Looks like UFC combatants, Anderson Silva and Nick Diaz could have more time to prepare their defenses.
Former UFC Middleweight Champion, Anderson Silva and Nick Diaz were scheduled to appear before the commission on Monday, March 16, however, Sherdog.com confirmed with NAC Executive Director Bob Bennett confirmed that hearings for the UFC 183 combatants will be postponed at least until April.
According to BleacherReport, Silva and Diaz are both facing fines as well as suspensions in the wake of failed drug tests administered by Las Vegas' sanctioning body surrounding their bout at UFC 183. Apparently both men needed more time in order to prepare a defense ahead of the hearing.
MMAFighting confirmed that the requests were granted and both of their hearings have been pushed back to sometime in April.
Both, Silva and Anderson were issued suspensions by the NAC on Feb. 17.
Anderson Silva also failed a pre-fight, out-of-competition screening. According to MMAFighting, their UFC 183 bout on Jan. 31 in Las Vegas also could be reversed into a no contest. Silva won the bout via unanimous decision.
Silva, who holds the longest title defense streak in UFC history, tested positive for anabolic steroid metabolites in both tests. MMAFighting notes, Silva had drostanolone and androstane in his system in the pre-fight test, however results didn't come back until after UFC 183. Had the reports come back before, the fight would have been called off. In his post-fight as well, drostanolone was present.
Diaz, on the other hand tested positive for marijuana in a post-fight drug test following the UFC 183 main event. According to Sherdog, Diaz's urine sample had 300 nanograms per milliliter of marijuana metabolites, which exceeds the NAC's allowable limit of 15 ng/mL.
It was Nick Diaz's third positive test for marijuana in Nevada.
In an interview, Silva said he was shocked he failed the drug test and also revealed his intention to fight Nick Diaz once again.
Although Silva and Diaz will not appear on Monday's NAC meeting, Hector Lombard is still on the agenda for that day in his own drug case, Bob Bennett confirmed. The Cuban welterweight tested positive for the steroid DMT (desoxymethyltestosterone ) following an unanimous decision victory over Josh Burkman at UFC 182 on Jan. 3.
