Nick Diaz's former brawl rival shares honest insider update on UFC star's recent struggles: "It's hard for me to come off without sounding negative"
Nick Diaz has always been a fighter who defied conventional trends. But lately, concerns have grown about his well-being. A now-viral video of Diaz seemingly burning things fueled speculation that the UFC legend is struggling.
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Jason Miller, a former UFC fighter, spoke about Diaz’s situation despite their rivalry. Miller offered his support and urged those close to Diaz to step in.
Miller and Diaz share a complicated history. The two were involved in the infamous Strikeforce: Nashville brawl in 2010. After Jake Shields defeated Dan Henderson, Miller entered the cage, demanding a rematch. This led to a chaotic scene where Nick and Nate Diaz, along with Gilbert Melendez, attacked Miller on live television.
Speaking about Diaz's situation in an interview with Ariel Helwani, Miller said:
"Yeah, somebody [from Diaz's camp] gave me a note that, ‘Hey, look, he's getting it together.’ So, you know, I don’t know, I don’t want to, again, it's very sensitive to talk about this guy's journey because I have a lot of empathy for it. Because it's easy, like I said, to fall into this darkness. People do not understand how, you know, [even] if you're a C-level celebrity, it's super easy."
Miller added:
"A lot of people will glob on you and drag you in this direction, that direction. And it's super easy to fall into, let alone huge, superstar champions like Nick Diaz and BJ Penn. So it's hard for me to come off without sounding negative about these guys' experience right now. But right now, look, we see that it's not going perfect. And both camps have told me that they're on the right path to get back together."
Check out Jason Miller's quotes below (12:30):
Nick Diaz and Joe Riggs recall their infamous hospital brawl
After losing to Joe Riggs at UFC 57 in 2006, Nick Diaz wasn’t done fighting. When the two met in a Las Vegas hospital, tensions erupted.
Riggs, receiving an IV on a gurney, endured verbal jabs from Diaz, who mocked his condition. Riggs fired back, provoking Diaz to punch him. Reflecting on the incident in Dark Side of the Cage, the pair recalled:
"He’s [Riggs] like, ‘Well, I won’. I’m [Diaz] like, ‘Oh yeah, f*ck look at you motherf**ker He was on a stretcher."
Riggs replied:
"Oh yeah, I’m like, ‘Shut the f*ck up. Now, that’s two in a row, go back to WEC’. And I was like, ‘Ha, that was a good burn.'"
Check out the video below: