The Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) on Thursday issued UFC lightweight Nate Diaz a $50,000 fine for his role in the melee at the UFC 202 pre-fight press conference in August prior to his rematch against Conor McGregor.
Diaz will also be required to fulfill 50 hours of community service.
The fine mirrors the punishment levied to McGregor by the commission, as it represents 2.5 percent of the $2 million purse earned by Diaz at UFC 202, according to NAC documents. The fine, along with the community service hours, were reached as a settlement agreement between Diaz and the commission on behalf of NAC executive director Bob Bennett.
On Aug. 17, a UFC 202 pre-fight press conference held in Las Vegas infamously erupted into chaos when tensions between Diaz and McGregor's teams reached a head. Several water bottles were thrown between the two fighters' team, as well as an energy drink can thrown by McGregor. Video of the incident can be seen above.
The NAC in October demanded that McGregor pay a $75,000 fine -- equivalent to 2.5 percent of his $3 million purse -- fulfill 50 hours of community service, and participate in a public-service announcement worth another $75,000 for his role in the incident. McGregor has since refused to pay the fine and filed a notice for judicial review with the Clark County civil court, hoping to challenge the NAC's ruling in court.
Ultimately, the punishments will have no bearing on the actual fight that took place between Diaz and McGregor, which McGregor won via majority decision in the main event of UFC 202 on Aug. 20 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.
Since he is not suspended, Diaz (20-11) will be free to compete in other jurisdictions outside of Nevada, similar to what McGregor did when he fought Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 in New York. However, he will be unable to compete within Nevada in any capacity until the sanction is paid, as McGregor found out recently when the NAC denied his application for a boxing license due to his unpaid fine.