Israel Adesanya is one of the UFC’s most popular and successful fighters. Amidst that successful UFC career, Adesanya has also entangled himself in various controversial incidents. Most recently, Israel Adesanya had a confrontation with a stranger, and videos of this went viral. Interestingly, as per the latest revelations, Adesanya has taken a further step on the matter.
Recently, a video surfaced of Adesanya getting into a verbal altercation with a civilian in Auckland, New Zealand. In the video, ‘Izzy’ flipped off the patron and made a gesture with his groin. On September 5, Adesanya told The New Zealand Herald about the incident and said he would be pressing charges against the person. Izzy also stated that the individual racially abused him and challenged him to a fight.
I am extremely disappointed after an incident on Wednesday when a random member of the public stopped his car, racially abused me, and challenged me to a fight. We have been in contact with police and will be pressing charges…
Israel Adesanya’s official statement
Adesanya recounted that a civilian confronted and provoked him to fight. Interestingly, being a public figure, Izzy couldn’t do anything about it then, especially in a strict country like New Zealand. The country is known for its severe punishments against crimes, including imprisonment for any physical altercation with a civilian.
This was not the first time when Israel Adesanya became a victim of racial abuse. As such, at times, even some of his fellow competitors talked ill about him. Interestingly, another reason for a backlash against Izzy at his home might be his poor form in the UFC.
Israel Adesanya has released a statement to @nzherald on his recent altercation with a man in Auckland:
“I am extremely disappointed after an incident on Wednesday when a random member of the public stopped his car, racially abused me, and challenged me to a fight. We have been…
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) September 6, 2024
In his recent matches, Adesanya is currently on a two-fight losing streak after failing to win against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305. Interestingly, there was another instance where Izzy got involved with the law last year. As such, he even pleaded guilty to the charges.
When Israel Adesanya pleaded guilty for drunk driving incident
Israel Adesanya pleaded guilty to an offense of drunk driving a vehicle in Auckland on Aug. 19 with 87 milligrams of alcohol in his system. Per the report, the maximum consequence for Adesanya’s offense was three months in prison or a fine of $4,500 NZD. However, that didn’t happen so. Later, he avoided conviction due to his international athlete status.
Israel Adesanya with his car (Image via Instagram)Judge Peter Winter discharged Adesanya without a conviction due to his low drunk-driving reading. Additionally, his high level of cooperation and history of charitable work in the community worked in his favor. Adesanya was given a six-month suspension from driving and was ordered to pay $1500 to charity.
Furthermore, the Kiwi was also required to participate in an anti-drunk-driving program. Adesanya was taking a break after his recent fight at UFC 305. However, it seems that Israel Adesanya’s break was disrupted following the recent public confrontation. Now, it remains to be seen how the situation will unfold.
