By George Block and Isaac Davison of 
File image. Photo: AFP / Carmen Mandato
UFC superstar Israel Adesanya has pleaded guilty to drink driving.
Adesanya arrived at the Auckland District Court about 9am on Monday with his lawyer and two personal security staff.
Court documents show the international star was charged with driving a car on Wellesley Street in Auckland Central with 87 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 80 milligrams.
"I want to apologise to the community, my family and my team for the decision I made to get behind the wheel after drinking at dinner," Adesanya said in a statement provided to the New Zealand Herald.
"I was pulled over and gave an evidentiary blood test - the reading was 87 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood."
He added: "I am disappointed with my decision to drive, it was wrong.
"I know that people might follow me and I want them to know I do not think this behaviour is acceptable."
The maximum penalty for the charge is a term of imprisonment of three months or a fine of $4500.
The date of the alleged offence is 19 August this year.
The 34-year-old is listed on court documents as living in a flat in Remuera.
His blood alcohol result indicates he was only a shade over the threshold for being charged.
His lawyer Karl Trotter sought that no conviction be entered, and this was granted by the judge.
Adesanya will be sentenced on 10 January.
He did not respond to questions from the New Zealand Herald upon leaving the court through a rear exit.
This story was originally published by the New Zealand Herald.
