John McCarthy believes Nick Diaz isn’t the man that fans perceive him to be as discussion regarding his potential retirement continues.

Back in September, after more than six years away from mixed martial arts, Nick Diaz returned to the UFC with a highly-anticipated rematch against Robbie Lawler. Diaz came up on the losing end and while he did have some nice moments in the first few rounds, he ultimately didn’t look like himself in there.

Plenty of people, including UFC president Dana White, have called for him to retire – but McCarthy thinks that there’s more to the story.

“Nick [Diaz] is as tough as they come and I love the guy. And I think, you know, he’s such a good guy and he’s got a persona that people…you know, the perception of what he is and who he truly is, its two different things. And he is a good f***ing guy who will spend time with people and give you the shirt off his back if its something that he looks at as important. He’s not what people perceive him to be, is you know just thug. He’s not a thug. He’s very intellectual as far as what he cares about, he is involved with. He cares about it deeply, he will help other people with it.”

Quotes via Sportskeeda

Whether Nick Diaz fights again or not, it’s safe to say that his fans will forever remain by his side for everything he’s been able to give the sport over the years.

Do you think we will see the great Nick Diaz retire from mixed martial arts in 2022? What do you think about the words John McCarthy had to describe the situation? Let us know your thoughts on his return and his immediate future down in the comments, BJPENN Nation!