Israel Adesanya Pleads Guilty to Drinking and Driving Charge in New Zealand

Israel Adesanya pleaded guilty to a drinking-and-driving charge in court on Monday in his home country of New Zealand.

On August 19, Adesanya was stopped at a Random Breath Testing stop. His blood alcohol level was 87 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood, which is in excess of the legal limit of 50 milligrams, leading to the charge.

A former two-time UFC middleweight champion, Adesanya has grown into one of the biggest stars in MMA. But this matter is a blemish on all his success. This incident occurred only a few weeks before his title bout against Sean Strickland on September 10 at UFC 293, which ended in a stunning victory for Strickland.

“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,” read Adesanya’s official statement to the New Zealand Herald. “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 behavior is acceptable.”

Penalties for the charge range from a fine all the way to three months of jail time. The sentencing is scheduled for January 10, and Adesanya’s attorney is seeking for the charges to be dropped without conviction.