Israel Adesanya broke his silence on his UFC 293 title loss to Sean Strickland with an interview on his YouTube channel, but much of his talking points were overshadowed when it came out Sunday that the former champ was pulled over for drunken driving in New Zealand just 18 days out from the fight.
Adesanya (24-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) apologized for his actions in a statement after attending court to plead guilty to the charge and said he was “disappointed” in his choices, though it was not done with egregious intent as his team claims he only had a few beverages at dinner.
Nevertheless, the entire situation raises more questions about Adesanya’s mental state heading into the fight with Strickland and how seriously he took preparation en route to his lopsided unanimous decision loss earlier this month in Sydney.
The maximum penalty for a drunken driving charge is three months of jail time or a $2,680 fine, according to the New Zealand Herald, and Adesanya will be due back in court on Jan. 10 for sentencing.
As speculation about Adesanya’s life and career continues to run rampant, MMA Junkie’s “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Matthew Wells, Nolan King and Danny Segura joined host Mike Bohn to discuss the situation and Adesanya’s future.
Watch the video above or the full episode of this week’s “Spinning Back Clique” below.
Video: How does Israel Adesanya’s pre-UFC 293 drunken driving charge impact outlook on loss?
