Diaz likely for Oct. Dream, CSAC mulling "thauraputic use" exemption

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While his re-licensure in California remains a work in progress, Nick Diaz is in talks to fight for Dream in October.


Cesar Gracie,
Diaz’s longtime trainer and manager, met with Dream Event Producer
Keiichi Sasahara at Strikeforce this past weekend in San Jose, Calif.,
to discuss the possibility of Diaz competing either Oct. 6 or 22.
Gracie said Sasahara expressed an interest in the outspoken 28-year-old
facing Japanese legend Hayato Sakurai, but that talks were in the preliminary stages.


Strikeforce announced an alliance with the Japanese promotion a few
weeks ago, and the two have already begun an open exchange of talent
that saw Dream’s Mitsuhiro Ishida compete on Saturday’s card.


Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said he was “100 percent” open to Diaz
competing overseas next, while Gracie said Diaz could return to
Strikeforce for one of its November or December events.


Gracie said he’s been told Diaz will fight for the promotion’s welterweight title at that time.


Diaz was pulled from Saturday’s championship bout against Jay Hieron
after the Stockton native did not take a pre-fight drug test required
for his re-licensure in the state. Gracie said Diaz has a medical
prescription for marijuana to treat the hyperactivity disorder ADHD and
wasn’t given proper warning that his fighter would be tested per an
arrangement he said was made with former CSAC Executive Officer Armando
Garcia. Hieron went on to earn a unanimous decision against late
replacement Jesse Taylor in a non-title bout on Saturday.


At a post-fight press conference, Coker said Hieron, who turned down a
UFC contract to join Strikeforce, will fight Diaz for the title,
although the timing of the bout is up in the air.

“It might be that Nick can’t fight (for Strikeforce) till the end of
the year and Jay fights in-between there,” said Coker, “but that’s a
fight we definitely want to put together because we made a commitment
to Jay and we want to keep that commitment.”

Meanwhile, Gracie met with CSAC officials on Friday to discuss Diaz’s
re-licensing and the testing procedures he will be placed under moving
forward.


Gracie and CSAC Assistant Executive Officer Bill Douglas
discussed the possibility of the state agency adopting a “Theraputic
Usage Exemption” program, utilized by the World Anti-Doping Agency
(WADA). According to the WADA Web site, a TUE would allow an athlete to
take medication that appears on the WADA Prohibited list without facing
penalties.


Clarifying statements Gracie made to Sherdog.com last week,
the trainer said an arrangement to test Diaz only on the night of his
scheduled bouts was made between Diaz’ former employer, Pro Elite, and
Garcia. Gracie also specified that the promotion relayed the agreement
to him, not Garcia.

Both Gracie and Douglas told Sherdog.com that a former Pro Elite
employee also attended the meeting to corroborate Gracie’s assertion
that an agreement had been in place. Douglas said he had no knowledge
of the agreement prior to Gracie telling him.


Gracie said he hopes Diaz will be granted an exemption for
marijuana while out of competition, and that the fighter will abide by
the testing procedures during competition.

“He does need (marijuana),” said Gracie. “He has ADHD and he’s had a
prescription for Ritalin since he was a kid. He doesn’t want to take
that. That’s worse than pot.”


Douglas called the meeting “extremely positive.”

“We
don’t have a TUE program in California yet, not to say we won’t,”
Douglas told Sherdog.com Monday. “I pledged to have the CSAC staff work
with Gracie and his reps, because putting a TUE program together to
present to the commission will take time and effort, as well as
feedback from many parties. We can put the plan together, but
ultimately the commission has to vote for it.”


Douglas said the first step will be to secure a date to
present the idea to the commission board, but noted that if the
commission is receptive, the entire process of incorporating the system
could take up to a year.


In the meantime, Gracie said Diaz could be tested for
re-licensure as early as in a few weeks. Gracie said Diaz would cease
using marijuana during that time in order to pass the necessary
testing.


Douglas recommended Diaz be ready for the testing this time around.


“I think that as soon as he finds out he has a fight, he’d need to do what he needs to,” said Douglas.

A fight with Sakurai would be entertaining... and then a title fight vs Hieron that would really set him in place at WW which is what i think he shud be doing

This fight with Mach has been one people wanted back when Diaz first fought in Dream.

Wolfgangsta wrote:

This fight with Mach has been one people wanted back when Diaz first fought in Dream.

and for good reason..it would be a great fight

were would you put Nick if he could Mach and Hieron back to back in the WW division?>

diaz in japan beating up asians makes me smile

Mach has declined in value due to his KO loss, but if Diaz beat him and then Hieron I'd say that coupled with his success upweight against good guys like Smith and Shamrock, would make him a top five WW.