UFC Vice President Of Athlete Health & Performance Jeff Novitzky has seen a lot of great fighters pass through the doors since coming to the UFC.
However, two of the best and controversial may be the Diaz Brothers (Nick & Nate)
Nick is currently under provisional suspension from USADA due to a series of whereabouts failures, which is when a fighter fails to notify USADA (using a phone app) so they can be tested randomly at whatever location they are at.
Novitzky hopes he can help Nick amend the situation with USADA so he can compete in the Octagon again.
“We’re trying to work through that,” Novitzky said on The Joe Rogan Experience. “He trusted certain individuals to do his whereabouts for him, I think is what happened over time. And those individuals would come in and out of his life and it was kind of unbeknownst to him that he was missing a lot of these things. Nevertheless, there’s strict liability here and he’s currently under sanction, but we’re hoping to resolve that pretty quick.”
Nate has been at odds with both the UFC and USADA in the past, but Novitzky says it was the younger Diaz brother that caused USADA to change one of their rules.
The rule had to do with Nate vaping with CBD oil shortly after his bout with UFC Lightweight Champion Conor McGregor at UFC 202.
“At the time, the rule was the in-competition period where CBD was prohibited lasted until four hours after the conclusion of the fight. He was clearly within that time period,” Novitzky said. “So, USADA contacted me and said ‘Hey, technically, Nate was in violation of this.’ And I said ‘Look, this was not the intent of the rule.’ The WADA prohibited list, which we follow, took it completely off starting 2018. And it was the case before. They could do it in training; it was only prohibited during competition, so weigh-in day, and fight day. Now, it’s been completely taken off the list, and it’s OK to use it anytime.”
It has been awhile since either Diaz Brother was in the Octagon, because Nate hasn’t competed since UFC 202 and Nick hasn’t competed since UFC 183.
