Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya could spend three months in prison after pleading guilty to drunk-driving charges in his home nation New Zealand.
The event occurred August 19, three weeks before his latest UFC bout.
The Nigerian-born fighter was returning from dinner with friends in Auckland and was pulled over by a random breath testing unit.
Adesanya was found to have 87 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood in his system, whereas the legal limit in New Zealand is 50 milligrammes.
“I want to apologise to the community, my family and my team for the decision I made to get behind the wheel after drinking at a dinner,” Adesanya said in a statement provided to ESPN.
“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.”
According to ESPN, the maximum penalty for Adesanya’s charge is three months in jail or a fine of $2,680.
The MMA fighter will be back in court January 10, 2024 for sentencing.
The 34-year-old suffered a stunning defeat September 10 when underdog Sean Strickland dominated him over 25 minutes to claim the UFC middleweight title by unanimous decision in a one-sided bout at UFC 293.
A two-time UFC middleweight champion, Adesanya has now lost two of his last three contests and is just 4-3 over his past seven octagon appearances.
However, he is still regarded as one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, with a 24-3 record and 16 knockout victories.
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