Israel Adesanya Released After Arrest Over Metal Knuckles

Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya was arrested on Wednesday at JFK Airport for being in possession of metal knuckles.

Metal knuckles are illegal in New York. Possession is a Class A misdemeanor. TSA rules allow metal knuckles to be stored in checked luggage, but bans passengers from possessing them in carry-on bags.

TMZ reports that Adesanya was taken into custody near JFK’s American Airlines terminal on Wednesday afternoon, just before 2pm local time.

In a statement to MMA Fighting, Adesanya’s manager, Tim Simpson, however, said the matter had been dismissed and the UFC star was on his way home.

“Israel was handed a gift by a fan, which he put in his luggage,” Simpson said.

“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’s on his way home.” It read.

This is coming on the back of Adesanya’s loss to Alex Pereira in the UFC, in what has been a difficult week for the Nigerian-New Zealander.