UFC Flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson was scheduled to defend his title against John Moraga this weekend, but an injury forced him out of action.
After the injury was revealed as a torn shoulder labrum and required surgery, Johnson spoke to Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting about his recovery. He also included some photos that show “Mighty Mouse” having full range of his shoulder.
According to the report, Johnson can shadow box but is unable to hit pads, as his doctor indicated it’d be too much stress on his shoulder. Still, the champ has found other ways of exercising such as squats and leg presses.
Johnson indicated he’s on track to return at the UFC on Fox 8 event, which is scheduled to go down on July 27. “Mighty Mouse” lives in nearby Kirkland, Wash. and also would like to be closer to home, as his wife is scheduled to give birth to their first child on July 16.
He still believes Moraga will be his opponent upon his return, but the UFC has yet to confirm that.
Johnson last competed in January against John Dodson at UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Dodson from Chicago. Dodson nearly finished Johnson and managed to steal a couple rounds on some judges’ scorecards, but in the end, Johnson’s superior conditioning proved to be too much for the challenger.
Moraga, meanwhile, joins a long list of former Arizona State University wrestling standouts who’ve made an impact in the MMA world. He made an emphatic UFC debut by dropping Ulysses Gomez with a series of elbows and punches.
Moraga followed that up with a front choke submission of Chris Cariaso at UFC 155, a win that also earned the title challenger Submission of the Night honors.
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