Former UFC fighter Jake Shields has given a positive update on MMA legend Nick Diaz.
The former Strikeforce middleweight champion is a longtime teammate and friend of Nick Diaz.
Nate Diaz's older brother was set to make his long-awaited comeback at UFC 310 in December, but pulled out of his fight with Vicente Luque, who ultimately knocked out replacement opponent Themba Gorimbo at the final UFC pay-per-view of 2024.
Just days after his fight with Luque was scrapped, disturbing footage went viral showing Diaz attempting to set fire to a patch of grass. It sparked widespread concern about the iconic fighter's mental and physical well-being.
Photo by Michael Tran/FilmMagic
Jake Shields shares Nick Diaz update
Not much has been said about Diaz since, leaving fans wondering what exactly is going on with the man who fought Georges St-Pierre at the height of his career.
Fortunately, Shields delivered some positive news about his old friend. The 46-fight MMA veteran declined to reveal details about Diaz's personal life, but he did assure fans that things were looking up in 2025.
“He's doing a lot better,” Shields said on The Overdogs podcast.
'I don't take anything personal with him. But he had some things going on for a while and he's finally moving in the right direction.
“So I have high hopes for Nick because he is like a brother to me, one of my best friends.
“Life is hard sometimes, with ups and downs, and things can happen. Nick was dealing with something, and I think he's going in the right direction. I haven't felt like this in a long time. I finally feel a lot better about that situation.
'We'll see, time will tell. I'm so close to him that it's painful to see someone struggling with some things. But I think he will finally get better.”
Nick Diaz has been winless since 2011
Diaz has had one foot outside MMA for years. The 41-year-old has only fought twice in the past decade.
In September 2021, he ended a six-year layoff to face Robbie Lawler in a rematch 17 years after their first fight, which ended with Diaz scoring an epic one-punch knockout victory.
At UFC 266 it was a different story. Diaz gave a good impression of himself, despite looking a bit off. Ultimately, he suffered a stoppage loss in the third round when he fell to the ground and uncharacteristically refused to continue fighting.
Before that, Diaz suffered defeats to Carlos Condit, GSP and Anderson Silva (which was later overturned to a no-contest), during his 14-year losing streak dating back to 2011, when he outpointed fellow legend BJ Penn.
It is currently unclear if Diaz will ever get the opportunity to return to MMA and earn a long-awaited victory.
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