Patricky Freire has been suspended indefinitely following a first-round knockout loss to Michael Chandler in the Bellator 157 co-main event.
Chandler brought an emphatic end to the lightweight championship bout when he crushed the elder “Pitbull” brother with a right cross to the chin 2:14 into the opening stanza. Freire crashed to the canvas unconscious and the contest was instantly halted, giving Chandler an instant 2016 “Knockout of the Year” candidate. The Brazilian must receive neurological clearance before his indefinite suspension is lifted, but at a minimum he will be sidelined for 90 days.
Freire was one of 10 fighters from the MMA portion of the card to receive a suspension, but Matt Mitrione was not one of the athletes listed. “Meathead” suffered an early knockdown before rallying to knock out Carl Seumanutafa with a standing-to-ground right hand 3:22 into the opening round of their heavyweight encounter. After the victory, it was announced that Mitrione would face Oli Thompson at Bellator 158 on July 16.
Executive Director of the Missouri Office of Athletics Tim Lueckenhoff informed Sherdog.com that Mitrione would undergo an MRI and submit the result to the commission’s office before being cleared to compete next month in London. In a post-fight interview, Mitrione said that he did not remember being knocked down, but “The Ultimate Fighter 10” alum at the evening’s post-fight press conference stated that he did not show any concussion symptoms after the bout.
Bellator 157 Medical Suspensions:
MMA Bouts
Patricky Freire: Suspended indefinitely pending neurological clearance; suspended 90 days
Carl Seumanutafa: Suspended 60 days
Nikki Smith: Suspended 30 days
Lee Burns: Suspended 30 days
Tyler Claussen: Suspended 60 days
Chris Heatherly: Suspended 60 days
Justin Robbins: Suspended 30 days
Isao Kobayashi: Suspended 60 days
Mike Estus: Suspended 30 days
Garrett Mueller: Suspended 30 days
Kickboxing Bouts
Stefano Bruno: Suspended 30 days
Joe Schilling: Suspended 90 days; needs neurological clearance
Elmir Kulosman: Suspended 30 days