Former Strikeforce and WEC welterweight champion and former UFC middleweight title challenger, fan favourite Nick Diaz (31-5(1) MMA, 11-2(1) UFC) is finally eligible to fight again and resume his career if he wants to.
The Stockton product is eligible to fight after April 19, 2018 which is just ten days from now.
Diaz,34, who has not fought since January 2015, has accepted one-year suspension from the United States Anti-doping Agency for missing three out of competition drug tests within a span of 12 months. The first two failures occurred in second and third quarters of 2016 while the third occurred in the first quarter of 2017.
Diaz being the member of UFC registered testing pool and hence is therefore subjected to inform the USADA about his whereabouts. Diaz failed to be available for three tests at the locations provided in his whereabout findings which resulted in the violation. It is because of this violation, Diaz was unable to corner his brother Nate Diaz during his bouts against Conor McGregor at UFC 194 and UFC 202.
Diaz’s one-year period of ineligibility began on April 19, 2017 when his third whereabout failure was declared against him. Hence Diaz has served nearly all of his suspension.
Diaz last fought in January 2015 at UFC 183 against former middleweight champion and legend of the sport Anderson ‘The Spider’ Silva for the middleweight title of the world. He lost the fight via unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45, 50-45). The fight was however turned into a no-contest as after few days the UFC revealed that Diaz had once again failed his post-fight drug test for marijuana metabolites.
On September 14, 2015 the Nevada State Athletic Commission suspended Diaz for 5 years and fined him $165,000 following his failed drug test at UFC 183. Following his appeal four months later in January 2016, the suspension and fine were reduced to 18 months and $100,000. The suspension was officially lifted on August 1, 2016.
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