Former UFC combatant Nate Diaz is facing a second-degree battery charge and has been issued an arrest warrant stemming from a street brawl caught on video, the New Orleans Police Department said in a statement to Heavy.
Diaz was in New Orleans the weekend of April 23, 2023, and attended a Misfits Boxing event to support his friend, Chris Avila, who fought on the undercard.
A video went viral after the event of Diaz getting into a physical altercation on Bourbon Street, leading to the fighter choking out a man. Tiktok star Rodney Petersen, who is best known for being Logan Paul’s lookalike, has said he was on the receiving end of Diaz’s guillotine choke, which led to a bloody injury to the back of his head.
Watch the video below via the embedded tweet:
Nate Diaz choked out Logan Paul’s lookalike in New Orleans brawl
According to a statement received by Heavy, New Orleans Police issued an arrest warrant on Monday. Officers were called to Bourbon Street around 2:00 am on Saturday after being “alerted to a large altercation.”
“Witness alerted the officers to a white male subject who was believed to be unconscious,” the statement from Officer Reese Harper said. “A short time later, the subject regained consciousness. Officers observed the subject was bleeding from the rear of his head and EMS was summoned to render aid.”
“After investigation, an arrest warrant was issued for Nate Diaz. He has been charged with second-degree battery,” Harper added. Diaz had not been arrested and taken into custody as of the morning of April 25, 2023, police said.
After the Incident, Petersen Said He Was Going to Knock Out Diaz
Diaz has yet to publicly comment on the incident. Petersen did, however. “So, I don’t know what the hell I did to Nate Diaz,” the Tiktok creator said in a video early Saturday morning. “But I’m telling you what. I’m going to knock him the f*** out when I know he’s coming. You caught me off guard, dude. Did you think I was Logan? What the f***?”
His head injury was also captured. See the video of Petersen below:
The man choked out by Nate Diaz last night (Logan Paul lookalike Rodney Petersen) reveals the head injury he suffered as a result…
[🎥 Rodney Petersen/@Overtflow]
Diaz did retweet his friend and fellow MMA fighter Jake Shields who defended Diaz and said his actions caught on video were self defense. Shields tweeted, “After hearing New Orleans has issued an arrest warrant on Nate Diaz I called my team to carefully brake down the footage. Give this thread a look and give me your opinion of id this is self-defense.”
Shields added in the thread, “I’m biased but this is clearly self-defense.” He added about Petersen, alongside a screenshot of Petersen’s Instagram account, “Here you can see he’s also a pro fighter looking for attention. He attacked Nate trying to make a name for himself.”
Diaz Is Scheduled to Box Logan Paul’s Brother Jake Paul, but the Fight Could Be in Jeopardy
Diaz is scheduled to box Jake Paul on August 5 via DAZN pay-per-view. Jake is the younger brother of Logan Paul — the social media superstar Petersen resembles. However, it’s unclear if the charge will affect the bout.
“Well, if that mean Jake won’t have an opponent in August… Then I’ll gladly come as the replacement after I KO Joe Fournier in May,” YouTuber KSI tweeted.
The challenge was answered by Paul, who responded: “Great. I accept you as the backup opponent. Fight is at 185. There are no rehydration clauses. Stay in shape and we will give you a call if needed. Thanks buddy for being so humble and committed.”
Diaz took notice of the social media creators’ tweets. “Lol why Dont u to scared p***** just fight each other august,” Diaz tweeted, sharing a screenshot of Paul and KSI’s tweets. “I’ll fight someone who can really fight.”
Diaz became a free agent after completing the last contest on his UFC contract in September. If he enters the ring in August, it will be his first-ever professional boxing bout.
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UFC Icon Nate Diaz Hit With Charge & Arrest Warrant After Brawl Accusation