Former UFC superstar Nate Diaz and controversy go hand in hand. Throughout his decorated career in mixed martial arts, the 38-year-old has amassed a handful of quarrels, both in and out of the cage. His recent involvement in the famous Bourbon Street brawl has caught the attention of the entire MMA world and then some.
Fans witnessed Diaz seated ringside at the Misfits Boxing 6 event to support teammate, Chris Avila. While the actual bout was taking place, Nate appeared to incite a scuffle with reality TV star, Chase DeMoor. However, things took an ugly turn just a few hours after the event.
‼️ Nate Diaz choking a man out in a street fight after attending his teammate Chris Avila’s fight on the Misfits Boxing show in New Oreleans last night…
[🎥 @PaulLABamba] pic.twitter.com/3sgu3Fac6F
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) April 22, 2023
Passersby caught the welterweight appear outside a bar choking out the viral doppelganger, Rodney Peterson. The entire fiasco ended up with Rodney falling unconscious to the ground, who later showcased a head injury he received in the process. While the incident might be over, the repercussions have only started to just come in.
Hours later, the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) issued a warrant for the California resident. As a response, Diaz’s legal team came out in support of Nate. They stated that it was, in fact, Rodney, also a trained jiu-jitsu practitioner, who initiated the scuffle which only led to Nate acting in self-defense.
Statement from Nate Diaz’s representative Zach Rosenfield:
“Nate’s attorney Walter Becker can confirm that Nate has received word of the arrest warrant and Becker has been in contact with court authorities in New Orleans.
Nate’s attorney looks forward to presenting all of the…
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 25, 2023
However, the story has now come out to develop with a very interesting turn. According to Diaz’s representative, the Stockton native turned himself in to the NOPD this early morning.
Nate Diaz is now in custody in New Orleans
As per Zach Rosenfield, Nate’s representative, the 38-year-old is now officially in custody in New Orleans. As per the jail records acquired by TMZ Sports, the ex-UFC star turned himself in early Thursday morning. Nate was booked at 7:40 am on a second-degree battery charge. At the moment, no further details about the turn-in have been made available.
In his attempt to provide an update on the current situation surrounding the controversial brawl, Rosenfield said, “Nate voluntarily turned himself into the New Orleans Police Department this morning approximately at 7:10AM CT. We continue to look forward to presenting all the evidence and videos that show Nate was acting in self-defense.”
Update on Nate Diaz:
“Nate voluntarily turned himself into the New Orleans Police Department this morning approximately at 7:10AM CT. We continue to look forward to presenting all the evidence and videos that show Nate was acting in self-defense.”
– Diaz’s representative, Zach…
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 27, 2023
Initially, it was revealed that a second-degree battery charge is considered a felony in the state of Louisiana. Thus, if found guilty, the Stockton native could receive up to eight years of prison time “with or without hard labor,” and/or a fine of up to $2000.
Nate is scheduled for his boxing debut against YouTuber-turned-boxer, Jake Paul on August 5. However, it is still unclear if Thursday’s arrest would alter the plan for the upcoming highly anticipated match.
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