UFC star Israel Adesanya faces jail or fine for drunk driving

According to the report by The New Zealand Herald, the former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya admitted to driving under the influence of alcohol in Auckland on Aug. 19, three weeks before his latest UFC fight.

The report said that Adesanya had 87 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood, which is above the legal limit of 50 milligrams per 100 milliliters of blood in New Zealand. He was charged with “drunk driving” and could face up to three months in jail or a fine of $4,500.

“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 dinner,” Adesanya reportedly said in a statement to The New Zealand Herald.

“I was pulled over and gave an evidentiary blood test — the reading was 87 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood.” “I am disappointed with my decision to drive. It was wrong,” he added. “I know that people might follow me and I want them to know I do not think this behaviour is acceptable.

Adesanya apologized to the community, his family and his team for his decision to drive after drinking at dinner. He said he was disappointed with himself and that he did not want to set a bad example for his fans. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for Jan. 10, 2024.

Adesanya, 34, lost his UFC middleweight title on Sept. 10 when he was defeated by Sean Strickland in a one-sided match at UFC 293. It was his second loss in his last three fights and his record dropped to 4-3 in his last seven UFC appearances.

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