The Nevada State Athletic Commission on Tuesday changed the result of Nick Diaz's (Pictures) gogoplata victory over Takanori Gomi (Pictures) to a no-decision after it deemed that the use of marijuana aided in the Californian's Feb. 24 win over the PRIDE champion, NSAC executive director Keith Kizer confirmed to Sherdog.com.
According to MMAweekly.com, NSAC commission chairman Dr. Tony Alamo stated during Tuesday's hearing in Las Vegas that Diaz's Delta-9-THC (the active ingredient in marijuana) reading was an off-the-charts 175. A test is considered positive when THC levels broach 15, while Nevada holds its standard at 50.
"This creates a unique situation," expressed Alamo.
"I was there at this fight and believe that you were intoxicated, and that it made you numb to the pain," Alamo told Diaz, who was present. "Did it help you win? I think it did."
"I wasn't under the influence when I was fighting," Diaz responded. "I don't abuse drugs normally; it was a one-time thing. It was very embarrassing for me to test positive."
During an interview on the Sherdog Radio Network's "Beatdown," Diaz's manager Cesar Gracie (Pictures) questioned the NSAC's decision to change the fight result when it has not done so in previous "performance enhancement" related suspensions.
"Tim Sylvia (Pictures) kept his win when he tested positive for steroids, and because Nick tested positive for pot they're going to take his victory away, fine him $3,000 and suspend him for half of the year?" said Gracie. "I mean I think they just shot themselves in the foot. They didn't shoot Nick in the foot. They look like idiots out there."
In fact the NSAC has changed a result once before, after it amended regulation in December 2005 to allow for such a ruling. Following a positive test for methamphetamine stemming from a Nov. 2006 fight, boxer Omar Nino's majority draw with Brian Viloria was changed to a no-decision, Kizer said.
"Gomi is a great opponent, he's really tough," said Gracie. "You don't want to go in there high against a guy. You can't think, focus and react quickly. Obviously Nick won the fight. They were saying, ‘well you were going to tapout if you weren't on pot.' What was he going to tapout to? Nothing. Obviously they haven't seen Nick fight. When he's tested negative, when he's getting his head beat in, he keeps fighting. The guy's a warrior. For them to tell this kid, who is the main bread winner in his whole household, ‘you cannot fight anywhere in the world for six months, give us this much money and, by the way, it's a [no-decision],' it's more than Draconian, what they did."
Suspensions and fines were also handed down to Kit Cope (Pictures) and Joe Pearson (Pictures) for positive tests after the March 24 WEC card.
Cope was suspended for nine months and fined $1,167 (20 percent of his purse) for testing positive for the anabolic steroid Boldenone.
Pearson, who also tested positive for Delta-9-THC, got an $800 fine (20 percent of his purse) as well as a six-month suspension.
California drug test results
Sherdog.com has learned the names of five mixed martial artists who tested positive for banned substances following fights in the state of California.
On March 10, in Ontario, Calif., Adam Lehman tested positive for cannabinoids (marijuana) after losing by guillotine choke to Jaime Fletcher (Pictures).
Will Torres and Jeff Morris (Pictures), each losers on a Gladiator Challenge card in Sacramento, and Brian Ebersole (Pictures), who fought for the International Fight League in Los Angeles, were found to have marijuana in their systems following March 17 bouts.
And on March 31, Nelson Ocampo tested positive for both methamphetamines and amphetamines following his three-round decision loss to Ed Lavelle (Pictures) in San Francisco.