Nick Diaz Hinting at Retirement Following Loss to Anderson Silva

A third straight loss and another failed drug test could be the final nails in the coffin of Nick Diaz’s roller-coaster career.

The former Strikeforce champ could face a lengthy suspension and a hefty fine for failing a post-fight drug test at UFC 183. Seeing as it's Diaz’s third offense, the Nevada Athletic Commission could throw the book at the Stockton, California, native.

On Thursday, Diaz posted a hashtag on Instagram, claiming he was done fighting.

Yahoo Sports' Kevin Iole was the first to report the news that Diaz and his UFC 183 opponent, Anderson Silva, had both failed drug tests for the event. The post-fight screening found marijuana in Diaz’s system. As for Silva, he tested positive for two kinds of steroids, according to Bob Bennett, the executive director of the NAC, per MMA Fighting.

Diaz has long been misunderstood as a fighter, partly because he isn’t lured into the spectacle of fighting. Diaz is a purist who perceives MMA in its true form. It’s human-on-human violence with the goal of someone surrendering. Real bodies are being beaten and split open.

If this truly is the end, Diaz’s heart ranks at the top of the list of any man or woman to ever step in the Octagon.

He always pushed forward against some of MMA’s heaviest hitters, never backing down in the face of adversity. Look at what he did against Silva, who is arguably the greatest striker in MMA history.

The 209 could have hoped for a better ending, but this swan song is almost fitting for a career like Nick Diaz’s.

Jordy McElroy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA writer for Rocktagon and FanRag Sports.