MMA star Nate Diaz is scheduled for a preliminary court hearing in New Orleans for potential second-degree battery charges stemming from a street brawl in April.
The next stage of Nate Diaz’s ongoing legal battle is set for a preliminary court hearing on June 27 at 3 p.m. local time in New Orleans. This hearing is related to his involvement in a street brawl on Bourbon Street in late April. The popular MMA star faces potential second-degree battery charges, which 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.
The incident occurred on April 22 following the Misfits Boxing 6 card, which Diaz attended in support of his longtime teammate Chris Avila. Diaz was captured on camera choking Logan Paul lookalike Rodney Petersen unconscious. The same night, Diaz also engaged in a minor scuffle with reality TV star Chase DeMoor by throwing a water bottle at him during the event.
Diaz surrendered to New Orleans authorities days later following a warrant being issued for his arrest. His team has claimed self-defense regarding the incident. “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,” his representative Zach Rosenfield explained in a statement. Despite the legal trouble, Diaz is currently expected to face Jake Paul in an Aug. 5 boxing match in Dallas, with a press conference for the event scheduled for May 9 at Dallas’ American Airlines Center.