Michael Bisping reacts to Israel Adesanya being arrested at JFK Airport for possession of brass knuckles.
‘The Last Stylebender’ was due to catch a flight back to New Zealand but was detained by airport security for having brass knuckles in his luggage.
Tim Simpson, Israel Adesanya’s manager, put out a statement that explained the situation. According to Simpson, the brass knuckles were a gift from a fan that Adesanya had unknowingly put into his bag:
“Israel was handed a gift by a fan, which he put in his luggage. 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.”
Michael Bisping reacted to the news on his YouTube channel. According to ‘The Count’, what Israel Adesanya did is nothing compared to some of the crimes other UFC stars have committed:
“What Izzy did there is nothing compared what Conor, myself, Jon Jones or Rampage did. Jon Jones headbutted a police car…car crashes, the belt stripped, smashing a Bentley into a lampost, hitting a car with a pregnant lady in the car…The point I’m making is, he shouldnt have gone through the aiport with knuckledusters…it’s just a little oversight. If he didn’t know, he didn’t know!”
Catch the full reaction here:
Israel Adesanya was arrested at JFK (John F. Kennedy) Airport in New York on November 16. for possession of brass/metal knuckles while attempting to get through airport security.
Brass knuckles, also known as knuckle dusters, are metal guards worn over knuckles for the purposes of combat. While there are no federal regulations governing the possession or use of brass buckles, many states have enacted legislation against them. States like Nevada, California, Vermont, Michigan, and New York, among others, fully outlaw brass knuckles.
New York Penal Law 265.01(1) outlines the class ‘A’ misdemeanor offense of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Fourth Degree. It establishes certain objects that are automatically considered weapons, including brass knuckles, regardless of whether or not you had the intent to use that object unlawfully against another person. If found guilty, people could be punished with a one-year jail term plus fines.
While the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) website establishes that brass knuckles are prohibited in carry-on luggage but allowed inside checked bags, the final decision to allow an item through the checkpoint lies with the TSA officer.
However, in Israel Israel Adesanya’s case, since JFK airport is within the jurisdiction of New York laws, the brass knuckles might have rang more than a few bells among the security personnel.