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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
The UFC hasn't immediately decided how to respond to Nate Diaz using a homophobic slur on Twitter Thursday afternoon, but whatever they end up doing, it's not going to be good.
Diaz put out a Tweet addressing Pat Healy's failed drug test for marijuana at UFC 159, not happy about Healy losing out on a significant amount of money in the process. But he went further than that, calling "the guy who took the money," Bryan Caraway, "the biggest fag in the world." As of this posting, Diaz still hasn't deleted the Tweet.
UFC President Dana White then responded in a comment made to MMAJunkie.com's John Morgan, and suffice it to say, the outcome's not going to be a positive one for Diaz.
Said White, "He will be either fined and suspended or cut for that tweet."
Diaz won't be the first to face discipline for his actions out of the cage under the UFC's new written "code of conduct," as he'll follow Matt Mitrione in that regard. Mitrione was suspended briefly and fined, ultimately releasing an apology for some fairly hateful remarks towards transgender fighter Fallon Fox.
He also won't be the first to face discipline over something said on Twitter, as there's already precedent for being fired over something written on the social media site. Miguel Torres was infamously released over a rape joke he posted on Twitter, while former Champ Forrest Griffin was also forced to apologize and do some work with women's shelters after a similar Tweet of his own.
As of now, no official call has been made on that front, but Diaz isn't in a very good position here after a knockout loss in his last fight. He may be seen as expendable and someone whom the UFC can make an example out of.
Penick's Analysis: I don't know that the UFC will go so far as to cut him here, but those types of slurs are simply unacceptable from a professional athlete in 2013. Diaz set himself up for whatever punishment the UFC wants to hand down here, and much like Miguel Torres, he could be made an example for the rest of the roster that it won't be tolerated. Either way, it's not going to wind up being a good day for Mr. Diaz when it's all over with.
[Dana White art by Travis Beaven (c) MMATorch.com]
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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