Nate Diaz turns himself in to New Orleans police on felony battery charge
Nate Diaz turned himself in to police Thursday.
Following an arrest warrant issued Monday by the New Orleans Police Department, Diaz was in custody Thursday. According to online inmate records, Diaz was officially booked at 7:40 a.m. CT. He was later released after posting a $10,000 bond.
Police issued a warrant for Diaz’s arrest on a felony charge of second-degree battery after a video surfaced last Friday of the former UFC star choking a man unconscious during larger brawl on famed Bourbon Street. The man was later identified as Rodney Petersen Jr., a social media influencer, pro boxer, and amateur MMA fighter.
According to police, Diaz arrived at NOPD’s Sixth District station Thursday morning “in the presence of his attorney. … Diaz was transported to the Orleans Parish Justice Center and booked accordingly.” He remained in the custody of the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office for a few hours.
Diaz’s representative, Zach Rosenfield, told MMA Junkie in a statement that Diaz voluntarily surrendered to authorities and plans to prove he acted in self-defense.
“Nate voluntarily turned himself in to the New Orleans Police Department this morning approximately at 7:10AM CT,” Rosenfield said. “We continue to look forward to presenting all the evidence and videos that show Nate was acting in self-defense.”
According to Rosenfield, Diaz posted bond “with the full permission from the court to resume travel, which includes returning to Stockton today. We appreciate how we were treated by the New Orleans Police Department, the court and their staff.”
The scuffle started during a Misfits Boxing event, which Diaz’s teammate Chris Avila competed on, before it spilled onto the streets. During the boxing event, Diaz was involved in an altercation with Netflix star Chase DeMoor, who was also seen in the videos as part of the brawl on Bourbon Street.
If found guilty, Diaz could face up to eight years in prison and/or a $2,000 fine, which is the penalty in Louisiana for second-degree battery.
Diaz is scheduled to fight Jake Paul in a boxing match Aug. 5 in Dallas, his first combat sports competition since his UFC departure.