Cejudo, Cher back Nick Diaz
Both American Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo and American singer, actress, and fashion icon Cher have come out in support of UFC welterweight Nick Diaz.
In an unlikely pairing, both American Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo and American singer, actress, and fashion icon Cher have come out in support of UFC welterweight Nick Diaz. The fighter was suspended the Nevada Athletic Commission for five years after not testing positive for marijuana for a third time.
Cejudo had said previously he would not fight in Nevada as long as the suspension stood, and told Brent Brookhouse for MMAjunkie that if that stand costs him a title shot, so be it.
I was a part of the whole Olympic movement with training for four years for the Olympics, said Cejudo. I started getting tested when I was in high school. I just felt like the Nevada Athletic Commission was kind of targeting Nick Diaz, and I felt like that was uncalled for.
I competed, and I won a gold medal, and I’ve never been tested three times in one day – in the span of 12 hours. I just felt like he was targeted. As a fellow fighter, I can’t let that go down. At least for me, I couldn’t live with myself.
I’m standing firm, and I mean it, even if that means letting go of the title. Like I said before, my self-worth is worth more than my net worth. The reason why I’m called ‘The Messenger’ is that I try to do good.
I have not spoken to the UFC. The UFC have done such a great job with me. They’ve treated me so well. But I’m taking my stance on this. Like I said before, I’m a slave to no one.
I know what it feels like to be the best in the world. I have a gold medal. Do I really want the gold belt right now and kind of lose my dignity and my self-worth? I’m sorry to break this to you, but my gold medal is actually gold plated. That belt is not actually gold. It’s gold-plated as well. It goes back to my character and my integrity.
Now that is a champion.
Cher asked fans to vote in the White House petition.
Cher http://twitter.com/cher@cher
Lift the NSAC ban from MMA fighter Nick Diaz. https://petitions.whitehouse.gov//petition/lift-nsac-ban-mma-fighter-nick-diaz
Cher has 3,000,000 Twitter followers, so this should help, but Diaz could use your help, too. So click that link and sign that petition.