Baltimore Ravens undrafted rookie quarterback Diego Pavia is back in the headlines, and again, it has nothing to do with football.
A video circulating on social media this week captured Pavia approaching Nina Marie Daniele, widely known as Nina Drama, during a live UFC event. The clip quickly went viral and drew sharp backlash from NFL and UFC fans.
Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia
Feb 28, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (QB14) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Pavia, who signed with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2026, was trying to rebuild his image in Baltimore. He finished as the 2025 Heisman Trophy runner-up and led Vanderbilt to a 10-win season. But his off-field behavior has consistently overshadowed what he accomplished between the lines.
NFL aggregator Dov Kleiman posted the video on X, captioning it: “Yikes: Ravens rookie QB Diego Pavia acts extremely strange towards a female UFC employee. One of the creepiest videos you will ever see.”
In the footage, Pavia walked up to Daniele while she was live-streaming for the UFC. She disclosed the situation immediately. Pavia leaned closer instead of stepping back and asked, “Is it good not to hit on you?” Daniele replied, “No, it’s good not to hit on me. Thank you. Bye.” She laughed nervously and walked away. “What the f- was that interaction?” she told her audience live. Fans immediately connected the incident to Pavia’s growing list of offseason controversies.
After Vanderbilt beat Auburn in November, he flew to Miami for a party with Theo Von and Johnny Manziel. In December, he posted profanity-laced comments targeting Heisman voters. He later apologized for both posts.
TMZ reported that Pavia was filmed at Knockouts Gentlemen’s Club in Albuquerque, New Mexico on March 8, just weeks before the 2026 NFL Draft. The report said he was there until 5 a.m. and that he showered cash on stage.
The backlash from fans after the video was pointed and direct. “Weirdo, buddy has character issues,” one person wrote on X. Another commented, “Every time I see anything about this dude, it’s some bulls.” One fan connected Pavia’s behavior to his draft slide, writing: “He needs to focus on other things; this is why he went undrafted.”
The comparison to Manziel came up repeatedly in the reaction thread. “I try to like this guy because I feel like he’s a newer version of Johnny Football, but Pavia is genuinely just a weird guy,” one fan wrote. That comparison carries weight. Manziel was a first-round pick in 2014 but never found consistency in the NFL due to repeated off-field issues. Pavia has spoken openly about the relationship, calling Manziel a mentor who gives him advice on what to watch out for at the professional level.
Fans react to Diego Pavia’s viral UFC interaction with pointed criticism
The backlash from fans after the video was pointed and direct.
“Yo what the HECK was that?? Was he drunk or something? The way he started reaching towards her there was sooo creepy. The Ravens might have themselves their own Johnny Manziel,” one fan wrote. That comparison carries weight. Manziel was a first-round pick in 2014 but never found consistency in the NFL due to repeated off-field issues.
“Man, as if there weren’t ALREADY enough reasons for this dude to not be in the NFL 😂 This is just another brick on the pile of character concerns. Now that the media’s finally all over him, everything’s coming out. Teams knew what they were getting… or ignoring,” commented another user.
“Yea , that seemed a little awkward,” one comment read.
“What the hell… was he trying to grope her like the chick’s at the strip club? Bad look for short king,” quipped one user.
“Why did he put his hands on her? What a douche,” wrote another user.
The Ravens officially announced Pavia’s signing with no guaranteed money in his three-year deal. He is competing with fellow undrafted free agent Joe Fagnano for the third quarterback spot behind Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley. At this point, his biggest obstacle may not be his height or arm strength. It is the growing trail of off-field moments that reflect negatively on his persona.