After years of inactivity, Nick Diaz was supposed to face Vicente Luque at UFC 310, however, the promotion pulled him away and replaced him with Themba Gorimbo due to speculations about his declining mental health as a result of dr-g addiction. Ahead of his anticipated clash, footage went viral involving the 41-year-old fighter showcasing concerning behavior that led the entirety of the MMA world to worry for the veteran UFC fighter. Now, after weeks of concerning news, Diaz’s longtime friend, Jake Shields has come forward to open up about his health.

While having a candid conversation with former bantamweight champion, Sean O’Malley on his YouTube podcast, Shields brought up Nick Diaz’s health update when O’Malley inquired about the former Strikeforce, WEC, and IFC welterweight champion. “I was pumped for him against Vicente Luque and all of this stuff came out. It’s just like that’s just fu–ed up,” said ‘Suga’. In response to O’Malley’s question, the host claimed that he is aware of all of the rumors surrounding his friend and ascertained that they are working on it.

“We’re working on that. So that’s something I’m not going to talk about,” Jake Shields stated. “He’s a brother to me and it’s something we’re working on. So I prefer not to discuss Nick’s private life.”  Out of respect for the Stockton native and their decades-long friendship, he refrained from sharing specific details about the incident but assured that efforts are underway to support Diaz in his recovery.

Many current and former fighters have shared their concerns about Nick Diaz‘s health. His girlfriend took to her Instagram handle to express her absolute helplessness at the older Diaz brother’s state, “You either find sobriety or it takes your life.” Hopefully, Diaz is is in recovery, and the MMA community has come forward to give the Stockton native some advice. Let’s have a look at that.

Fans call for Nick Diaz’s retirement as the former champ trains for a comeback

With a record of 26 victories and 10 defeats, Diaz’s career, albeit rocky, has been phenomenal. The former Strikeforce champion was known for his unhinged fighting style layered with in-ring thrash talk. His last clash was against Robbie Lawler at UFC 266 back in 2021, where he was visibly out of shape – physically and mentally – and since then, he has not fought under the promotion. Looking at this, a fan wrote, “Nick needs to retire. He already had an amazing run.” 

Furthermore, a social media user emphasized that he loved the way Jake Shields chose to respect Diaz’s privacy and not make it a talking point,“I love how Jake set the tone right from the start…making it clear what’s up without leaving room for doubt or needing to elaborate further.” 

One thing that worried fans was Nick Diaz being matched up with Vicente Luque for UFC 310, especially after the Stockton native’s last showing against Robbie Lawler. ‘The Silent Assassin’ is one of the best fighters in the welterweight division and his last fight against Themba Gorimbo was nothing but a masterclass. According to a fan, Diaz shouldn’t clash against any top fighter right now as his mental health is in tatters, “Last thing in the world nick needs is to get in there with a top 15 or 20 guy in the ufc.” A fan celebrated the brotherhood between Nick Diaz and Jake Shields, “True brothers right there.”

In the video that went viral, the man seen squatting and lighting something on fire looked like Nick Diaz and even responded with “what” when the woman taking the video shouted his name. However, some in the MMA community argue that it’s just a man who looks like him. In that light, a fan questioned, “so was it nick in the video or not.” Last but not least, a fan called out Jake Shields, “Based on years of unhinged social media posts by Jake he’s the last person who should be helping anybody.”

What do you think of all the rumors surrounding Nick Diaz’s present disposition? What about Jake Shields’ unyielding loyalty toward him? Let us know in the comments down below.