Former UFC welterweight No. 1 contender, Nick Diaz is eligible to resume his UFC career after retroactively serving on a one-year suspension from USADA for missing three attempts to a drug test within a 12-month timeframe. As per reports from Brett Okamoto of ESPN.com.
Nick Diaz and USADA have agreed to a sanction. One year suspension, that actually ends on April 19, 2018. Ten days from now, Diaz will be free and clear to resume his career, if he wishes to do so.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) April 9, 2018
Nick has not fought inside the Octagon since his No Contest against Anderson Silva at the UFC 183 in January of 2015 (PPV) event roughly three years back. The game was overturned into a no-contest when Silva tested positive for drostanolone and androsterone, while Diaz also tested positive for marijuana. Due to that, Diaz was hit with a five-year ban from the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), though they later lessened his punishment to 18 months.
Diaz reported his whereabouts information as part of his obligations with USADA, he “failed to make himself available for three tests at the locations provided,” according to a press release. In the first half of 2018, he was tested for the first time since the third quarter of 2016.
So Diaz’s period of ineligibility started on April 19, 2017, he will be able to return to Octagon by April 19.
Diaz, if he planned to return to competition, which means he must make himself available to drug testing at all times and submit quarterly information on his whereabouts to USADA.
Check out USADA press release statement:
USADA announced today that Nick Diaz, of Stockton, Calif., has accepted a one-year sanction for a violation of the UFC® Anti-Doping Policy resulting from three unsuccessful test attempts during a 12-month period. Like all UFC athletes, Diaz, 34, is a member of the UFC Registered Testing Pool and is therefore subject to certain Whereabouts responsibilities, which allow him to be located for out-of-competition testing. Diaz failed to be available for three tests at the locations provided in his Whereabouts Filings. The first two failures occurred in the second and third quarters of 2016, while the third occurred in the first quarter of 2017. Under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, the accumulation of three Whereabouts Failures within a 12-month period constitutes an anti-doping policy violation. Diaz’s one-year period of ineligibility began on April 19, 2017, the date on which his third Whereabouts Failure was declared against him. During his period of ineligibility, Diaz remained subject to no-advance-notice testing by USADA and did not accumulate any additional Whereabouts Failures. As such, Diaz will be eligible to return to competition upon the completion of his sanction on April 19, 2018. To remain compliant with the UFC Whereabouts Policy, athletes must complete and submit quarterly Whereabouts Filings, and promptly update USADA regarding any changes in their Whereabouts information. Accurate Whereabouts information is a crucial component of effective out-of-competition testing programs because it enables anti-doping organizations to conduct no-notice sample collections, which helps maintain effective doping deterrence, as well as detect doping. In an effort to help athletes understand and fulfill their Whereabouts requirements, USADA conducts in-person and online educational sessions with athletes, sends email reminders about filing dates and obligations, maintains online and app-based filing and updating platforms, and gives athletes the option to receive daily and weekly reminders of their provided Whereabouts information. USADA conducts the year-round, independent anti-doping program for all UFC athletes. USADA is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental agency whose sole mission is to preserve the integrity of competition, inspire true sport, and protect the rights of clean athletes.
