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Filming had just started on a Russian reality show in Thailand when things took a sharp left turn-and Nate Diaz wanted no part of it.
The series, loosely inspired by The Ultimate Fighter, was meant to pit MMA hopefuls against each other under the watchful eyes of two icons: UFC heavyweight champ Jon Jones and Diaz himself. But it didn't take long for the set to become more chaotic than any octagon.
According to MMA Fighting, Diaz left the show just days into production after a full-blown brawl erupted inside the house. The spark? A tense exchange between Diaz and an unnamed fighter that got physical, fast.
Jake Shields, a longtime teammate and close friend of Diaz, was there for the whole thing-and he didn't just watch. In a YouTube video posted after the incident, Shields explained how the fighter first approached Jones respectfully, then turned on Diaz. After what appeared to be an attempted grab, Diaz responded with a slap. Seconds later, punches were flying.
Brawl Escalates As Crew Allegedly Jumps In
Shields said the fighter kept coming back, agitating the situation even further. Things went off the rails when, according to Shields, of the production crew-not just the fighters-started swinging too.
"Right when I started to go off on him, I got just blitzed from the side,"Shields said. "It seemed like they were crew, not fighters. That's when I knew we had to get out of there."
Diaz's team left the set soon after, ignoring the production team's efforts to bring them back. Shields made it clear they weren't going to stick around just to get jumped by non-fighters. "When you have potentially the crew hitting you too, it's like-nah, f--- that," he said.
Jon Jones, for his part, was reportedly not involved in the fight. Sources told ESPN's Marc Raimondi that Jones remained on the sidelines while chaos unfolded around him.
This isn't unfamiliar territory for Diaz. From the Strikeforce: Nashville melee in 2010 to getting booted from a Jake Paul event in 2022, the Stockton native has a history of confrontations outside the cage.
But this time, it wasn't just about being tough-it was about drawing a line. And when the cameras turned into fists, Nate Diaz decided it was time to bounce.