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According to a report from ESPN's Marc Raimondi, UFC welterweight sensation Niko Price has been suspended by The Nevada commission for the usage of marijuana.
This isn't the first time Price has been suspended and on this occasion, 'The Hybrid' will have to be on the sidelines for six months. The athletic commission has also fined Price a total of $8,500 for the positive marijuana test.
The report from Marc Raimondi on Twitter reads:
The Nevada commission has suspended UFC’s Niko Price six months and fined him $8,500 for a positive marijuana test. His draw against Donald Cerrone in September will now be a no contest.
As a result of the positive marijuana test, Niko Price's last fight against Donald Cerrone will also be turned into a no contest. The fight, of course, ended in a majority draw between the two welterweights and it was Price who genuinely was the more cheerful of the two fighters after the result. But as it stands, this will be Price's second no contest fight in the UFC.
In 2017, Niko Price originally secured a KO win over Alex Morono. However, the result of the fight was turned into an NC when The Hybrid tested positive for marijuana on that occasion, as well.
The reaction to the suspension has been angry. In the eyes of many, drug tests take place to exclusively ban substances that can be considered to enhance the performance of an athlete. Marijuana, a recreational drug, does not conventionally fall in this bracket.
Here are a few Twitter reactions to Niko Price's latest suspension:
Niko Price's latest run in the UFC
Niko Price's last fight in the UFC was against Donald Cerrone. The two fought back in September of 2020 and the fight, as mentioned, was a majority draw. Prior to his clash against Cowboy, Price lost to Vicente Luque via a doctor's stoppage.
Price's last win in the octagon was back in October 2019 when he knocked out James Vick in round one of their clash inside the Octagon. The win also earned The Hybrid Kid a Performance of the Night bonus award.
As per the announcement, it means that Niko Price could possibly be eligible to fight once again around June-July of 2021. It remains to be seen how Price himself reacts to the news and what plans the UFC could have in store for one of the most exciting fighters in the welterweight division.
UFC's history with marijuana suspension
In the past, several UFC fighters have been suspended by the athletic commission for the usage of marijuana. One of the most notable incidents was the case of Nick Diaz. The suspension of the elder Diaz brother took the MMA world by storm and several fighters from back in the day also took a stand in support of Nick.
Former UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones has also been open about his marijuana use and even admitted in the past that he was addicted to it at one point in time. On the other hand, reigning UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya was also recently in the news for similar reasons. 'The Last Stylebender' publicly claimed that his flabby pec was caused due to smoking too much marijuana.
Niko Price isn't the first fighter to be suspended this year due to a positive marijuana test. Earlier in the year, Jamahal Hill, Tim Elliott, and Luis Pena were also suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
