- Adesanya has pleaded guilty to drunk driving charges in his home country
- The MMA star will appear in court again in New Zealand on January 10 for sentencing
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has pleaded guilty to drink driving in his home country of New Zealand.
“I would like 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 party,” Adesanya said in a statement to ESPN.
‘I’m disappointed with my decision to drive, it was wrong. I know people may follow me and I want them to know that I do not find this behavior acceptable.”
The incident occurred on August 19, when Adesanya was arrested and found with 87 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood in his system. The legal limit in New Zealand is 50 milligrams.
Adesanya was returning from dinner with friends when he “came across a Random Breath Testing unit” in Auckland, his team told ESPN.
Nigeria’s Israel Adesanya leaves the octagon after being defeated by Sean Strickland
The MMA fighter will appear in court again for sentencing on January 10.
According to ESPN, he could face a $2,680 fine and/or three months in jail.
The 34-year-old lost a unanimous decision to Sean Strickland at UFC 293 on September 10 in Sydney.
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, the former kickboxer is considered one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, with a record of 24-3 with 16 wins by knockout.