Nate Diaz‘s representatives confirm awareness of an arrest warrant for the UFC veteran and assert he acted in self-defense during an altercation in New Orleans with lookalike influencer Rodney Petersen.
Representatives for Nate Diaz have responded to the arrest warrant issued for the UFC veteran after an altercation outside a bar in New Orleans this past weekend. The incident took place after a Misfits Boxing event, with Diaz shown on video being confronted by a man later identified as Rodney Petersen, a lookalike for social influencer Logan Paul. In the video, Diaz grabs Petersen in a guillotine choke, causing the grappling and boxing enthusiast to fall unconscious before dropping him to the ground.
New Orleans Police later issued an arrest warrant for Diaz on second-degree battery charges. “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,” Diaz’s representative Zach Rosenfield said in a statement. “Nate’s attorney looks forward to presenting all of the facts about this incident to the District Attorney which clearly demonstrate that a trained fighter named Rodney Petersen aggressively pursued Nate with the intention of engaging him and once doing so, Nate acted entirely in self-defense. No further comment will be made at this time.”
The skirmish took place outside of a bar in New Orleans, with reality TV star Chase DeMoor also allegedly involved after a separate incident with Diaz at the Misfits Boxing 6 card where Diaz’s longtime friend and teammate Chris Avila was competing. Police eventually arrived and broke up the fighting on the street. Petersen was treated for his injuries and police then issued the arrest warrant for Diaz. He later posted a video showing a head injury he allegedly suffered during the altercation, vowing revenge on Diaz.
Second-degree battery charges are considered a felony in Louisiana and carry a potential penalty of up to eight years in prison “with or without hard labor” and/or up to a $2,000 fine. There is no word yet on when Diaz will surrender to New Orleans Police based on the arrest warrant. Diaz, who left the UFC following the end of his contract in 2022, is currently slated to face Jake Paul in a boxing match in Dallas on Aug. 5.