UFC 244: Nate Diaz is Officially Clear to Fight, Details Emerge Re: Drug Test Scare

If you’ve been super hyped to see Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz fight at UFC 244, then it’s been a stressful couple of days for you. But, now the UFC has announced that the drug test flag Diaz recently announced, will not punt the highly anticipated fight.

Diaz’s jaw-dropping announcement

Earlier this week, Diaz prompted a collective ‘noooo’ throughout MMA, when he reported that a pre-fight drug test he took had come back for “elevated levels”. Diaz vehemently denied taking any kind of performance-enhancing-drug, but said he wouldn’t be going to New York City for UFC 244.

The UFC outlines why Diaz is clear to fight

Well, since then, it was reported Diaz had only tested positive for trace amounts of a banned substance. Now the UFC has confirmed that Diaz tested positive for trace amounts of  LGD-4033, which stimulates muscle growth, but that an organic, multivitamin the star took was responsible.

The promotion has shared out the following statement (via ESPN):

“Mr. Diaz has not committed an anti-doping policy violation, has not been provisionally suspended and is not subject to any sanctions,” a UFC statement said. “Additionally, UFC has been informed by independent experts who have determined that there is unequivocally no appreciable performance enhancing or therapeutic benefit from the significantly limited amount of LGD-4033 that may be present in his system, which is roughly 10,000 times lower than one LGD-4033 therapeutic dose.”

So, if you’ve been excited to see Diaz and Masvidal fight (and who isn’t?), then obviously this is huge and great news.

Here is the line-up to date for UFC 244, which will be hosted by NYC’s Madison Square Garden on November 2nd.

170 lbs.: Jorge Masvidal vs. Nate Diaz
155 lbs.: Kevin Lee vs. Gregor Gillespie
265 lbs.: Blagoy Ivanov vs. Derrick Lewis
205 lbs.: Corey Anderson vs. Johnny Walker
135 lbs.: Katlyn Chookagian vs. Jennifer Maia
185 lbs.: Kelvin Gastelum vs. Darren Till
170 lbs.: Vicente Luque vs. Stephen Thompson
185 lbs.: Krzysztof Jotko vs. Edmen Shahbazyan
170 lbs.: Lyman Good vs. Chance Rencountre
145 lbs.: Julio Arce vs. Hakeem Dawodu
265 lbs.: Andrei Arlovski vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik

*Fight card, bout order and the amount of matches subject to change.