"Brother does not look healthy" - Fans suspect "staph infection" as Nick Diaz shows up at UFC Vegas 85 with a bruise on hand 

MMA legend Nick Diaz commands tremendous respect among old-school MMA fans and has a massive fan base despite his inactivity in the competitive sphere. As a result, fans take notice of his public appearances, which are usually brief and scarce.

The Stockton native attended the recent UFC Vegas 85 event at the UFC Apex Facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. A photo of him was shared by MMA journalist Chamatkar Sandhu on X:

Fans took notice of the scar visible on the back of Diaz’s left hand and shared their thoughts. One fan, Teyzu, commented:

“Brother does not look healthy.”

Another, Jeremy Davis, wrote:

“Geesh this guy ages 5 years for every 1.”

Catch more fan reactions below:

Fan reactions

Diaz’s UFC Vegas 85 appearance came shortly after the ninth anniversary of his middleweight debut against Anderson Silva on Jan. 31, 2015. Silva was set to make a comeback after suffering a brutal leg break in the Chris Weidman rematch, and the elder Diaz sibling proved to be a perfect dance partner.

The five-round UFC 183 main event had several exciting moments, but Diaz lost on the judges’ scorecards. However, the result was later overturned to No Contest after Silva tested positive for banned performance enhancing substances while Diaz tested positive for marijuana.

It also proved to be the 40-year-old’s last competitive appearance for the next six years due to a ban from the Nevada State Athletic Commission among other reasons.

The Stockton native eventually returned to competition at UFC 266 in September 2021 against Robbie Lawler. Diaz’s performance led the MMA community to believe that the time away from competition had taken a toll on his fighting ability.

Despite a competitive back-and-forth action in the first two rounds, Diaz refused to answer the referee’s call and stand up after getting knocked down in round three, losing the fight via TKO. However, a heartwarming interaction between Diaz and Lawler after the fight became a major talking point.

Watch it below [0:15]: