White House Issues Official Statement Regarding Nick Diaz Petition

Here’s a new one — an actual full statement from the White House regarding an MMA issue.

An online White House petition regarding the absurd five-year suspension handed down to UFC fighter Nick Diaz by the Nevada Athletic Commission due a failed marijuana test for his fight with Anderson Silva in January has finally been acknowledged.

The White House issued the following statement in response to the petition this week:

Thank you for your petition regarding the Nevada Athletic Commission’s suspension of Nick Diaz.

The federal government plays no role in the disciplinary actions taken by state athletic commissions, so we are not in a position to address the specific request raised in your petition. State authorities — in this case, the Nevada Athletic Commission — will generally be the best source for information about those kinds of issues.

However, we appreciate that so many of you banded together to make your voices heard through this platform.

If there are federal policy issues you care about, using this tool can help you and people all across the country communicate directly with a team in the White House focused on responding to petitions that get enough support. For example, in the past few years, we’ve weighed in on issues ranging from education regulations to wildlife trafficking, from criminal justice reform to vaccinations, and from electronic communication and net neutrality to international relations.