Israel Adesanya involved in alleged road rage incident (UPDATED)

Israel Adesanya has not been able to catch a break lately. He recently lost his return to the UFC and now the former UFC champion was spotted on video in an argument with a man in New Zealand.

The video shows Adesanya and a man standing next to Adesanya's car arguing. Adesanya is seein flipping the man off who flexes in return. You can hear Adesanya telling the man to "walk away" and "go drive your f*cking beat up piece of sh*t." Adesanya then grabs his groin and tells the man he's a "b*tch" before spitting on the man.

It's unclear how it started or why Adesanya was so mad. This is a developing story and we'll update when more information is learned. Watch the clip below.

Israel Adesanya seen using obscene gestures, spitting on man during roadside altercation

Israel Adesanya releases statement after rage rage video leaked

UPDATE: Adesanya has released a statement about the incident seen above. “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 said in the statement to the New Zealand Herald “We have been in contact with police and will be pressing charges.

He continued, "On Wednesday morning, I was leaving a cafe on K Rd when a passing car slowed, and an occupant began yelling racial abuse and challenging me to fight. I smiled, waved it off, and continued to my car. The vehicle stopped, and the abuse continued. I again waved it off. The car then parked, and the passenger got out, approached me aggressively, continued his torrent of abuse, and demanded I fight him. I tried to de-escalate the situation repeatedly. As he got closer, I asked bystanders to call the police. He then entered my personal space, and I felt threatened. To protect myself, I became more forceful in my language and defensive. Though he paused, the abuse continued, so I left him with some choice words, cautiously moved to my car, and drove away. It’s ridiculous that I can’t buy a pie after training without some idiot screaming despicable things and asking for a fight while his mates film from the sidelines. Threatening violence is no joke. It’s very dangerous, and incidents like this must not be glorified online. I hope in the future people say something rather than get their phones out to film."

The same outlet also shared a statement from the person who filmed the altercation that reads, "I immediately recognized him and from what I witnessed I was quite disappointed to see him acting in this manner in public, swearing and spitting at the other guy and grabbing his privates. As a public figure, I expected more from someone who represents New Zealand internationally."

In New Zealand spitting on someone is considered assault (just as it is in the United States). In 2020, a man was sentenced to jail time for spitting on a police officer. It's unlikely anything will come of this in terms of the law unless the man presses charges.

Adesanya is coming off a shocking loss to bitter rival Dricus Du Plessis, the first fight back since he took an extended break following his loss to Sean Strickland. During his time away from the Octagon he was battling the courts over a drunk driving case. In 2023, Adesanya was charged with driving under the influence in Auckland. In January he pleaded guilty, issued an apology and the judge dismissed the charges. According to The New York Times, "Judge Peter Winter of the Auckland District Court instead ordered Mr. Adesanya to donate 1,500 New Zealand dollars, or around $900, to a charity, suspended his driver’s license for six months, and ordered him to enroll in a drunk-driving cessation program by the end of 2024."