Add another name to the list of prominent MMA fighters who believe Nick Diaz's suspension to be excessive.
Middleweight Gegard Mousasi, who faces Uriah Hall Saturday in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 75, said recently that the Nevada State Athletic Commission's five-year suspension of Diaz, which it handed down September 14 on the heels of Diaz's third failed drug test for marijuana, did not fit the proverbial crime.
"I think it was way too harsh," Mousasi said in an exclusive interview with Bleacher Report. "On the other hand, he got caught three times. But he put so much work in [to his fighting career]. It was very harsh."
MMA fighters, media members and fans exploded after the NSAC levied its punishment, which also included a $165,000 fine. If upheld, the suspension would essentially end the career of the 32-year-old Diaz (26-9-2).
As of Wednesday morning, an official White House petition to lift the suspension had garnered about 54,000 signatures—well short of the 100,000 needed to trigger official action, but it's nevertheless a fairly emphatic display of the support Diaz has in the MMA community in the wake of the decision.
Here's @RondaRousey going OFF about the NSAC decision against Nick Diaz http://t.co/gG3XYS4GOF
— Joe Rogan (@joerogan) September 16, 2015
Fighters including UFC flyweight Henry Cejudo and women's bantamweight Leslie Smith have said they will not compete in Nevada in protest of the decision.
While Mousasi did not go that far, he did point to what he said was a disparity in NSAC suspensions levied for performance-enhancing drugs (such as the one-year ban placed recently on Anderson Silva) and this one for marijuana.
"For steroids, you get one year, but he gets five years," Mousasi said. "It's a little unfair."
During the hearing, Diaz's lawyers vigorously defended their client on several fronts while he repeatedly refused to answer questions, citing his rights under the Constitution's Fifth Amendment.
Afterward, one of Diaz's attorneys referred to the proceedings as a "kangaroo court" and later indicated they intended to appeal the decision.
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