Nate Diaz says he ‘banked out’ on cannabis industry after UFC 202 vaping incident

Following his loss to Conor McGregor at UFC 202 last August, Nate Diaz took to the post-fight press conference to meet the media with a vape pen in hand, smoking CBD oil without a care in the world.

While the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) didn’t think highly of the situation, they let him get by on a verbal warning since he had already been tested earlier in the day.

For Diaz, the move proved to be fruitful, as he declared during a recent appearance on The MMA Hour that he is currently banking some major coin from the cannabis industry as a result.

“It don't matter. I banked out in the cannabis industry from it. ... It was a good move and it was organic. It's CBD. It helps with the healing process and inflammation, stuff like that. So you want to get these for before and after the fights, training. It'll make your life a better place," Diaz said.

According to International Business Times, the rules also changed as a result of Nate’s stunt.

Anything associated with cannabidiol metabolites is prohibited by USADA and at that time in-competition window ended six hours after the fight but Diaz was taking to the press within two hours of his bout. The rules have changed: the in-competition window now closes after the completion of the post-fight drug test sample collection.

According to Diaz, the promotion has tried to freeze him out ever since UFC 202 -- despite these claims — but says he’s still making plenty of coin outside of fighting.

"They tried to give me the cold shoulder and hide me out and let me die off. But it's all good because I'm not gonna die off. I'm still right here in the game. I'm still training harder than anybody. I still got people calling. The f*ckin' cannabis industry is f*cking blowing money out of their mind over here."

Nevertheless, Nate recently revealed that the promotion did in fact offer him a fight against Tony Ferguson for UFC 213 this July, but since the circumstances weren’t to his liking, the Stockton slugger turned down the fight.

As a result, he likely won’t return to action until 2018.