I've Got You, Nick Diaz: Cher Shows Support for Banned MMA Fighter

MMA might not be the poppiest sport in the world, but it's attracted its share of diehard fans from the pop music world over the years. Mandy Moore and Demi Lovato have become regulars at UFC events. Bruno Mars sent some Twitter love to Anderson Silva after the middleweight legend suffered his infamous leg injury against Chris Weidman at UFC 168. Lady Gaga even took some time to train at a UFC gym earlier this year.

Even so, it came as a bit of a surprise to discover that the latest celebrity to come out in support of the beleaguered and suspended UFC welterweight Nick Diaz was none other than… Cher?

The Oscar-winning singer, actress, and Man From U.N.C.L.E. guest star joined the growing legion of Diaz defenders when she urged her 2.85 million Twitter fans to support the fighter earlier today.

Lift the NSAC ban from MMA fighter Nick Diaz. — Cher (@cher)October 5, 2015

The Nevada State Athletic Commission handed Diaz a five year suspension and a $165,000 fine for testing positive for marijuana metabolites after his UFC 183 bout against Anderson Silva at a hearing last month. The MMA community quickly rallied around the often controversial Diaz, with the likes of Jon Fitch, Kenny Florian and Diego Sanchez speaking out against the severity of the NSAC's sentence. At a UFC press conference, Women's Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey declared that "It's so unfair if one person tests for steroids that could actually really hurt a person and the other person smokes a plant that makes them happy and he gets suspended for five years, whereas the guy that could hurt someone gets a slap on the wrist. It's not fair. It's not fair at all… I think they really should free Nick Diaz." Floyd Mayweather Jr. has also voiced his support.

Supporters also launched a White House petition, urging to the Obama Administration to lift the NSAC's ban. "Nick Diaz was unfairly banned from being a professional fighter by the Nevada Athletics Commission," the petition reads. "They ruled based on their personal feelings and belief towards the use of medical marijuana and used their power to deprive Mr. Diaz of being able to make a living."

Cher included a link to this petition in her tweet. As far as we know, this is the first time that the star, beloved on Twitter for her random reflections, political statements, cat photos and unique emoji use, has expressed any interest in mixed martial arts or Nevada's often perplexing athletic regulation issues.

The petition has until October 16 to reach its goal of 100,000 signatures. It currently sits at just over 67,000. Can the Cher bump help to push it over the top and convince the NSAC to turn back time on Diaz's suspension? We believe it can.