Diaz tests positive for marijuana

Nick Diaz failed to win over the judges in his UFC 143 bout against Carlos Condit, and now he's failed a drug test.

Commission executive director Keith Kizer said in an email that in post-fight testing following the event in Las Vegas on Saturday, Diaz tested positive for "marijuana metabolites" and that "a complaint for disciplinary action against Mr. Diaz has been filed."

Diaz has the opportunity to respond to the claim before he receives any sanction. He can also appeal afterward. But it seems unlikely he will do either, which means a potential rematch against Condit is no longer going to happen.

The 28-year-old from Stockton, Calif., is expected to be suspended for the use of the banned substance potentially for up to a year.

Late Tuesday night, UFC president Dana White tweeted that Condit had agreed to a second fight with Diaz after their main event fight, in which the former won by controversial decision to become the UFC's new interim welterweight champion. But Diaz's manager Cesar Gracie said the fight won't be happening this year, hinting at an issue that would preclude such a matchup.

"I am beyond disappointed that he tested positive for marijuana," White said in a press release. "It is now in the hands of the Nevada State Athletic Commission.”

It’s not the first time Diaz has been busted by the commission for marijuana. A February 2007 win over Takanori Gomi in Las Vegas was changed to a no-contest by the NSAC after he tested positive for the drug. He was suspended for six months and fined $3,000 -- 20 per cent of his purse for the fight, which took place in the now-defunct Pride organization.

Diaz, a talented fighter who has always marched to his own drum, has made no secret of his marijuana use in the past.

In 2009, he told the Los Angeles Times: "I'm more consistent about everything being a cannabis user."

"I'm happy to get loaded, hear some good music ... I remain consistent. And I have an easy way to deal with (the drug tests). I can pass a drug test in eight days with herbal cleansers. I drink 10 pounds of water and sweat out 10 pounds of water every day. I'll be fine."

Marijuana eases problems such as attention deficit disorder he has faced since childhood, he told the newspaper.

The Nevada commission routinely tests for steroids, stimulants and what it calls "drugs of abuse."

Abuse of alcohol and marijuana can affect the way a fighter handles himself in the ring, the commission argues. So-called social drugs can dull reflexes, reduce skill level and set the scene for a possible mismatch in which a fighter can get hurt.

The polarizing character has been causing headaches for the UFC since returning to the organization last year. He vacated his Strikeforce welterweight title to challenge Georges St-Pierre for the UFC belt, but after failing to appear at some press conferences to promote their October bout he was pulled from the matchup and replaced by Condit.

He offered no satisfactory excuse -- instead calling those media duties “a beauty pageant” -- and was instead given a fight against Condit’s original opponent B.J. Penn. That matchup was then bumped to the main event after St-Pierre was injured.

After Diaz beat Penn by decision he called out St-Pierre, questioning the legitimacy of his injury, prompting the champ to ask to fight Diaz next instead. The UFC obliged and they were set to meet on Saturday until St-Pierre suffered a second knee injury in December that was expected to sideline him for about 10 months.

Diaz was then given the chance to fight Condit for an interim title and he had played nice with the UFC and media since.

But after he lost the decision in the headliner Saturday -- judges scored it 49-46, 49-46, 48-47 for Condit while the opinions on who won from commentators, fans and other fighters has been far from a consensus -- he effectively said he was retiring from MMA because he didn’t agree with the scoring.

It appeared a couple days after the fight that Diaz was changing his mind. But then rumours began circling about an issue unrelated to how much he gets paid for his fights -- something he often comments on. Evidently, his camp had become aware that his drug test was going to come back failed.

Kizer said 17 fighters on the card in total were tested and all other results received by the commission "thus far" had been negative.

With the win, Condit earned the right to face St-Pierre to unify the belts, if he wishes to wait for the Canadian to return from his injury, which might not be until November or later.

-- With files from THE CANADIAN PRESS

James Brydon is the Managing Digital Editor and blogger for sportsnet.ca's UFC section.