Israel Adesanya, a former middleweight champion of the UFC, is said to have been detained for allegedly bringing brass knuckles into New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport.
The 33-year-old was detained by Port Authority police on Wednesday in the American Airlines terminal.
A Port Authority representative at the John F. Kennedy Airport in New York confirmed the arrest, adding that Adesanya was detained for having “metal knuckles,” according to a story on Daily Mail.
In New York, having brass knuckles is a Class A misdemeanor, and having them on an airline is prohibited. Where Adesanya reportedly kept the weapon is unknown.
According to an official, Mr. Adesanya could spend up to a year in prison if found guilty of using brass knuckles, which are prohibited in the US.
The Nigerian-born fighter has fallen in the UFC rankings after losing his title to Alex Pereira by TKO in New York last Saturday, falling from No. 2 to No. 8 on MMAfighting.com.
Adesanya, who was born in Lagos, Nigeria, is now a citizen of New Zealand and resides in Auckland.
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