Sean Strickland makes worrying claim about Nick and Nate Diaz’s mental health issues

Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland has made a concerning claim about the mental health troubles of MMA stars Nick and Nate Diaz.

Strickland got to talking about the Diaz brothers during a recent interaction on X. It started when he responded to a recent post from former UFC middleweight Derek Brunson, who explained why he was forced to end his friendship with Jon Jones.

In his response, Strickland implied that Jones is an “addict,” and likened him to Stephan Bonnar, a former UFC star who sadly passed away several years ago.

“More often than not when it comes to addicts you just have to walk away,” Strickland said. “Same with Stephan Bonnar. Everyone knew this man was going to die or end up in prison. Literally nothing you can do. If they don’t want help, close the door.”

Sean Strickland claims Nick and Nate Diaz deal live with ‘unreal’ depression

Strickland’s comments about Jones and Bonnar prompted a fan to ask how he felt about Nick Diaz, who has reportedly been struggling with mental health and possibly addiction issues. Strickland said Nick and his younger brother Nate are both “different” than Jones and Bonnar. However, he claimed both have serious mental health troubles.

“Nick Diaz is different,” Strickland wrote. “The Diaz brothers are so mentally f*cked up. The level of depression and misery these guys live with is unreal. When I’m around them I just feel bad for how miserable they are.

“He’s trying to get help,” Strickland added, referencing Nick specifically.

Nick Diaz is different. The Diaz brothers are so mentally fucked up…. The level of depression and misery these guys live with is unreal. When im around them I just feel bad for how miserable they are. Hes trying to get help 👏 👏 https://t.co/vSIBDT55Hs

— Sean Strickland (@SStricklandMMA) June 26, 2025

The elder Diaz bro is the former Strikeforce middleweight champion, and later challenged Georges St-Pierre for welterweight gold in the UFC. The younger, Nate, has never won a major MMA title. However, he once challenged Benson Henderson for the UFC lightweight belt, and is one of the biggest stars in UFC history, thanks in large part to his two-fight rivalry with Conor McGregor.