In an interview with BJPenn.com Radio, Matt Riddle broke silence for the first time since he was cut from the Las Vegas fight promotion, when he tested positive for Marijuana metabolites after his bout against Che Mills at UFC on Fuel TV 7 in London, England.
“It is what it is I’ve failed two drug tests in seven months. There’s not much I can do I was prescribed my medicine and I’m going to take it. I got fired over taking my medicine because I don’t want to take pharmaceutical drugs or testosterone. This is what works for me, it’s just s****y, but it is what it is.”
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“It (Marijuana) doesn’t just help me sleep, it relaxes me,” Riddle said. “It also takes care of my aches and pains. I’ve had four surgeries since I joined the UFC and I had knee surgery before I signed with them. Even taking ibuprofen makes me sick, I get nauseous and it hurts my stomach. I can’t even handle anything stronger than that, I’m not allergic to it, I just can’t stomach it.”
It is unknown whether Riddle even attempted to apply for a therapeutic use exemption for his use of medical marijuana, though from his response it seems he tried to stop use several weeks before the event hoping any metabolites in his body — which are not the psychoactive part of the THC chemical found in Marijuana — wouldn’t show up in his urinalysis.
The door is open for Riddle to return to the UFC in the future if he meets certain conditions for consideration.
“They said if I go out, win a couple of fights and pass a couple of drug tests, I’ll get a call back,” admitted Riddle. “At this point I’m going to do my own thing, I’m going to fight and hopefully it’s not too hard to line something up. I just want to get some fights lined up and keep moving.”
However, with his comments about the how he perceives the UFC’s attitude towards marijuana, he may talk himself out of a possible comeback to the world’s greatest MMA promotion.
“It does bother me, for some reason the UFC hates people that smoke weed,” Riddle said. “The whole MMA industry for some reason hates people that smoke marijuana. I don’t know why, I keep to myself for the most part. I smoke weed and I fight. Usually I put on exciting fights or I dominate people, I always go out there and fight. It’s stupid that I got fired over a plant, but other people think it’s stupid that I just won’t stop smoking. I quit three weeks before my fight and this is what works for me. If you were me or lived with me you’d understand.”
You can read his full interview on the link provided above.
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