The exact reason why Nick Diaz withdrew from UFC 310 is unknown, but there is speculation that the popular fighter is not in a good place in his life right now.
The main culprit is a recent video posted on social media in which a shirtless Diaz appears to be trying to set fire to the lawn. At the time, Diaz was scheduled to face Vicente Luque at UFC 310 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It wasn’t long before Themba Golimbo was announced as Diaz’s replacement in the welterweight bout.
Jason Miller is no stranger to fighting outside the cage. The fighter known as “Mayhem” has been in trouble with the law numerous times, most recently in August 2023 for allegedly choking a fan. Immediately after the incident, Miller released a statement on Instagram about her struggles and how it was difficult for her to ask anyone for help for a long time.
Miller seems to be doing better now and can empathize with fellow fighters, even former rivals, who may have their own issues. In a recent interview with Helen E. Sports (h/t MMAFighting.com), Miller offered to help Diaz himself if needed, while also urging those in the fighter’s inner circle to step up.
“Listen, we all saw what we saw, and I won’t go into too much detail about it,” Miller said. “I think the people involved in Nick’s life need to come together. Anyone who made money off of him needs to come and help this man. We’ve had beef since we were kids. But that doesn’t mean I can’t help this guy if he needs it. , if he is not ready to lend a helping hand, all of you must continue to protect him, those close to him, his siblings, his family, friends, take advantage of him and make money. He needs you now. He needs a circle back.
“That’s not to say anything bad about him. It’s hard that we’re in this sport and it’s easy to trip up on the wrong thing. Super easy. And it’s easy to get out of there. It’s even more difficult, so my advice is not for him, but to help those around him get to a better place in his life.”
Diaz, a former Strikeforce champion and UFC title contender, returned from a more than six-year hiatus in September 2021, when he suffered a third-round TKO loss to Robbie Lawler at UFC 266. He was originally scheduled to face Luque in the UFC. Abu Dhabi in August before the match was cancelled. Prior to this proposed booking, longtime coach Cesar Gracie revealed that he had not attended Diaz’s camp.
“So I don’t know what Nick is doing. I know he’s lost a lot of weight and everything, but I don’t really see him training with the fighters. I don’t know what’s going on in that fight,” Gracie said in June.
After a few months, it’s almost certain that Diaz won’t fight at all in 2024. Miller points out that being away from combat for an extended period of time can be difficult because there’s nothing to replace that feeling. In “Mayhem”, his life changed for the better when he asked for help, and he thinks Diaz could end up in a similar situation.
“I-I wish someone had done it sooner. They did, I finally got help, and now my life just keeps getting better and better… I went through all the difficulties. It’s so easy to trip up and especially when you’re used to bright lights, it’s a crazy and exciting fight. This fight is like no other.” said.
“…For some of you, once you have this really exciting thing in your life, if you’re not doing it all the time, it’s easy to slip into something that gives you that feeling right away. I don’t think we should judge people for that. I think we should get them out of this situation as much as possible. ”
