The statement victory for Sandhagen came four months after he suffered a first-round submission loss to Aljamain Sterling that knocked him out of title contention. Now with a win over the No. 1-ranked bantamweight contender in the UFC, Sandhagen is certainly back in those championship conversations.
While he was dominant in victory, Sandhagen actually needs to gain doctor’s clearance before competing again after the medical suspensions were handed down from the card in Abu Dhabi.
According to MMA.tv, the official record keepers for the Association of Boxing Commissions, Sandhagen needs to be cleared by an ophthalmologist before he can compete again or he’ll be forced to sit out for six months.
It’s a strange twist considering Sandhagen actually shouted that Moraes had suffered a broken orbital bone during their fight not long before he landed the knockout blow. Now it appears Sandhagen will be the one who might have to wait to compete again.
As for Moraes, he will be forced to sit 45 days with 21 days of no contact after the knockout.
Meanwhile, Contender Series contract winner Impa Kasanganay will also be forced to get clearance from a physician after he fell victim to one of the greatest knockouts in UFC history courtesy of Joaquin Buckley.
The end came after Kasanganay caught his opponent’s ankle but Buckley countered by turning himself around and spinning into a heel kick that produced the jaw-dropping finish. In the aftermath of that fight, Kasanganay will require an ophthalmologist to clear his return to action or he’ll be sidelined for six months.
He faces a minimum 60-day suspension with 45 days no contact after the vicious knockout.
Here are the full medical suspensions from UFC Fight Island 5 as confirmed to MMA.tv by the UFC, who acts as their own commission in Abu Dhabi:
Cory Sandhagen: 180-day suspension unless cleared by ophthalmologist. Minimum 30-day suspension with 21 days no contact
Marlon Moraes: 45-day suspension, 21 days no contact
Edson Barboza: 7 days mandatory rest
Makwan Amirkhani: 30 days for hard bout, 21 days no contact
Marcin Tybura: 30 days for hard bout, 21 days no contact
Ben Rothwell: 45 days for right eyebrow laceration, 30 days no contact
Dricus Du Plessis: 7 days mandatory rest
Markus Perez: 60 days due to knockout, 45 days no contact
Tom Aspinall: 7 days mandatory rest
Alan Baudot: 30 days for TKO, 21 days no contact
Ilia Topuria: 30 days for left eyelid laceration, 21 days no contact
Youssef Zalal: 7 days mandatory rest
Tom Breese: 180 days unless cleared by doctor from right knee MRI and left tibula/fibula X-ray. Minimum suspension for 30 days with 21 days no contact
KB Bhullar: 45 days for TKO, 30 days no contact
Chris Daukaus: 7 days mandatory rest
Rodrigo Nascimento: 180 days unless cleared by an ophthalmologist. Mandatory 30-day suspension with 21 days no contact due to right scale laceration
Joaquin Buckley: 7 days mandatory rest
Impa Kasanganay: 180 days unless cleared by an ophthalmologist. Mandatory 60-day suspension with 45 days no contact after knockout.
Tony Kelley: 180 days unless cleared by physician for right elbow MRI and right tibula/fibula X-ray. Minimum 30-day suspension with 21 days no contact
Ali AlQaisi: 7 days mandatory rest
Giga Chikadze: 7 days mandatory rest
Omar Morales: 180 days unless cleared by a physician for right elbow MRI, left tibula/fibula and left ankle X-ray. Minimum suspension for 30 days with no contact for 21 days
Tracy Cortez: 7 days mandatory rest
Stephanie Egger: 7 days mandatory rest
Tagir Ulanbekov: 7 days mandatory rest
Bruno Silva: 30 days for right eyebrow laceration, 21 days no contact
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