Israel Adesanya Fires Back After Racially Charged Traffic Incident

Former UFC Middleweight Champion, Israel Adesanya, was revealed to be involved in a heated road rage altercation in Auckland, New Zealand.

The two-time champ addressed the incident after video footage was shared online, which unfolded earlier this week, showing an intense verbal exchange between Adesanya and another driver.

Adesanya told the New Zealand Herald it was “all a bit too far” when the other driver threw racially fueled insults his way.

“I am extremely disappointed after an incident on Wednesday when a random member of the public stopped his car, racially abused me, and challenged me to a fight,” Adesanya explained, confirming he has contacted authorities and plans to press charges.

It began with Adesanya leaving a café when someone began verbally assaulting him before getting out of the car to continue.

“It’s ridiculous that I can’t buy a pie after training without some idiot screaming despicable things,” he said. He emphasized the actual danger in making violence look cool online and expressed that people should take a helpful action when they see it instead of taking out their phones to record it.

The clip, which has since gone viral, showed Adesanya trying to walk away as he verbally fended off the aggressor.

A witness recording the incident expressed disappointment, however, in Adesanya’s response, saying the fighter’s actions were unbecoming of a public figure since ‘The Last Stylebender’ allegedly spat at and gave the middle finger in the opposing driver’s direction.

Adesanya, who last fought inside the octagon against Dricus du Plessis at UFC 305, has said to have been taking it all in his stride and is focused on the bigger issue of racially motivated violence.

The other driver’s identity still remains a mystery and has not yet been made available, though is likely to present in a court case should Israel move forward with pressing charges on the offender.