Israel Adesanya May Be Jailed In New Zealand

Nigerian-born New Zealander MMA Fighter, Israel Adesanya may serve three months in prison after pleading guilty to drunk driving charges.

The former UFC middleweight champion allegedly committed this offense on August 19th in New Zealand, three weeks before his most recent UFC fight which ended in a defeat to Sean Strickland on September 10.

The Nigerian-born fighter, who had supper with friends in Auckland, was detained by a secret breathalyzer unit on his way home.

Adesanya was found to have 87 milligrams of alcohol in his system as against the legal limit of 50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood in New Zealand.

The maximum punishment for Adesanya’s crime, according to ESPN, is three months in jail or a $2,680 fine.

On January 10, 2024, the MMA fighter will return to court for sentencing.

In a statement published by ESPN, Israel Adesanya said, “I want to apologize to the community, my family, and my team for the decision I made to get behind the wheel after drinking at a dinner.

“I am disappointed with my decision to drive, it was wrong. I know that people might follow me and I want them to know I do not think this behaviour is acceptable.”

Adesanya, a two-time middleweight champion of the UFC, has lost two of his last three fights and has a 4-3 record over his last seven outings in the octagon.

With a 24-3 record and 16 knockout wins, the 34-year-old fighter is still regarded as one of the best MMA fighters of all time.