The biggest card of the year so far delivered some remarkable highlights on another classic night in Miami.
UFC 314 had high expectations with several huge fights booked for the card following a rocky run of events from the MMA leader.
April 12 lived up to the hype with Alexander Volkanovski reclaiming the featherweight title following a great battle with Diego Lopes whilst Paddy Pimblett’s stock continued to rise after he stopped Michael Chandler in the co-main event.
There were other big performances from the likes of Yair Rodriguez, Jean Silva and Dominick Reyes on the main card whilst the prelims also produced some talking points.
As fans recently saw via the backstage footage of Lopes’ reaction to his defeat, there is often a harsh reality waiting on the other side of the curtain for these athletes with several fighters receiving indefinite medical suspensions after putting their bodies on the line.
Diego Lopes among five fighters handed indefinite medical suspensions after UFC 314
In the aftermath of UFC 314 on April 12, MMA Junkie posted the full list of medical suspensions handed out by the Florida Athletic Commission (FAC).
Details on the potential injuries that have led to these suspensions are not disclosed though the exact timeframes could be shortened if a fighter gets cleared by a doctor.
Diego Lopes has been suspended indefinitely following his five-round featherweight title clash with Alexander Volkanovski in the main event.
Whilst there could be other injuries that we don’t know about, Lopes’ right eye looked to be completely shut by the end of the fight where ‘The Great’ reclaimed the 145-pound gold.
Volkanovski was suspended just 45 days despite also suffering some damage around his eyes.
For the fighters involved in the co-main event, Paddy Pimblett came through his toughest test without a medical suspension whilst Michael Chandler received 60 days.
Along with Lopes, four other fighters were handed indefinite suspensions due to potential injuries with Virna Jandiroba, Chase Hooper and both Marco Tulio and Tresean Gore, who met in the second fight of the night, all appearing to be on the side lines for the foreseeable future.
In Jandiroba’s case, she’ll be hoping that this isn’t anything too significant after emerging as the top contender in the strawweight division with a win over Yan Xiaonan.
Fighter that fans urged to retire only suspended 45 days
Whilst the likes of Diego Lopes and Michael Chandler may have worn the damage that they received in their bouts, Darren Elkins took a lot of punishment despite his fight only lasting one round.
Elkins was hurt early on by Julian Erosa who landed a clean up kick which Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier highlighted on commentary.
‘The Damage’ has always been a very durable fighter with this trait being one of his best attributes but it simply wasn’t there for him on April 12.
Despite fans calling for Elkins to end his career, a 45 day medical suspension means that there is nothing stopping him from getting back inside the Octagon before the end of the year.
