NICK DIAZ WILL be free to fight again as soon as 1 August after having a five-year suspension reduced.

Diaz received the initial ban from the Nevada State Athletic Commission back in September, having tested positive — for the third time in his career — at his UFC 183 defeat to Anderson Silva in January 2015 as a result of marijuana use.

That was in spite of reports that the 32-year-old passed two WADA-accredited tests in relation to the fight, with the failed test allegedly coming via a non-WADA-accredited laboratory.

Following an appeal by Diaz, the NSAC confirmed at a meeting today that his suspension has been reduced to 18 months — dating back to the original offence. Diaz’s fine has also been decreased from $165,000 to $100,000.

The five-year ban for the former Strikeforce champion received plenty of criticism. An online petition, which received a response from the White House, garnered over 100,000 signatures.

MMAFighting.com’s Marc Raimondi reports that the commission never filed a written decision to Diaz’s legal team, which paved the way for settlement talks.

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