UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis spoke at length about staying active in 2015, but unfortunately he isn’t off to a good start. Pettis headed UFC 181’s post-event injury list, according the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC), drawing a potential six-month medical suspension for injuries suffered during his successful title defense against Gilbert Melendez.
The oft-injured Pettis submitted Melendez with a spectacular second-round guillotine over the weekend, but now he’ll require an x-ray of his left hand before being allowed to return to action. If the hand is damaged, NAC officials mandated that the 27-year-old titleholder receive physician’s clearance before fighting again, or otherwise be held out until early June.
In addition to Pettis, two other fighters could be facing an extended time on the shelf due to injuries sustained at UFC 181.
Abel Trujillo, a lightweight who lost to Tony Ferguson on the night’s pay-per-view broadcast, will require physician’s clearance on his fractured nose, while Francisco Rivera, a bantamweight who controversially lost after being eye-poked by Urijah Faber on the preliminary card, will require ophthalmologist’s clearance on his left eye abrasion.
Both of those suspensions, similar to Pettis’, carry a maximum sentence of June 6, 2015.
UFC 181 took place this past Saturday night, Dec. 6, 2014, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, NV. The event’s complete medical suspension list can be seen below.
- Anthony Pettis: Requires x-ray of left hand; if positive, requires doctor’s clearance or no contest until June 6
- Abel Trujillo: Requires doctor’s clearance on fractured nose or no contest until Jun. 6; minimum suspension until Jan. 6, no contest until Dec. 2
- Francisco Rivera: Requires ophthalmologist’s clearance on left eye abrasion or no contest until June 6
- Eddie Gordon: Requires post-concussive clearance from neurologist or sports medicine doctor prior to starting contact training; minimum suspension no contest until March 7, no contact until Feb. 5
- Brendan Schaub: Suspended until Feb. 5, no contact until Jan. 21 due to upper lip laceration
- Anthony Hamilton: Suspended until Jan. 21, no contact until Jan. 6 due to right forehead laceration
- Tony Ferguson: Suspended until Jan. 21, no contact until Jan. 6 due to right forehead laceration
- Raquel Pennington: Suspended until Jan. 21, no contact until Jan. 6 due to forehead laceration
- Johny Hendricks: Suspended until Jan. 6, no contact until Dec. 28 due to tough fight
- Todd Duffee: Suspended until Jan. 6, no contact until Dec. 28 due to forehead laceration
- Matt Hobar: Suspended until Jan. 6, no contact until Dec. 28 due to left eye hematoma
- Sergio Pettis: Suspended until Jan. 6, no contact until Dec. 28
- Clay Collard: Requires orthopedic clearance on left forearm or no contest until June 6; minimum suspension no contest until Jan. 6, no contact until Dec. 28
- Alex White: Suspended until Jan. 6, no contact until Dec. 28 due to left upper eyebrow laceration