Mixed martial arts fighter Nate Diaz turned himself in to New Orleans police Thursday morning to face a battery charge stemming from a street brawl on Bourbon Street last weekend.
"Nate voluntarily turned himself in to the New Orleans Police Department this morning approximately at 7:10 a.m. CT," Diaz representative Zach Rosenfield said in a statement to the media. "We continue to look forward to presenting all the evidence and videos that show Nate was acting in self-defense."
Rosenfield said Diaz posted bond and was cleared to return to his home in Stockton, California.
Video surfaced online last weekend that showed Diaz choking someone — seemingly to the point of unconsciousness — after they had approached Diaz on the street. Multiple reports have identified that person as Rodney Peterson, a social media star who has gained popularity as a "Logan Paul lookalike."
Shortly after the incident — in a video posted on Twitter — Peterson said he didn't know what started the fight and threatened to retaliate.
"I don't know what the hell I did to Nate Diaz but I'm telling you what, I'm gonna knock him the [expletive] out when I know he's coming," Peterson said. "You caught me off guard dude. What, do you think I was Logan [Paul]?"
Diaz, who has fought in the UFC since 2007, is currently a promotional free agent, but has said he's open to returning to the UFC sometime in the future. He's currently scheduled to fight Logan Paul's brother, Jake Paul, in a pay-per-view boxing match later this summer.
After the incident, Diaz was charged with second-degree battery, which is a felony under Louisiana law and carries a potential penalty of up to eight years in prison.
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