Israel Adesanya UFC Star has admitted guilt to a drunk driving charge. Adesanya, accompanied by his lawyer and two personal security personnel, appeared at the Auckland District Court at approximately 9 am.
According to court records, the renowned international athlete was accused of operating a vehicle on Wellesley St in Auckland Central with a blood alcohol level of 87 milligrams per 100 millilitres, exceeding the legal limit of 50 milligrams.
“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 said in a statement provided to the Herald.
“I was pulled over and gave an evidentiary blood test – the reading was 87 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood.”
He added: “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.”
The maximum penalty for the charge is a term of imprisonment of three months or a fine of $4500.
The purported incident occurred on August 19 of this year. Adesanya’s blood alcohol level, slightly exceeding the legal threshold of 80 milligrams, raised the charge against him. In response, his lawyer Karl Trotter requested that no conviction be recorded, a request granted by the judge.
Trotter indicated his intention to pursue a discharge without conviction during the sentencing scheduled for January 10. He added that Adesanya expressed genuine remorse for his actions.
When leaving the court, Adesanya did not provide any responses to inquiries from the Herald and left through a rear exit.
Know More About Israel Adesanya Personal Life
Israel Adesanya born on July 22, 1989, is a professional mixed martial artist, kickboxer, and former boxer from New Zealand. In the realm of mixed martial arts, he currently competes in the Middleweight division within the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he has held the UFC Middleweight Championship title twice. Additionally, he has a history in kickboxing, including a challenge for the Glory Middleweight Championship. As of September 12, 2023, he holds the #1 spot in the UFC middleweight rankings and ranks #9 in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings.
Adesanya was born in Lagos, Nigeria, as the eldest of five children. His father, Oluwafemi, is an accountant, while his mother, Taiwo, is a nurse. Adesanya’s early education included attending Chrisland School, Opebi, where he briefly participated in the Taekwondo after-school club until an injury led to his withdrawal. In 1999, he relocated with his family to Ghana for a ten-month period. However, his parents’ desire for their children to receive a well-recognized higher education brought them to Rotorua, New Zealand, when he was 10 years old. There, he attended Rotorua Boys’ High School.
Education
During his high school years, Adesanya’s interests diverged from sports, focusing instead on Japanese anime like Death Note and the manga series Naruto. He encountered bullying during this period, an experience he later attributed to his decision to pursue martial arts as a career later in life. In May 2010, Adesanya initiated a remarkable seven-fight winning streak by securing victory in his first bout against Tim Atonio, triumphing via unanimous decision. Over the course of his subsequent six fights, he predominantly competed in Wu Lin Feng events in China. His impressive performance during this streak earned him a spot in the 2014 Kunlun Fight 80 kg tournament, which was held during Kunlun Fight 2. In the tournament’s semifinal, Adesanya faced Simon Marcus and suffered a loss in an extra round split decision.
Career
Following this setback, Adesanya made his debut in the Glory promotion at Glory 15, where he squared off against Filip Verlinden. Verlinden emerged victorious in their encounter via unanimous decision. However, the two fighters had a rematch at Glory of Heroes 3, held two years after their initial bout, with Adesanya securing the win by unanimous decision.
During this period, Adesanya also participated in the King in the Ring Cruiserweights II tournament on the New Zealand regional circuit. He advanced through the quarterfinals by defeating Slava Alexeichik through unanimous decision. In the semifinal, he achieved victory via knockout against Pati Afoa and ultimately won the tournament by knocking out Jamie Eades. Six months later, Adesanya joined the 2015 Cruiserweights III tournament, where he secured technical knockouts against Kim Loudon and Mark Timms in the quarterfinal and semifinal matches, respectively. He clinched the tournament title for the second time with a first-round knockout of Pati Afoa.
Transitioning to a higher weight class, Adesanya participated in the 2015 The Heavyweights III tournament as well. He defeated Nase Foai by TKO in the quarterfinal and achieved a KO victory over Dan Roberts in the semifinal, setting the stage for a final showdown with Jamie Eades. This final bout marked a rematch from their previous meeting in the 2014 Cruiserweight tournament, and Adesanya secured the tournament championship with a unanimous decision victory.
