Adesanya pleads guilty to drunk driving, faces three-month imprisonment

Former UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya has pleaded guilty to charges of drunk driving in New Zealand, his home country, and could potentially serve a jail sentence of up to three months.

The incident occurred on August 19, when Adesanya was stopped by authorities and found to have 87 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood, exceeding the legal limit of 50 milligrams in New Zealand.

Adesanya was on his way back from a dinner with friends in Auckland when he encountered a Random Breath Testing unit, as relayed by his team to ESPN. His sentencing is scheduled for January 10.

In a statement provided to ESPN, Adesanya expressed remorse: “I want to apologize to the community, my family, and my team for the decision I made to drive after consuming alcohol during dinner.”

He added, “I regret my choice to drive; it was a mistake. I understand that others might look up to me, and I want them to know that I do not condone this type of behavior.”

According to ESPN, Adesanya may be subjected to a fine of up to $2,680 and/or a maximum jail term of three months.

The 34-year-old recently faced a unanimous defeat against Sean Strickland at UFC 293 on September 10 in Sydney.

Hailing from Lagos, Nigeria, Adesanya, a former kickboxer, is widely regarded as one of the greatest MMA fighters, boasting a formidable record of 24-3, including 16 victories by knockout.