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If Nick Diaz plans to fight again by the end of 2022 as his longtime jiu jitsu coach Cesar Gracie claims, he needs to make sure to have a proper training camp. That's the advice being given by Diaz's friend and original Skrap Pack member Jake Shields.
Shields was a guest on The Joe Rogan Experience, where he was asked about Diaz's fighting future. His last bout was a third round referee stoppage loss to Robbie Lawler in September 2021. Since then the elusive fighter has been largely out of the spotlight, until his coach declared Diaz would compete this year.
Jake Shields shared his opinion on the subject, saying:
"I don't know. The last fight, he obviously wasn't in the best situation you know, mentally and stuff. So I would like to see him fight again but I'd like to see him do a proper camp, so.... I think he wants to but I really hope he does a proper camp and does it right, because [the last camp was] not much. I think he was just going through some tough times in his life and you know, I don't want to get into his personal life too much but I think he was going through a tough time. I would have liked to pull the fight and move it back, personally."
Regarding the fight with Lawler, Shields added:
"A lot of it was just motivation, he was like pushed into the fight. The fight happened so quick and he hadn't been training at all. And all of a sudden he was like fighting in two months, it was just kind of rushed. Nick's like a brother, I really hope he fights again but he needs to make sure to properly do a camp."
Shields isn't the first person to claim Diaz was rushed back into the cage. Hopefully the UFC manages to come to an arrangement with Diaz that sees the Stockton fighter competing on a schedule that works for him.
Watch Jake Shields and Joe Rogan discuss Nick Diaz's return below:
Nick Diaz has been sparring in the gym recently according to his Instagram
Nick Diaz's Instagram account hasn't been very active for several months but in the last week there has been a flurry of activity.
There are images of Diaz with boxing heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. Photos with legendary vale tudo fighter Ralph Gracie. And an image of Diaz with former boxing champ and trainer Bones Adams in his private Las Vegas gym.
More importantly, based on the bruising and swelling on Nick Diaz's face in many of the pictures, he's actively sparring again.
