Israel Adesanya, former UFC middleweight champion, can now move on from his drink-driving incident.
Adesanya faced trouble when it came out that he pleaded guilty after being charged with drink-driving in Auckland. According to New Zealand law, the legal limit for alcohol consumption while driving is 50 milligrams per 100 milliliters of blood, and Adesanya's level was at 87 milligrams.
Now, what was the punishment for "The Last Stylebender"?
The UFC star has been let off without a conviction after getting caught drink driving in August last year. In a hearing on Tuesday, Judge Peter Winter decided not to send Adesanya to prison. The former 185-pound champion was looking at a potential three months behind bars.
However, he's not off the hook completely – he's banned from driving for six months, has to pay $1500 to a recognized drunk driving charity, and must complete a drink-driving program in New Zealand.
According to court documents, Adesanya was charged with driving a car on Wellesley Street in central Auckland with 87 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood.
Before Winter's ruling, Adesanya's lawyer, Karl Trotter, said that his client understood the significant impact the ruling could have on his career and personal life (quotes via MMAJunkie).
“The adverse consequences, should my client be convicted, are monumental. That’s not exaggerating the situation,” Trotter said. “He realizes he is in jeopardy.”
Judge Winter believes that Israel Adesanya will take this drink-driving ordeal as a learning experience.
“I’m sure you have learned from this,” Winter told Adesanya as he sat in court. “You would not want to be placed in this position again, as you realize.”
The incident occurred a few weeks before Adesanya's latest middleweight title fight at UFC 293, where he lost to US fighter Sean Strickland. After this defeat, ending his second UFC 185-pound title reign, Adesanya mentioned he would be taking a break.
Though he playfully told reporters he won't be back until 2027, "Izzy" later clarified that when he returns, he wants the fights to be significant.