Ilia Topuria faces a 6-month medical suspension after absorbing a knockout loss at UFC White House, as announced by California State Athletic Commission executive director Andy Foster.
What happened?
Ilia Topuria's loss to Justin Gaethje resulted in a mandatory 60-day suspension with no exceptions, due to the severity of the injury.
The fight was stopped between the fourth and fifth rounds, with Gaethje's punches and body knee causing significant damage.
Why it matters for Ilia Topuria
The suspension will keep Ilia Topuria out of competition for an extended period, unless he is cleared early by specialists.
This could impact his future fight schedule and training plans.
Ilia Topuria must be cleared by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon to return before the six months expire.
What comes next?
The next UFC event takes place on July 12 in Las Vegas, but Ilia Topuria will not be participating due to his suspension.
Other notable suspensions include Aiemann Zahabi at 180 days unless cleared by CT scan, and Steve Garcia at 180 days pending left hand x-ray clearance.
Ilia Topuria's rival, Justin Gaethje, also faces a 180-day suspension unless a physician clears him for a potential right wrist injury.
The suspension list was shared by Andy Foster, the executive director of the California State Athletic Commission, on Thursday.
Ilia Topuria's fans will have to wait for his return to the octagon, which may not be until after the six-month suspension period.
The UFC White House event produced seven knockouts across seven bouts, with Ilia Topuria and Alex Pereira being two of the notable losers.
Alex Pereira, who was knocked out by Ciryl Gane in the second round, needs clearance from a maxillofacial CT scan to compete sooner than 180 days.
Ilia Topuria's suspension is a significant setback for the UFC MMA athlete from Spain/Georgia, who will have to undergo a thorough recovery process before returning to competition.