MANILA, Philippines – Ex-bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey has been given a mandatory 6-month medical suspension in the wake of her brutal knockout loss to Holly Holm over the weekend.
The 28-year-old native of Santa Monica, California has been medically suspended for 180 days, unless she is cleared by a CT scan that reveals no damage.
In addition, she is not allowed to fight within the next 60 days and not to have any contact training for 45 days.
Holm dethroned Rousey for the women’s bantamweight title by knocking out the previously-unbeaten fighter with a left head kick and polished her off with follow-up shots on the ground to compel referee Herb Dean to intervene at the 0:59 mark of round two.
Rousey exited the Octagon shortly after regaining consciousness and was taken to an undisclosed hospital in Melbourne, Australia to undergo an urgent surgery on her busted lower lip.
Medical suspensions are usually handled by state athletic commissions, but since there is no sanctioning body for mixed martial arts in Australia, the Las Vegas-based promotion acted as its own regulator for the UFC 193 pay-per-view event, which took place at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne. – Rappler.com