(Update) Following the issuing of an arrest warrant by the New Orleans Police Department relating to a Bourbon Street brawl last Friday, former UFC star Nate Diaz turned himself in Thursday morning.
The news was announced by Diaz’s representative Zach Rosenfield, who reiterated their stance that footage of the Stockton fighter choking out social media personality Rodney Peterson demonstrates self-defense.
“Nate voluntarily turned himself into the New Orleans Police Department this morning at 7:10AM CT,” Rosenfield’s statement read. “We continue to look forward to presenting all the evidence and videos that show Nate was acting in self-defense.”
The following article was published on Apr. 24 upon the issuing of the arrest warrant.
New Orleans Police Department Issues Warrant For Nate Diaz’s Arrest
The MMA community was surprised to see Nate Diaz’s name in the headlines after getting involved in an altercation with a social media personality.
Nate Diaz attended the Misfit Boxing 6 fight on April 22 at the XULA Convocation Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, to support his teammate Chris Avila. Avila defeated Paul Bamba by unanimous decision at the event.
While he was there to support his teammate, he almost got into a brawl with reality TV star Chase DeMoor. The TV star said something to Diaz, and the former UFC fighter threw a water bottle at him. Fortunately, security was there to stop both Diaz and DeMoor from getting into a fight at Misfit Boxing 6.
After the event, Diaz got into a street fight in New Orleans with TikToker Rodney Petersen. A video came out showing Diaz putting Petersen in a choke hold that made Petersen pass out and hit his head on the concrete. When the altercation video surfaced on social media, some fans thought it was Logan Paul. However, Petersen revealed it was him and showed he had suffered a head injury.
Since the fight, Nate Diaz hasn’t spoken out about what had happened, and it seemed like the situation was over. However, MMA Fighting Steven Marrocco has reported that the New Orleans Police Department has issued a warrant for Nate Diaz’s arrest on a second-degree battery charge.
What’s Next for Nate Diaz?
The New Orleans Police Department spokesperson Karen A. Boudrie spoke with MMA Fighting and shared that the warrant had been issued, but Diaz is not in custody.
She shared that police were at the scene to break up a large fight but were unable to prevent Diaz and Petersen’s altercation in time, which resulted in Petersen hurting his head.
Based on the Louisana State Legislation, someone convicted of a second-degree battery charge, “…shall be fined not more than two thousand dollars or imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not more than eight years, or both.”
Nate Diaz is scheduled to compete in a boxing matchup with Jake Paul at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on Aug. 8. While his situation in New Orleans can be resolved, as of now, his fight with Paul could be in jeopardy.