Nate Marquardt cut by UFC and suspended by Pennsylvania Athletic Commission -- but he didn't fail a drug test
by Geno Mrosko
Nate Marquardt Mania continues, as a bevy of questions remain regarding the unusual circumstances surrounding "The Great's" suspension and subsequent public firing.
But we can officially rule out one extremely significant question: Marquardt did not fail a drug test.
Before we get to that, let's first lay out the sequence of events.
Marquardt was apparently made aware of the fact that there was an issue about six weeks before his scheduled fight against Rick Story at UFC on Versus 4 on June 26.
He was given that time to clear up whatever issue it is that he's having so he could compete on the card. When he failed to meet these requirements, whatever they may be, he was suspended indefinitely by the Pennsylvania Athletic Commission.
This pissed off UFC President Dana White beyond measure, as he wasted very little time releasing a video stating Marquardt is no longer welcome in the UFC.
He later went on the UFC on Versus 4 pre-fight show to say that while he couldn't divulge any details due to laws in Pennsylvania, the very fact that he went to the measure he did show exactly how serious this issue is.
He also told Nate to "man up" and let the world know exactly what's going on, something Marquardt is scheduled to do tomorrow (June 28) afternoon.
We now know that he will not be disclosing a failed drug test, though, thanks to an MMAFighting.com report that states the following:
According to the commission's website, while in the course of applying for a license, a professional fighter must provide a negative HIV, Hepatits C and Hepatitis B surface antigen exam. They must also provide the results of an annual medical exam. That exam is wide-ranging and covers potential issues related to vision, lungs, heart rate, the nervous system, coordination and more that could disqualify a fighter from competition. In addition, there is language in the regulations that offers the commission the latitude to request other exams. The stated medical requirements are similar to those of other states, including Nevada and New Jersey.
All of the test aforementioned results are considered the fighter's private medical information and kept confidential under federal HIPAA laws. Federal or Pennsylvania state law does not, however, prohibit disclosure of a positive drug test result, nor the type of drug which led to a confirmed positive test.
Sirb confirmed that if Marquardt had failed a drug test, the commission would have released those findings.
"I've been here 22 years and we do not embarrass anybody," he said. "But we would have said, 'drug test.'"
Now that we've ruled out drugs, anyone care to guess what the problem actually is?
Again, Marquardt is scheduled to clear everything up himself tomorrow when he appears on the MMA Hour. We'll be sure to bring you up-to-the-minute updates as he releases the information everyone is so badly waiting for.
Pins and needles, Maniacs.
