UFC 302 only saw three of its 12 bouts finish, but several fighters were injured last Saturday night in Newark, New Jersey.
On Tuesday, the New Jersey Athletic Control Board announced a medical suspension for the event, potentially resulting in an extended hiatus for both the main and co-main events.
At the top of the card, Dustin Poirier put up a brave challenge to UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev but ultimately fell short, submitting him in the fifth round. After the fight, Poirier admitted that he had suffered a shattered nose during the bout and some sort of leg injury while trying to push his opponent against the cage for a takedown in the third round.
As a result, Poirier was suspended indefinitely by the committee, pending a diagnosis by an ear, nose and throat specialist for the nose injury, and an orthopedic surgeon is also required to evaluate the left knee injury he sustained in the bout.
At this point, Poirier is still considering his retirement from the sport, so the doctor's final clearance may not be crucial if he decides not to return to UFC.
In the co-main event, Shawn Strickland defeated Paulo Costa but will now be suspended indefinitely pending X-rays of his left tibia and clearance from an orthopedic surgeon for a left tibia/leg injury. Judging by the wording of the suspension, it is possible that Strickland may have suffered some sort of fracture in his leg, but the committee is calling for him to be examined to determine the underlying nature of the injury.
Costa, meanwhile, had a lackluster performance before losing a split decision in the five-round bout and will serve an indefinite suspension pending clearance from an orthopedic surgeon for a right ankle/foot injury he sustained during the bout.
He will also be required to miss 30 days and have a 14-day no contact period, even if his ankle injury heals quickly.
Similarly, Michael Oleksiejczuk is facing an indefinite suspension after breaking his arm in a first-round submission of Kevin Holland. The extent of the damage is still unknown, but Oleksiejczuk will need to get clearance from an orthopedic surgeon on his right arm/elbow before competing again.
Here's the full list of medical suspensions at UFC 302:
- Islam Makhachev: 30-day suspension/no contact due to facial lacerations
- Dustin Poirier: Suspended indefinitely pending clearance from an ENT specialist for his nose and an orthopedic surgeon for his left knee.
- Sean Strickland: Suspended 30 days/no contact. Suspended indefinitely pending X-ray of left tibia and clearance from an orthopedic surgeon on left tibia/leg.
- Paulo Costa: Suspended 30 days, no contact for 14 days. Suspended indefinitely until cleared by orthopedic surgeon on right ankle/foot.
-
Michal Oleksiejchuk: Indefinitely suspended until clearance from orthopedic surgeon for right elbow/arm
-
Randy Brown: Suspended indefinitely pending X-ray results on right big toe and until cleared by orthopedic surgeon
-
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos: suspended indefinitely until passed by ophthalmologist
-
Jairton Almeida: Indefinitely suspended until an MRI on his left knee is completed and he is cleared by an orthopedic surgeon on his left knee.
-
Grant Dawson: Suspended 30 days, no contact due to laceration of left eyebrow.
-
Basil Hafez: 30-day suspension, no contact
-
Mickey Gall: Mandatory 14-day suspension, suspended indefinitely pending clearance for kidney testing
-
Ailin Perez: Suspended 30 days, no contact rule. Suspended indefinitely until jaw is evaluated by an oral surgeon.
- Jocelyn Edwards: Suspended 30 days, no contact allowed. Suspended indefinitely pending X-rays on right thumb.
