Nate Diaz‘s legal troubles stemming from an alleged altercation may jeopardize his boxing match against Jake Paul, prompting Paul to arrange a backup fight with influencer boxing rival KSI.
The highly anticipated fight between Nate Diaz and Jake Paul could be in jeopardy. Over the weekend, Diaz made headlines for allegedly choking out Logan Paul lookalike Rodney Petersen in a Bourbon Street brawl that went viral. Things escalated for Diaz on Monday when New Orleans police issued an arrest warrant for the Stockton native on the charge of second-degree battery, a felony punishable by up to eight years in prison, a $2,000 fine, or both.
Diaz is currently scheduled to face Paul in a boxing match in August, but his newfound legal troubles could get in the way. As a result, Paul and his influencer boxing rival KSI wasted no time in setting up a bout between themselves, should Diaz be unable to compete in August. KSI tweeted, “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.”
In response, Paul tweeted, “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.” Both Paul and KSI are the two most prominent names in influencer boxing and seemed to be on a collision course for later this year, after their fights with Diaz and Fournier respectively.
While Diaz has yet to comment on the New Orleans incident or the arrest warrant, the 38-year-old did respond to Paul and KSI’s public bargaining, suggesting they just go ahead and fight each other in August. He tweeted, “Lol why Dont u to scared p****** just fight each other august. I’ll fight someone who can really fight.” Despite the public posturing, the bout between Diaz and Paul remains one of the biggest bouts in combat sports, currently scheduled to take place on Aug. 5 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, in co-promotion between Diaz’s Real Fight Inc. and Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions.