Nate Diaz’s next move in the octagon remains uncertain for now but it most definitely won’t be coming anytime soon after the Stockton native was issued with a significant medical suspension by the New York State Athletic Commission.
Diaz came up second best in the ‘BMF’ title bout which headlined last Saturday’ event in Madison Square Garden opposite Jorge Masivdal, with the conclusion to the fight coming in controversial fashion as cuts on the right side of Diaz’s face were adjudged to be too severe to continue by a cageside medic.
The damage has resulted in a 90 day medical suspension for the Californian, meaning that it will be early February of next year before he can even contemplate a return to the cage — and in all likelihood, it will be a lot longer than that.
The cuts which opened up on Diaz’s brow and cheek have plagued him since earlier in his career and, according to Dana White, the fighter is considering getting the same medical procedure undertaken by his brother Nick to help reduce the risk of old cuts reopening.
“Diaz has to get sewed up tonight then in four weeks he’s gotta have plastic surgery to get all the cartilage out of his eyebrows, or whatever the doctor was telling me. He’s gotta have some work done,” White said.
In addition to Diaz, several other fighters were also issued with 90 day suspensions after their fights were stopped by strikes last weekend including Andrei Arlovski, Makwan Amirkhani and Chance Rencountre.
Jorge Masvidal and Darren Till, winners of the main event and co-main respectively, have both been suspended for 30 days.
