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Adesanya reportedly arrested in US over metal knuckles
Israel Adesanya, a former middleweight champion of the UFC, is said to have been arrested for allegedly bringing brass knuckles into New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport.
The 33-year-old was arrested by Port Authority police on Wednesday in the American Airlines terminal after Alex Pereira defeated him in New York last Saturday by technical knockout.
A Port Authority representative at the John F. Kennedy Airport in New York confirmed the arrest, adding that Adesanya was arrested for having “metal knuckles,” according to a story by Daily Mail.
In New York, having brass knuckles is a Class A misdemeanour, and having them on an airline is prohibited. Where Adesanya allegedly kept the weapon is unknown.
Spokespeople from the UFC are yet to react to the incident.
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Adesanya’s loss has seen him plummet down the pound-for-pound rankings, dropping from No. 2 to No. 8 on MMAfighting.com.
A native of Lagos, Nigeria, Adesanya is now a citizen of New Zealand and currently lives in Auckland.
On Saturday, he and his longtime rival, Pereira squared off for the UFC middleweight title. The latter prevailed following a stunning TKO stoppage late in the fight.
Adesanya should be “grateful” for the decision, according to Canadian boxer and trainer Firas Zahabi, who disputes accusations that referee Marc Goddard called the fight off too soon.
