Nick Diaz’s unwavering drive inside the Octagon has always been an important trait, but those who trained him believe it may have emerged from something deeper—his own insecurities. Despite his natural talent and persistent work ethic, he never felt he was doing enough. In the recently released Vice documentary, his coaches explained how the 41-year-old fighter always felt like he was falling behind, chasing something—or someone—that they couldn’t identify.
According to Cesar Gracie, the Stockton native prioritized training above all else, often skipping school to improve his skills. “I was like, ‘Aren’t you supposed to be in school?’ He’s like, ‘I’m not going to school. I’m training.’ I just kinda took him under my wing ’cause I was teaching Gracie Jiu-Jitsu there.” His hunger to improve was undeniable, yet despite dominating sparring sessions, he stayed fixated on an unseen rival. One of his other trainers recalls Diaz saying, “I gotta catch up. I gotta catch up. Gotta catch up.” The statement surprised everyone around him, as Diaz was already outworking and excelling almost everyone in the gym.
The trainer continued, “And I’d be like, ‘Who do you gotta catch up to? You’re ahead of all of us.’” His dedicated mindset carried over into his fights, where he could go 20 rounds without stopping. “Nick got in the ring, they would be throwing people at him. Next, next, next. He did 20 rounds straight. 20 rounds.” According to Gracie, Diaz had that combination of good hands, incredible wind, patience, and an iron chin that made him stand apart from the rest.
However, Nick Diaz felt that proving himself inside the gym and the Octagon wasn’t enough. His aggressive approach followed him everywhere, sometimes resulting in explosive situations outside of the sport. Perhaps the biggest example of this was his infamous hospital fight with Joe Riggs, which remains one of the most talked-about incidents in UFC history. But what exactly happened? Well, we finally have the answer.
Nick Diaz and Joe Riggs recall the hospital brawl
The feud between Nick Diaz and Joe Riggs continued even after the final bell rang at UFC 57. After a long and grueling fight that left both men bruised and battered, they were taken to the same hospital for treatment. However, instead of healing, the two fighters revived their fight in the hospital’s emergency room. According to ‘Diesel’ in the aforementioned Vice documentary, Diaz started insulting him right away, mocking his injuries, and questioning his ability to fight.
So, what does he do? He just started talking back to the UFC veteran. However, that did not sit well with Diaz. The 41-year-old later recalled the incident in the Vice documentary, explaining that he couldn’t allow Riggs to have the final word. He’s like, ‘Well, I won. I won.’ And I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, f—–g look at you, motherf—-r.’ He was on a stretcher, and he was like (lying down).”
The trash talk gradually escalated, and Diaz delivered the first punch, transforming the hospital into an impromptu combat site. ‘Diesel,’ who was hooked up to an IV at the moment, admitted that he hadn’t expected Diaz to strike. But as the fight began, neither man held back. The brawl was only stopped when medical workers and security intervened. As a result of the whole fiasco, Nick Diaz was soon fired by the UFC. But what do you think? Can we get to see Diaz fight once again in the UFC? Let us know in the comments.
The post “I Gotta Catch Up”- Nick Diaz’s Insecurities Revealed as Coaches Confess Struggling School Days appeared first on EssentiallySports.
