Israel Adesanya arrested in US

UFC fighter Israel Adesanya has reportedly been arrested in the United States for taking brass knuckles through security at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York.

Adesanya, 33, was arrested by Port Authority police at the American Airlines terminal on Wednesday.

The Nigerian lost his middleweight title by TKO to Alex Pereira in New York last Saturday.

A Port Authority spokesperson at the John F. Kennedy Airport in New York confirmed the arrest, saying Adesanya was booked for possessing “metal knuckles,” reports Daily Mail.

Brass knuckles are a Class A misdemeanor in New York, and it is also illegal to bring them aboard an airplane. It’s not clear where Adesanya allegedly stored the weapon.

Adesanya’s loss has seen him plummet down the pound-for-pound rankings, dropping from No. 2 to No. 8 on MMAfighting.com.

Despite his loss to Pereira, he earned $2.6 million from the fight.