UFC Fighter Henry Cejudo Refuses to Fight in Nevada After Nick Diaz's Suspension

Henry Cejudo, an undefeated UFC flyweight and an Olympic gold-medal wrestler, announced Wednesday he will no longer compete in the state of Nevada following the state athletic commission's five-year suspension of Nick Diaz.

Cejudo's manager, Bill McFarlane, sent the news through a written statement to Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting.

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Henry Cejudo refuses to fight in Nevada in light of Nick Diaz's suspension -- http://t.co/8g7HWb9kY0

— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) September 16, 2015"

The statement read, in part:

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I am absolutely appalled at how the NAC handled the Nick Diaz matter. The issue here is not the magnitude of the penalties assessed to Nick Diaz, it is the process, or lack thereof, in determining Nick Diaz’s guilt or innocence ... It is very unfortunate, but I feel it's prudent to let the UFC know that Henry Cejudo will not be fighting in Nevada. 

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On Monday, the Nevada State Athletic Commission suspended Diaz for five years and fined him $165,000 for failing three drug tests because of marijuana use. The decision drew immediate and widespread criticism across the sport for its severity and seemingly arbitrary nature.

Fellow MMA fighter Leslie Smith also announced on Twitter she would stand by Diaz and not fight:

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I am making a statement and will stand with my fellow fighters Nick Diaz, and Henry Cejudo and refuse to fight in Nevada while this draconian and arbitrary punishment against Nick is in place. This situation is just the latest example demonstrating the need for mixed martial artists to stand together, to influence our sport, and have our voices heard by speaking together as the mixed martial arts fighters association.

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Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images

Diaz's attorneys have indicated they plan to appeal the decision.

Though Cejudo (9-0) is not a major star in the UFC, the 28-year-old is considered one of the top prospects in the sport at 125 pounds. In 2008, he won a gold medal in freestyle wrestling at the Beijing Summer Olympics.

Cejudo's decision is a fairly unprecedented act of solidarity among UFC fighters.

The statement his manager issued concluded:

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Others may want to roll the dice in Nevada, but I for one do not feel the NAC is capable of conducting itself in a manner consistent with their mission statement, appropriate enforcement of existing regulations, conducting business in a fair and unbiased manner, or the exercise of due process in their enforcement actions.

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