Last month, Israel Adesanya, a former UFC middleweight champion, had some issues entering New York City’s John F. Kennedy Airport. Security guards noticed “The Last Stylebender” (as he was dubbed) trying to go through the checkpoint while carrying a pair of brass knucks.
It was eventually disclosed by Adesanya’s management that the ex-champ had packed the firearm, which he had been gifted by a fan. The possession of a weapon, such as brass knuckles, is a class A misdemeanor in the state of New York. A one-year prison sentence is mandatory for this kind of crime.
However, on Tuesday, the court in Queen County imposed a postponement while it considered dismissal. It basically implies that if Adesanya avoids arrest for the next six months, the charges against him will be dropped. After the news was initially published by TMZ, a representative from the Queens County District Attorney’s office confirmed it to MMA Fighting.
David Fish, a spokesman for Paradigm Sports Management, told MMA Fighting that his client had made a “innocent mistake.”
You’re not allowed to have them, but it was an honest blunder on your part. When it was time to leave for the airport, he packed everything he would need into his luggage and left the home in a hurry. One among the objects, alas, was a pair of brass knuckles.
Adesanya had just lost the 185-pound belt to Alex Pereira in the fifth round of their UFC 281 bout when this event occurred. MSG was the setting for the event.