Israel Adesanya arrested in US over possession of metal knuckles

Israel Adesanya, a former middleweight champion of the UFC, is said to have been detained for allegedly bringing brass knuckles into New York's John F. Kennedy Airport.

The 33-year-old was detained by Port Authority police on Wednesday in the American Airlines terminal after Alex Pereira defeated him in New York last Saturday by technical knockout.

A Port Authority representative at the John F. Kennedy Airport in New York confirmed the arrest, adding that Adesanya was detained for having "metal knuckles," according to a story on Daily Mail.

In New York, having brass knuckles is a Class A misdemeanor, and having them on an airline is prohibited. Where Adesanya reportedly kept the weapon is unknown.

UFC spokespersons have not yet responded to the incident.

As a result of his defeat, Adesanya has fallen from No. 2 to No. 8 on MMAfighting.com's pound-for-pound rankings.

Adesanya, who was born in Lagos, Nigeria, is now a citizen of New Zealand and resides in Auckland.

On Saturday, longtime rivals Adesanya and Pereira squared off for the UFC middleweight title. The latter prevailed after a brutal TKO stoppage late in the fight.

Adesanya should be "grateful" for the decision, according to Canadian boxer and trainer Firas Zahabi, who disputes accusations that referee Marc Goddard called the fight off too soon.

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