Menifield Wins at UFC 331 but Faces 6-Month Ban for Broken Thumb

Alonzo Menifield walked out of Crypto.com Arena with a split-decision win over Iwo Baraniewski to open the UFC 331 main card on Saturday. He also nearly walked out without a thumb. The California State Athletic Commission's medical suspensions, released Monday, hit the #14-ranked light heavyweight with a 180-day layoff for a possible fracture to his left thumb — the longest on the card.

That six-month clock starts unless a physician clears him sooner. The 19-6-1 veteran (11 KO, 3 SUB) reportedly broke the thumb in the opening round, and by the final bell the split in the digit was bad enough that losing the finger looked like a real possibility. It's a brutal footnote to a fight he actually won.

The 180-Day Club

Menifield wasn't alone in drawing the maximum. Robelis Despaigne (possible fractured right thumb and torn left tricep), Edmen Shahbazyan (right foot), Casey O'Neill (left knee) and Joanderson Brito (right knee) all landed 180-day suspensions pending doctor clearance. Five fighters looking at half-year absences from a single Los Angeles card is a rough tally, even by fight-night standards.

The headliners came out comparatively clean. Main-event winner Joshua Van got the standard seven-day mandatory ban after handing Alexandre Pantoja his loss. Pantoja, the 30-7 flyweight who came in ranked #1, drew 60 days for a laceration over his left eyebrow — not a bad outcome for a title fight that went the distance.

Co-Main Fallout

In the co-main, #2-ranked lightweight Arman Tsarukyan got 45 days with 30 days no contact after a hard bout — light work considering he now sits at 24-3 (10 KO, 6 SUB) and remains the odds-on favorite to fight for the vacant belt next. His opponent Mauricio Ruffy, who ate the Round 1 KO, took 60 days plus a cut over his right eye to clear.

The suspensions are precautionary as much as anything, and most of these fighters will be back long before their max dates expire. For Menifield, though, the thumb is the story. He got the win. He might spend the next six months making sure he keeps the finger.