Israel Adesanya Speaks for the First Time Over Airport Arrest Following UFC 281 Title Fight Loss

• Israel Adesanya was arrested at a US airport over possession of 'brass knuckles' last November
• Brass knuckles are classified as illegal and class A misdemeanour weapons in New York
• The incident happened a few days after the kickboxer lost his middleweight title to Alex Pereira

Just a few days after his title fight loss at UFC 281, Israel Adesanya faced arrest at the airport while going through security, which made his situation much worse.

Seven months after the incident, ‘The Last Stylebender’ has opened up on all that transpired that fateful night.

After losing to Alex Periera at UFC 281, Adesanya was detained at the JFK Airport in Queens, New York as he was preparing to fly back to New Zealand.

He was held for being in possession of brass knuckles, but the charge was eventually dismissed.

In a chat during the MMA Hour show, Adesanya disclosed that it was a tough moment and that he had to meditate upon landing in the cell.

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He said, via MMA fighting:

“It’s crazy how life happens. You lose the belt, you go to the airport, get arrested. … First thing I did when I got into the cell was meditate for about 15 minutes. [I was in the cell] for about 45 minutes.

“They were all, like, ‘What the? What are you doing here?’ People started coming like, ‘Oh, hey Israel. What happened? We’ll get you out of here as soon as possible.’

“That’s life. I like these experiences; whether good or bad, it all happens for my benefit and my favour.”

Chimaev vows to defeat Adesanya

Sports Brief earlier reported that Khamzat Chimaev thinks the UFC is protecting Israel Adesanya from the Swedish fighter.

Chimaev (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) has been keen to return to action and appears to be gearing towards a welterweight showdown with former champion, Kamaru Usman at UFC 294 on October 22 in Abu Dhabi.

Chimaev has called out almost every top contender - whether at 170 or 185 pounds and among those names is UFC middleweight champion, Adesanya, who has cleared out the majority of his division.