UFC Quick Quote: 'Big' John McCarthy says Nick Diaz knowingly broke the rules, lied to athletic commmission

Nick Diaz is wrong, OK? Let's just flat out say it. He's breaking a rule. Now he's trying to cover himself in breaking the rule because he knows he's going to break the rule. Nick uses marijuana. He has always used marijuana. He is a guy who is, you know -- I honestly believe that he knows he's a better person when he's on marijuana than if he doesn't take it and he's going to be an angrier person. I think he believes that it helps him emotionally, it calms him down, it keeps him in a mood that he's comfortable with. And so he's got a medical marijuana card from California. He uses it, he uses it to keep himself in check. And he's going to continue to use marijuana. The problem is this: When Nick goes and applies for a license with a state athletic commission -- we'll say the Nevada State Athletic Commission -- they've already spanked him twice. He's been caught twice previously by the Nevada State Athletic Commission and when a fighter goes and applies for that license there are forms that he has to fill out. No different than when I have to fill out the forms when I get a license. And those forms are going to ask questions and those questions -- you know when you sign your name at the bottom you're saying that this is truthful. You're being honest, you're being truthful with this. And Nick is not being honest and truthful. He's giving bad information because all he needs to do is be honest and truthful and tell them, 'yes, I take marijuana.'

That's mixed martial arts (MMA) referee "Big" John McCarthy on his "Let's Get It On!" podcast sharing his take on the Nick Diaz debacle that made headlines in the sport this week. A pioneer of the sport on the refereeing side, McCarthy has been inside the Octagon since UFC 2 and helped write the unified rules of MMA. McCarthy said ultimately organizations like the athletic commissions and the International Olympic Committee have a ban on marijuana for the protection of the fighter or the athlete, not to be vindictive. McCarthy was the referee for Diaz's last fight against Anderson Silva at UFC 183. Both fighters failed their post-fight drug tests, however Silva received a relatively lenient sentence of one year for his positive test for oxazepam and temazepam because it was his first offence. What do you think about McCarthy's comments? Do you agree Diaz knowingly lied to the commission? Or is there a counterpoint to his argument? Sound off in the comments below!