Israel Adesanya, the former UFC middleweight champion, could spend three months in prison after pleading guilty to drunk-driving charges in his home nation of New Zealand.
The event occurred on August 19, when Adesanya was returning from dinner with friends in Auckland and came across a random breath testing unit.
Adesanya was found to have 87 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood in his system, whereas the legal limit in New Zealand is 50 milligrammes.
In a statement he provided to newsmen, he 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 disappointed with my decision to drive; it was wrong. I know that people might follow me, and I want them to know that I do not think this behaviour is acceptable.”
According to reports, he could face up to a $2,680 fine and/or three months in jail and will be back in court on January 10 for sentencing.
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, the former kickboxer is regarded as one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, with a 24-3 record and 16 knockout victories.
