Nate Diaz and Marcus Davis Top UFC 118 Medical Suspensions

It’s that time again, fans and friends. That unfortunate time that comes after an MMA event, a time to evaluate how many bruises need healing and how much time needs to be spent sitting on the sidelines. UFC 118 featured a host of great match-ups, from Nate Diaz dismantling Marcus Davis to Frankie Edgar dominating BJ Penn, and of course, the utter obliteration of aging pro boxer James Toney at the hands of Randy Couture. The Massachusetts State Athletic Commission has recently revealed the list of medical suspensions for UFC 118, and while most got off lightly, a few may have a bit of a stretch spent recuperating rather than training. Here’s how it all breaks down.

Nick Osipczak was suspended for 30 days with no contact for 21 days for precautionary reasons. Greg Soto was suspended for 45 days with no contact for 30 days for precautionary reasons. Amilcar Alves was suspended for 30 days with no contact for 21 days for precautionary reasons. John Salter was suspended for up to 180 days due to a possible left hand fracture, pending X-ray results, with a minimum suspension of 30 days with no contact for 21 days. Dan Miller was suspended for 30 days with no contact for 21 days for precautionary reasons.

Gabe Ruediger was suspended for 30 days with no contact for 21 days for precautionary reasons. Nate Diaz was suspended for a maximum of 180 days due to a possible nasal fracture, pending X-ray results, with a minimum suspension of 60 days with no contact for 60 days. Marcus Davis was suspended indefinitely due to possible head trauma, pending a CT Scan, with a minimum suspension of 60 days with no contact for 30 days. Kenny Florian was suspended for 45 days with no contact for 30 days for precautionary reasons. Gray Maynard was suspended for 30 days with no contact for 21 days for precautionary reasons.

As is the case with most medical suspensions, most of the fighter’s suspended won’t really be affected. Many fighters take a month off to rest anyway, and since most UFC fighters only fight a handful of times a year, it’s not like they’ll be missing any opportunities. I was surprised at Nate Diaz’s suspension, though, the barrage Davis hit him with at the beginning of their fight must have done a lot more damage than it looked like. Then again, Davis has always had some very powerful hands. Here’s hoping Nate is cleared by his doctors and gets back into the Octagon soon, because I think he’s quickly becoming a great addition to the UFC’s welterweight division.

Speaking of Marcus Davis, I wish him the best and hope that nothing goes wrong with his CT scan. I want to say that the athletic commission may have over-reacted based on how gruesome Davis’ face looked after the Diaz fight, but then again, you can never really be too careful when it comes to head trauma. I still think much of the damage Diaz did was superficial, though. What I mean by that is: Nate put a real hurting on “The Irish Hand Grenade”, but I don’t see Davis developing any sort of lasting trauma because of it. It sure looked nasty, but it’ll heal up fine. Davis is a tough guy, and I have a pretty good feeling that he’ll bounce back from this.

With only a few major suspensions that will likely be reduced pending a full examination by a doctor, I’d say the UFC 118 fighters pulled through pretty well.