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Israel Adesanya arrested at JFK airport just days after losing UFC title

Home> MMA

Updated 00:35 17 Nov 2022 GMTPublished 23:30 16 Nov 2022 GMT

Israel Adesanya arrested at JFK airport just days after losing UFC title

According to TMZ, he is facing charges of "criminal possession of a weapon".

Max Sherry

Max Sherry

Israel Adesanya has been arrested at JFK airport in New York for allegedly possessing illegal brass knuckle dusters.

His run-in with local law enforcement comes just a few short days after losing his UFC title.

Adesanya was in New York to headline a stacked UFC 281 card at Madison Square Garden.

Unfortunately for Izzy, he left the iconic arena without his middleweight belt, having lost to age-old kickboxing foe Alex Pereira via fifth round TKO.

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Due to fly out of NYC on Wednesday the following week, the ex-champ was stopped by police at JFK airport during his TSA screening.

According to TMZ, he was then subsequently arrested and facing charges of "criminal possession of a weapon".

It's understood the weapon-in-question is alleged to be a set of metal knuckle dusters.

Adesanya's manager Tim Simpson issued a statement, via Ariel Helwani, which read: "Israel was handed a gift by a fan, which he put in his luggage.

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"When flagged at the airport, Israel quickly disposed of the item, and cooperated with authorities.

"He has complied accordingly, with that the matter was dismissed and he is on his way home."

With brass knuckles being a Class A misdemeanour in the state of New York, the Nigerian-born Kiwi is likely to be issued something as simple as a Desk Appearance Ticket.

However, if the charges are re-visited and he's convicted, the crime carries up to one year behind bars, per TMZ.

Featured Image Credit: Alamy

Topics: Australia, New Zealand, MMA, UFC, Israel Adesanya, United States

Max Sherry
Max Sherry

Max Sherry is a journalist for SPORTbible Australia. After migrating Down Under from London as a teenager, he instantly fell in love with Aussie sport and its culture. From NRL to AFL, cricket to rugby — you name it, Max watches it (with a beer in hand, of course). During his time at Fox Sports, he worked in the football department covering the Premier League, A-League, Socceroos and Matildas. Born a stone's throw away from West Ham's training ground, Max is obviously a die-hard Liverpool fan.

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@maxysherry

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