Israel Adesanya; former UFC middleweight champion was reportedly arrested for taking brass knuckles through security at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York.
This incident came barely four days after the 33-year-old lost his UFC middleweight championship to a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and former kickboxer; Alex Pereira,
According to a report in Daily Mail, a Port Authority spokesperson at the John F. Kennedy Airport in New York confirmed the arrest, saying Adesanya was booked for possessing ‘metal knuckles.’
Brass knuckles are a Class A misdemeanor in New York, and it is also illegal to bring them aboard an airplane. It’s not clear where Adesanya allegedly stored the weapon.
Meanwhile, in a statement to MMA Fighting, Adesanya’s manager; Tim Simpson, revealed that the matter had been dismissed and the UFC star was on his way home.
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“Israel was handed a gift by a fan, which he put in his luggage. 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’s on his way home.” the statement read.
A native of Lagos, Nigeria, Adesanya is now a citizen of New Zealand and currently lives in Auckland.
