Nate Diaz shared a massive spliff with fans during a workout 3 days before his UFC comeback after 3 years on the sidelines
- Nate Diaz shared a massive spliff with fans during a public workout three days before his UFC comeback.
- Diaz hasn't fought since his two-fight rivalry with the former lightweight champion Conor McGregor.
- He returns to elite competition this weekend, fighting the Wisconsin welterweight Anthony Pettis at UFC 241 in Anaheim, California.
- Diaz told reporters there was no marijuana in the spliff, just CBD, but that he'd "smoke the weed after the fight."
- He added: "I said pass it around. It's good etiquette, for sure."
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Nate Diaz shared a massive spliff with fans during a public workout just three days before his UFC comeback.
The Stockton, California athlete, a black belt in jiujitsu, has not fought since his two-fight rivalry with Conor McGregor in 2016, when he submitted the Irishman with a rear-naked choke at UFC 196 in March before losing a majority decision at UFC 202 in the rematch five months later.
He returns to the Octagon after three years on the sidelines when he competes against the well-rounded Wisconsin welterweight Anthony Pettis at UFC 241 in the Honda Center, Anaheim on Saturday.
At a workout open to the public and the media on Wednesday, Diaz prepared for battle in the most Diaz way possiblie - the marijuana advocate smoked what appeared to be a joint, flexed his biceps, then shared the spliff with fans.
Diaz told reporters in a media scrum that there wasn't actually any cannabis in the joint, that it was simply laced with CBD.
"I got to smoke the weed after the fight," he said. "So I had to smoke CBD … it's good for you."
He added: "I said pass it around. It's good etiquette, for sure."
Combat sports reporter Kevin Iole at Yahoo Sports said Diaz did not commit an anti-doping violation, as cannabinoids from marijuana are only prohibited when taken in competition, which starts 12 hours before the event and finishes after post-fight testing, according to Iole.
As the UFC 241 event was three days away at the time of the public workout, Diaz was therefore free to puff the CBD dragon all he liked.
Watch Diaz blaze right here:
Saturday's fight between Diaz and Pettis serves as the comain event on the UFC 241 show, and there is much at stake as the winner could be thrust into further high-profile bouts against the likes of Conor McGregor, the UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, or knockout specialist Jorge Masvidal.
Pettis even said he was ready to face McGregor at a UFC event later in the year, but was instead matched against Diaz this weekend.
"First it was McGregor and I was like let's do it in Madison Square Garden," Pettis said, according to MMA Fighting. "Something fell off with that and then it popped up Nate and I was just like we'll see what happens."
To journalists, Diaz said: "I'm here as a businessman, and a natural born killer. I'm here to get the job done and he's the guy to do it on. I'm just here to f------ kill and stay alive for the weekend."