Diaz’s longtime trainer and manager, Gracie told the Sherdog Radio Network’s “Beatdown” show that his fighter is sick of the politics in the sport, but eventually he’ll fight again.
Other topics discussed on “Beatdown” included Diaz’s suspension for a positive marijuana test, the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s policies and more.
On how Diaz is handling the suspension: “He’s pretty relaxed actually. He’s not stressed out about anything. I was with him last night. He did a few rounds boxing. Nick’s a martial artist. He’s always in some kind of training. It drives him crazy not to be. He’s always doing jiu-jitsu. He’s always doing a little something. Mentally, he’s doing great right now.”
On Diaz’s positive test: “It might be a good thing because will they make the Nevada State Athletic Commission explain themselves? … Marijuana’s like alcohol. You can’t be drunk for your fight and you can’t be high on marijuana for your fight. But they don’t test to see if you, a month before, if you drank alcohol. Oh my God, we’re going to have to fine you because you drank alcohol a month before your fight or eight days or two weeks or whatever they want to say. You can get drunk the night before your fight. You just can’t get drunk the day of your fight.
“Their testing policy does not make sense, not only to the layman like you and me but also to the World Anti-Doping Agency. They don’t test the way that [the NSAC does]. They don’t do the metabolites, I think it’s called. That just shows if you had weed in your fat cells that was stored there up to 45 days before your fight. It doesn’t make sense.”
On athletic commissions deeming marijuana a prohibited substance: “It’s actually worse than testosterone and steroids because you can get a prescription for that and then it’s OK. You’ve got these guys and they’re doing these drugs that are terrible for their bodies and everything, and these other guys that are smoking a plant. And I’m not condoning the smoking of it; that’s up to you. You’re an adult. You’re an American citizen and you have rights. This is an arcane policy. It doesn’t make sense. It’s like we’re back in the 50s or something. It’s very odd, for sure.”
On why Diaz didn’t list marijuana as a prescribed drug on a pre-fight questionnaire: “Marijuana in Nevada is not recognized as a prescription drug. Even in California it isn’t. Technically, from a legal standpoint, a doctor cannot prescribe marijuana. You can’t go to a pharmacy and buy it. Therefore, technically, it’s not a prescription. The way the law is, is it’s a recommendation and not a prescription. So when Nick put no to prescription, that’s actually factual. And we looked into that before because in previous fights he wanted to put yes, it’s a prescription, but it’s not a prescription.
“… Why would he lie? Everyone knows he smokes marijuana. So what’s he gaining from it? The L.A. Times had a piece where he said he smokes it. What’s he gaining from lying? Are they saying that if he would have put he smokes marijuana, they would have said it was OK? Because they haven’t approved one person. In the history of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, since it’s began, it has not made one exemption for [marijuana]. So what is Nick gaining by putting no on there? They’re playing this weird little game of, ‘Oh, he should have put yes here,’ but they’ve never approved anybody on it and they weren’t about to approve it this time. They’re playing like a smoke-and-mirrors game. It’s really odd.”
On why Diaz will challenge the commission over disciplining him: “It’s something he sees as unjust, not just for himself but for people that are going to come after him. He’s been an advocate, as you know. He speaks his mind and he’s one of those guys that likes to smoke marijuana. He’s like Joe Rogan. I’ve told him, ‘Hey, let’s focus on not talking about that,’ but Nick is a free thinker. He says what’s on his mind at all times. He’s a very truthful person. He doesn’t lie about stuff. … I think with Nick it’s like, who’s going to want to get a fat fine? For me, the suspension does come into play because I’m one of the guys that doesn’t want to see Nick quit. He’s at his prime. I can understand his frustration.
On whether Diaz will end up with a target on his back: “Well, if the truth makes waves, we’re going to make waves. That’s just the way it is. If that puts a target on your back, Nick’s going to put a target on his back. Because we’re not going to back down from a system that wants you to lie constantly, that wants you to dodge things, wants you to pretend. The whole thing is about pretending. I can tell you, all these UFC guys, they’re out there smoking. I mean, I see them. They smoke marijuana and then they take these chemicals -- and when I say chemicals, it’s that stuff you can buy over the counter and that guarantees you’re going to pass the test. It masks it. It masks it in your urine so that the metabolites don’t show, and you can just take one of those.
“You go, ‘Well, why didn’t Nick take one of those?’ Because Nick is such a purist when it comes to his diet that he’ll look at something like that and he goes, ‘Well, this contains artificial dyes or artificial flavors, artificial this and that,’ and then he doesn’t want to do it. It drives me crazy. I’m like, ‘Nick, just take this, and you’ll be like all these other UFC guys that are smoking and are taking it,’ but he won’t do that because he thinks it’s bad for his body.”
On other issues Diaz has with the Nevada commission: “He never thought that the judges in Nevada have liked him. There’s always been a bias against him. He doesn’t know what he has to do to win a fight in Nevada. … He thinks there are biased judges, and I would have to agree with that. There’s no panel to review these judges’ decisions and see if these guys should continue judging.”
On why Diaz is considering retirement: “He’s sick of the politics, the whole marijuana thing, the judges … . It’s kind of a weird thing, but let’s face it: I’m not going to let that guy quit. I just don’t see that happening. He’s too good and he’s too important in this sport, I think. If it’s up to me, there’s no way that’s going to happen.”
via:Sherdog
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