Israel Adesanya: UFC star admits he’s ‘grateful’ to have escaped conviction after drink-driving.

Israel Adesanya has been discharged without conviction after he was caught drunk driving in August last year.

UFC superstar Israel Adesanya, 34, has been discharged without conviction following a drink driving charge.

The Auckland District Court saw Adesanya this Wednesday, where he admitted to the incident that took place on August 19, 2023.

The legal victory, however, comes with a twist as Adesanya’s lawyer revealed that the fighter was at risk of losing lucrative sponsorship deals due to the controversy surrounding his drink driving charge.

The Nigerian-born Kiwi fighter’s legal counsel argued that the potential fallout from the charge, rather than the severity of the offense itself, was a significant factor in seeking the discharge without conviction.

Israel Adesanya’s drink-driving incident: What Happened

Pulse Sports reported that the incident leading to Adesanya’s court appearance occurred when he was stopped by police in Auckland while driving his Bentley just before midnight.

Officers noted signs of alcohol consumption, and Adesanya admitted to having consumed two cocktails with friends.

The court documents revealed that Adesanya was charged with driving with 87 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood on Wellesley Street, central Auckland, surpassing the legal limit of 50 milligrams.

The incident occurred just weeks before Adesanya’s middleweight title fight at UFC 293, where he faced US fighter Sean Strickland.

Despite the legal setback, Adesanya’s resilience in the octagon remains evident, even though he ended up losing his title in that particular bout.

Israel Adesanya thanks Judge after escaping conviction

Following the verdict in court this week, the UFC superstar took to Instagram to express his gratitude over the outcome of the case.

Posting a picture of the court room on his Instagram story, he captioned: ‘34 years young and no criminal record, I’m grateful the Judge used critical thinking and compassion on this one!’

While Adesanya avoided a conviction, the legal consequences include a six-month disqualification from driving, a $1500 payment toward an accredited drunk driving charity, and mandatory participation in a drink driving program in New Zealand.