Amid Disappearance, Nick Diaz’s Friend Confesses Untold Chapter From UFC Star’s Early Days

What really happened to Nick Diaz after his sudden disappearance? Fans have been left in the dark, worried sick, as wild rumors only added fuel to the fire. An Instagram user named kay209x, who claims to be the UFC legend’s long-time girlfriend, alleged that Diaz is being held against his will in Mexico! And also accused his cousin Ruben and others of involvement. The drama shook the MMA internet! But amid the noise, old memories have resurfaced, reminding fans of Diaz’s past, filled with genuine friendships. 

Jake Shields has been a trusted and genuine friend to the Diaz brothers for years. Whenever something shook the lives of the MMA icons, Shields was always the one they could lean on in tough times. So now, with serious doubts hanging over Nick’s situation, his long-time friend decided to take people down memory lane. Bringing back old stories of how their bond first started and grew stronger through the years. 

Jake Shields details his friendship with Nick Diaz  

On his Fight Back podcast with Matt Serra, Shields revealed that he used to be “obsessed” with training martial arts. After finishing school and taking some wrestling classes, the former UFC fighter found his way to the Cesar Gracie team, which was dominating the scene at the time. That’s where he crossed paths with Nick Diaz for the very first time. What started as a chance meeting quickly turned into something more, as the two became amazing training partners and built a lasting bond.

He said, “Nick started basically the exact same time as me, maybe within a couple of months. We were rivals and best friends at the same time. We drove each other to greatness. We’ve always had the craziest relationship because we came up together. Neither of us was the best guy in the gym, but we were the best new guys. And because we pushed each other so hard, we just kept leveling up.” 

But that’s not all! Their friendship went far beyond the gym. Shields added, “So we had this weird relationship where we were like brothers, pushing each other to greatness. But one thing we always agreed on—we’d never fight each other. When I signed with Strikeforce, Nick was the 170-pound champion. Without even needing a conversation, I just automatically moved up to 185.”  

Well, that’s definitely a chapter straight out of the martial arts friendship playbook. However, Jake Shields is not only friends with Nick Diaz. He also shares a very close relationship with his younger brother, Nate Diaz. Both have often been seen together in different programs and YouTube videos. So, let’s take a look at the kind of relationship they share as well.

Jake Shields also opens up about his bond with Nate Diaz 

Shields has been friends with Nick Diaz for a long time, so naturally, he built a strong relationship with Nick’s younger brother as well. Nate Diaz has joined him in plenty of seminars and shows over the years, so during the Fight Back podcast, Matt Serra asked if any disputes had ever come up between them over business matters.

The former UFC fighter quickly shut down that idea, explaining he actually sees Nate as a little brother and has always shared a close bond with him. Shields said, “It’s also the closeness between me and Nate, too! Nate’s like my little brother; I took him under my wing, that’s why we do seminars together all the time. And business-wise, we never have contracts or anything. We didn’t have any disputes over money when we do stuff together. It’s always very simple. We’re like brothers.”

Shields has even been part of Nate Diaz’s team at the Russian spin-off of The Ultimate Fighter in Thailand—a season that ended on a sour note after a wild brawl broke out. Still, even in that tense moment, Shields stood firmly by Nate’s side and even documented much of what went down.

That said, what do you think about Jake Shields’ bond with the Diaz brothers? And which other fighter friendships do you think match this level of loyalty? Drop your thoughts below.