A civil lawsuit has been filed against former UFC star Nate Diaz stemming from a street fight in New Orleans in 2023.
According to court documents obtained by MMA Junkie on Friday, the man who filed the lawsuit is a YouTuber also known as “Not Logan Paul,” and 0-6 amateur MMA fighter and influencer boxer Rodney. Petersen. His wife, Bobbie Petersen, is also listed as a co-petitioner.
Petersen claims that Diaz incited the melee while trying to act as a peacemaker. News of the lawsuit was first reported by New Orleans television station Fox 8.
In response to the filing of the civil suit, Diaz’s representative, Zach Rosenfield, released a simple statement to MMA Junkie:
“I laughed,” Rosenfield wrote.
The altercation between Diaz and Petersen occurred on Bourbon Street in the early hours of April 22, following a Misfits Boxing event, during a simultaneous large brawl involving influencer Chase DeMore. Mr. Diaz and Mr. Demore exchanged words at a boxing event hours earlier, and Mr. Diaz threw a water bottle before being separated.
Video of the urban battle went viral in the hours that followed. One video showed Diaz and Petersen getting engaged. Diaz then strangled Petersen, rendering her unconscious. Diaz was arrested several days after the altercation, but the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office ultimately declined to pursue second-degree assault charges against him.
The lawsuit states that Rodney Petersen is seeking damages for mental, physical and emotional trauma, medical expenses and loss of income. Bobby Petersen is seeking damages for loss of consortium, services, love and care.
Since the incident, Petersen has competed in two influencer boxing matches. In January, he was KO’d in 99 seconds by Tristan Hamm under the Misfits Boxing banner. Less than two months later, he defeated Cake Paul by unanimous decision in Hype Boxing. Both boxing matches were exhibitions.
Diaz is scheduled to face former UFC rival Jorge Masvidal in a pay-per-view boxing match on June 1st. The two martial arts veterans fought for the inaugural “BMF” title in November 2019. Masvidal defeated Diaz, although the match was stopped due to a laceration.
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