Two More Felony Charges Added to Domestic Violence Case Against Nick Diaz

The case continues to mount against controversial Ultimate Fighting Championship star Nick Diaz.

At a hearing in Las Vegas on Tuesday, two new charges -- felony battery constituting domestic violence by strangulation and felony battery domestic violence resulting in substantial bodily harm – were added to the existing misdemeanor and felony charges facing Diaz. MMAjunkie.com was first to report the news.

Diaz was initially charged with domestic battery by strangulation and misdemeanor domestic battery stemming from an alleged assault on a woman claiming to be his sometimes girlfriend in Las Vegas on May 24. Now the Stockton, Calif., native faces a total of four charges. Diaz remains free on $18,000 bond after a judge denied the prosecution’s request to raise bail to $100,000. Diaz himself recently claimed that he was “framed” by the alleged victim.

According to a domestic violence report, the victim was found at a Las Vegas house on May 24 “visibly in a large amount of pain” and unable to walk. The woman told police that Diaz slammed her to the ground and choked her following an argument at the residence.

The victim initially told police that Diaz threw her onto the corner of the pool, but later said that she hit her hip when she resisted Diaz’s attempt to throw her into the pool. The victim was hospitalized with a potentially broken hip as well as bruising on both legs, reddening of her neck and head and pain in her head, according to the report.

“We were surprised that the state filed an amended complaint in court this morning given that there is no new evidence that would warrant adding charges,”Diaz’s attorney, Ross Goodman, wrote in a statement following Tuesday’s hearing. “Regardless, we are confident that that truth will come to light vindicating Mr. Diaz after a thorough cross-examination exposing [the alleged victim’s] inconsistent and contradictory allegations.”

Goodman asked for a continuance as a result of the new charges, and Diaz’s next hearing is now scheduled for July 31.

Diaz hasn’t competed in the Octagon since losing a decision to Anderson Silva at UFC 183 on Jan. 31, 2015. The result of the bout was later overturned after Silva failed a drug test. Diaz also tested positive for marijuana at the event.