As well known for his brashness on the outside as his ferocity on the inside, Nate Diaz took his swagger to a Russian reality show shot on location in Thailand. Alongside ex-champs Jon Jones and Jake Shields, the Stockton legend was hired as a coach on a TUF-esque showdown featuring internationals competing against each other. From the opening camera clicks, animosity between fighters — Dagestan and Chechnya representatives hung in the balance.
Shields’s longtime friend and training partner recently posted a video and commentary on YouTube documenting the mayhem on set. What was intended to be a structured, disciplined series of sessions soon degenerated into off-the-cuff fights. As Shields relates, a number of cast members got into spontaneous fights, fueled in part by ongoing anger about Diaz’s now-famed slap of Khabib Nurmagomedov at a high-profile event years ago.
The turning point came when a well-known agitator, Zalimkhan Yusupov, a fighter sporting a rugged 19–17 record and a dossier for ambushing his opponents from behind, came at Diaz on a meet-and-greet. After a brief exchange filled with tension, Diaz slapped Yusupov and got his crewmates between himself and the fighter as they separated the two men. Yusupov kept charging back, but fighters, crew, and others eventually overpowered Shields while he tried to protect a journalist from the attacks.
With well over a hundred possibly hostile persons surrounding a Thai mansion, both Shields and Diaz concluded they had witnessed enough and quickly distanced themselves from the production. Both men returned to California a few days later, without a scratch but having left behind a production that imploded in chaos as soon as it started.
Jon Jones Clears Up Islam Makhachev Comment, Says He Just Wanted to Help Russian Fans Understand Nate Diaz
Jones spoke out to clear the air after fans took issue with his recent remarks involving Islam Makhachev. While some interpreted his words as criticism, Jones explained that he was trying to help Russian viewers make sense of Nate Diaz’s rough, unfiltered style, especially since Diaz’s slang-heavy delivery can be hard to grasp for non-American audiences.
According to Jones, the goal was to act as a cultural translator rather than spark controversy. Any offense caused was unintentional. Although Nate Diaz has largely avoided controversy following these events, fans are now eagerly calling for his return.
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Also Read: Theo Von Recalls Wild Experience With Nate Diaz On Indie Film Set Filled With ‘Light Abuse’
