Former UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya, has pleaded guilty to drunk-driving charges in his home country of New Zealand.
“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,” Adesanya said in a statement provided to ESPN.
He further said, “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.”
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.
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Adesanya was returning from dinner with friends when he ‘encountered a Random Breath Testing unit’ in Auckland, his team told ESPN. The MMA fighter will be back in court on January 10 for sentencing.
He could face up to a $2,680 fine and/or three months in jail, according to ESPN.
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 among the greatest MMA fighters ever, with a record of 24-3 with 16 wins by knockout.
