In a recent interview with Nick Diaz, he talks about his accusations of having Marijuana in his system in order to numb out the pain on the night of the fight with Takanori Gomi, PrideFC’s current Lightweight champion. Nick gets a little upset with the NSAC because he was accused for something that he has been doing for quite a while now—smoking weed and “getting loaded” as he continuously states during the interview.
Here’s the interview (props to CBSSports.com):
CBSSports.com: You’ve experienced long layoffs from
fighting before but not under these circumstances, what was it like having the
ability to fight and earn a living taken away from you?
Nick Diaz: It was pretty discouraging. I work pretty
hard and harder than everyone else. It’s easy for anyone in this sport who has
been fighting for awhile to see that I train hard. It’s like living in a fish
bowl being able to see who trains hard and who doesn’t. It was just really
discouraging and put a dent in the momentum that I had going.
Q: The assertion by the Nevada State Athletic Commission
was that your THC levels were so high that you were numb to the pain you
experienced during your fight against Gomi. And while NSAC didn’t make
accusations publicly, there were some rumblings that people felt you had
actually gotten high right before the fight. Was there any truth to that?
ND: How would I have done that!? I’m sure they want to push that as much
as they can and they wanted to that at my hearing, too. My hearing was pretty
ridiculous. I didn’t know whether they were going to go easy on me or what? I
just knew that they had all the control so I didn’t go in there trying to argue
anything. I just went in there to say “Hey, sorry and please give me a
lighter sentence because I’ve got bills to pay and a family to take care of and
support. This isn’t easy out here. I train harder than everybody else and I’m
not out drinking like everybody else. It’s obvious to you guys sitting at this
table that you can see the rest of these fighters out there and what they’re
doing. You’ve got some of them testing positive for steroids and a lot of them
go out and get drunk and hammered and doing a bunch of coke and then popping
Vicodins.
“That’s kind of a given; people know
that about fighters that some of these guys are some serious party animals.
You’ve got guys painting their f—– toenails running around with crazy little
mohawks. It’s plain to see out there but they want to make an example of me as
someone who’s not professional or healthy.
Q: I believe the assertion was that you were
numb to the pain and that you had an advantage. How do you feel about that?
ND: That’s what I mean! How am I going to be numb to pain off some weed!?
It’s common sense that weed doesn’t numb you from pain. I figure that the
reason why they give it to cancer patients is because I’m sure it helps pass
their time. It helps you get through your day a lot quicker. And they eat like
they’re supposed to. Everybody who is fighting usually has a problem with
eating or not eating and I think it (marijuana) helps out a lot with that. I
actually think it could be really good for fighters, or athletes, or anyone in
general who needs it. It’s just like how one would use green tea for natural
caffeine or for digestive help. I think the idea of making marijuana illegal
like it is right now is a case of paranoia.
Q: It was reported that your THC level following the fight was 175.
According to some medical publications, anything above 12 is considered a
positive test and NSAC has an allowance of 50 for athletes. Can you offer an
explanation for your high level?
ND: As far as I know that should be a normal level (175) for anyone who
has tested positive. I know plenty of people that would have tested higher than
that. I don’t see what the difference is about that being abnormally high for
someone who tests positive for it. My point is I wasn’t high the same day of
the fight or the week of the fight. And how would I be? I go to Vegas and I
don’t know anybody in Vegas; they have s—- weed in Vegas. They don’t even
have any out there, it’s a f—— desert out there.
Q: So to clarify, you contend that anyone who would have marijuana in
their system would have tested around your level and there was nothing off the
chart in regard to your positive result?
ND: Yeah, I think what you need is about two weeks of not smoking
marijuana. No smoking it, no eating it, no doing anything like that. You need
to do a little bit of a detox. You can go to your local health food store and
they’ve got all kinds of different types of detox stuff that you can cleanse
your system with. And then you can go in there and give them a test that passes
under 50 probably within 2 to 2½ weeks.
