Coach elaborates on Nick Diaz's claim he was drugged before GSP bout

Nick Diaz has always had a "me-against-the-world" mentality, but his coach has his back when it comes to one of his more outlandish protests.

In a recent interview with ESPN, Diaz claimed that he was drugged before a March 2013 welterweight title bout with Georges St-Pierre. The former Strikeforce champion declined to provide further details, but boxing coach Richard Perez touched on the matter during a Submission Radio episode posted Sunday.

"Oh yeah, yeah, I remember that," Perez said, according to Bloody Elbow's Anton Tabuena. "Yeah I was there, and it was Georges St. Pierre's nurse or something, came down and he wanted to give Nick some kind of stuff. And I told Nick not to do it, but he gave it to him. So that's what he's talking about."

Diaz would go on to lose to St-Pierre by unanimous decision. Perez did not blame the alleged backstage incident for Diaz falling short against GSP, though he believes something was definitely off with his fighter.

"Of course, because he was up all night urinating," Perez said, "I mean he wasn't feeling good because he was going to the bathroom a lot. I don't know what it did, but I know he was going to the bathroom a lot, so it probably dehydrated him and drained him."

That loss temporarily sent Diaz into retirement. He returned in 2015 to fight Anderson Silva, another loss that later became a no-contest when both men failed drug tests. Diaz's infraction resulted in a five-year suspension that was later reduced to 18 months. As of August 1, he is eligible to compete again.