Note to all Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighters current and future: Do not call transgender mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters a "sick, sociopathic disgusting freak" and don't call Miesha Tate's boyfriend a bonus-stealing "fag."
Matt Mitrione learned the former lesson and was suspended for two weeks as the world's leading promotion investigated his "offensive" transphobic comments. Nate Diaz is now learning the latter lesson for lashing out at Bryan Caraway on Twitter.com earlier this afternoon (more here), calling him "the biggest fag in the world" for accepting a retroactive $65,000 "Submission of the Night" bonus check.
It was a handsome reward initially reserved for Pat Healy after his thrilling come-from-behind stoppage of Jim Miller at UFC 159 last month. However, it -- along with another $65,000 "Fight of the Night" bonus -- was revoked by UFC President Dana White after "Bam Bam" tested positive for marijuana in his post-fight drug urinalysis.
The whole situation apparently didn't square right with Diaz and he voiced his opinion. And it didn't take long for the UFC to respond (via MMAFighting.com):
"We are very disappointed by Nate Diaz’s comments, which are in no way reflective of our organization. Nate is currently suspended pending internal investigation and we will provide further comment once the matter has been decided."
It's unclear when that final decision will come down, but if Mitrione is a barometer for estimation, it shouldn't take too long. And it more than likely would not interfere with Diaz's next fight inside the Octagon, considering he is coming off a recent knockout loss to Josh Thomson at UFC on Fox 7 less than one month ago and doesn't have anything lined up.
That is, of course, if UFC intends to keep its former No. 1 Lightweight contender on the roster. Indeed, White suggested that Diaz -- who is in the midst of a two-fight losing skid -- could be released from the promotion pending the outcome of the internal investigation:
"We are going to fine, suspend or cut him. One or two of those three will happen."
If Diaz is cut, which would be a total shock, he would be a very attractive free agent aquisition for Bellator, World Series of Fighting (WSOF) and even perhaps his older brother's (Nick Diaz) upstart War MMA creation.