Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya was reportedly arrested for bringing brass knuckles through security at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport.
The 33-year-old was arrested by Port Authority police in the American Airlines terminal on Wednesday after losing his title by TKO to Alex Pereira in New York last Saturday.
According to the Daily Mail, a Port Authority spokesperson at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport confirmed the arrest, saying Adesanya was arrested for possessing'metal knuckles.'
Brass knuckles are a Class A misdemeanor in New York, and they are also prohibited on airplanes. It is unclear where Adesanya allegedly kept the weapon.
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.
Longtime rivals Adesanya and Pereira squared off on Saturday for the UFC middleweight title, with the latter emerging victorious after a brutal TKO stoppage late in the fight.
Despite claims that referee Marc Goddard prematurely ended the fight, Canadian fighter and trainer Firas Zahabi believes Adesanya should be 'grateful' for the decision.
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➤Israel Adesanya was released after being arrested at the airport for possessing metal knuckles.
