Saturday night in Rio de Janeiro turned out to be quite the event at UFC 301. Four fighters might be taking an extended break from the octagon. Drakkar Klose, Dione Barbosa, Ismael Bonfim, and Kevin Borjas are all staring down the barrel of potential 180-day medical suspensions. That’s according to the folks over at the Brazilian MMA Athletic Commission (CABMMA). But hey, there’s a silver lining. These suspensions can get cut short with a doctor’s okay.
Every fighter who stepped into the cage that night got slapped with at least a 14-day timeout. Plus, they’re all benched from contact for a week. Safety first, right?
Now, onto Jack Shore. His fight got cut short because of a nasty cut on his shin. Just 3:35 into Round 2, and it was all over. The ringside doc was worried about a fracture, but turns out, that was a false alarm. Shore’s coach cleared the air later, saying no bones were broken.
The main event had Alexandre Pantoja defending his flyweight title against Steve Erceg. Both warriors walked away with a 30-day suspension and a 21-day no-contact order. Seems like standard procedure after a hard-fought battle.
Let’s talk medical suspensions. Alexandre Pantoja and Steve Erceg are both on the bench for 30 days, no contact for 21. Jose Aldo and Jonathan Martinez got the same deal. Ihor Potieria and Paul Craig got hit a bit harder. Potieria’s out for 45 days, Craig for 60. Jack Shore, despite the scare, also got a 45-day suspension.
Karolina Kowalkiewicz and Elves Brener? They’re joining the 30-day club. Drakkar Klose’s right knee might keep him out for 180 days unless a doc says otherwise. Joaquim Silva and Jamie Mullarkey are looking at 30 and 45 days, respectively.
Dione Barbosa’s shoulder and Ismael Bonfim’s foot and leg could sideline them for half a year. Unless, of course, they get medical clearance. Ernesta Kareckaite, Vinc Pichel, and Kevin Borjas are also on the list, each with their own time out from the cage.
So, there you have it. A night of fights leading to a long list of medical timeouts. But as they say, it’s all part of the game. Here’s hoping for speedy recoveries all around.