Former UFC Champion Israel Adesanya Faces Jail Term

Israel Adesanya 

 Former UFC champion Israel Adesanya faces jail time for drunk-driving in New Zealand

Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya entered a guilty plea on Monday to charges of driving under the influence in New Zealand.

After attending a dinner party with his friends on August 19, 2023, Adesanya was stopped and found to have 87 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood in his system.

In New Zealand, 50 milligrams is the permissible limit.

When Adesanya appeared at Auckland District Court, he entered a guilty plea to the crime, which carries a maximum punishment of three months in jail or a £2,189 fine.

"I want to apologise to my family, my team and to the community for the decision I made to get behind the wheel after drinking at dinner.

"I was pulled over and given an evidentiary blood test. The reading was 87 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood."

Karl Trotter, Adesanya's attorney asked the judge that no conviction be entered, which the judge granted.

Trotter said that he would seek a discharge without conviction during the sentencing hearing on January 10.