Yesterday, UFC 266 debuted the long-awaited return of Nick Diaz to the octagon. Diaz was suspended back in 2015 for failing a drug test of cannabis. He went up against heavy-hitter veteran Robby Lawler on the Main Card. This came after 6 years of being on the outside of the octagon. Though Nick Diaz didn’t win, this was still a pivotal reentry into the sport for him.
Nick Diaz and his younger brother Nate are known for their less than reputable behavior and love of cannabis. Unfortunately, this is what got The Stockton Bad Boy suspended. On September 14, 2015, Nick Diaz was suspended for 5 years by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Additionally, they also fined Diaz $165,000 after the failed drug test. This came months after his Main Event fight with Anderson Silva at UFC 183 in January of that same year. Exactly a year after the fight, Nick Diaz made an appeal to the Nevada State Athletic Commission over the suspension. It resulted in a reduced suspension time and fine. Instead of a 5-year suspension with a $165,000 fine, Diaz only had to serve an 18-month suspension with only a $100,000 fine.
Image Via @nickdiaz209 on Instagram
What Kept Nick Diaz From Returning Sooner?
This means the Stockton Bad Boy could have technically made his return back to the octagon in 2017. In the past four years, he had every opportunity to return to the sport. However, stepping out of the fast-paced limelight for professionals in MMA has really allowed him to do a lot of reflecting on himself and his life/career as a fighter. Fighters like Diaz go through large amounts of pressure and responsibilities when dealing with the business and entertainment side of the sport. Between high expectations and the skills required for things like interviews, commercials, and etc., a fighter’s career in an organization like the UFC can be extremely overwhelming.
Ultimately, Diaz realized he wanted to be a teacher and have a gym, but after it fell through, he made his eventual return to the octagon. In an interview with ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, Diaz expresses how he doesn’t really enjoy fighting and that he felt the people around him and sponsors would never actually let him leave the sport. “I love being a part of the sport, but I don’t love what it has done to me. Especially, in the last 7 months; the last two years,” Diaz tells Okamoto. It seems that the fighter felt drained from fake people who he felt truly didn’t care about him. He felt that there were a lot of people who just wanted a piece of him. Towards the end of the interview, he says that “in a way, I have a lot of resentment towards the sport for taking so much from me but not giving anything back.” Money and fame aren’t that important to Nick.
Video via ESPN MMA on YouTube
The Diaz Brothers and Cannabis
It is no secret that both Nick and Nate Diaz have a passion for cannabis. During Nate’s UFC 263 Post-Fight Press Conference, he nonchalantly lit a pre-rolled joint and continued his interview. After he answered a question about Nick’s return to the octagon, Nate passes his brother the joint when another person of the press asked him “Indica, Sativa, or hybrid?” Nate said he likes a bit of everything when he responded with Indica.
In fact, the Diaz brothers launched their CBD company a couple of years back called Game Up Nutrition. Between pre-rolls, edibles, and tinctures, Game Up Nutrition even provides some mushroom products like lion’s mane and reishi tinctures. They aren’t the only ones in the game. Companies like Dr. Dabber and Originals are starting to endorse fighters now that the view on cannabis is different in the UFC and society. This is in addition to all of the other athletes, past and present, who are currently starting their own brands or in endorsement contracts.
Though the return of Nick is a bit complicated, he won’t have to worry about medicating anymore since the UFC will no longer punish fighters for using cannabis in most cases. The major change to UFC’s anti-doping policy would only test a fighter for THC if they believe a fighter used it intentionally to enhance their performance.
Robbie Lawler ended up taking home the W with a score of 29-15-0. Check out the highlights from yesterday’s fight.
