UFC’s Israel Adesanya detained at airport, matter dismissed

Israel Adesanya was briefly detained by the Port Authority Police department at JFK airport on Wednesday. 

According to a report from TMZ, Adesanya was detained at 1:57 p.m Eastern time after allegedly going through airport security with brass knuckles. The arrest was made near the TSA screening area of the American Airlines terminal.

Adesanya’s manager, Tim Simpson, later stated, “Israel was handed a gift by a fan, which he put in his luggage. 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.”

Brass knuckles are illegal in the state of New York. They are prohibited to carry on your person or in a carry-on bag. 

Adesanya dropped the UFC Middleweight Championship on Saturday at UFC 281 from Madison Square Garden. He was defeated by Alex Pereira via TKO in the fifth round. Prior to this, Adesanya had successfully defended the belt five times, second most in the division’s history behind only Anderson Silva (10).