Following his decision loss to Carlos Condit at UFC 143, Nick Diaz famously suggested he was retiring due to his disgust at the result of the fight. He then equally-famously failed his post-fight drug test and was suspended for one year by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
Tim Burke at Bloody Elbow reports that Diaz has hired a lawyer -- Ross Goodman -- and now plans to fight the suspension.
According to Goodman, the substance Diaz tested positive for was THC-Carboxylic Acid, an inactive marijuana metabolite. NSAC executive director Keith Kizer was unavailable to comment on that claim Monday.
The response filed to the commission, therefore, challenges that Diaz merely tested positive for an inactive metabolite, which is not listed as a prohibited substance.
"You have to test positive for marijuana, as opposed to this inactive ingredient Nick did," Goodman said.
"If there's nothing in the rules prohibiting marijuana metabolites, why are we here?"
This seems to raise the question of why a retired fighter would challenge a one-year suspension. Yes, perhaps Diaz is not interested in forfeiting his share of the purse, but it seems much more likely that he has no intention of retiring at all, which Bay Area MMA fans likely already knew.
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