Diaz's lawyer is very, very good. I don't know if it'll convince the NSAC, but I don't think a better defense is possible.

It seems obvious that the NSAC is going to come down hard on Diaz, and they are resigned to the fact that he'll take them to court after this.

Nick Diaz has been suspended for 5 years and fined 33% of the purse. That is basically life for him if Diaz can't get a court to throw it out.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">So, uh, NSAC, your guideline for a third MJ offence is 2 years. Good luck justifying the 5 year ban on appeal - <a href="http://t.co/MHsnKlKPh4">http://t.co/MHsnKlKPh4</a></p>&mdash; Erik Magraken (@erikmagraken) <a href="https://twitter.com/erikmagraken/status/643546320809029632">September 14, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

edit: he's wrong, its 3 years, but still.

USADA published a response today.

Summary

Detailed 25-page pdf

USADA has generally been perceived as beyond reproach, so I think I'd need more than an online article written by some dude on sbnation.com before I'm calling the organization who took down Lance Armstrong into question.

Looks like Jon Jones and his lawyers are going to enter a plea deal with the prosecutors very soon.

http://www.mmafighting.com/2015/9/17...-in-felony-hit

DC vs Gustaffsson this weekend, is everyone excited, yeah! woooooo!

Woo?

OK, seriously it could be interesting, I think Gus might have a shot, but DC will probably throw him around and wrestle him to death.

In other news, the UFC booked MSG for an April fight, and announced it. Then they promptly filed a lawsuit in federal court asking a judge to declare the NY law that the NYSAC relies on to ban MMA unconstitutionally vague. If they don't get the injunction, the fight is off. (or probably moved to NJ)

If this sounds far-fetched, it actually could have a chance. A similar lawsuit was tossed earlier this year, but the judge who tossed it only did so because she reluctantly agreed that the UFC did not have standing to sue because they never actually tried to hold an event in NY. She blasted the NY law in her opinion and strongly suggested the UFC try again if they can show standing. Well, the UFC decided to take her advice, and this whole show of booking the garden, reaching an agreement with the WKA to sanction the fights, and announcing an event should pretty much take care of standing to sue.

The UFC is basically saying to whichever judge gets this case "look, we would have won if he had standing to sue. Well now we do, so just take a look at the evidence in this other case and the facts and opinions this other judge reached, and just give this to us right now, please."

Jon Jones has just plead guilty to leaving the scene of an accident, 4th degree felony.

As part of the plea deal, he's getting 18 months probation, no jail.

Nailed it. I knew he wouldn't be getting any jail time. I'm sure there is an undisclosed settlement with the chick he hit.

He'll be beating Cormier's or Gustaffson's ass in 6 months.

Reportedly, if he meets the terms of his probation, the felony will be off his record.

edit: he also has to make 72 community service appearances, probably giving speeches to kids.

Jeff Novitzky has reportedly said that that the NSAC completely ****ed up the Nick Diaz hearing and strongly suggested that Nick probably should not have been suspended at all. He is not willing to infer any personal animosity against Diaz, but he believes that the business of PED testing is very complex and these commissioners working on a part-time basis may have not had the experience and wisdom to know that the 2nd non-WADA test was obviously suspect, and maybe after a cooling-off period they will re-evaluate the case and do the right thing.

So Hendricks vs. Woodley is off the card for tomorrow now...****. I was so looking forward to that fight.

Interesting too, Dana is saying it's because of "weight cutting issues" and Hendricks' manager is saying he was rushed to the ER with kidney stones and intestinal blockage...which come with a bad weight cut.

**** Hendricks...

This is God Damn ridiculous. Hendricks has to move up, he's just had too many weight-cutting issues to be permitted to fight at 170 any more.

This is a very serious hit to the card, I was going to buy it, but now I just might watch it in a bar.

It'll be interesting to see what the UFC does. Dana made Cejudo and Gastellum move up but Hendricks hasn't missed the mark that I recall. He is never really ripped at 170, you'd think if he modified his out of camp lifestyle a little bit he would be able to hit 170.

I'm already locked in on buying it. I'm smoking a brisket and having some folks over. Too late to pull out now