Nigerian-New Zealand professional kickboxer, Israel Adesanya has been arrested in New York.
Naija News learnt that the 33-year-old was arrested on Wednesday, November 16, 2022.
Reports said the UFC star was arrested at John F. Kennedy Airport.
He was reportedly taken into custody by the police and airport security after he was found in possession of a metal knuckle while trying to go through security.
An official told reporters that brass knuckles are illegal in the United States, and the multiple award-winning martial arts could face up to one year in prison if convicted.
The incident, according to reports, occurred at about 1:57 p.m. local time when Adesanya was undergoing security checks at a terminal used by American Airlines.
Foxnews reports, however, that Adesanya may have been released by the authorities after cooperating with them.
“Israel was handed a gift by a fan, which he put in his luggage,” Adesanya’s manager, Tim Simpson, told reporters shortly after the incident.
“When flagged at the airport, Israel quickly disposed of the item and cooperated with authorities. He has complied accordingly. With that, the matter was dismissed, and he is on his way home,” he added.
It is, however, unclear where the boxer was travelling to when the incident occurred. Though it is understood that the boxing champion of Nigerian origin lives in New Zealand.
Naija News recalls that Adesanya lost his middleweight title belt to his rival Pereira by technical knockout few days ago.