Rodney Petersen, also known as Not Logan Paul for his upcoming appearance Misfits Boxing 12, said he’s “lucky to be alive” after suffering a serious concussion and receiving eight staples in his head from an altercation with Nate Diaz.
Petersen, an amateur MMA and celebrity boxing vet with an 0-6 record, told Misfits he welcomes a second, sanctioned fight with Diaz after getting choked out by the UFC vet on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.
“If he wants to fight me in the ring, yeah, but as far as the street goes, there was no money to be made in that,” Petersen said in a new video. “If he wants to box, for sure, I’d box him tomorrow.
“If he wants to do an MMA match, you’re going to have to give me some time to train … so maybe five or six years?”
Diaz turned himself into New Orleans police this past April after a warrant was issued for his arrest on suspicion of second-degree battery. Prosecutors ultimately decided not to file charges against the 38-year-old Stockton, Calif., native.
Petersen said he introduced himself to Diaz at the Misfits Boxing 6 event that Diaz attended to support competing teammate Chris Avila.
“He’s like, ‘You’re the fake Paul brother,’” Petersen said. “I’m like, ‘Yeah! I am, dude! It’s freaking awesome!’”
Diaz got Petersen’s attention when he allegedly threw a water bottle at reality TV star Chase DeMoor, sparking a brief melee at the event. But the Paul lookalike said all was well until the event’s afterparty, when Diaz and a large entourage went outside to confront DeMoor.
“I walked up to him, I was like, ‘Hey dude, calm down,’” Petersen said. “I would have bought him a drink. I did not think that he was … he walks up to me, grabs both my hands, I’m like, ‘Whoa, dude, calm down.’ He grabs both of my hands, tosses it down, throws a hook, lands on my jaw, pulls me down into a guillotine choke.
“Not only am I being choked out by Nate freaking Diaz, but I have two of Nate’s friends — one of them’s in the UFC — blast me in my ribs. At this point and time, I’m pretty sure I was already asleep. That choke was tight.”
All things considered, Petersen was in good spirits about the episode and didn’t appear to have any ill will toward Diaz. With a Misfits fight and a slate of appearances as a lookalike, he was living his dream as an influencer who also works two full-time jobs to support his family.
Petersen joked that he’d really fight Diaz under any circumstances — they all benefit him in the end.
“I’ll fight him tomorrow,” he said. “I don’t give a f***. When it boils down to it, it’s money.”