5 UFC fighters whose careers were affected by failed drug tests

#2. Nick Diaz (UFC welterweight)

A proponent and user of medical marijuana, UFC welterweight Nick Diaz has probably been the most unfortunate victim of the USADA era.

His first failure occurred after the biggest win of his career at Pride 33, where he defeated former lightweight kingpin Takanori Gomi with a Hail Mary Gogoplata. However, Diaz's test results came back, showing his THC levels at 175. The win was overturned to a No Contest and Nick Diaz was slammed with a $3000 fine.

UFC star Nick Diaz has been suspended five years by the NSAC for marijuana use. http://t.co/xU86D4zjTM pic.twitter.com/usR4WCuklc

— Mike Johnston (@MikeyJ_MMA) September 14, 2015

Almost five years after the Pride episode, Nick Diaz would fail another post-fight drug test after his UFC 143 outing against Carlos Condit.

Diaz most recently tested positive for a third time after fighting Anderson Silva at UFC 183. Apart from imposing a fine of $165,000, the NSAC also banned the Stockton native for five years.

The huge setback seems unfair to Nick Diaz as USADA recently removed marijuana from its list of banned substances altogether.

#1. T.J. Dillashaw (UFC bantamweight)

T.J. Dillashaw headlines UFC Vegas 32 opposite fellow bantamweight contender Cory Sandhagen this Saturday.

This will be the first fight for the former two-division UFC champion since 2019 after a failed bid to capture the flyweight title from Henry Cejudo.

"As soon as it was announced, I’ve been upfront about it, because I’m putting it behind me."@TJDillashaw knows his positive EPO test will be discussed ahead of his return at #UFCVegas32, but says it's not "weighing [him] down anymore." (via @bokamotoESPN) pic.twitter.com/oe6Vmu2FY8

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) July 19, 2021

After getting knocked out by 'Triple C,' T.J. Dillashaw was handed a two-year ban by USADA for testing positive for recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO). While Dillashaw expressed disappointment at the adverse finding, he didn't explicitly deny using any banned substances.

Apart from being stripped of his bantamweight strap, T.J. Dillashaw was also handed a $10,000 fine. Later on, Dillashaw accepted responsibility for his actions with a promise to mend his ways.