According to UFC President Dana White, Nick Diaz (pictured) will “probably” get cut if he tests positive for marijuana metabolites again. (Photo by Nick Laham/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
If UFC welterweight Nick Diaz tests positive for marijuana metabolites following UFC 158, he may get cut from the organization, according to UFC President Dana White.
White told reporters on Thursday that the UFC will likely take the action of releasing Diaz if the fighter repeated the offense as he did following his last fight.
“Probably,” White said when asked if he’d cut Diaz with another positive test.
Diaz has tested positive for marijuana metabolites two times before, the first time being after his 2007 Pride fight with Takanori Gomi, and the second coming after his UFC 143 loss to Carlos Condit.
Both positive tests prompted the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), the governing body overseeing both fights, to suspend Diaz for a year retroactive to the dates of the fights.
UFC 158 will be Diaz’s first fight back from his last suspension. If he produces another positive test, it may be the last time he’s seen in the Octagon, according to White.
The UFC has said in the past that they have a “strict, consistent policy” regarding illegal substances. The company has viewed use of marijuana, for example, as a breach of contract because of this policy.
Former UFC fighter Matt Riddle was the last athlete cut from the organization stemming from a positive test for marijuana metabolites.
“The UFC organization is exercising its right to terminate Riddle for breach of his obligations under his Promotional Agreement as well as the UFC Fighter Conduct Policy,” the company said in a release when they terminated Riddle in late February.
Following the UFC 158 pre-fight press conference, White added that Riddle was released because because he’s a “moron,” citing an interview the fighter did where he said he smokes marijuana to avoid beating his children.
“Matt Riddle is a moron,” White said. “That’s why he got cut.”
Diaz was unavailable for comment regarding a potential cut with a positive test at the time of this publication.
UFC 158 will take place this Saturday, March 16, at the Bell Centre in Montreal.