Nick Diaz has spent much of the past year away from the spotlight, but the former Strikeforce welterweight champion is finally telling his side of the story.
In a candid interview with Baja Rehab in Mexico, Nick Diaz revealed that he spent the last year involuntarily placed in a rehabilitation center, reflecting on how he got there, his long battle with substance abuse, and why he still believes his fighting story isn’t finished.
Before combat sports gave him direction, Diaz admits his life was headed down a dangerous path.
“I started doing jiu-jitsu right away. I was 15, but when I was 13 and 14 I was already watching the UFC,” Diaz said. “I was renting VHS UFCs, smoking weed, hanging around kids who were doing drugs. That’s kind of what we did.”
Everything changed once jiu-jitsu entered the picture.
“But then I started training jiu-jitsu when I was 16. That’s all I did,” Diaz explained. “I was beating pro fighters in the gym, on the mats. Grown fighters. I was competing all the time.”
As his fighting career took off, many of Diaz’s early friendships faded. Some friends went on to college or careers, while others spiraled in a different direction.
“We had a whole group of us. I had some really good friends,” Diaz said. “A lot of them did good, moved away, went to college. And then some of them stayed and started f—king up.”
For years, Diaz lived a singular, obsessive lifestyle centered entirely on fighting.
“I didn’t really maintain friendships for a long time,” he said. “I was fighting three to five times a year for 17 years. All I thought about was weight. What do I weigh? What am I going to eat? After a while, you realize there’s more to life.”
That realization led him back toward old connections—and old problems.
“I started bringing some old friends back into the picture, and that really f—ked things up,” Diaz admitted.
Despite his success inside the cage, Nick Diaz says he struggled with substance abuse at different points in his life. Interestingly, he takes more pride in another athletic pursuit entirely.
“Looking at my career as a world-class athlete, especially as a triathlete, I take more pride in that,” Diaz said. “None of the other fighters have done what I’ve done. They don’t even know about it. I’ve done more races than pro triathletes,” he added. “I spent my money from fighting on racing.”
Eventually, financial strain and isolation caught up to him. Diaz revealed that he lost basic necessities, including reliable transportation, and felt completely alone.
“That was one of my biggest problems before coming here,” Diaz said. “I didn’t have the means of transportation. I cut my circle shorter. I had nobody to call. I had nowhere to go.”
A falling out with agents and close friends pushed him toward rehab, though not entirely by choice.
“I’m grateful to be here,” Diaz said. “But I’m not grateful for anybody that had anything to do with me being here.”
Now 42, Nick Diaz hasn’t competed since 2021, but he insists his competitive fire still burns. He believes sobriety has given him a new sense of clarity and purpose.
“I see myself becoming world champion,” Diaz said. “I think it’s easy money. People are going to see a brand-new me.”
Diaz last came close to returning in 2024, when a bout with Vicente Luque fell through due to travel issues and a later withdrawal. Still, his confidence remains unshaken.
“For me, I wouldn’t have made it this far if I thought something could stop me,” Diaz said. “Whether it’s the guy in front of me or substance abuse, I believe I get better every year, every day.”
He admitted that marijuana and alcohol played roles in his struggles, but said witnessing friends die from harder drugs forced him to reassess his life.
“I definitely recommend treatment,” Diaz said. “I had so many friends die. This could have saved their lives.”
One moment, in particular, pushed him fully toward sobriety.
“People were driving past my house with loaded guns,” Diaz recalled. “I thought, ‘I’m going to f—king die.’ That scared the shit out of me.”
Despite describing a previous three-year sober stretch as “a living hell,” Diaz says this chapter feels different. As he continues his recovery in California, he’s focused on rebuilding his life and his legacy.
“I just want to thank my fans and supporters,” Nick Diaz said. “Get ready to tune in for my next fights. We’re going to win a world title.”
