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If the goal was all about grabbing headlines, Nate Diaz’s weekend in combat sports was a big success. The former UFC title contender was on hand for the Misfits Boxing X Series 6 fight card, in support of his longtime training partner (and co-main event attraction) Chris Avila. If the goal, however, was to have a nice relaxing weekend out, then this has to be seen as a complete failure.
The trouble all started in the arena, when reality TV show bro Chase DeMoor (fresh off a DQ loss for going ham on his opponent) apparently found a way under Nate Diaz’s skin. It’s unclear what words were said, but Stockton’s own was caught on tape getting out of his ringside seat to whip a waterbottle at DeMoor. That touched off a brawl that would reignite later in the evening.
Out on the streets, Diaz was one among a whole number of people involved in a fight that apparently started inside a local New Orleans bar before spilling into the broader public. Amid the chaos, in a now viral video, the Stockton native could be seen in conversation with a man later identified as Logan Paul lookalike Rodney Peterson.
Reportedly a member of DeMoor’s entourage, Peterson approached Diaz with his hands in the air, making what looked to be a conciliatory gesture. But a moment later the two men seemed to be tussling instead. That’s when Nate Diaz snagged a standing guillotine and choked Peterson unconscious, dropping him to the concrete hard.
A warrant has been issued for Nate Diaz’s arrest
Peterson has since claimed that he received a fairly nasty head injury as a result of the incident, and a felony warrant for second-degree battery has been issued by the New Orleans Police Department for Diaz’s arrest.
While Diaz has yet to turn himself over to authorities, his agent Zach Rosenfield issued a public statement on his behalf to several media outlets.
“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,” the statement reads.
“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.”
Rodney Peterson claims a 1-0 record as a professional boxer, but is also reportedly a blue belt in BJJ training out of a 10th Planet affiliate and has taken part in multiple competitive grappling tournaments. Peterson first hit the combat sports scene way back in 2013, when he put together a six fight amateur MMA run. He went 0-6 over two years, with stoppage losses in every single one of his amateur bouts.
Diaz is set to make his boxing debut in August
For his part, Nate Diaz only recently reached an agreement to make his professional boxing debut. Long known for his standup striking skills, the 38-year-old has never competed as a pro outside of MMA competition.
Nate Diaz was signed with the UFC from 2007 to 2022, but left the promotion after fighting out his contract last year following a fourth round submission victory over Tony Ferguson. A free agent for the first time in more than a decade, Diaz was initially in talks for a boxing match with the real Logan Paul, before negotiations fell apart.
It seems he has since come to terms with Jake Paul instead, and will be facing the celebrity boxing star on an August 5th PPV card at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX. That is, of course, assuming that he’s free to leave the state of Louisana first.
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