"It's painful watching"- Nick Diaz's longtime training partner and close friend gives important update after UFC vet's shocking video causes panic

Nick Diaz’s viral video, ahead of his scheduled clash against Vicente Luque at UFC 310 last year, sparked significant concern among fans. Diaz, who has been a controversial figure in the MMA world, had a troubling video surfaced on social media showing him seemingly setting fire to plants.

The footage, shared by his alleged girlfriend, depicts a shirtless Diaz crouching behind bushes and burning objects. The alarming clip fueled worries over his well-being and eventually led to his withdrawal from the UFC 310 fight against Luque in December 2024.

Diaz's longtime training partner and close associate, Jake Shields, recently spoke candidly about the matter and expressed relief, stating that the UFC veteran is doing much better. While avoiding personal details, he mentioned that Diaz has been dealing with challenges but is now heading in a positive direction. Shields added how painful it is to witness the Stockton native struggle, yet there is a sense of optimism for Diaz’s future.

Sharing important updates on Diaz's situation during a recent appearance on the Overdogs Podcast with Mike Perry, Jake Shields said:

"He's doing a lot better. I'm not going to get into anything personal with him. But he had some stuff that's been going on for a little while and he's finally heading in the right direction. So I'm hopeful for Nick because he's like a brother of mine, one of my best friends."

Shields added:

"Life's tough sometimes, ups and downs, and things can happen. Nick was dealing with something and I think he's headed in the right direction [and] I haven't felt that way in a long time. I finally feel a lot better about that situation. We'll see you know, time will tell because I'm] so close to him so it's painful watching you know someone struggle with some things. But I think he's going to be finally better."

Check out Jake Shields' comments below (42:20):

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Producer of Vice TV's Dark Side of the Cage talks about his experience working with Nick Diaz

The producer of Vice TV’s Dark Side of the Cage, Tim Healy, shared the challenging yet rewarding experience of working with Nick Diaz. From the start, it was believed that booking Diaz for an interview would be impossible.

Despite this, Vice Studios’ Robin Black and Dave Hodgson persisted for six months, enduring three failed attempts before finally securing Diaz. Healy, a huge Diaz fan, had doubted they could get a full interview but was proven wrong when Diaz sat for nearly three hours.

Shedding light on his experience working with the UFC star in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Healy said:

"I'm a huge Nick Diaz fan as is everybody on the team and I actually made a bet with the showrunner. I said [that] even if you get Nick to sit there's no way you're going to get a full interview. I was proved completely wrong. Nick sat for almost 3 hours. I don't think he sat for an interview like this in probably well over a decade. He was definitely the white whale for this season."

Check out Sportskeeda MMA's interview with Tim Healy below: