Derek Anderson suspended additional six months after kidney failure admission post-loss to Michael ‘Venom’ Page
Derek Anderson is now looking at two concurrent medical suspensions following an Instagram post where he said he suffered kidney failure in training camp for a fight with Michael Page at Bellator 258.
Anderson was suspended a minimum of 120 days for a badly broken nose he suffered in a loss to Page this past Friday. But the event’s overseeing athletic commission on Monday added a six-month suspension because he failed to disclose his prior medical issues on his pre-fight medical paperwork, Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulation Executive Director Michael Mazzulli told MMA Fighting.
Anderson will now need to meet a list of requirements to have the six-month suspension lifted before it’s expiration on Nov. 7: an MRI and ultrasound of his kidney; blood tests; a consultation with a kidney specialist; and weekly visits to his physician for a weight check for the next four weeks.
“These fighters have to understand it’s a serious thing to lie on the pre-fight physical,” Mazzuli said.
Anderson was not immediately reachable for comment. In his post from this past Saturday, he said he suffered several health scares as he prepared for the fight, which was contested at a catchweight of 175 pounds and took place on the Bellator 258 main card at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
“Went to the hospital 4 times as I was having kidney failure my whole camp and could hardly train, I wanted to make this fight happen,” he wrote. “I’ll be back after a short vacation to recover and now I have some new wounds to lick.”
Amateur and professional MMA fighters are required to fill out a questionnaire about their medical history prior to a fight. They also undergo a pre-fight physical in which they are required to disclose any injuries they might have. Mazzulli said the fighter did not reveal any medical issues before or after the fight, either in writing or in person to doctors.
“My question is, is that why they raised their fight from 170 to 175?” Mazzulli said. “I’m very disappointed.”
In Nevada, the pre-fight questionnaire is a legal document that is filled out under penalty of perjury. Several MMA fighters have been suspended for inaccuracies in their answers. Former UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva was suspended for a pair of drugs not banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency because he failed to disclose them on his questionnaire before a fight with Nick Diaz at UFC 183.
MMA fighters frequently disclose injuries and fight-camp complications after a losing bout. Many hide injuries from regulators pre-fight in order to utilize insurance paid for by promoters, which covers injuries suffered on the night of the fight, because it’s less expensive out-of-pocket.
Anderson’s loss to Page snapped a three-fight winning streak that solidified him as the No. 6 welterweight in the promotion, according to its rankings.