Israel Adesanya, a former UFC middleweight champion has been sentenced to three months in prison for drunk driving, the incident took place on August 19, when Adesanya was pulled over and found with 87 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood in his system. The legal limit in New Zealand is 50 milligrams.
In a statement provided to ESPN,
According to the report, the maximum penalty for Adesanya’s charge is three months in jail or a fine of $4,500, which is roughly $2,680 USD.
Adesanya’s sentencing hearing is expected for Jan. 10, 2024.
Adesanya, 34, suffered a stunning defeat on Sept. 10 when Sean Strickland dominated him over 25 minutes to steal away the UFC middleweight title in a one-sided bout at UFC 293.
A two-time UFC middleweight champion, Adesanya has now lost two of his past three contests and is just 4-3 over his past seven octagon appearances.
He noted that there was the possibility of him taking on Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294, but that his sabbatical meant his team turned it down. Instead, fellow Nigerian fighter Kamaru Usman will be the opponent for the undefeated Chimaev on Saturday October 21.
“Four fights in the last 14 months, it takes a toll on your body,” he added, noting that he had seen the doctors and done specialist tests to get himself back ready for fighting.
“I’m just going to take my time to heal, and then when I come back, f**king run for the hills,” the two-time champion said.
Adesanya also faces a potential three months in prison, or a fine of up to $2,680, after pleading guilty to drunk-driving charges in New Zealand.
Adesanya said, “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.
“I am not proud of 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 is expected to be in court for sentencing on January 10 2024.
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