It appears that lightweight Joseph Diaz Jr. might have his next fight in a California civil court as the fighter has been officially accused of attempting to coerce a minor into sexual activity, as reported by ESPN. The plaintiff, “Jane Doe,” alleges Diaz sent her sexually graphic material through the social media platform Snapchat in September of 2020, when she was only 17 years old.
It’s also been reported that the plaintiff in this case also filed a criminal complaint a year after the incident, in September 2021, although no charges were ultimately brought against Diaz. The lawsuit additionally states that Diaz used to date the plaintiff’s older sister and the incident was supposedly explained by Diaz’s father as having been a drunken mistaken. The plaintiff cites emotional distress as a result of Diaz’s actions and is seeking $150,000 in damages. Diaz, through his attorney, has denied all allegations made against him.
Diaz most recently took a unanimous decision loss to Devin Haney and has yet to be officially scheduled for his next fight, although he recently mentioned he’s looking to move back down to 130-pounds to face Jono Carroll.