Israel Adesanya was briefly arrested last month at John F. Kennedy International Airport. However, the Queens County District Attorney’s Office predicts that the case will be dropped.
Former UFC middleweight champion was charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon after airport security personnel found a pair of brass knuckles in his baggage.
However, Adesanya was given an adjournment in anticipation of dismissal by a Queen’s County court.
The current case will be dropped if Adesanya is not detained in the county during the next six months.
In the state of New York, wearing brass knuckles is against the law as it is a class A misdemeanor. Additionally, it is unlawful to transport them in carry-on luggage or on your person.
Adesanya’s manager Tim Simpson told TMZ Sports,
“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 is on his way home.”
At UFC 281, on November 12, Adesanya was defeated by kickboxing foe Alex Pereira by fifth-round TKO. Adesanya had been dominating up to that moment and was in the lead according to the scores of all three judges.
However, Pereira made an unexpected comeback. He drove Adesanya against the fence and knocked him off balance sufficiently for referee Marc Goddard to call a halt to the match.
Adesanya is currently enjoying a trip to Tahiti and is taking some well deserved time off.