But I wasn’t really worried about it,
because I give them dirty piss tests all the time in the UFC and every show
I’ve ever fought in. So I don’t see what the problem is. They weren’t testing for
it before. All of a sudden when they wanted to suspend me, they suspended me.
Q: So you’re saying you’ve tested positive for marijuana before?
ND: That’s the thing, nobody tested for it. There was no testing for it
(marijuana). Nobody gave a s— if there was. So I’ve given about nine tests in
my life and only one of them came up positive but for every one (of the tests)
I had been smoking weed. And at least in the same month, so they had to have
come up (positive).
Don’t get me wrong. It’s not like I
sit around and smoke pot all day. I train harder than anybody you know, I
guarantee it. You’ve got fighters out there that are like “Yeah,
right.” Yeah, I do, buddy. If you don’t think so come to my gym here and
you can see that we train harder than all of you. We’re professional athletes
over here (Cesar Gracie’s Jiu-Jitsu Academy ), and I don’t
consider myself unhealthy because I smoke some weed.
The only kind of pain it might numb me
from is the fear of losing in competition and the anxiety that everybody has to
go through as fighters. It’s not like we can just all of a sudden cop out and
go get drunk. You know what I mean? Like go out and get hammered and go
“Aw f— man, this is too hard. I can’t take it anymore. I’m just going to
get drunk.” You can’t do that because you won’t make it back to the gym
the next day. But you get loaded and run five miles like it’s no thing and set
all your worries aside and f—— drop your weight and do your thing and let
whatever’s going to happen, happen. It might make things a little bit easier so
yeah, if you want to call it a performance enhancing drug in that sense, by all
means do it then. Good, maybe it should be OK then. Wouldn’t you say?
All we’re doing is relieving a little
anxiety and I’m sure I could go out and get some prescriptions that they would
allow me to use in a fight. The only thing is that those (prescriptions) would
be counter-productive to my well-being because now we’re putting chemicals in
there.
Q: So are you saying that you could go to a psychiatrist and get
prescribed valium, klonopin, xanax and all that stuff that could possibly be
more harmful and more addictive?
ND: What about f—— putting chemicals and using prescription drugs that
actually kill people (when they overdose)? F— that. It’s obvious they kill
people. Homegrown herbs don’t kill people. They don’t. They never have. I’d be
more worried about vicodins and stuff they’re not even testing for because that
numbs the pain. If I really wanted to be numb I’d go out there drunk.
I do triathlons. I’ve done f——
112-mile bike rides and 26-mile runs all in the same event. You can do it high,
it feels great loaded.
Q: Wait, you compete in triathlons when you’re high?
ND: Hey, you know, it’s not going to be a problem. If I was going to go
and try to win first place and become the most competitive triathlete in the
world then, maybe I wouldn’t go out and try to compete high. But if you’re just
going on a big, long relaxing workout event day then yeah, do a triathlon as
completely loaded as you can get because you’re only going to be able to get
high probably — you get out of the car and next thing you know go up and
transition. Everything is going to take an hour to set up your transition and
you can get high during that time. So you can get high and then for about an
hour set up your transition and then go do a triathlon and you’re still going
to be loaded. It’s going to go about a couple hours into the event, I guess.
But why not do a triathlon high?
Q: After the suspension, are you still a regular marijuana user?
ND: Well, I don’t plan on ever testing positive for a drug test again.
That’s pretty much all I have to say about that.
Q: Some conspiracy theories have been floated out there that the UFC
allegedly influenced the Nevada State Athletic Commission
to have your win overturned. Do you feel there was in fact a conspiracy?
ND: I don’t know, really. Just like any big organization I feel like
there’s always some sort of elite group of minds working together controlling
things. I don’t know who it is and I don’t know what I did to them but whatever
I did, I’m sorry. I hope we can work things out in the future because I’d like
to get rolling here. I’m a hard worker. I’m ready to fight. I’ll fight anybody.
