Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold was scheduled to return to action this coming weekend against Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza in the main event of UFC Fight Night 101. But, the rematch was scrapped when Rockhold suffered a knee injury.
During a recent interview on “Submission Radio,” Rockhold explained how he is healing and when he is hopeful for a return to action.
“I’ve had quite a few assessments of the knee from different doctors, and just a small bundle is pulled off the ACL detachment point,” he said. “So I’m trying to go through the natural process of healing, which they say has a high potential of it reconnecting itself. And so I’ve done two series of PRP shots. I’ll probably do a third and I might do some stem cells again.
“I’m trying to do everything I can to avoid surgery, because that’s the key for me. With the ACL, anytime you go with the ACL, orthoscopic or reconstruction, it’s a good 12 months to a year out, pretty much from everything. So I’m told potentially in a couple of months it could reattach itself and then I can start kicking again.”
As for the current title picture, Michael Bisping is expected to defend the belt in early 2017 vs. Yoel Romero. And despite not being a fan of Bisping, Rockhold sees the champion remaining that way.
“I think it’s a rare, rare opportunity for Bisping to pull it off – about as rare as when he beat me. I think Yoel pretty much goes in there and it might take a little while, but he’ll get to Bipsing sure enough,” he said. “I believe Bisping is a tough individual. He’s going to go in there and he’s the more technical striker and Yoel’s pretty raw, but I think with the takedown opportunities, that he’ll start to throw Bisping around it would start changing the pace of the fight.”
