UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez could be out eight months after recent surgery to repair his torn rotator cuff.
UFC president Dana White believes rehabilitation on Velasquez's shoulder could keep him out of the octagon until at least September, sidelining the mixed martial arts promotion's new champ for nearly a full year between fights.
Velasquez had surgery on his shoulder last Thursday in Las Vegas, White confirmed Monday.
"He's doing great, actually," White said. "They were saying the recovery time is usually eight months, and hopefully he can do it a little quicker than that, but we'll see."
Velasquez (9-0) claimed his title at UFC 121 last October with a brutal first-round stoppage of Brock Lesnar, the UFC's biggest pay-per-view draw. Velasquez, a former Arizona State wrestler, became the first major Mexican-American heavyweight champion in boxing or MMA.
White had hoped to match Velasquez with Brazilian contender Junior Dos Santos at UFC 129 in the main event of the UFC's first show in MMA-crazy Toronto on April 30. Instead, Velasquez revealed late last year that he tore his rotator cuff while pounding Lesnar.
"Surgery went well," Velasquez tweeted on Monday. "Back at Joe Grasso's lifting legs. Best place to train."
Velasquez referred to personal trainer Joe Grasso and a gym near Velasquez's training base in San Jose, Calif.
White has already said he won't name an interim heavyweight champ in Velasquez's absence, but the UFC already formulated a plan to keep fans interested in the talented heavyweight division in the meantime.
The UFC announced last week that Lesnar and Dos Santos will be the coaches on the next edition of "The Ultimate Fighter," the UFC's popular reality show on Spike TV. Lesnar and Dos Santos then will fight on a pay-per-view show in June, and the winner will get a title shot when Velasquez returns.