That’s what’s important is that I’m here deal that’s going on now a days with this huge
MMA thing. And I didn’t realize that. But now I’m kind of learning as I go
along and now I’m willing to kind of play along. For instance, I was supposed
to go on Blind Date and I didn’t do that.
I’m ready to do my job
and that’s another important thing. I failed to do my job as a UFC fighter somewhat
in the past as far as everything that goes along with it because it’s not just
the fighting part. I’ll fight anybody and that’s what I thought it was about.
It’s like, OK, well, I’ll do my job. My job is fighting, that’s what this job
is. This is fighting. It should be simple enough? But it’s not. I have to do
acting, and role playing, and being a part of this PR and whole Hollywood. And I didn’t go on The Ultimate
Fighter show (editor’s note: Diaz was reportedly asked to appear on the
fourth season of the show). I had a few reasons why I didn’t want to go on that
show. I just didn’t want to be a part of that whole thing. But I wish I had a
chance again to have an opportunity to be a part of that sort of situation. It
was just that at that one point in time I don’t think it was the best thing for
me.
Q: Was that for Season 4, The Comeback?
ND: Yes, the one they did with Matt Serra. I think it’s a better idea that
Matt Serra went ahead and did that and that was probably his time to shine.
Q: Is fighting Gomi again something that has appeal to you?
ND: Sure, why not, dude? I’ll fight anybody. If they want to pay me a lot
of money we can pump that fight up and that fight will be bigger than other
fights. I want a big fight. You know, I’m getting older. I’m not as young as I
used to be. I was like 17, 18, or 19 the first time I fought in the UFC. And
they won’t let me fight and make the money I want to make. I put out the effort
and my bank account looks like s— right now. And what if I want to start a
family one day or something like that? I’m not looking at that now, but I’ve
made it into that safe area where I’m not like getting chicks pregnant and I don’t
have that kind of thing to worry about now. But now it’s kind of like what if I
want to do something like that (start a family) one day?
(Laughs.) I’m like I better smoke some
weed or something. I’ve got to worry about going home and not breaking my leg
and making the next fight. If I miss another fight I’m going to be out of
f—— money. I need to fight so that I can eat. Organic food costs a lot of
money.
Q: How are things with EliteXC? Are you happy with their pay scale?
ND: Yeah, I’m happy with it. But I’m not really happy with any fighter’s
pay, though. Like any MMA fighter’s pay. Period. I’m not happy with any of us
going on TV and immediately the next day not being set for life. It’s like
c’mon dude, we’re going on television here. On Showtime; on Versus; on
pay-per-view. Know what I mean? And we’re f—— rock stars, dude. The only
reason why we’re not is because they say we’re not. It’s like why are we not
getting paid top dollar like some little boy bands are?
Like f—— Timberlake or ‘ol
Mayweather? Or ‘N Sync. People are getting paid serious money. There’s
seriously some bulls— going on where none of us are getting paid here. And I
don’t understand it either because I walked through the mall the other day when
I was in Vegas. And I seen happy old Floyd f—— Mayweather after his little
interview he did where I think he was talking s— about how he’ll beat any MMA
fighter’s ass. And I was in the worst f—— mood ever, dude, because I was
just about to say f— it because I was over there to corner my brother and
didn’t get to corner my brother because you need to have a license for that.
So Floyd is walking around on a
f—— shopping spree, dude. And I don’t even think he has any real friends.
He’s got these big f—— Samoan (guys) carrying his shopping bags and all his
clothes and s—. He’s walking around “Whoopty-woo. Yaw-yaw!” and
this and that, signing autographs and taking pictures here and there and just
acting like a complete f—— a——- and I’m thinking like “Man, I
ought to just whoop this … ass right here and ain’t nobody would say s—. I
could have my friend record it and put it up on YouTube and see what that does
for me?
Q: Were you really tempted to do that?
