Adesanya suspended indefinitely after losing against Alex Pereira at UFC 281
Adesanya lost the title after being knocked out in the fifth round
KARACHI: After his knockout loss to Alex Pereira at UFC 281, Israel Adesanya has received an indefinite medical suspension.
Adesanya lost the title after being knocked out in the fifth round in his effort to make the sixth defence of his middleweight championship at Madison Square Garden in New York against Pereira.
'The Last Stylebender' was comfortably up for the majority of the battle and only needed to hear the final bell to keep his title, but Pereira injured him with a barrage of blows, forcing referee Marc Goddard to call a timeout with three minutes remaining.
The medical suspensions have officially been announced by the New York State Athletic Commission. The former champions is one of the 19 fighters from the event who have been given an indefinite suspension. Additionally, Pereira was given an indefinite suspension from the commission with a short 30-day rest period.
Following his knockout defeat, Adesanya stated on The MMA Hour why he wants to take a break from the ring.
"It was my third fight in 10 months, as a champion, putting it on the line every single time. I’m going to really enjoy myself and just chill. I'll travel maybe, and help my teammates as well. Help them get ready for their respective fights, but I deserve this. I earned this."
With only a seven-day absence requirement, Zhang Weili and Carla Esparza received some of the lightest bans from the competition. Esparza's initial defence against Weili resulted in a loss for the American, who was eventually stopped by "Magnum" in the second round. Weili previously won the strawweight championship in 2019, making him a two-time winner.
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