Nate Diaz is cleared and will fight Jorge Masvidal on Saturday despite an atypical drug-test finding. But the controversial UFC welterweight star is now calling into question the validity of the tests administered by USADA, the UFC’s anti-doping partner.
Speaking for the first time since a startling announcement last week saying he was out of the UFC 244 main event in New York, Diaz said Monday on a media conference call that he will indeed fight now that he has been exonerated. Diaz, though, said he remains skeptical that he truly had any prohibited substance in his system, going so far as to call it a conspiracy by the UFC and USADA to keep him in line.
“I thought it was all made up and a bunch of bulls— anyway,” Diaz said. “It’s behind us. Now, we can move on.”
Last Thursday, Diaz tweeted that he was out of the bout against Masvidal because a drug test result came back that he had elevated levels. USADA and the UFC announced Friday that Diaz had trace amounts of the prohibited substance LGD-4033 in his system, but he was cleared of any wrongdoing.
Diaz, per the UFC, tested for an amount of the drug lower than an agreed-upon threshold. One of his supplements was tested and came back contaminated for LGD-4033.
“Mr. Diaz has not committed an anti-doping policy violation, has not been provisionally suspended and is not subject to any sanctions,” a UFC statement said. “Additionally, UFC has been informed by independent experts who have determined that there is unequivocally no appreciable performance-enhancing or therapeutic benefit from the significantly limited amount of LGD-4033 that may be present in his system, which is roughly 10,000 times lower than one LGD-4033 therapeutic dose.”
On Monday, the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC), which holds jurisdiction over the fight, reiterated USADA and the UFC’s finding that there was no violation.
“Based on the full lab and medical analyses provided by USADA and reviewed by the commission, Nate Diaz is not disqualified from participating in the upcoming UFC 244 event,” New York State Department of State spokesperson Mercedes Padilla told ESPN in a statement. “As with all fighters proposed for the UFC 244 event, the New York State Athletic Commission licensing process continues through the weigh-in and pre-fight physical.”
Diaz said Monday he was told to sweep the drug test findings under the rug last week, but didn’t want to feel like a cheater, so he went public with the information. He said he was ready for the fight to be called off if it came to that.
“It’s only cheating if you jump in under the influence of that s—, right?” Diaz said. “So let’s just say I did accidentally take some s— – which I didn’t. Let’s just say I did, though. Well then let’s just f—ing fight in a couple of months when the s— wears off. I have no problem with that. I don’t care if it ruins the show. You ain’t ruining my whole legacy.”
Diaz said he does not believe what USADA is saying about atypical drug test findings and a tainted supplement. He said he has continued taking the same supplements he has always taken, the raw, organic, vegan kind from Whole Foods. The UFC said Friday that the supplement positive for LGD-4033 was an organic, vegan, plant-based daily multivitamin.
“Yeah, but I don’t believe them anyway,” Diaz said when asked if USADA told him which supplement came back contaminated. “It’s just a whole bunch of natural s— I use. I don’t know. It’s a conspiracy.”
USADA declined comment on Diaz’s accusations.
Diaz, 34, has trust issues when it comes to regulatory bodies and the UFC. The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) once suspended his brother Nick Diaz for five years for a positive drug test for cannabis. The suspension was later reduced to 18 months. Meanwhile, Diaz and the UFC have butted heads for years.
“Every time after a fight, relationships change with the whole company,” Diaz said. “Every fight. What if I win this fight? For one, I’m already the baddest m—–f—er in the game. I made all this happen. So the title is already mine. Now, what if I win this fight? They can’t have a real m—–f—er like me owning this whole s—. Too many people are gonna hear it. I’m not gonna bust nobody out, but I feel they need some type of leverage over me to keep me from being the king of the whole s—. I have been the whole time.”
Diaz said he laughed when USADA first told him he had a prohibited substance in his system and he didn’t do anything differently. Then, another sample came back with the substance at a higher amount. He thought USADA and the UFC were messing with him, he said, which is why he also wanted to take the story public.
“How about the fight is f—ing off?” Diaz said. “Let’s let UFC and Masvidal and all these m—–f—ers sweat. I don’t give a f— about talking about steroids. If you’re on steroids, you don’t want to talk about steroids.”
And even when USADA and the UFC exonerated him Friday, Diaz said he remained skeptical about the whole situation.
“Oh, I’m good now?” Diaz said. “This is all just made up. They had it out for my brother for a long time. They had it out for me for a long time. As soon as they could get me out, they could. As soon as they could get him out, they could. I do not believe a second of any of it.”