Ronda Rousey unloads on NSAC for Nick Diaz suspension: 'No reason' to test for marijuana

Ronda Rousey

UFC champion Ronda Rousey gave the Nevada State Athletic Commission a verbal lashing at today’s UFC 193 press conference in Melbourne for its five-year suspension of fellow fighter Nick Diaz.

Diaz (27-9 MMA, 7-7 UFC) was suspended 60 months and fined $165,000 on Monday for a positive marijuana test stemming from his January bout with Anderson Silva.

The 32-year-old had tested positive for the banned substance twice in the past, and his third offense was met with one of the harshest punishments ever handed out by the NSAC.

Diaz’s punishment has caused numerous fighter to speak out against the commission on the former Strikeforce champion’s behalf. However, no one was more explicit than Rousey.

“I’m sorry, I know no one asked me anything but I have to say something,” Rousey said. “It’s so not right for (Diaz) to be suspended five years for marijuana. I’m against them testing for any weed at all. It’s not a performance-enhancing drug. It has nothing to do with athletic competition, and it’s only tested for political reasons so they say, ‘Oh, it’s only for your safety so you’re not hurting yourself when you’re out there.’ So why don’t they test for all the other things that could possibly hurt us that we could be under the influence of while we’re out there?

“There’s no reason for them to be testing for weed. In athletics, the beautiful thing about it is it separates everything from politics. It shouldn’t be involved at all.”

Rousey expressed frustration in the fact Diaz’s UFC 183 opponent Silva, who failed multiple drug tests around the event for anabolic steroids, was only handed a one-year suspension for his violation. Diaz’s repeat offender status played a role in the outcome of his case, but regardless of that, Rousey said the difference in punishments shows an obvious problem.

“It’s so unfair if one person tests for steroids that could actually really hurt a person and the other person smokes a plant that makes them happy and he gets suspended for five years, whereas the guy that could hurt someone gets a slap on the wrist,” Rousey said. “It’s not fair. It’s not fair at all. It doesn’t make me a bad person for saying it, it just – I can’t believe it’s not being said more. I think they really should free Nick Diaz, but it’s not (UFC) Dana (White’s) decision either.

“I don’t think marijuana should be part of the conversation at all. I think it’s an invasion of privacy for them to test for it, and they have no right.”

White also attended the UFC 193 press conference. He was asked about Diaz’s suspension but hesitated to give a spirited answer similar to Rousey, citing his lack of knowledge of the complete facts involved in the NSAC’s decision.

The UFC boss said that he plans to learn more concrete details once he returns to the UFC headquarters in Las Vegas later this week.

“I don’t know enough about the Nick Diaz situation; that happened while we were here, so I don’t really know enough about it,” White said. “I get home – I’ll get back into the office on Friday and figure out what’s going on with that thing. The answer is: It seems a little rough. It seems a little rough.

“I’ve got to get back there and see what the details are and what’s going on. I would imagine if they suspended him for five years and $150,000, it’s more than just the marijuana. That just doesn’t make sense.”

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