Holly Holm, Julianna Pena among several eyeing early 2015 returns from injury

If 2014 was the year of the injury, 2015 is looking like the year of the comeback. A handful of key UFC fighters are targeting returns from injury in the early stages of next year, led in part by women’s 135-pound prospects Holly Holm and Julianna Pena, MMAFighting.com’s Ariel Helwani reported on Wednesday’s episode of ‘UFC Tonight.’

Coaches initially worried the herniated disc which sidelined Holm (7-0) from her UFC 181 debut would be career threatening. Luckily now that doesn’t appear to be the case, as Holm, an undefeated former world champion boxer, was cleared to resume punching this week and is eyeing a return to action in February.

Likewise is the case for Pena (5-2), a former TUF 18 winner who suffered a devastating knee injury in early 2014. The accident, which saw her tear nearly every ligament in her knee — ACL, MCL, LCL and meniscus, among others — was at first thought to carry a two-year recovery period, but Pena’s head coach, Rick Little, told Helwani that the 25-year-old has made an “amazing recovery” and will likely be ready to fight in either March or April next year.

Two more ranked fighters are also targeting imminent returns, as top-five women’s bantamweight Sarah Kaufman (17-2, 1 NC) and top-15 lightweight Michael Johnson (15-8) are both eyeing fights in the early months of 2015.

Kaufman, a former Strikeforce champion, told Helwani she is fully recovered from the car accident she sustained this past summer and desires a fight against Jessica Andrade, while Johnson said he is nearly healed from a recent hand injury and hoping to return around February or March.

If 2014 was the year of the injury, 2015 is looking like the year of the comeback. A handful of key UFC fighters are targeting returns from injury in the early stages of next year, led in part by women’s 135-pound prospects Holly Holm and Julianna Pena, MMAFighting.com’s Ariel Helwani reported on Wednesday’s episode of ‘UFC Tonight.’

Coaches initially worried the herniated disc which sidelined Holm (7-0) from her UFC 181 debut would be career threatening. Luckily now that doesn’t appear to be the case, as Holm, an undefeated former world champion boxer, was cleared to resume punching this week and is eyeing a return to action in February.

Likewise is the case for Pena (5-2), a former TUF 18 winner who suffered a devastating knee injury in early 2014. The accident, which saw her tear nearly every ligament in her knee — ACL, MCL, LCL and meniscus, among others — was at first thought to carry a two-year recovery period, but Pena’s head coach, Rick Little, told Helwani that the 25-year-old has made an “amazing recovery” and will likely be ready to fight in either March or April next year.

Two more ranked fighters are also targeting imminent returns, as top-five women’s bantamweight Sarah Kaufman (17-2, 1 NC) and top-15 lightweight Michael Johnson (15-8) are both eyeing fights in the early months of 2015.

Kaufman, a former Strikeforce champion, told Helwani she is fully recovered from the car accident she sustained this past summer and desires a fight against Jessica Andrade, while Johnson said he is nearly healed from a recent hand injury and hoping to return around February or March.