Leslie Smith (photo via UFC.com)

By FCF Staff

Recently Henry Cejudo announced that he will not fight in Nevada, as a result of the commission’s decision to suspend Nick Diaz for five years, and now Leslie Smith has made the same committment.

Diaz was handed the suspension earlier this week, as a result of testing positive for marijuana earlier this past January, following his fight with Anderson Silva. Since Diaz has tested positive for marijuan three times, most people expected that the Nevada Commission might hand him a lengthy suspension, but no one believed it would be five years.

Unless the NSAC amends the suspension, or Diaz successfully appeals it, he will be 37 before he can fight again.

The decision has prompted outcry from many fans and fighters, including Smith, who recently posted this on Sqor:

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.

Smith, who has trained with Diaz as part of Cesar Gracie’s team, is coming off stoppage loss to Jessica Eye last November.