Ex-UFC Champ Israel Adesanya Arrested For Possession Of Weapon At New York Airport

It's safe to say that it has been a rough week for former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.

At UFC 281 last Saturday, November 11 in New York City, Adesanya lost his title to longtime rival Alex Pereira, losing by fifth-round TKO in a bout that he appeared to be minutes away from winning on the scorecards.

The loss was only the second in Adesanya's mixed martial arts career and only his first as a middleweight.

To his credit, Adesanya remained in good spirits following the loss, as can be seen during post-fight interviews.

Unfortunately for the Nigerian-born Kiwi, his stretch of tough luck wouldn't end at UFC 281.

Heading back home to Auckland, New Zealand, Adesanya was reportedly arrested and briefly detained at the John F. Kennedy International Airport after he attempted to go through security while in possession of brass knuckles.

Any form of metal knuckles is illegal in the state of New York.

If charged and convicted, Adesanya could have received jail time and some fines.

Fortunately, Adesanya's manager Tim Simpson provided a positive update on the matter, saying that the knuckles were a gift from a fan.

"Israel was handed a gift by a fan, which he put in his luggage," Simpson told TMZ. "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 is on his way home."

Following what has been an eventful week for "The Last Stylebender," it's good to know that can finally get home and get some rest.

Adesanya will surely go back to the drawing board and work on getting his UFC championship back.

With the way Saturday night's main event played out, it's not impossible that the UFC decides to book an immediate rematch between Adesanya and Pereira.