UFC’s return to Sacramento after seven years delivered a brutal night of action, with ten out of the 13 bouts ending in stoppages this past Saturday. As such, the physical toll of the battle is now reflected in the medical suspensions imposed by the California State Athletic Commission.
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The 26 fighters who competed at Golden 1 Center on Saturday have been issued suspensions, with 18 of them facing terms that exceed the mandatory seven-day suspension after a fight. And unsurprisingly, the two longest potential layoffs belong to the fighters who fought in the middleweight main event and went through a brutal five-round, 25-minute war.
Gregory Rodrigues has been suspended for 180 days, i.e., six months, or until a specialist clears him for a possible fracture to his right leg. The Brazilian was also given a 45-day suspension, including 30 days of no contact due to a brutal 5-round fight, as well as the mandatory seven-day suspension.
His opponent, Anthony Hernandez, was handed an equal 180-day medical suspension or until a physician clears him for a potential fracture, although his injury was listed as a possible fracture to his left knee. In addition to the mandatory seven-day suspension, ‘Fluffy’ must also serve a 45-day suspension and 30 days without contact as a result of their tough fight at UFC Sacramento.
And well, it seems like they wouldn’t mind it much, considering how this grueling one-on-one got them an additional $100,000 Fight of the Night bonus.
While Gregory Rodrigues ultimately won via unanimous decision, he was unable to walk out of the arena on his own. ‘Robocop’ was helped into a wheelchair for the post-fight show and then struggled to climb up the three steps to the official UFC Sacramento press conference.
Similarly, Hernandez was seen limping off the stage following their battle, as both competitors showed just how much damage had been done in 25 minutes.
The main event was especially brutal on the legs, with Rodrigues constantly targeting Hernandez’s lead leg while ‘Fluffy’ attempted to slow down his opponent with leg checks in return.
‘Robocop’ now appears to be in for a lengthy recovery, depending on the results of his medical examination. Anthony Hernandez, meanwhile, will have to wait before returning as he looks to rebound from two consecutive losses.
The loss was particularly frustrating for the 32-year-old, as he later accused Gregory Rodrigues of cheating, bringing Alex Pereira‘s latest arch-nemesis, Herb Dean, into the mix.
Full UFC Sacramento medical suspensions revealed
As per the report by MMA Fighting, the remainder of the UFC Sacramento card also saw several significant fighters being issued medical suspensions by CSAC. This includes four additional fighters who’ve received potential 180-day terms besides Rodrigues.
Brazilian heavyweight Vitor Petrino received the mandatory seven-day suspension, while his opponent Serghei Spivac, who lost the decision, was suspended for 45 days with 30 days of no contact due to the bout, plus the mandatory seven days.
Reinier de Ridder received seven days, while Roman Dolidze was suspended for 45 days with 30 days of no contact due to his TKO loss, alongside the mandatory seven days.
Despite a second-round KO win, Marquel Mederos received a 180-day suspension or physician clearance for a possible fracture to his right orbital bone, while his opponent Mason Jones received 45 days with 30 days of no contact.
Carli Judice received seven days, while Jeisla Chavez received 45 days with 30 days of no contact due to TKO, plus seven mandatory days.
Anthony Wint received 60 days or physician clearance for a laceration to his right eyebrow for his submission win, while Terrance Chatman received 45 days with 30 days of no contact due to a hard bout.
Jamall Emmers received seven days, while Lerryan Douglas received 180 days or physician clearance for a possible fracture to his right orbital bone. Douglas also received 45 days with 30 days of no contact due to TKO.
Shamil Gaziev received seven days, while Kennedy Nzechukwu received 45 days with 30 days of no contact due to a knockout.
Chris Padilla was handed a 45-day suspension with 30 days of no contact due to a hard bout, while Nasrat Haqparast received 45 days with 30 days of no contact due to his TKO loss.
Marcio Barbosa received seven days for his first-round KO win, while Ryan Kuse received 45 days with 30 days of no contact.
For his decision win, Stan Dorsainvil received 60 days or physician clearance for a laceration to his left eye, and his opponent, Gauge Young, received 45 days with 30 days of no contact.
Meanwhile, Jackson McVey received seven days for his first-round TKO win, while Wesley Schultz received 45 days with 30 days of no contact.
Lastly, Shanelle Dyer received seven days for her third-round TKO win over Elise Reed in the opening bout, while Reed was handed a 180-day suspension or until physician clearance for a possible fracture to her nose. The 33-year-old was also given 60 days or until physician clearance for a laceration to her left ear, as well as 45 days with 30 days of no contact, along with the mandatory seven-day suspension.
Overall, all 26 fighters got at least the mandatory seven-day suspension, with five being handed a suspension of six months.
This is all too common with most UFC events. After last week’s UFC 330, twelve fighters, including Islam Makhachev, were handed suspensions exceeding 30 days by the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission.
It is also important to note that the longer medical suspensions do not necessarily imply definitive layoffs. Fighters who are cleared by a qualified medical specialist may be eligible to return before the listed suspension expires.
