Nick Diaz is set to make his return to action on August 3rd in Abu Dhabi. It’s his first fight since a dispiriting loss to Robbie Lawler in 2021, and fans are hopeful Diaz is healthy now and prepared for a tough fight against No. 13 ranked welterweight Vicente Luque.
Nick’s former head coach Cesar Gracie is also hoping for the best, although he admitted to having some concerns about Nick’s preparations for the fight. Given the one-foot-in, one-foot-out nature of Nick’s career over the past several years, that’s not exactly reassuring.
In an interview with Submission Radio, Gracie made it clear that he had no part in the mentioned fight. “To be completely honest, that wasn’t my suggestion. If I were guiding Nick, I wouldn’t have recommended him to take on that fight. Considering the location is Abu Dhabi, I wouldn’t advise him to compete overseas at this moment, particularly against someone as formidable as Luque.”
“Although Nick is known for being tough, I find it difficult to comprehend his current position in his career. The fight he has chosen doesn’t align with my own preferences, and I must admit, I am unsure about the reasoning behind this particular bout.”
Before stating that he has not been involved in the Luque camp, he expressed uncertainty about what will transpire. “It’s difficult to predict the outcome,” he remarked. “I haven’t witnessed him training alongside other fighters, so I’m unsure about the details of that fight.”
While Gracie confirmed that he still spoke with Diaz regularly, the Stockton legend is currently training in Houston, Texas and hasn’t been back to train with the Skrap Pack or his little brother Nate for months. He didn’t even make it to Anaheim for Nate’s fight against Jorge Masvidal (watch the highlights here).
Cesar explained that currently, he is not actively involved in the training sessions alongside the guys. Typically, he would be training with Jake Shields and his brother, engaging in sparring sessions. However, it is worth noting that Nick was absent during Nate’s fight last night.
There’s absolutely no ill feelings or anything of the sort. It’s just that, in my opinion, the individuals who currently have custody of Nick in Texas seem to want to keep him around. I genuinely wish for them to provide him with proper care.
While Diaz and Gracie go way back and are practically family, sometimes you have to step away from family to escape bad habits. Pictures of Nick coming out of Houston have the Stockton native looking ripped as he does roadwork with “The Black Beast” Derrick Lewis. If he doesn’t blow off fight camp to go on a bender (and who would do that), we could see a healthy and well prepared Nick Diaz in Abu Dhabi.
The Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal rematch demonstrated the awe-inspiring presence of a strong and well-trained Diaz brother.
