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Three strikes and you're out.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight contender Nick Diaz will fight Georges St. Pierre for the 170-pound strap in the main event of UFC 158 this Saturday night (March 16, 2013) at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
And if he should fail his post-fight drug test, his next fight could be in the unemployment line.
What a pickle the promotion would be in if Diaz won the belt.
The fiery Stockton slugger already has a pair of drug-related disciplinary suspensions on his record, both from the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) and both resulting from traces of marijuana use. The first came in the wake of his submission win over Takanori Gomi under the PRIDE FC banner back in 2007.
The second came in defeat to Carlos Condit at UFC 143 just last year (details here).
In the interest of job security, you would think Diaz would give up the green stuff a few months ahead of his fight. Right? Well, maybe not, considering his comments at today's UFC 158 pre-fight press conference (watch it here).
"I think [at UFC 143] I tested for a metabolite or a nanogram, it was hardly [a trace] so I just did a little more than I did last time so, sorry if I don't pass the test, but I think it should work out. I've passed plenty of them before, unless they just weren't testing me. I wonder how much they test people around here (glancing at St. Pierre)."
Color me reactionary, but that doesn't sound like a vote of confidence from the only man who would know for sure if he's been playing by the rules. All we can do is wait.
Meanwhile, someone should make sure Dana isn't near any bridges.
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