Former UFC Fighter Nate Diaz Sued by Man Seeking Damages After 2023 Street Fight

Nate Diaz is being sued by a man who says the former UFC fighter injured him during a 2023 street fight in New Orleans, according to TMZ Sports.

Diaz originally faced a felony charge, which was dropped last September.

Amateur fighter Rodney Petersen filed the civil lawsuit with Orleans Parish this week, TMZ reported.

Petersen is seeking compensation for both physical and emotional damages, according to New Orleans' Fox 8. It is not clear how much compensation he is asking for, according to TMZ.

Diaz's representative Zach Rosenfield responded "LOL" to the lawsuit, according to TMZ.

The case concerns an incident captured on video following last April's Misfits & DAZN: X Series 6 event in New Orleans.

The video appeared to show Diaz grabbing Petersen and rendering him unconscious with a chokehold.

Petersen later identified himself in a video showing a head injury he claimed he suffered during the altercation.

Diaz voluntarily turned himself in to the New Orleans Police Department, where he was booked on a felony charge of second-degree battery, ESPN's Brett Okamoto reported.

Rosenfield said in a statement after Diaz's booking that Petersen "sought out to fight Nate on Bourbon Street" and that Diaz had been acting "100 percent in self defense," per Okamoto.

The Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office then dropped the case in September due to insufficient evidence, according to NOLA.com's Jillian Kramer.

Diaz became a free agent after his UFC contract ended in 2022. He has a boxing match against Jorge Masvidal scheduled for June 1. Masvidal beat Diaz in the main event of UFC 244.