[ad_1]
Israel Adesanya should not have been driving himself after drinking alcohol, UFC CEO Dana White believes. But after the former UFC middleweight champ pled guilty to New Zealand’s version of a DUI, White hopes the fighter turns things around.
White reacted on Tuesday to Adesanya’s recent guilty plea to a drunk-driving charge. Three weeks before Adesanya’s title defense at UFC 293 against Sean Strickland, he was pulled over and found to be over the legal limit for alcohol. Adesanya later released a statement taking responsibility for his decision to drive home after drinking at dinner with friends.
“I think that, uh…bad decisions, man,” said White when asked whether Adesanya’s legal trouble may have played into his upset loss to Strickland earlier this month. “No matter how many drinks you had, if you drink, don’t drive.
“It’s one thing – Ubering is easy and all this other stuff, but when you have that kind of money that that kid has, get a driver – have somebody drive you, or Uber, or whatever. He made a bad decision, thank god nobody was hurt – him or anybody else.
“And you know what I say about mistakes – how do you handle them after you make them? Hopefully, that’s a one-and-done for him and he never does it again.”
White had the same advice for another UFC star who’d repeatedly run afoul with the law: Jon Jones. Adesanya’s former rival drew a strong rebuke from White after he was charged in connection with a hit-and-run that left a pregnant woman with a broken arm. White joked that he wanted to hire a private jet to escort Jones home safely instead of partying in Las Vegas after his heavyweight title win at UFC 285.
Adesanya’s known rap sheet is considerably shorter than Jones, though the former UFC middleweight’s words have repeatedly gotten him in hot water with fans.
White criticized Adesanya’s performance against Strickland and wondered aloud what inspired it. Adesanya appeared briefly at the post-UFC 293 press conference, but departed early to leave most of the explaining to his coach, Eugene Bareman.
In a recent video posted to his YouTube account, Adesanya spoke in more detail about his loss to Strickland, at one point saying it “felt like a bad dream.”
White and the UFC are still considering whether or not to book an immediate rematch between Adesanya and Strickland. White initially welcomed a second go-around, but he later backtracked over outcry on Adesanya’s recent record as a champ; he is 4-2 since a failed bid to capture the light heavyweight title.
[ad_2]
Source link
