‘Insane’- Israel Adesanya Faces Criticism After Getting Charged for Drunk Driving and a Fine of $1500

2023 was not kind to Israel Adesanya. From being considered one of the greatest champions in UFC history to becoming a veritable laughing stock after his shocking UFC 293 loss to Sean Strickland, the Kiwi-Nigerian has seen his stocks in the promotion plummet like few others.

Not to mention he lost his title to nemesis Alex Pereira in another massive upset last year. To compound his troubles, ‘Stylebender’ was caught drunk-driving last year. However, the proud Yoruba finally seems to have gotten a break as he received a light sentence for the transgression.

Israel Adesanya apologizes for drunk driving after conviction

One month before his Strickland fight, Israel Adesanya was pulled over by the police in Auckland while driving. Suspecting ‘Izzy’ to be drunk, the cops subjected him to a breathalyzer, where his blood alcohol level was found to be nearly double the legal limit. He was promptly arrested and tried for the offense in an Auckland court.

And Adesanya has finally been sentenced in the case. The good news is that the 34-year-old avoided jail time and was let go with a lighter sentence. ‘Stylebender’ was ordered to pay $1500 to a drunk-drive charity, take a course on the dangers of drunk driving, and was banned from driving for six months. The former champion reacted to the verdict in a statement given to ESPN where he apologized for his conduct.

“I want to apologize to the community, my family and my team for the decision I made to get behind the wheel after drinking at a dinner, I am disappointed with my decision to drive, it was wrong. I know that people might follow me and I want them to know I do not think this behavior is acceptable,” Adesanya said in the statement. On the other hand, fans had a field day reacting to the court order.

Fans react to the Adesanya drunk-driving verdict

Fans took to social media to share their thoughts on Israel Adesanya’s sentence. Here is a selection of some of their comments.

One fan slyly referenced Sean Strickland’s insinuations about ‘Izzy’ and his dog, feeling it was good he wasn’t sentenced to serve at an animal shelter:

Another felt Jon Jones, no stranger to legal troubles, would approve of Adesanya’s conduct:

Another humorously pleaded for the former champion to be freed despite not being behind bars:

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Another was not surprised at Adesanya being caught for driving drunk:

One fan felt this was a sign for Pereira to outdo his arch-rival:

Another encouraged Adesanya to not be discouraged by this:

Another felt a six-month driving ban was a bit too harsh:

Although Adesanya went on a hiatus to recover mentally and physically after the Strickland loss, he has recently alluded that he may be back in action soon. This has prompted many to speculate that the former middleweight champion may feature in the upcoming UFC 300 anniversary card in April, possibly (even though it is a remote possibility) against Alex Pereira for the light heavyweight title. What do you think about a possible trilogy fight between Adesanya and Pereira at UFC 300?

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