Anderson Silva vs. Nick Diaz

UFC middleweight fighter Nick Diaz was handed a 5-year suspension by the Nevada State Athletic Commission this Monday.

The decision addressed Diaz testing positive for marijuana metabolites after his UFC 183 fight against Anderson Silva, on January 31.

The decision came after a 3+ hours hearing where Diaz pleaded the 5th Amendment and kept his silence before the members of the NAC.

One of the commissioners, Pat Lundvall, even proposed a lifetime ban for Diaz for his repeated positive results for marijuana.

Diaz was also fined in 30% of his $500,000 fight purse for the positive test.

Anderson Silva also tested positive after UFC 183 and received a 1-year suspension for the presence of Drostanolone metabolites after a hearing on August 13.

In his defense, the Brazilian argued that sexual performance enhancing drugs were to blame for the positive result.

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.

Matthew Riddle weighs in during the UFC weigh-in on Feb. 15 at Wembley Arena in London. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Following the release of welterweight Matt Riddle for a second failed drug test for marijuana, the UFC on Wednesday afternoon issued an official statement regarding their actions.

The company said that the positive test for marijuana metabolites was a breach of contract and violation of their conduct policy. For these reasons, Riddle was terminated.

“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 UFC posted on their website.

“The UFC organization has a strict, consistent policy against the use of any illegal and/or performance-enhancing drugs, stimulants or masking agents. The outcome of the bout against Che Mills was changed to a no-contest and the results of the positive test will be reported to the official Association of Boxing Commissions MMA record-keeper.”

As GRACIEMAG.com reported Wednesday morning, Riddle tested positive for marijuana after his UFC on Fuel TV 7 fight with Che Mills. The failed test was his second, the first one coming after his UFC 149 fight with Chris Clements.

Both fights have been turned to no-contests.

Matt Riddle (right) was released from the UFC following a positive drug test for marijuana. Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Following a second positive test for marijuana, welterweight Matt Riddle has been cut by the UFC, according to reports on Tuesday evening.

Riddle failed his drug test following his UFC on Fuel TV 7 fight with Che Mills in London, where he won a split decision over the homecountry fighter.

Typically, the local governing body, or athletic commission, oversees the drug testing for UFC events. England, however, has no such commission, so the UFC supervised the drug testing for the Fuel event where he subsequently failed his test.

Riddle first tested positive for marijuana following UFC 149 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The second failure in London, apparently, was enough for UFC brass to handle and Riddle was let go from the company.

Riddle’s name is added to the growing list of former UFC fighters that have been cut from the promotion. Last week, news broke that 16 fighters, including top-10 ranked Jon Fitch, were let go from the promotion. Riddle’s opponent last opponent, Mills, was included on that cut list.

UFC president Dana White went on to say that Fitch’s cut made sense for a number of reasons, including being too expensive.

News of Riddle’s release was first reported by MMAjunkie.com.

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Today was a victory for fans and the UFC directorate in Boston, Massachusetts.

Governor Deval Patrick, after two years of legal wrangling, signed into law the legalization of mixed martial arts in the American state.

In Nebraska, Dan Miller rear-naked-chokes Rob Kimmons, in September of 2008. Photo: Josh Hedges/Zuffa.

Vice-President of government issues at the UFC Marc Ratner stated to the Boston Herald newspaper that he was very pleased with the decision, and is already thinking of an August or July 2010 date for an event in Boston, one of the noblest cities in the country. According to the paper, MMA is now legal in 42 American states.

Further news related to the sport in the USA has to do with banned substances.

In a bulletin released by the California State Athletic Commission, fighters who test positive for tetrahidrocanabinol, the main active chemical in marijuana, will be punished. Punishment already existed in part, but now even athletes who use the substance medicinally will be suspended.

According to the California State Athletic Commission, taking into account article 303, it maintains the right to punish any fighter caught for drug use.