Nate Diaz's Criminal Battery Charge Stemming from Nightclub Incident Dismissed
Mike Chiari
Mar 20, 2025
A battery charge against former UFC star Nate Diaz was dismissed Thursday, according to his lawyer.
Per ESPN's Brett Okamoto, attorney Ross Goodman said the charge against Diaz, which stemmed from an August 2024 incident at a nightclub, was dismissed in Las Vegas.
Diaz, 39, is a veteran MMA fighter who made his UFC debut in 2007. He has not fought since September 2022 and is currently a free agent.
According to court documents obtained by TMZ Sports, Diaz allegedly shoved a bouncer at the Omnia nightclub at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in August.
When the bouncer shoved back, Diaz allegedly retaliated by hitting the bouncer in the face with an open hand, which a video of the incident that circulated in September appeared to confirm.
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Diaz is among the most popular UFC fighters of the past two decades, and he is perhaps best known for his submission win over Conor McGregor in 2016.
Overall, Diaz owns a career record of 21-13, although he lost three of his five fights since beating McGregor, including a defeat at the hands of McGregor in a rematch.
His most recent bout came against Tony Ferguson at UFC 279 in September 2022. Diaz won that fight by fourth-round submission.
Diaz tried his hand at boxing in recent years, starting with a unanimous-decision loss to Jake Paul in 2023.
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In July 2024, Diaz beat fellow former UFC star Jorge Masvidal by majority decision in a boxing match.
Diaz is the younger brother of fellow former UFC fighter Nick Diaz, who is 26-10 and last fought in 2021.
UFC 313: Timid Alex Pereira Loses His Unbeatable Aura in Loss Magomed Ankalaev
Tom Taylor
Mar 9, 2025
It can be easy to forget, but no fighter is unbeatable in MMA — not even a fearsome juggernaut like Alex "Poatan" Pereira.
Pereira, who has kept one of the busiest schedules in the sport in recent years, was back in action in the main event of Saturday's UFC 313 card in Las Vegas, defending his belt against surging Russian contender Magomed Ankalaev.
While the champion certainly held his own in the long-anticipated matchup, he ultimately lost his belt with a unanimous decision defeat after five rounds of nail-biting action.
🚨MAGOMED ANKALAEV DEFEATS ALEX PEREIRA AND IS THE NEW LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION pic.twitter.com/8PXeaJWIfM
It would be inaccurate to call the verdict a total surprise.
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After three straight title defenses—all knockouts—it was getting harder and harder to imagine Pereira losing in the Octagon. However, Ankalaev has long been considered the decorated champion's toughest stylistic challenge at 205 pounds, and that's primarily because—unlike recent Pereira victims like Jiri Prochazka, Khalil Rountree and Jamahal Hill—he is an excellent wrestler.
While he doesn't specialize in takedowns the way other Dagestani stars like Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev do, he does excel in that department, which also happens to be an area the former kickboxer Pereira has struggled in the past.
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Long before he entered the cage at UFC 313, it was clear he had the right skillset to beat Pereira—if he could avoid the Brazilian's staggering knockout power.
Interestingly, however, it wasn't wrestling that won Ankalaev the light heavyweight title on Saturday night. The Russian failed on all 12 takedowns he attempted in the fight, which is a testament to the strides Pereira has made as a grappler.
Instead, what won Ankalaev the fight was effectively mixing the martial arts.
Though round one probably went to Pereira, the Russian challenger came alive in round two, surprising the champion with his underrated striking, and wobbling him badly in the final seconds of the frame.
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MAGOMED ANKALAEV ROCKS ALEX PEREIRA WITH A BIG LEFT HAND AT THE END OF THE SECOND ROUND!! 😳😳 #UFC313https://t.co/jxw61IFYct
Pereira bounced back slightly in round three, but began to look gun shy, presumably because he was simultaneously worried about his challenger's much-discussed takedowns, and suddenly, his striking too.
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Unfortunately for Pereira, Ankalaev became even more unpredictable in round four, abandoning the striking—despite the success he was having on the feet—to pursue takedowns and tie his opponent up in the clinch against the cage. That strategy earned him several minutes of control time—and another round in the bank.
By the time the fifth round began, it was still a close fight that could have been swayed by one decisive moment—and Pereira nearly pulled such a moment off, stinging his challenger with a head kick. However, it was also abundantly clear that the champion had become worried about a wide range of threats—both takedowns and strikes—which left him hesitant to pull the trigger, and ultimately, caused the victory to slip through his fingers.
"I’m really happy I won," a beaming Ankalaev said in his post-fight interview with commentator Joe Rogan.
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“The plan was to pressure, pressure, pressure," he added, confirming that his game plan was to keep the champion on the back foot with takedown attempts and power shots. "Everyone who fights him always counters.
“My plan worked."
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The loss changed everything for Pereira. Heading into the fight, he was widely considered the most fearsome fighter in MMA—even if he hadn't quite topped the top of the UFC's pound-for-pound rankings. While there is no question that he still has the power and striking prowess to beat anybody standing across from him, the aura he entered the Octagon with has shattered after he was comprehensively outfought by a more well-rounded mixed martial artist.
His loss was also a massive blow for the UFC—and one could say you could see some disappointment on CEO Dana White's face as the verdict was announced. After his thrilling 2024 run, Pereira was one of the promotion's biggest and most reliable stars and is a cooler commodity now that the belt is no longer his.
That's not to say the former champ can't correct his course. Given his previous dominance and the competitive nature of his loss to Ankalaev, a rematch is certainly possible—likely, even.
🚨 Dana White says he “probably” leans towards an immediate rematch between Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev 👀 #UFC313pic.twitter.com/Mq62EPEL28
He has also previously hinted at a move up to heavyweight, where fresh matchups and possibly a third MMA title could await.
