UFC star Israel Adesanya returns to Auckland court to face music for ...

International UFC star Israel Adesanya has been granted a discharge without conviction for drink-driving after his lawyer told an Auckland judge today that such a mark on his record could seriously curtail the “tail end” of his still-thriving career.

The former two-time middleweight champion, who lives in Auckland suburb Remuera, was stopped at a checkpoint on Wellesley St in Auckland Central just before midnight on Saturday, August 19. He told police he had consumed two cocktails with dinner.

Court documents show he had been driving with 87 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 50 milligrams, punishable by infringement, and readings of over 80 milligrams are eligible for criminal charges.

He could have faced up to three months’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $4500 for the charge, which he immediately pleaded guilty to during his first appearance at Auckland District Court in September.

“I want to apologise to the community, my family and my team for the decision I made to get behind the wheel after drinking at dinner,” he said in September in a statement provided to the Herald after his first court appearance.

“...I am disappointed with my decision to drive. It was wrong. I know that people might follow me and I want them to know I do not think this behaviour is acceptable.”

During today’s hearing, Judge Peter Winter ordered Adesanya to pay $1500 to a charity, refrain from driving for six months and enrol in a stop-drink driving programme when his travel schedule suits by the end of the year. But a conviction, the judge agreed, would be out of all proportion to the gravity or seriousness of the offence.

“I’m sure you have learned from this,” Judge Winter told the sportsman as he sat in the courtroom dock. “You would not want to be placed in this position again, as you realise.”

The judge also touched on some of Adesanya’s sporting achievements and credited him for not ever seeking name suppression.

Adesanya told the judge thank you as he left the dock, calling out to the judge more confidently a minute later as the hearing concluded.

“Your Honour,” he said with his hand over his heart. “Thank you.”

Defence lawyer Karl Trotter noted during today’s hearing that Adesanya is expected in Canada on January 21 for the UFC middleweight title bout. Although not fighting in the match, the UFC expects him there for promotional purposes. Trotter also presented an affidavit from high-profile MMA management firm director Tim Simpson noting that Adesanya would stand to lose lucrative endorsement deals worth hundreds of thousands of dollars - and might even have to pay back up to 50 per cent - if a conviction was to be entered.

“The adverse consequences should my client be convicted are monumental - that’s not exaggerating the situation,” Trotter said. “He realises he is in jeopardy.”

Police prosecutor Samara Wakefield opposed a discharge without conviction, describing the consequences of a conviction described by the defence as “speculative at best”. Drink driving is a pervasive social problem in New Zealand and plenty of other otherwise-good citizens have appropriately found themselves with convictions based on such behaviour, police said.

Last year saw some extreme highs and lows for the 34-year-old UFC star, who knocked out Alex Pereira in April to reclaim his middleweight title. He was just weeks away from his September 9 title defence against American Sean Strickland in Sydney when the checkpoint stop resulted in the criminal charge.

The charge remained unknown, however, until his first appearance in court two weeks after the disastrous loss to Strickland.

Adesanya announced in October that he would be taking an extended break following the career upset. After 16 prior bouts in less than four years, including 11 straight title fights, some time off from the sport would be best for his career, he told The Rock.

“I’m definitely not going to retire because I know me, but if I did, I’m fine,” he said at the time. “I don’t need to prove anything else, but I know what I can do and what I can change in my lifestyle to make my body adapt to where I need to be.

“I’m going to heal myself up and you won’t see me fight for a long time... then, when I come back, f***ing run for the hills.”

In court today, Adesanya’s lawyer confirmed he doesn’t currently have any bouts scheduled but told the judge it is expected his client will fight in Canada sometime this year. He has continued training and has not consumed alcohol nor driven since the incident in August, he said.

A conviction would severely restrict his client’s ability to travel to Canada over the next five years, at “essentially what Mr Adesanya says is the tail-end of his career”, Trotter said. The judge agreed that “at your age, your career window in this sport is of limited duration”.

Adesanya has no prior criminal convictions but was granted another discharge without conviction in May 2020 for driving a vehicle while suspended from doing so due to an accumulation of demerit points.

Craig Kapitan is an Auckland-based journalist covering courts and justice. He joined the Herald in 2021 and has reported on courts since 2002 in three newsrooms in the US and New Zealand.