Over the last few weeks, Nick Diaz has given us more and more reason to believe he’ll never fight again. One comment in a recent Instagram story, in particular, suggested his days as pugilist have come to an end.
“I don’t want to hurt nobody, I just want to party,” he said.
Speaking in a Sunday evening Instagram post, Nick Diaz gave us even more reason to believe his fighting days are done, explaining that it would go against his morals to fight for the money that’s currently on the table.
Here’s what the former Strikeforce welterweight champ had to say
“I’m no role model, I’m 35 years old,” Diaz wrote (h/t MMA Fighting). “But I definitely wouldn’t advise anybody to take a fight for less than their worth or fight for free. Which is practically what I would be doing at this point in taking a fight with some of these guys that are not on my level. Nor would I be within my moral ethics to even do that aside from you not painting me as a role model.
”If there was an offer I couldn’t refuse, things would be different. Until they are — I’d like to continue to think I’ve been fighting to make the world a better place, but until I can continue to do that: ‘I don’t want to hurt nobody, I just want to party.’”
Nick Diaz has not fought since a January 2015 no contest with Anderson Silva. According to his long-time friend and training partner Gilbert Melendez, it’s safe to say he’s retired.
“Our boy, Nick, he’s been retired,” Melendez said on the You’re Welcome podcast. “I would love to see him come back, but last time I checked, he’s retired. I know If anyone could come back and do it and stay on track and everything, it’s him. I’d love to see him one day, if the fight is right, I think he’ll come back out, and if the contract’s right I think he’ll come back out. But last I’ve heard, he’s hung it up.”
Do you think Nick Diaz will ever fight again?
This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 2/18/2019.