You get a suspension, you get a suspension, everyone gets a suspension!
Note to fighters: If you plan to compete at the next Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event in New York, you better be on your best behavior because New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) has shown it isn’t messing around when it comes to shelling out disciplinary punishments.
Yoel Romero is the latest to feel NYSAC's wrath, as the regulatory body has suspended the Cuban wrestling powerhouse two months for jumping over the cage wall and marching around it like some "Soldier of God" after knocking out Chris Weidman at UFC 205 on Nov. 12, 2016, according to MMA Fighting. That’s a big no-no in "The Big Apple," apparently, because no fighter is allowed to leave the cage before an official decision is rendered.
It sure was fun to watch, though (and it could have been worse):
— caposa (@GrabakaHitman) November 14, 2016
As a result, Romero will be ineligible to compete until Jan. 12, 2017, which should not be an issue for Romero, who isn’t expected to face Michael Bisping for the Middleweight title sometime in early 2017.
Kelvin Gastelum was the first to realize NYSAC isn’t playing games after he was suspended six months for failing to step on the scale even though he knew he would miss his mark. In addition, Thiago Alves was levied a three-month suspension for failing to make weight for his Lightweight debut against Jim Miller, which he went on to lose via unanimous decision.
The precedents have been set.