If his post-fight interview with Rogan was any indication, however, he definitely needs some time to think his next move over.
“I’m going to keep training," the soft-spoken knockout artist said. "I feel good."
Whatever the future holds, he is going to have to move mountains to recreate the aura that he entered the Octagon with at UFC 313.
Of course, if there's anybody that can pull it off, it's "Poatan"—a man who has reached the pinnacle of two different combat sports and has already created a legacy so impressive that no single loss could tarnish it.
Magomed Ankalaev Beats Alex Pereira at UFC 313 to Win Light Heavyweight Title
Alex Ballentine
Mar 8, 2025
Magomed Ankalaev crowned himself as the new light heavyweight champion with a unanimous decision win over Alex Pereira in the main event of UFC 313 from Las Vegas.
Magomed Ankalaev def. Alex Pereira by unanimous decision. Scores were 49-46, 48-47 & 48-47
The first round didn’t bring much excitement. Both fighters showed their respect for the other’s power, and the round was mostly punctuated by leg kicks. Of course, that was to Pereira’s advantage as the former kickboxer seemed to deliver more power with his.
Ankalaev’s corner telling him to STOP LETTING HIM KICK YOUR FRONT LEG! (At this rate Pereira’s on his way to landing 75 leg kicks over 5 rounds 😅) #UFC313
Ankalaev responded with a strong offering in the second round. He let his hands go and wound up landing a few solid punches before a left hand wobbled Poatan to close out the round.
He didn’t quite win Round 3 as emphatically, but he was in control of the fight with the champion struggling to find a vulnerability in his opponent’s defense.
29-28 Ankalaev after three rounds. You can feel the oxygen being sucked out of the building as Ankalaev has settled into a groove while Pereira is waiting for an opportunity that his opponent has yet to give him.
Striking opportunities were even more rare as the fight went to the championship rounds. Ankalaev turned to his clinch wrestling to take over the fourth round. He smothered Pereira for almost the entire fourth frame.
Pereira came out much more aggressive in the final round, looking for a finish. An early head kick stung Ankalaev, but he was able to keep Poatan under control in the latter half of the round.
Round 3 will decide this fight and who is the champion at light heavyweight
Ankalaev's run to the title isn't all that surprising at this point. He has an unbeaten streak that extends all the way to 2018 where he lost his UFC debut by submission to Paul Craig.
There were a few bumps in the road despite not taking a loss since then. He had to fight Ion Cutelaba twice in 2020 after a questionable stoppage in the first fight.
Eventually, he worked his way up to a title shot against Jan Blachowicz when the light heavyweight title was vacated by Jiri Prochazka. However, that bout resulted in no champion as the two fought to a split draw.
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Ankalaev moved on to Johnny Walker and wound up with another odd rematch. The first fight resulted in a No Contest due to an illegal knee that left Walker unable to continue fighting.
Now Ankalaev is the champion and a new, bigger rematch could be on the horizon. An immediate rematch is always on the table when a champion like Pereira loses and Ankalaev seems open to the idea.
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“When it comes to me, I’ve never said no to rematches,” Ankalaev said via a Russian translator, per MMA Fighting. “There’s two already I think in my career that somebody said that they deserve a rematch right away and I gave them that chance. So if it comes to me and I’m the one who decides whether he gets an opportunity for a rematch right away, of course, I’ll say yes.”
An instant rematch probably makes the most sense. Pereira had already taken out most of the top contenders in the division and Ankalaev is the new king of the mountain.
Let the hype for a massive rematch begin.
Justin Gaethje Beats Rafael Fiziev by Unanimous Decision at UFC 313 in Rematch Fight
Alex Ballentine
Mar 8, 2025
Justin Gaethje added another highlight to his resume with a unanimous decision win over Rafael Fiziev in the co-main event of UFC 313 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
#UFC313 Official Result: Justin Gaethje (29-28, 29-28, 29-28 | @Justin_Gaethje) defeats Rafael Fiziev by Unanimous Decision.
The two lightweights are known for putting on exciting fights and they didn’t waste time giving fans something to watch early in the first. Fiziev landed a surprise takedown that briefly gave him top position.
Gaethje got the fight back to the feet but a measured Fiziev still held the advantage in the first round.
Gaethje was just getting started, though. The second round featured more frenetic exchanges and The Highlight was able to tag Fiziev with a few big shots before a massive uppercut scored a knockdown.
The slugfest continued into the third round as the two lightweight reminded everyone how good their first fight was. Fiziev ramped up his volume with ripping body shots while Gaethje continued to have success with his uppercut.
Ultimately, the third round provided another complex decision for the judges.
That third round was insanely close.
Fiziev won the first half, Gaethje won the second half.
The Highlight continues to be one of the most entertaining fighters in the game. Beating Fiziev for the second time in the last year only further cements that reputation.
The 36-year-old continues to build a resume towards a title shot. He lost to Max Holloway in his last bout, but has now won three of his last four with a knockout victory over Poirier in the aftermath of his first win over Poirier.
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Gaethje was actually supposed to fight Dan Hooker on this card, but a hand injury that needed surgery for Hooker canceled that fight. Gaethje was willing to take on Fiziev in a rematch even though a loss could have tanked his chances at earning a title shot.
Obviously, a win over Fiziev keeps his name in that conversation and Gaehtje is hoping to get back in the cage as soon as he can.
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“I’m 36 years old,” Gaethje said, per Ryan Harkness of MMA Mania. “If I don’t have to take time off, I don’t wanna take time off. But I really would not know the answer to that question until I see how injured or not injured I am on Saturday night, how much time I’ll need in between these camps.”
Gaethje might be getting to the age where retirement is a constant question, but he's also shown that he's still good enough to give the top of the division problems.