ND: (Laughs.) I’d go right to jail. I don’t give a f— though. I’m like,
whatever. I wanted to just punch this (guy) and be like “Hey, you little
bitch” and start talking s— to him and try to get him to fight me. But
no, I didn’t bother because I’m not a punk like that. But it makes want to be.
And it’s not even ‘ol Floyd that makes me want to be, either. It’s whoever is
paying them and not paying us. That makes me just really want to put it out
there and show them just how easily I whooped this guy’s ass like he was my
bitch. And nothing against that dude, except for that he is kind of a piece of
s—. He’s on a shopping spree and he’s walking around. I don’t know if I’d all
about my money like that if I had that kind of money.
Q: You’ve been critical of the UFC in the past. You’ve made some comments
about how they promote guys from The Ultimate Fighter. What are your
feelings about the UFC at this point?
ND: They seem to be treating my brother (Nate Diaz) pretty good. I wish I
could have done more of a job for them while I was there. I think it wasn’t
probably the best timing for me. Those guys that I fought were a little older
than me and at the same time, they were a lot more marketable. Especially since
they had a manager telling them how to be and not so much about fighting and
jiu-jitsu but just about getting them out there and doing what they had to do
as far as PR and stuff like that.
I don’t think they felt like I was
cooperative, which I really wanted to be and I would be more so now, especially
now that I know it’s more so part of that job description. Like I was saying,
it’s not just about being a fighter anymore these days. That’s why you’ve got
me on the side saying “Hey, what’s the f—‘s going on? How come I can’t
fight this guy or that guy? I’m better than them!” And it’s because I am
better than them! I know I’m better than them! They know that I’m better than
them too but they are sort of in this spot, or position — look at (Roger)
Huerta. I don’t think Huerta is very good but they love Huerta. Everybody
f—— loves Huerta. They’re like “Oh, Roger Huerta! Yeah!” And I’m
like, my brother will f—— choke that guy!
Q: If the UFC contacted you about a return, you’d be open to going back?
ND: Oh, absolutely.
Q: In watching your fights it seems like you go into the cage or ring pretty
amped up and filled with a lot of rage and angst. Outside of fighting, do you
consider yourself to be an angry person?
ND: I don’t think I’m an angry person. I try to fuel more off positive
vibes than negative vibes. I don’t think you can get anywhere off negative
vibes. The anger thing to me, by the time I get out there I actually am a
little bit angry, a little fed up with where I’m at. Sometimes I don’t want to
be there. Sometimes I’m just angry that this 15 minutes isn’t going to be over
in five minutes. It’s a hard thing to explain. It’s sort of a vulgar display of
power, if you will. Going out there and being f—— angry because that’s the
idea. You want to snarl when you punch. You want to be angry and mean. I just
feel like I have that edge with that anger. And it does work and it will work
and you will be my b—-. Because it’s happen in the past. You’ll go out there
and you call him your b—- and you stop him and that it’s, the fight’s over,
dude. They’re your b—- now. They’re not going to fight you. They couldn’t
handle it in high school and they’re not going to handle it now. And I went
through it. I’m ready to do it. That was hard times for me and it’s still hard
times and I’m ready for it. It’s payback.
Q: I just wanted to thank you for your time and for the interview.
ND: I just hope that everyone doesn’t think that I don’t mean well. I
don’t want everyone’s kids to start smoking marijuana or anything. And I want
this to be a clean sport and I don’t think fighters should be going out there
and getting loaded or anything like that. There are plenty of ‘roid heads out
there that are popping vikes and slamming shots on the weekends and cutting 20
pounds of water and just doing completely freak things. They’re probably not
going to be able to last their whole life doing that stuff but we’re not
getting on them, we’re getting on me. I wish I had had the chance to say
something like that at my hearing (in front of the Nevada State Athletic Commission) or in some way been able to argue my whole case but
instead I just kind of didn’t have anything to say about it at that point in
time. Now I understand things a little bit better and I hope everybody doesn’t
make me out to be the worst person on Earth.
