Nick Diaz No Longer in Custody; UFC Issues Statement on Domestic Violence Arrest
Former UFC welterweight title contender Nick Diaz was arrested in Las Vegas on multiple charges of domestic violence on Friday. Early Saturday morning, he was no longer in custody.
An online search of court records showed that Diaz was arrested on two separate charges — domestic battery by strangulation, which is a felony, and misdemeanor domestic battery. The felony charge could result in a prison term of up to five years if convicted. He was being held in the Clark County Detention Center with bail set at $18,000.
He was released Saturday morning, but authorities could not provide any details of his release.
The incident allegedly took place on Thursday evening, according to a report from MMAJunkie, with a female victim and police responding around 7:20 p.m. local time.
“UFC is aware of the recent arrest of middleweight athlete, Nick Diaz. The organization does not tolerate domestic violence and requires all athletes to adhere to the UFC Fighter Conduct Policy," read a statement from UFC officials.
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"Every athlete is deserving of due process and this situation, as with any official allegations, will be duly reviewed and thoroughly investigated by an independent party.”
Though he remains under contract and has been rumored to be considering a return to the Octagon, Diaz hasn't fought for the UFC since January 31, 2015. Anderson Silva had initially won a unanimous decision over Diaz in the UFC 183 main event, but the result was changed to a "no contest" after both fighters failed their post-fight drug tests.
