Brazilian middleweight Marcelo Guimaraes is planning a UFC comeback having been out of action since March 2016
Guimares, a former Jungle Fight welterweight champion, joined the UFC in 2013 and made the decision to step up a weight class to middleweight following his debut loss to Hyun Gyu Lim.
The 34-year-old chalked off his first win, beating Andy Enz in 2014, only to lose to Vitor Miranda in his next fight in March 2016 following his first injury setback in the promotion. “Magrao” unfortunately sustained a knee injury and was forced to undergo surgery which led to a more protracted layoff than was first anticipated:
“The first surgery should be simple, but I had septic arthritis and had to undergo another surgery,” Guimaraes told MMA Fighting. “I was in the hospital for 20 days and my leg atrophied. When I returned to training, I got injured again.”
Guimares made the decision to move up to middleweight on account of his struggle to make 170 pounds and the tragic death of Leandro Souza prior to a Shooto Brazil event in 2013. The Brazilian, however, is planning a return to the welterweight division:
“I want to go back at welterweight,” he said. “I weigh around 190 pounds now, so I fit better in that division. I haven’t tried the early weigh-ins yet, but it’s great. I think it’s healthier for the athlete. The sport is getting better every day.”
