‘UFC Fight Night: Belfort Vs. Henderson 3’ Aftermath — Five Fighters Have Medical Suspensions Up To Half A Year

Last Saturday, November 7, the MMA community found out who stood tall and who fell short at UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Henderson 3 (also known as UFC Fight Night 77). For winners like Glover Teixeira, Thomas Almeida, Alex Oliveira, and Corey Anderson, it was a great night. However, Vitor Belfort is the one sitting on top of the world with a spectacular finish that earned him a “Performance of the Night” award (video of finish attached below). Two minutes and seven seconds into the first round, “The Phenom” knocked out Dan Henderson with a head kick, the same method Belfort won in their second fight. Besides that, Belfort is now leading with one more win over Henderson, a rivalry initiated back in 2006 when Pride was still around.

Though Dan Henderson lost his fight, he did dodge a lengthy medical suspension, which is amazing because that foot he ate in the face was intense. That said, medical suspensions for UFC Fight Night 77 have been released, and five of the fighters may be out of commission for up to half a year.

The list was released by the Comissao Atletica Brasileira de MMA (also known as CABMMA or the Brazilian Athletic Commission) on Monday, November 9, as reported by MMA Junkie. It detailed a total of 13 fighters who received suspensions following their performances on Saturday night’s card. The medical suspensions for Piotr Hallman, Johnny Case, Kevin Souza, Gasan Umalatov, and Bruno Korea could last up to six months, with most ending sometime in May of 2016, as detailed by Sherdog. Everyone else listed will be out for less time.

The following list details each fighter who received a medical suspension, how long the suspension will last, and the conditions to be met for the fighter to get back into MMA action.

• Dan Henderson: Suspended for 45 days with no contact during training for 30 days for precautionary reasons.
• Patrick Cummins: Suspended for 60 days with no contact during 45 days for precautionary reasons.
• Anthony Birchak: Suspended 60 days with no contact during training for 45 days of precautionary reasons.
• Pitor Hallman: Suspended for 180 days or until cleared by doctor for possible nasal fracture.
• Fabio Maldonado: Suspended for 30 days with no contact during training for 21 days for precautionary reasons.
• Johnny Case: Suspended for 180 days or until cleared by doctor for a possible right leg injury.
• Yan Cabral: Suspended for 45 days with on contact during training for 30 days for precautionary reasons.
• Chas Skelly: Suspended for 30 days with no contact during training for 21 days for precautionary reasons.
• Kevin Souza: Suspended for 180 days or until cleared by doctor for a possible right hand injury.
• Gasan Umalatov: Suspended for 180 days or until cleared by doctor for a possible right hand injury.
• Jimmie Rivera: Suspended for 30 days with no contact during training for 21 days for precautionary reasons.
• Pedro Munhoz: Suspended 180 days or until cleared by a doctor for a possible broken orbital bone.
• Bruno Korea: Suspended 30 days with no contact during training for 21 days for precautionary reasons.

For those concerned about the length of the medical suspensions, take note they are just a precaution. Most of the time, fighters return to action far quicker than what is given once the doctors give them the a-okay. On the other hand, not all injuries are recorded during post-fight examinations and may often times surface in follow-up tests.

[Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images]