Former UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya has pleaded guilty to a drunk driving charge in New Zealand.
Adesanya, who fought earlier this month at UFC 293, appeared on court on Monday in New Zealand and pleaded guilty to a drunk driving charge from August 19.
According to ESPN, the fighter was driving with 87 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood with the legal limit in the country set at 50 milligrams per 100 mL.
Adesanya issued the following statement to ESPN:
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 behavior is acceptable.
Adesanya returns to court for sentencing on January 10, 2024, with the maximum punishment of three months in jail or a $2,650 fine (USD), per the New Zealand Herald.
The incident occurred three weeks before UFC 293 where Adesanya was defeated by Sean Strickland for the UFC Middleweight Championship at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia.
