Israel Adesanya has reportedly pled guilty to a drunk driving charge in New Zealand on Sunday, following an incident that occurred three weeks before his latest UFC bout.
Israel Adesanya battles Alex Pereira | Screenshot, UFC YouTube
Adesanya, 34, was accused of drunk driving in the city of Auckland on August 19th. In New Zealand, the legal blood alcohol level is 50 milligrams per 100 milliliters of blood.
The former two-time UFC Middleweight Champion registered 87 milligrams of alcohol in his system per 100 milliliters of blood. With his plea, Israel Adesanya now faces a maximum of three months in jail or a fine of $4,500 (about $2,680 in US Dollars). His sentencing is set for Jan. 10, 2024.
At the time, he was in the country prior to his UFC 293 fight with Sean Strickland in Australia, where he lost his championship. It’s doubtful that Adesnaya will face any punishment from the Ultimate Fighting Championship head honcho Dana White, and there has been no statement from the promotion as such.
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For his part, Israel Adesanya showed remorse regarding the situation. The UFC fighter issued a statement about the whole ordeal to The New Zealand Herald.
“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 dinner,” Adesanya stated. “I was pulled over and gave an evidentiary blood test — the reading was 87 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood.”
“I am disappointed with my decision to drive. It was wrong,” he added. “I know that people might follow me and I want them to know I do not think this behavior is acceptable.”
Imagine that. A sports star taking responsibility for their actions! Not everyone is buying it, though. Henry Cejudo smells a conspiracy:
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