Paddy Pimblett has been suspended from the UFC following his bruising defeat to Justin Gaethje.
Pimblett succumbed to Gaethje in the main-event of UFC 324 last weekend.
They put on an epic five-round war in Las Vegas as Gaethje outpointed Pimblett by unanimous decision to claim the interim UFC lightweight title.
Despite losing the first fight of his budding UFC career, 'The Baddy' has been backed to return to action in a blockbuster match that could shatter records.
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But he won't be able to return immediately as he must serve a medical suspension following UFC 324.
Pimblett was transported to hospital after losing to Gaethje but he was given the all clear and partied at Zouk nightclub, where his wife, Laura, shared a horrific image of the UFC star's swollen face.
He has been hit with a minimum 30-day medical ban, with section 467.562 of the Nevada Admin Code (NAC), which is entitled 'suspension of licensee for medical reason', stating that a fighter in Pimblett's condition 'must be suspended until it is shown that he is fit for further competition'.
The Liverpool fighter's medical suspension is standard practice in the fight game as combatants often face bans after a contest whether it's boxing or MMA.
The NAC could increase Pimblett's ban to a maximum of 180 days given the nature of his battle against Gaethje.
Pimblett walked away from the Octagon without any major injuries as he penned a statement on social media in the wake of his interim UFC title defeat.
"Hope everyone enjoyed my fight just as much as I did," he wrote on Instagram. "Want to thank everyone that came to support and everyone watching at home. I’m all good, no injuries, went into the fight feeling amazing had a great camp and an easy weight cut. No excuses the better man won on the night. Justin Gaethje, congratulations brother it was an honor to share the cage with such a legend. Go get that undisputed title, your career deserves it.
“Hopefully we can run it back for the undisputed because I still know it’s in my destiny to win that gold! UFC thank you for the opportunity. You’s all know I’ll be back for that belt in the near future."
It's back to the drawing board for Pimblett, who had won seven UFC fights in a row before losing to Gaethje.
But he has established himself as a top UFC lightweight contender following his resilient UFC 324 showing.
Topics: Paddy Pimblett, UFC, Justin Gaethje
Nasir Jabbar