UFC heavyweight Dave Herman today went before the Nevada State Athletic Commission in hopes of attaining a fighter’s license to fight at UFC 162, the final hurdle he must complete before he is allowed to fight again following his UFC-imposed six-month drug suspension for a positive drug test for marijuana following a submission loss to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 153, a suspension that recently ended in April. Or so he thought it was the final hurdle. The Nevada State Athletic Commission, which grilled Herman for his marijuana usage as well as some other past issues he’s had, gave Herman a conditional one-fight license but the condition is that Herman must pass an NSAC-mandated drug test — today. MMA reporter Kevin Iole was on scene for the hearing, and he posted a series of tweets related to Herman. Herman will take the test and if he passes, he will be granted his license to fight Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 162. But if Herman fails this drug test — and the results of the test should be known shortly — he will not be given his license and it’s very likely that the UFC will cut him from the roster. According to Herman, he smoked weed the week of his fight with Nogueira, a fight which he took on short notice. The UFC then suspended him six months and he was ordered to go to drug rehab, which he did. According to Herman, he hasn’t smoked pot since November 2012 and told the commission he would pass a drug test if he took one today. Herman, who sports a 21-5 record in mixed martial arts, also tested positive for marijuana prior to his UFC 136 fight against Mike Russow, although he said at the time that he was innocent. But he told the NSAC today he ate a marijuana brownie and that’s why he tested positive in October 2011. As well, Herman said he has a license to smoke marijuana in the state of California, where he was living at the time but not where he lives now. According to Steven Marrocco of MMAjunkie.com, he left Team Quest in Temecula, Calif. and has moved to Lebanon, Tenn. He is now training himself in mixed martial arts. This is interesting news from both the perspective of a fan and that of a gambler because Herman is set to face Gonzaga next week and will likely be a decent-sized underdog when the lines open. After all, Herman has lost three-straight fights and seems to be nearing the end of his UFC career even though he’s only 28 and very athletic. The news about him leaving Team Quest is bizarre, and knowing that he’s training himself is something we all have to keep in mind next week when betting on him. I actually like Herman a lot and I think he has what it takes to beat Gonzaga but after hearing he’s not training with Dan Henderson and the guys at Team Quest my advice would be to tread cautiously if you’re thinking about wagering your money on him next weekend. In other news from the hearing, UFC bantamweight Brian Bowles has been suspended indefinitely for testing positive for an elevated T/E ratio at UFC 160. Additionally, referee Herb Dean has been assigned to officiate the main event at UFC 162 between UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and challenger Chris Weidman and the judges for the bout will be Adelaide Byrd, Marcos Rosales, and Patricia Morse Jarman.
