UFC har länge drivit kampen att MMA ska vara en sanktionerad sport med enhetliga regler där säkerhetens för fajters sätts i första rummet. I det arbetet har de atletiska kommissionerna haft en viktig roll och kanske den viktigaste har kommissionen i Nevada (NSAC) haft då många galor hålls i kampsportens huvudstad Las Vegas.
NSACs verkställande direktör Keith Kizer sköter det dagliga arbetet för kommissionen och har god insyn i hur kommissionens ledamöter resonerar och MMAnytt fick möjligheten att prata med honom om för dagens aktuella ämnen.
Den händelse som varit på tapeten den senaste tiden är att Nick Diaz ertappades med spår av marijuana i urinen efter matchen mot Carlos Condit på UFC 143. Kizer är väl insatt i hur kommissionen brukar gå tillväga och vad som sannolikt kommer ske med Diazs ärende.
– Usually what I do is to place the fighter on temporary suspension until full commission hearing. Then they make a decision of continuing the suspension. Temporary suspension is no finding of wrong doing, its just status quo situation. Someone who fails a drug test and we don´t want them compete else where. So we put the fighter on temporary suspension until the full commission hearing. At this point there is no fine against Nick Diaz, its just allegations and complaints. Diaz will have the full opportunity to address the allegations at the hearing, and the commission will make the decision then. The formal commission hearing will be held someday in March or April.
Kizer låter sig även spekulera kring vad som specifikt kommer att bli Diazs påföljd.
– Revocation of the license, just like Thiago Silva when he gave fake urine. Suspension up to 12 months, fine attached to the suspension, we could place condition on the fighters license. So all these are on the table, if the commission is against the athlete. Usually other cases that surrounds marijuana, the fighters has received six month suspension. It´s probably the one that gives lowest penalty, compared to steroids obviously, which is greater harm. But every case is different. But on average it’s six months suspension for marijuana and for steroids is nine to twelve months.”
Kommissionen har möjligheten att bevilja undantag från gällande regler om en fajter erhåller medicin som en del av en pågående behandling och i förra veckan framkom det uppgifter att detta även kunde gälla marijuana. Men Nick Diaz ansökte aldrig om någon särbehandling från kommissionen.
– We incorporated the World Anti Doping policies into our policy, they set the standards etc. My guess is that is on their list due to the harm it can do to the athlete. Other say its a enhancement drug, help you relax and focus, help doll some of the pain, weather its a enhancement its open for debate.”.”Any fighter has the obligation to notify us what type of medication he or she is taking, and they can petition for certain medication. We never had any fighter who requested such petition for use of marijuana, that would be new ground for us. And there is no guarantee that we would approve such, its case by case, based on the medical condition of the fighter. It has to be legit use and there is no alternative, so we don’t give the fighters unfair advantage or put them in more risk.”
Nyligen blev kommissionen åter igen ifrågasatt, denna gång av Dana White som menade på att de särbehandlade boxaren Floyd Mayweather Jr bara för att han drar in mycket pengar till Las Vegas. Kizer menar att han hör exakt samma sak om UFC från andra MMA-organisatörer.
– I have been around for a long time, and thats not the case. Its kind of funny because non UFC MMA people accuse us to be favoring Dana because of the money he and the company brings in. It´s funny everybody is blaming everybody. Everybody thinks the other guy is getting a break so I find that amusing, but you have the right to criticize your government. I have good relationship with Dana [White], Lorenzo [Fertitta], Bob Arum, Richard Schaefer, Oscar De La Hoya, Golden Boy. There is things that they do that I don’t agree with, and things that we do that they don’t agree with, but we all have great respect for each other.
