Top UFC welterweight contender Diego Sanchez tested postive for marijuana following his knockout victory over Joe Riggs at UFC Fight Night Miramar in December, according the Orange County Register. Here’s a snip: “… Diego Sanchez tested positive for marijuana after his first-round KO over Joe Riggs on Dec.13 at Miramar Marine Corps Air Station. Armando Garcia, the executive officer of the California State Athletic Commission, said Sanchez paid a $500 fine and served a three-month suspension, so he has been cleared to fight Josh Koscheck at UFC 69 on April 7 in Houston.” This is the first I’m hearing of the result and I’m pretty sure we — or anyone else for that matter — would have picked up on the news if it were made public sooner. Of course, Sanchez is a rising star in the division — having him get busted for pot and be suspended for three months is not the ideal image the UFC wants to project. (The punishment also sounds like a slap on the wrist — three months is normal for a fighter between fights … and $500?). But, sweeping this under the carpet doesn’t seem to smart, either. Not when he’s about to be the marquee attraction at a major UFC event in a few weeks. Talk about a distraction … or dare I say it … a nightmare?

I found a poor man once
He was the age of fifty-three
He spoke about the government
And the thought of being free
What good does us reason if we fail to see?
What good does us freedom if we fail to be free