UFC Figther Nick Diaz Has Been Vocal About His Struggles With Mental Health Issues

November 11, 2026

This article was last updated by Aditi Rai on November 12, 2026

Nickolas Robert Diaz, an American professional boxer and mixed martial artist competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), has long been battling with anxiety and mental health challenges.

Born on August 2, 1983, Diaz became a professional mixed martial artist in 2001 at 18.

Nick Diaz’s career spans major MMA organizations, including the UFC, Strikeforce, EliteXC, DREAM, and PRIDE.

Famous for his unique and aggressive fighting style, Diaz competes in the Welterweight and Middleweight divisions of the UFC.

Nick Diaz Found To Be Struggling With Substance Abuse

Recently, Diaz’s video of himself sitting on the side of the street at night, looking homeless, has gone viral on the internet.

In the footage, he was seen shirtless, trying to light a random piece of grass on fire.

🚨NEW: A video of Nick Diaz, by himself, shirtless in public, trying to light a random piece of grass on fire has surfaced online ahead of his MMA return against Vicente Luque on Dec. 7. 👀

Thoughts on this video surfacing shortly after his fight with Luque got announced? 🤔

— Parry Punch (@ParryPunchNews)

Previously, Diaz, was banned from UFC for a while due to his infamous smoking habits.

Many fans were shocked after the viral video because Diaz was supposed to be gearing up for his fight against Vicente Luque. The rematch is from August’s UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi.

The fight is highly anticipated because Diaz hasn’t played since his loss against Robbie Lawler back at UFC 266 in 2026.

Regarding the fight against Vicente Luque that is happening on December 7, 2026, his colleague Daniel Cormier said,

Nick Diaz struggled with Robbie Lawler, and Robbie Lawler was only one fight away from retirement. Vicente Luque is not going anywhere. It’s a tough fight. I think for Nick, though, he has to be really locked in if he wants to go out there and not embarrass himself.

Source:

Taking to her Instagram story, even Diaz’s rumored girlfriend, Kay, expressed concern for him.

In an interview with Bleacher Report, he said that his anxiety has nothing to do with the media.

The UFC fighter is open about his fear of losing and humiliation in front of a huge audience. He revealed,

It has to do with dealing with the sparring that I’m going to have or the workouts that I’m going to have from day to day.

Source:

Nick Diaz Uses Gym Workouts and Training To Reduce Anxiety!

Before his debut in a professional mixed martial arts fight, Diaz’s girlfriend, Stephanie, passed away by walking in front of traffic.

He said he used to be very self-conscious about what he wore and worried he couldn’t afford nice things.

Diaz said he would run to his girlfriend’s grave every day to tell her he would become the fighter she always wanted him to be.

However, he revealed that the burden of being a well-known fighter has added to his anxiety and mood issues.

If you don’t have anxiety, you probably shouldn’t be fighting, You probably haven’t made it that far. This sport is 24-hour anxiety.—Nick Diaz

— School of thought (@Diazism)

Throughout his MMA career, Nick Diaz has been honest about his battles with mental health.

He revealed that he uses gym workouts and training as his coping mechanism because it helps him reduce his anxiety.

In Case You Didn’t Know

Nick is the older brother of former UFC fighter Nate Diaz.
Diaz performed bare-knuckle MMA matches prior to his official professional debut,
Diaz acted in the film Darkness of Man with Jean-Claude Van Damme in 2026.

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Hi, I am Rasu Rajbanshi, recently done with my BBA. An overthinker but I still manage to keep an optimistic outlook by strongly believing in no matter what life throws your way, “this too shall pass.” I work as a freelance content writer and try to bring ideas to life through words, by creating compelling narratives that resonate with readers.

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