Following Nate Diaz`s early departure from a Russian reality television series, his team reportedly found themselves pursued by a group of fighters on motorcycles for several days.
The former UFC star`s brief appearance on a `The Ultimate Fighter` spin-off in Thailand, intended to feature him opposite Jon Jones, proved exceptionally eventful despite its short duration.
Upon arriving at the fighter house for the Russian reality show, which aimed to have Diaz and Jones coach top regional fighters, particularly from Russia, Diaz and his team quickly caused friction.
Multiple physical altercations erupted between the teams representing Diaz and Jones before Diaz eventually left the premises. Jake Shields, a long-time teammate of Diaz, recently shared widely circulated footage detailing the events that led to the show`s sudden cancellation.
Aftermath of the Nate Diaz/Jon Jones Reality TV Incident
Diaz has a history of tense encounters with fighters from Dagestan and Chechnya throughout his prominent career in combat sports. Years ago, he famously slapped UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov while attending one of Shields` bouts. His planned fight against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 279 was cancelled partly due to a backstage altercation and Chimaev`s significant weight miss.
Despite leaving the UFC after UFC 279, tensions persist between Diaz and numerous leading Russian MMA figures. Since then, Diaz has competed in boxing twice, losing his debut to Jake Paul but securing a victory against former BMF rival Jorge Masvidal last year.
After Diaz, Shields, and their team departed the show`s location, several Russian fighters reportedly followed them through the area on motorcycles. While Diaz`s current whereabouts in Thailand are unclear, he and his team were seemingly targeted by fighters involved in the on-set disturbances.
Shields released footage showing fighters apparently observing and staking out locations to monitor Diaz and his group after the incident. During a recent episode of his `Fight Back` podcast, Shields commented on the post-incident footage.
“People have been sending me videos from Russian Instagram, TV and stuff supposedly of these Russian and Chechen fighters looking for us around Thailand,” Shields stated. “The driver drove us to our hotel, they knew exactly where we were, we were in the same area for three, four days walking around going to the exact same places.”
He added, “Everyone knew where we were at, we were chillin’ where we were. They were just trying to act tough.”
Despite the abrupt cancellation of the reality show, Jon Jones reportedly remains in Thailand and is rumored to be planning training sessions with Alex Pereira this week. Both Pereira and Jones have hinted at potential returns to the Octagon after recently causing confusion with supposed retirement hints.
Jon Jones Reverses Retirement Tease Amidst Tom Aspinall Talks
After surprising fans with a leaked statement implying his retirement earlier this week, Jones quickly shifted his stance, teasing a future return to competition. A potential clash between Jones and interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall remains a possibility for the UFC later this year.
Aspinall recently admitted that the prolonged uncertainty regarding a fight with Jones has been more stressful than the aftermath of the severe leg injury he suffered against Curtis Blaydes in 2022. Less than two years after that injury, Aspinall claimed the UFC interim heavyweight title by knocking out Sergei Pavlovich on short notice at UFC 295.
Nate Diaz, for his part, has not competed in any discipline since defeating Masvidal in their boxing match last year. He has not ruled out a return to the UFC, particularly if a trilogy fight against Conor McGregor were to materialize.
Percy Harlow