Written by Brian Campbell at CBS Sports.com
Mercurial (and largely inactive) UFC welterweight Nick Diaz has been provisionally suspended by the United States Anti-Doping Agency for failing to disclose his whereabouts multiple times over the past year.
Diaz (26-9) faces a potentially lengthy suspension, UFC announced on Thursday, after being flagged under the anti-doping policy overseen by USADA. All athletes are required to inform the agency of their whereabouts to ensure the possibility of out-of-competition testing.
Any athlete could face a suspension (anywhere from six months to two years) should he or she fail to do so three or more times in a 12-month period.
“USADA, the independent administrator of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, will handle the results management and appropriate adjudication of Diaz’s case, who has been provisionally suspended pending the final resolution of this matter,” the UFC stated.
As things stand right now, UFC president Dana White isn’t confident fans will ever see Diaz — or for that matter, Ronda Rousey — ever again in the Octagon.
“I highly doubt it,” White told MMAjunkie.com on Wednesday. “I don’t know. I honestly don’t think that, and I can’t speak for Diaz. You’d have to speak with Nick himself, but if you ask me … people ask me, ‘Do you think Ronda [Rousey] is coming back?’ No. I think Ronda’s going to retire. Ronda hasn’t retired, but my opinion is, I think she will. I don’t think Nick Diaz will ever fight again. I just don’t think he has the desire anymore.”
Diaz, 33, a former Strikeforce champion, has joined his younger brother Nate in becoming anti-heroes for the UFC who have developed large fan bases because of their brash behavior and painfully honest takes.
To continue reading this article, click here.
