Nate Diaz is one of the cleanest fighters in the game. That’s according to most of the UFC roster who know him well. That’s why it came as a massive shock when he announced his latest drug test came back with unusual results. His immediate response was to issue a statement to the masses.
That put USADA and the UFC under pressure straight away. Diaz is due to fight on Saturday night in Madison Square Garden. He’s going to compete for the BMF belt against Jorge Masvidal. Since his lengthy statement, he’s been cleared of any wrong-doing. The fight will go ahead.
Now, at the pre-fight press conference, Diaz has revealed why he issued the statement, considering that he wasn’t suspended. In short, he wants to preserve his legacy.
Honest
According to Diaz, the reason he was so open about the drug test anomaly was to prove his ignorance. He believes that true cheats wouldn’t be talking about it. He said:
“I think the thing about people on steroids— people on steroids don’t talk about steroids out loud. I’m like if we’re going to have to get down to the point, let’s get down to the point. I’m not going to hold a secret or figure it out afterwards.
“We need to get this out of the way, because I’ve got sh-t I’ve got to put my mind on. If we’ve got to cancel the fight, that’s what we’re going to have to do, but let’s get that sh*t out the way because that’s whack. I thought was all made up and a bunch of bullsh-t anyways. It’s behind so now we can move on.”
Clean
The Stockton fighter has been an outspoken critic of drug cheats for a long time. However, he’s insistent that he’s a clean fighter.
“That was the biggest thing,” Diaz said. “I’m not trying to throw nobody under the rug like that. It was just a big secret and it was shady and it sounded like some sh-t people on steroids are involved in. I didn’t feel comfortable with that. So I’m like let’s just put it on the table then. Because if you’re going to tell me right now that I’m going to test positive for some sh-t and everyone is going to go buck wild, then I don’t even want to fight.
“It’s only cheating if you jump in under the influence of that sh-t, right? So I’m like let’s just say I did accidentally take this sh-t, which I didn’t, but let’s say I did though. Well then let’s just f—king fight in a couple months when the sh-t wears off. I have no problem with that. I don’t care if it ruins your show. You ain’t ruining my whole legacy. I’m all-natural. If we was cavemen, I’d be the hardest caveman out there.”
Strange
Diaz finds the entire situation unusual. He thinks it’s bizarre that there was a problem but now it’s suddenly all ok. That’s why his response was so emphatic. He said:
“The second I tell them, all of a sudden it’s right and cleared. It’s kind of funny to me, the whole situation. I’m going to leave it behind me. I’m done with all that sh-t now. If they want to call me on that kind of sh-t again, we can test everyday for the rest of my life, cause I’ve been taking all the same sh*t I’ve been taking for the last five years. Don’t try play me, cause I ain’t playing back.”
