NATE DIAZ HAS been given a public warning as a result of his use of cannabidiol [CBD] oil in the aftermath of his recent defeat to Conor McGregor.
Diaz ‘vaped’ CBD during the post-fight press conference following his majority-decision loss to the Dubliner at UFC 202 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on 20 August.
The use of cannabidol is prohibited in competition by the World Anti-Doping Agency [WADA], whose list of prohibited substances is adopted by the United States Anti-Doping Agency [USADA], which is employed by the UFC to police its anti-doping policy.
“It’s CBD,” Diaz said during the press conference. “It helps with the healing process and inflammation — stuff like that. You want to get these for before and after the fight, training. It’ll make your life a better place.”
In a statement released last night, USADA explained that a public warning — which Diaz has accepted — instead of a suspension was deemed “an appropriate response” to the violation as the California native mistakenly believed that the in-competition period ended after he provided a post-bout sample to USADA.
‘In competition’ is defined as the period beginning six hours prior to the scheduled weigh-in — the day before the fight — and ending six hours after the fight itself. The in-competition urine and blood samples provided by Diaz before his admitted use were analysed and reported as negative for all prohibited substances, including cannabidiol.
