Despite finishing the night without a visible scratch, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones will be forced to sit out of action for six months for his victory in UFC 135's headlining fight against Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. The Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies' Office of Boxing (DORA) handing down official medical suspensions on Tuesday, and Jones' name is at the top of the list. Details regarding the injury list have not been disclosed. The list was first reported by MMA Junkie.
While the six month suspension initially seems harsh, the young champion will be able to circumvent the ruling after 45 days with physician clearance.
His opponent, Jackson, fared somewhat better, receiving a 60-day suspension from competition. No contact in training will be allowed for 45 days.
Other fighters receiving reported six month suspensions were Aaron Riley and James Te Huna. Riley's preliminary bout against Anthony Ferguson ended prematurely after the 30-year-old suffered a broken jaw midway through the first round. Meanwhile, Te Huna's injury is somewhat more mystifying, as the native New Zealander appeared perfectly healthy after smashing through Ricardo Romero in just 47 seconds.
The DORA-issued UFC 135 medical suspensions are as follows:
Jon Jones: Suspended 180 days (or 45 days with physican clearance)
Quinton Jackson: Suspended 60 days with no contact during training for 45 days
Matt Hughes: Suspended 45 days no contact for 30 days
Mark Hunt: Suspended 45 days no contact for 30 days
Ben Rothwell: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days
Takanori Gomi: Suspended 30 days
Aaron Riley: Suspended 180 days (or 90 days with physician clearance)
Nick Ring: Suspended 30 days
Eddie Yagin: Suspended 30 days
Cole Escovedo: Suspended 45 days no contact for 30 days
Ricardo Romero: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days
James Te Huna: Suspended 180 days for injuries (or a minimum 30 Days with physician clearance)