After surpassing the 100,000 signature threshold the White House was forced to respond to Nick Diaz’s 5 year suspension issued by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
Unsurprisingly the official response was short noting this is not a matter in the Federal Government’s jurisdiction. Of interest the comment notes if there are federal issues in the sport that are within their jurisdiction (hint expanding the Muhammad Ali Act to cover MMA) then that is an appropriate use of these petitions. The White House commented as follows –
A response to your petition on the suspension of Nick Diaz:
Thank you for your petition regarding the Nevada Athletic Commission’s suspension of Nick Diaz.
The federal government plays no role in the disciplinary actions taken by state athletic commissions, so we are not in a position to address the specific request raised in your petition. State authorities — in this case, the Nevada Athletic Commission — will generally be the best source for information about those kinds of issues.
However, we appreciate that so many of you banded together to make your voices heard through this platform.
If there are federal policy issues you care about, using this tool can help you and people all across the country communicate directly with a team in the White House focused on responding to petitions that get enough support. For example, in the past few years, we’ve weighed in on issues ranging from education regulations to wildlife trafficking, from criminal justice reform to vaccinations, and from electronic communication and net neutrality to international relations.
Combat Sports Law 