Nick Diaz, who last fought in 2021, was about to return to the octagon at UFC 310 against Vicente Luque, but the bout got canceled. Due to undisclosed reasons, the older Diaz brother withdrew, and that left his longtime fans disappointed. But there is something going on in the background, perhaps far worse than not seeing him fight.

Concerns about the Stockton, California native, spread like wildfire throughout the fighting community after a video of a shirtless man, bearing a striking resemblance to Nick Diaz, began circulating online. In the video, the voice behind the camera could be heard asking, “Nick? Are you okay? Are you alright?”

It is widely believed the man was Diaz. Shortly after, Diaz’s girlfriend shocked everyone by tagging him in an Instagram story, where she appeared to hint at the fighter’s struggles with dr-g addiction, which started to worry people. This includes former champions Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo, who brought this particular topic up during their ‘Pound 4 Pound’ podcast and seemed a bit dejected by the entire event.

While speaking to ‘Triple C’, the former welterweight champion shared his honest opinion on the Stockton native’s situation. He said, “It’s unfortunate because Vicente, I feel like, has been waiting for this fight for about almost some time now. He has been waiting for this fight to take place and it’s been rescheduled, it’s been pushed. But now it’s officially ruled out that Nick is not gonna fight this fight, which is kind of sad because I wanted to see that fight and Vicente definitely prepared for that fight.”

It is true that many were waiting for Diaz’s return. After all, he last fought Robbie Lawler at UFC 266 in 2021, but the ending was sad. He lost through TKO (retirement) when he refused to get back up and continue the fight. People couldn’t believe this was the same man who had previously faced Anderson Silva, Georges St. Pierre, and B.J. Penn.

Usman further continued, “First of all, whatever is going on with Nick, I wish him well, I hope he is able to get that help, and he’s able to get back on track. Because we love Nick Diaz and everything Nick Diaz has done for the sport of MMA, you know. I am a fan of Nick Diaz. So yeah, we hope that he is okay. We hope that he is able to get back in there and compete or if not, we just hope that he is okay.”

Luque and Diaz were previously scheduled to take on each other at UFC on ABC 7 on August 3, in Abu Dhabi. However, the fight was postponed due to Diaz encountering “travel issues.” Now, previously rescheduled for UFC 310, this would have marked his third bout in almost a decade.

The 41-year-old had previously been out of action for six years before returning in 2021. Part of his extended absence from the UFC stemmed from a five-year suspension related to m–ijuana use.

But moving forward, usually, a fighter pulling out of a bout would draw the ire of their opponent. However, in this case, Vincente Luque expressed anything but anger toward the UFC legend for pulling out of UFC 310.

Vicente Luque wishes Nick Diaz a speedy recovery after his video went viral

Nick Diaz’s planned return at UFC 310 against Vicente Luque was highly anticipated by fans. However, hopes for his comeback were overshadowed by revelations about his struggles with addiction from his girlfriend. As the viral video continued to spark concern, she shared a powerful statement, saying, “Dr-g addiction doesn’t last forever. You either find sobriety, or it takes your life.”

Although the reason is still unclear as to why Diaz pulled out of UFC 310, fans seemed to have linked it all with the viral video. Reacting to the video, and the alleged difficult situation the older Diaz brother is in, Vincente Luque expressed concern for the 26-10 UFC vet.

While speaking to MMA Fighting ‘The Silent Assassin’ said, “I don’t know exactly why (it was canceled). I saw that video of him in the streets, and he didn’t look okay. And more than anything, I hope his family and he is taking care of himself. I hope he recovers and goes back to his best state possible.”

He continued, “We don’t know what he’s going to do from now on, if he’s going to recover, if he’s going to be able to fight again, maybe open a gym and teach, whatever, but we hope for the best. It’s very sad to see him at that stage, because I don’t want that for anyone, much less a man that has inspired so many.”

Nick Diaz’s story highlights fighting adverse circumstances and finding purpose through training in martial arts. The black belt in BJJ under Cesar Gracie is notorious for his unruly and outspoken nature, and the Diaz brothers’ legacy is one that resonates with many fighters coming from difficult circumstances. Witnessing him in his present disposition is heartbreaking, especially for longtime fans of the sport.

Do you think we’ll ever see the older Diaz brother compete again? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below.