In the realm of making headlines, Israel Adesanya always manages to find his way into the spotlight, sometimes in unconventional ways. Last year, the reigning UFC middleweight champion caused a stir when authorities at New York’s JFK airport arrested him for possessing brass knuckles, a weapon prohibited in the state. Security staff flagged Adesanya and the Transportation Security Administration subsequently took him into custody for attempting to pass through security with the illegal item.

However, to everyone’s surprise, ‘The Last Stylebender’ swiftly secured his release from the Port Authority Police Department after explaining that a fan had gifted him the brass knuckles at the airport. Adesanya’s manager, Tim Simpson, confirmed the dismissal of the matter, and the UFC star promptly headed back to his home country, New Zealand.

This incident unfolded as Adesanya was making his journey back to New Zealand following his loss to Alex Pereira at UFC 281, where he was dethroned as the UFC middleweight champion. Despite the setback, Adesanya recently revisited the airport incident and, true to his nature, laughed it off.

Israel Adesanya recalls the airport arrest experience

Israel Adesanya recently appeared on the show ‘Sundae Conversation’ hosted by Caleb Pressley, known for its unfiltered and unconventional approach to interviews. During the interview, the host delved into Adesanya’s experience with airports, leading to a discussion about his arrest incident.

Adesanya candidly shared, “LAX is a little bit tricky and also, I had a bad time last time at JFK. They put me in cuffs,”He went on to explain, “[I] took a gift from a fan. And it happened to be an illegal weapon.”

When pressed further about the nature of the weapon, Adesanya replied, “Knuckle dusters… It’s like, brass knuckles.”

Read more: UFC Legend Outraged After Israel Adesanya “Arrest” News – ‘Ignoring Serious Crimes…’

Moving on to Adesanya’s professional front, the middleweight kingpin is now gearing up to defend his title against the #1 ranked Dricus du Plessis. Their upcoming clash adds another layer of excitement to the fight, as the two fighters have a rivalry outside the octagon, particularly revolving around the “real African” debate. This rivalry fuels their matchup, setting the stage for a thrilling showdown later this year.

Who are you rooting for between Israel Adesanya and Dricus du Plessis? Let us know in the comments below.

Watch this story: When Is the UFC HW GOAT Decider Fight Between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic