TLDR
- Nick Diaz posted and deleted an Instagram statement on January 21, 2026, after spending over a year in a Mexican rehab facility
- He questioned his brother Nate’s associates, calling them “embarrassing to be around” and suggesting Nate cut them out
- Diaz defended his recent marriage to Kayla on January 8, 2026, saying she always had his back during his recovery
- Reports suggest the brothers are feuding over Nick’s rehab release, his marriage, and control of the Nick Diaz Academy in Stockton
- Diaz has reached one-year sobriety and recently returned to light training with Jake Shields in Las Vegas
Sources: MMA News | BJPenn.com | Bloody Elbow
Nick Diaz posted a statement on Instagram on January 21, 2026, questioning his brother Nate’s associates and claiming he was kept in a Mexican rehab facility against his will. The former Strikeforce welterweight champion deleted the post shortly after, but it spread across combat sports media.
“To everyone talking about my life and how they want to control me you never will again,” Diaz wrote. “I was locked up for over a year and the ones I thought closest to me kept me there for their own motives.”
The 42-year-old fighter spent more than a year in a treatment facility in Mexico after entering in January 2025. He checked into the program following a concerning video that showed him attempting to light grass on fire days after withdrawing from a scheduled fight against Vicente Luque at UFC 310.
Diaz defended his recent marriage to his partner Kayla, who he married in Las Vegas on January 8, 2026. “My wife Kayla is there for me she always had my back and best interests for me and never held anything over my head for her benefit,” he wrote.
The marriage created friction within the Diaz family. In June 2025, Kayla claimed publicly that Diaz had been drugged and taken to Mexico against his will.
Diaz’s longtime coach Cesar Gracie refuted those claims at the time, stating that “Nick doesn’t have a girlfriend” and accusing Kayla of illegally controlling his social media accounts. Gracie also said Kayla was squatting at Diaz’s Stockton residence.
🚨 Some GREAT UFC news: Nick Diaz got married in Las Vegas last week to his long time girlfriend Kayla 💍
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 ❤️ pic.twitter.com/aKtnHxLOpM
— ACD MMA (@acdmma_) January 16, 2026
Criticism of Coaches and Team
Diaz directed sharp words at an “old man who keeps claiming to have my best interests and is the spokesman for my family.” He did not identify the person by name but wrote that “everything he says is bs and I don’t want to hear it anymore.”
The reference likely points to either Jose Garcia or Cesar Gracie. Garcia, who posts under the handle bbjninjarecovery, provided regular updates on Diaz’s condition throughout 2025.
In August 2025, Garcia reported that Diaz was “doing exceptionally well.” In November, he said medical evaluations showed partial recovery from substance use disorders, though MRI results indicated scar tissue remained.
Gracie and Garcia have their own contentious relationship. Gracie previously dismissed Garcia as a “groupie” who holds a grudge, while Garcia accused Gracie of attempting to sabotage Diaz’s training camps.
Tension With Brother Nate
The most surprising part of the statement addressed his brother Nate directly. “For my brother Nate I don’t know what his issue is but you need to cut out the shit talkers in your group to keep it real they are embarrassing to be around,” Nick wrote.
According to combat sports outlet Parry Punch, the brothers are feuding over Nick’s release from rehab and his marriage to Kayla. Nick reportedly feels Nate should have intervened sooner to get him out of the Mexican facility.
Nate is reportedly frustrated that Nick left a planned sober living program in San Diego early to marry Kayla in Las Vegas instead. There is also tension over the Nick Diaz Academy in Stockton, with sources suggesting Nick feels Nate took control of the gym during his absence.
A team member close to Jake Shields offered a different view. The source stated that “Nate is not beefing with Nick” and that the brothers simply have different opinions on what is best for Nick’s recovery.
Nate has not publicly responded to Nick’s statement as of this writing. Nick has reached a one-year sobriety milestone and recently returned to light training at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas with Jake Shields.
Video footage shows the former champion smiling during the training session. Kayla has changed her Instagram name to “Kayla Diaz,” confirming the marriage.
