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Nate Diaz fights Jorge Masvidal during the first round at UFC 244. Photo: AP

UFC’s Nate Diaz considers legal action after false report of arrest, police altercation in Miami

  • Miami Herald retracts story that Diaz was ‘hospitalised after he attacked Miami cops at a police station’
  • ‘I’m not even in Miami,’ says Diaz, whose publicist slams ‘utterly irresponsible’ reporting

Nate Diaz is considering legal action following a false report that he was involved in an altercation with police in Miami.

The Miami Herald retracted a story on Wednesday that UFC star Diaz was “hospitalised after he attacked Miami cops at a police station”.

“I’m not even in Miami tho,” Diaz, who last fought against Jorge Masvidal at UFC 244 in November, wrote in an Instagram post.

Diaz, who is a fan of the San Francisco 49ers, was in Miami Gardens on February 2 to watch his team’s Super Bowl defeat by the Kansas City Chief, but returned to his native Stockton, California two days later.

 

“The story is 100 per cent and inequitably inaccurate,” Diaz’s publicist Zach Rosenfield told MMA Junkie. “Nate has been in Stockton since the Tuesday after the Super Bowl, and there is no possible way that what is being reported is relatable to him.

“At no point did Nate have any interactions with Miami law enforcement. Zero issues whatsoever, and he’s never been attached to anything close to domestic violence in his life.”

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“This whole thing is utterly irresponsible, and we are exploring legal action,” Rosenfield added.

The Herald quickly removed the story from its website, and posted a new story with a correction.

“In an initial version of this story, The Miami Herald incorrectly reported that mixed martial arts superstar Nate Diaz had been arrested in a domestic-violence case. The Herald apologises for the error,” the corrected story read.

Nate Diaz gets treatment during his fight against Jorge Masvidal. Photo: USA Today Sports

“The Herald, based on information from a law enforcement source, initially reported that the suspect was Nate Diaz, 34, one of the most recognisable stars for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

“While [Miami police chief Jorge] Colina confirmed that a martial arts fighter had been in a tussle at the police station, there was miscommunication between a reporter and the police chief about the suspect’s identity.”

The Herald’s corrected story reported that the arrested man was 31-year-old Miami fighter Michael Albert Nates. Police said he had been arrested in an incident where he tried to snatch a child, and tried to attack officers after his handcuffs were taken off at the police station.

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