The headliners from this past Saturday’s UFC 221 face a long layoff unless they can get cleared by doctors.Both Yoel Romero (13-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) and Luke Rockhold (16-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) received six-month medical suspensions issued by the Western Australia Combat Sports Commission, which were recently posted by mixedmartialarts.com.Romero took home a knockout victory in the pay-per-view fight at Perth Arena in Perth, Australia, but he’ll need orthopedic clearance for his left middle finger to avoid a six-month term. Surprisingly, his suspension didn’t include any information about his leg, which his manager said was bruised to the bone.
Rockhold, meanwhile, can avoid a six-month term with clearance from a dentist.In other notable suspensions, heavyweight Curtis Blaydes (10-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) is benched for six months following his decision over Mark Hunt (13-12-1 MMA, 8-6-1 UFC) in the co-main event. He needs doctor clearance for an injured left knee.
The full list of medical suspensions from UFC 221 includes:
- Yoel Romero: suspended 180 days or until cleared by orthopedist for left middle finger; suspended a minimum of 30 days
- Luke Rockhold: suspended 180 days or until cleared by dentist
- Curtis Blaydes: suspended 180 days or until cleared by orthopedist for for left knee; suspended a minimum of 30 days
- Mark Hunt: suspended 45 days with 30 days no contact for left ear laceration
Tai Tuivasa: suspended mandatory 7 days - Cyril Asker: suspended 45 days with 30 days no contact for TKO
- Jake Matthews: suspended 45 days with 30 days no contact for eyebrow laceration
- Li Jingliang: suspended mandatory 7 days
- Tyson Pedro: suspended mandatory 7 days
- Saparbek Safarov: suspended 30 days with 21 days no contact for TKO
- Dong Hyun Kim: suspended 180 days or until cleared by orthopedist for left proximal fibula fracture; suspended a minimum of 30 days
- Damien Brown: suspended 45 days with 30 days no contact for right eyelid laceration
- Israel Adesanya: suspended mandatory 7 days
- Rob Wilkinson: suspended 180 days or until cleared by ear, nose, and throat or oral and maxillofacial doctor; suspended a minimum of 60 days with 45 days no contact
- Alexander Volkanovski: suspended mandatory 7 days
- Jeremy Kennedy: suspended 45 days with 30 days no contact for TKO
- Jussier Formiga: suspended 45 days with 30 days no contact for scalp laceration
- Ben Nguyen: suspended 45 days with 30 days no contact for TKO
- Ross Pearson: suspended 45 days for dental evaluation
- Mizuto Hirota: suspended 30 days with 21 days no contact
- Jose Quinonez: suspended 180 days or until cleared by orthopedist for right foot
- Teruto Ishihara: suspended mandatory 7 days
- Luke Jumeau: suspended 180 days or until cleared by orthopedist for right hand and second metacarpal fracture
- Daichi Abe: suspended 45 days due to hard bout