Nick Diaz 'wants to fight' and is 'ready to go,' says UFC boss Dana White

Nick Diaz could soon be on his way back to the octagon after nearly two years away, according to UFC President Dana White.

Diaz (26-10 MMA, 7-7 UFC) hasn’t competed since he faced Anderson Silva in the main event of UFC 183 in January 2015. Diaz originally lost the fight by unanimous decision, but the result was later overturned to a no contest when Silva tested positive for performance-enhancing substances.

“The Spider” wasn’t the only one who ran into drug testing issues, though. Diaz was flagged for marijuana metabolites, which marked the third time in his career that he’s encountered a problem with drug testing, with two being marijuana-related incidents.

UFC 183 took place in Las Vegas, and the Nevada State Athletic Commission, which sanctioned the event, came down on Diaz with full force. He was originally handed a five-year suspension and $165,000 fine, but after several months of settlement negotiations had his penalty reduced to an 18-month suspension and $100,000 fine.

Diaz was clear of the suspension date guideline as of Aug. 1, but according to the NSAC, he has yet to pay the entirety of his fine, which means he is still ineligible to apply for a license to compete.

White apparently views the issue as resolvable, because he said Diaz could be booked for a fight sooner than later. He just needs to figure out the particulars such as a date, location and, of course, his opponent.

“Nick wants to fight,” White told “The Buzzer” on FOX Sports. “Nick’s ready to go again. I’ve got to figure that out.”

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