Vinny Paz won’t have to think about a lingering legal issue during the holidays.
The former lightweight titleholder has pleaded no contest in an assault and battery case that had been hanging over his head for nearly two years. Paz, a native of Cranston, Rhode Island, received a one-year suspended sentence with probation on each count, according to The Boston Globe.
Paz allegedly attacked Providence resident Nathaniel Lavoie, sending him to the hospital late on the night of Jan. 1, 2018. Lanvoie reportedly suffered multiple injuries, including broken teeth, a black eye and several bite marks.
At the time of the incident, Paz justified his actions. He told Providence police that Lanvoie had stolen $16,000 from his home..
‘Bottom line is, I got robbed. And when that happens, you gotta do what you gotta do,’’ Paz told WPRI-TV.
This isn’t Paz’s first run-in with the law. He pleaded no contest to drunk driving in 2007 and pleaded no contest to disorderly conduct in 2012. In 2018, he was arrested again for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend. That case was settled with a one-year suspended sentence and probation.
Paz, one of the most popular fighters to come out of New England, was the subject of the 2016 Hollywood film “Bleed For This.” He was played by Miles Teller.