Nate Diaz explains decision to go public with USADA ordeal
Nate Diaz gave everybody a scare last week when he announced that an adverse finding on one of his United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) drug tests had forced him out of his UFC 244 fight with Jorge Masvidal.
Thankfully, everything turned out ok, and his fight with Masvidal will go ahead as planned, but it was still a stress-inducing moment for anyone that follows this sport.
Diaz, of course, was not obligated to come forward with this situation. He could have far more easily kept quiet and waited for the UFC and USADA to decide how to proceed. In fact, he’s implied that that’s what he was advised to do.
Speaking on the UFC 244 conference call, Diaz explained why he decided to spill the beans instead.
“I shouldn’t even get into details, but every time after a fight relationships change with the whole company,” Diaz said (transcript via MMA Junkie). “… They can’t have a real (expletive) like me owning the whole (shit), being the hardest, because too many people are going to hear it.
“I ain’t trying to bust anyone out, but I feel like they need some type of leverage over me to keep me from being the king of the whole (expletive). They have been the whole time. … I don’t feel like anybody’s ever been on my side in this (expletive).
“I don’t care if it ruins your show,” Diaz concluded. “You ain’t ruining my whole legacy. All I believe in the whole game is that I’m all natural. If we were cavemen, I’d be the hardest caveman out there.”
Suffice it to say that Nate Diaz has principles, and he’s sticking to them. Do you think he made the right choice?
This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 10/30/2019.
Topics:
Nate Diaz UFC USADA
