UFC CEO Dana White has commented on former UFC middleweight champ Israel Adesanya‘s recent guilty plea to a drunk-driving charge, stating that Adesanya should have hired a driver due to his wealth, and hopes the fighter has learned from the experience.
UFC CEO Dana White expressed his concern over former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya’s recent legal troubles. Adesanya had pleaded guilty to New Zealand’s version of a DUI, raising eyebrows in the world of mixed martial arts. White was of the opinion that Adesanya should not have been behind the wheel after consuming alcohol and expressed his hopes that the former champion would take this incident as a lesson learned.
Adesanya’s guilty plea to a drunk-driving charge was received by the UFC community with much concern. The incident occurred just three weeks prior to his title defense at UFC 293 against Sean Strickland. He was pulled over and found to have exceeded the legal limit for alcohol. Following the incident, Adesanya released a statement assuming full responsibility for his choice to drive home after an evening out with friends.
White, asked whether Adesanya’s legal issues might have influenced his surprise loss to Strickland earlier that month, pointed out the poor decision-making involved on the athlete’s part. “No matter how many drinks you had, if you drink, don’t drive,” he said. He added that with the resources available to him, Adesanya could have easily hired a driver or used a service like Uber. Thankfully, no one was injured as a result of the incident.
White’s advice to Adesanya wasn’t just a spontaneous reaction but reminiscent of his words for another UFC star, Jon Jones, who’d also had a brush with the law. Jones, Adesanya’s former competitor, had faced backlash from White after he was charged in a hit-and-run that resulted in a pregnant woman sustaining a broken arm. The UFC CEO jokingly mentioned that he’d have preferred to hire a private jet to ensure Jones got home safe rather than risk him partying in Las Vegas post his heavyweight title win at UFC 285. White also expressed his thoughts on Adesanya’s match against Strickland, suggesting the incident may have influenced his performance.