Nick Diaz will be permitted to return to the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 1 after it was confirmed his five-year drug suspension had been reduced to 18 months, along with a $100,000 fine.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission "quickly approved" a settlement to reduce Diaz's punishment on Tuesday, according to FoxSports.com's Damon Martin. Diaz tested positive for marijuana following a unanimous-decision defeat to Anderson Silva at UFC 183 in January 2015, his middleweight debut.
Immediately following Tuesday's announcement, UFC President Dana White revealed his happiness to hear Diaz had seen his punishment reduced, per mixed martial arts reporter Adam Hill:
Diaz's defeat to Silva was ultimately ruled a no contest, but the 32-year-old is looking to bounce back from a three-fight winless streak following losses to Georges St-Pierre in 2013 and Carlos Condit in 2012.
ESPN.com's Brett Okamoto also confirmed the 18-month suspension started from the time of the Silva bout in January 2015, hence why the 26-9 fighter will be available to feature in the Octagon as early as August:
Like White, many will feel this is a case of justice served for one of the UFC's most outspoken figures, and the swift nature of the NSAC's decision goes some way in reiterating the severe nature of Diaz's initial punishment.
As Martin reported for FoxSports.com in December 2015, a petition asking for a softer Diaz suspension even received 100,000 signatures and a response from the White House, illustrating the public support.
As well as receiving a lighter suspension, the $100,000 fine is also a substantial reduction on the $165,000 figure Diaz was originally told to pay.
Although many will be pleased to see Diaz receive a new lease of life in his MMA career, Bleacher Report's Jeremy Botter did highlight the fact the NSAC failed to admit any wrongdoing in the ordeal:
While Diaz's five-year ban would have most likely meant the end of his fighting career, Silva was suspended for just one year, despite testing positive for two anabolic steroids, androstane and drostanolone.
The countdown is now ticking down to when fans can expect to see Diaz return to the UFC 12-and-a-half years after he made his debut for the promotion at UFC 44 in September 2003.
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