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Nick Diaz: 'I see myself becoming world champion.'

Originally posted on Dice City Sports | By Robert LaMar | Last updated Feb 3, 2026 8:04 PM ET

Nick Diaz’s fighting days aren’t over. The past few years have been difficult for Diaz, a former UFC championship contender who has not competed since 2021. Updates on the 42-year-old Diaz’s life and competitive status have been few and far between, but Diaz recently sat down for an interview at the Baja Rehab center in Baja California, Mexico, to discuss his recovery from substance abuse and ongoing sobriety journey.

Despite his lengthy hiatus, Diaz revealed he plans to not only fight again, but add another title to his collection.

“I see myself becoming world champion,” Diaz said. “I see myself becoming world champion and I think it’s easy money. It’s not like before. People are going to see a brand new me.”

The last time Diaz came close to a return was in 2024. He was scheduled to fight Vicente Luque at UFC Abu Dhabi in July of that year. The bout was postponed due to travel issues and rescheduled for UFC 310 in Las Vegas, but Diaz then withdrew from that date for undisclosed reasons and was replaced by Themba Gorimbo.

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Some GREAT UFC news: Nick Diaz got married in Las Vegas last week to his long time girlfriend Kayla
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He recently just got out of rehab and has also just celebrated 1 year of sobriety

Here he is, in good spirits with his new wife

Mr and Mrs Diaz, you love to see it

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What now?

In his prime, Diaz was one of the top welterweights in the world, winning a Strikeforce title in 2010 and later joining the UFC where he fought for both an undisputed and interim title against Georges St-Pierre and Carlos Condit, respectively. He credits his single-mindedness as one of the factors for his success and his ability to remain sober.

“For me, I just think that I wouldn’t have made it this far if I thought that there was something that could stop me,” Diaz said. “That being the next guy I’m standing in front of or any obstacle. Substance abuse, right or wrong, I’m just very confident that I’m going to do better every year, every day.”

In the interview, Diaz mentioned marijuana and alcohol among the substances he had been abusing. He insisted that he’s never had an issue with other drugs, though he associated with people who frequently abused harder substances, and that was enough to scare him straight.

This article first appeared on Dice City Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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