#FreeNickDiaz: Fighters start hashtag, react to Diaz's 5-year ban
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}DALLAS, TX - MARCH 14: UFC welterweight star Nick Diaz heckles Johny Hendricks as he attempts to make weight during the UFC 171 official weigh-in at Gilley's Dallas on March 14, 2014 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
UFC welterweight Nick Diaz was handed a 5-year ban from the Nevada State Athletic Commission on Monday, stemming from his failed drug test at UFC 183 in January.
Diaz, who stormed out of the hearing once the commissioners agreed on the suspension, wasn't the only one who thought the decision was excessive. Some of his fellow fighters came to his aid, on Twitter, to show their disgust with the ruling, starting the hashtag #FreeNickDiaz and even going as far as to start a White House petition.
Check out some of the best reactions: