On Saturday, the UFC returned to our screens with the aptly titled UFC Mexico card out of Mexico City, Mexico.
The card was topped by a dynamite featherweight matchup between Yair Rodriguez and Jeremy Stephens. Regrettably, this bout ended in disaster.
Seconds into the first round, Rodriguez landed an inadvertent eye-poke on Stephens. After taking the full five minutes of allotted recovery time, Stephens was unable to continue fighting, and the bout was declared a No Contest.
Stephens, who later updated fans from the hospital with a patch over his eye, could now be facing a long absence due to a corneal abrasion if he’s not cleared by a doctor.
Because this UFC Mexico card occured in a region with a governing body for combat sports, the UFC handled fighter medical suspensions internally. Here are the details of Stephens’ medical suspension, as well as the suspensions handed to the other fighters on the UFC Mexico card (obtained by MixedMartialArts.com).
UFC Mexico Medical Suspensions
Yair Rodriguez vs. Jeremy Stephens ends in a No Contest (Accidental eye poke, 0:15, Round 1)
7 Days to Rodriguez for Mandatory Rest.
180 Days to Stephens or cleared by Ophthalm. due to Corneal abrasion.
Carla Esparza defeated Alexa Grasso by Majority Decision (28-28, 29-28, 29-28)
180 Days to Esparza or cleared by Right Elbow and Nasal X-Ray, 30 Day Minimum.
30 Days to Grasso for Hard Bout.
Brandon Moreno vs. Askar Askarov ended with a Split Draw (28-28, 28-29, 30-27)
30 Days to Moreno for Right Eye swelling.
30 Days to Askarov for Hard Bout.
Irene Aldana defeated Vanessa Melo by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
180 Days to Aldana or cleared by nasal X-Ray, 30 Day Minimum.
30 Days to Melo for Hard Bout.
Steven Peterson defeated Martin Bravo by KO (Spinning backfist, Round 2, 1:31)
7 Days to Peterson for Mandatory Rest.
60 Days to Bravo for KO – CT was Negative, and 45 Days No Contact.
Jose Alberto Quinonez defeated Carlos Huachin by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
30 Days to Quinonez for Right Foot soreness.
7 Days to Huachin for Mandatory Rest.
Kyle Nelson defeated Polo Reyes by KO (elbow and punches, Round 1, 1:36)
TBA
180 Days to Reyes for TKO or cleared by Neuro, 45 Day minimum, and 30 Days No Contact.
Angela Hill defeated Ariane Carnelossi by TKO (doctor stoppage, Round 3, 1:56)
7 Days to Hill for Mandatory Rest.
180 Days to Carnelossi or cleared by Nasal X-Ray, 30 Day Minimum for Left Brow Laceration.
Sergio Pettis defeated Tyson Nam by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
7 Days to Pettis for Mandatory Rest.
30 Days to Nam for Hard Bout.
Paul Craig defeated Vinicius Moreira by Submission (Rear Naked Choke, Round 1, 3:19)
7 Days to Craig for Mandatory Rest.
30 Days to Moreira for Hard bout.
Bethe Correia defeated Sijara Eubanks by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
60 Days to Correia for Hard bout and 45 Days No Contact.
60 Days to Eubanks for Hard bout and 45 Days No Contact.
Claudio Puelles defeated Marcos Rosa Mariano by Unanimous Decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-25)
30 Days to Puelles for Hard Bout and 21 Days No Contact.
30 Days to Mariano for Hard Bout.
What do you think of the medical suspensions for UFC Mexico? Who do you want to see Yair Rodriguez and Jeremy Stephens fight next?
This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 9/24/2019.