweight title. Condit took home a unanimous though controversial decision, using a measured counter attack while Diaz pressed forward for most of the bout. So discontented with the decision was Diaz that he announced his retirement from MMA immediately after the fight.

That decision was apparently short-lived, however, as UFC President Dana White tweeted on Tuesday that Diaz “wanted the rematch the same night” and that Condit had accepted. It is unknown at this time what will come next for the new interim welterweight champion, but White has previously stated that it will likely hinge upon St. Pierre’s recovery from surgery.