Nick Diaz still suspended pending payment of fine

Penalties stemming from a 2015 drug test violation continue to plague Nick Diaz.

The former Strikeforce champion and current UFC welterweight received an 18-month suspension and a $100,000 fine when he tested positive for marijuana metabolites following a fight with Anderson Silva last January. It was Diaz's third strike for marijuana use.

Diaz is still not cleared to compete despite his suspension being lifted on Aug. 1, due to the fact that he has yet to pay the associated fine, according to a tweet from FOX Sports' Damon Martin who spoke with Bob Bennett of the Nevada Athletic Commission on Tuesday.

As of Aug. 18, Diaz reportedly still owed the commission $75,000.

There has been plenty of speculation about who Diaz could fight upon his return, ranging from reigning welterweight champion Tyron Woodley to old rivals Georges St-Pierre and Robbie Lawler. Until he pays his fine, any matches will be strictly hypothetical. Even though Diaz's dispute is with the NAC, it is standard practice for all state commissions to honor suspensions regardless of where it was handed down.