Nate Diaz, widely recognized as a top Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter, has a preliminary court hearing scheduled for June 27 at 3 p.m. local time in New Orleans, Louisiana. This hearing is in relation to Diaz’s alleged involvement in a street brawl on Bourbon Street in late April.

Diaz may face second-degree battery charges, which are labeled as a felony in Louisiana and carry a hefty penalty of up to eight years in prison along with a $2,000 fine, with or without hard labor.

On April 22, Diaz was captured on camera choking Rodney Petersen unconscious on the street after the Misfits Boxing 6 event. Petersen has been referred to by some as a Logan Paul lookalike. During the same boxing event, Diaz had thrown a water bottle and started a minor scuffle with reality TV star Chase DeMoor.

Diaz turned himself in to the New Orleans police following a warrant being issued for his arrest. Diaz’s defense team has claimed that Petersen was seeking to engage Diaz and was the instigator in the brawl. Diaz’s agent, Zach Rosenfield, explained in a statement that they will present all the necessary facts regarding the incident to the District Attorney in order to demonstrate that Diaz acted in self-defense.

Diaz’s contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) ended in 2022, and he is now expected to face off against Jake Paul in a boxing match scheduled for August 5 in Dallas, Texas. A press conference for the event is supposed to take place on May 9 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.