Joe Rogan has time and again expressed his respect for Nick Diaz and his younger brother, Nate Diaz.
The podcast mogul recently revisited an amazing story about Nick related to the daunting waters that surround America’s Alcatraz prison, leaving his podcast guest amazed at the UFC legend’s feat.
Joe Rogan Stuns Podcast Guest With Story of MMA Great Nick Diaz’s Alcatraz Swim Story
Joe Rogan hosted content creator Cody Tucker on episode #2317 of “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast earlier this month (May 2025). Among other topics, they discussed a notable American tourist attraction — the Alcatraz prison located on Alcatraz Island, which is a swim of over 2K (approx.) till the coast of San Francisco, Calif., U.S.A.
As reported by Fox 13 Seattle and various other media outlets in America, U.S. President Donald Trump recently ordered the reopening of the Alcatraz prison. The consensus is that the prison– which was closed in 1963 and turned into a tourist spot owing to its significance in the country’s history and pop culture — could once again host some of America’s most dangerous inmates.
Rogan alluded to Trump’s reported plans for rebuilding and reopening the Alcatraz prison. His discussion with Tucker then segued into a shocking story about UFC legend Nick Diaz.
The UFC commentator stated, “I was in San Francisco from age seven to 11. So I think I was eight years old. I went over there [to Alcatraz], a little school trip. We went on a ferry. You go to Alcatraz, and you think about like, ‘How the f**k could someone swim? How?’ Because there’s a dude, Nick Diaz, a UFC fighter. He’s done it five times.”
Rogan asserted, “Yeah. Five times. Five times in shark-infested water! By the way.” Moreover, Rogan and a seemingly astonished Tucker both implied that they surely wouldn’t try what Diaz did.
Rogan highlighted that Diaz’s courage was extraordinary. Alluding to the distance, treacherous environment including sharks, and the lack of a life jacket in Diaz’s swim, he added, “Do you know the kind of b*lls you have to have to know that — you don’t have a life vest. You’re just swimming. You have to be able to swim all the way to shore with sharks underneath you everywhere.”
“And you know, if they bite you, you’re dead. And you know they bite people.” Rogan affirmed, “He [Diaz] is doing it for funsies. Nick Diaz does it in between MMA fights. He was doing this.”
They heaped praise on the Diaz brothers for their courage and deemed them as combat sports legends. Rogan suggested that Diaz’s habit of swimming from Alcatraz, running triathlons, and other seemingly unorthodox practices set him apart.
Presently, it’s unclear as to when Nick Diaz would compete again, with his last UFC fight being a TKO defeat in his rematch against Robbie Lawler back in Sept. 2021. Meanwhile, Nate Diaz, who departed the UFC after submitting Tony Ferguson in Sept. 2022, has often expressed his interest in returning to the Octagon someday.