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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
UFC Flyweight Champion Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson is currently rehabbing an injured shoulder following surgery, but he's doing everything in his power to be in shape for the UFC's return to Seattle this July.
"We're right on track to hopefully fight on that card," Johnson said in an interview with MMAjunkie.com. "I'm not going to rush my rehab so I can fight on that card. But right now, I think four months out for that card is good."
That event will be UFC on Fox 8 on July 27, and Johnson's hoping he'll be able to headline an event near his home. It would be especially beneficial for him, should he heal up in time, as his wife is on track to give birth just a week before the fight.
"We were scared that I was going to miss the baby's birth, but it gives me an opportunity to be home," he said. "Everything will be fine."
He'd likely defend his title against John Moraga, the man he was initially scheduled to face at The Ultimate Fighter Finale next month. But while he'd really like to return on that card, he understands that his timetable for recovery may not allow him to commit to the date, and so the UFC may not put him in that spot.
"As long as my shoulder doesn't hurt, (trainer) Matt (Hume) will make the decision and let the UFC know we want on that card," Johnson said. "The UFC already knows we do, but we want to see how rehab goes first.
"I would love to headline, but at the same time, I know they have to get ticket sales ready. If they can wait until I'm A-OK, then I'd love to headline the card, but I don't want them to wait on me. As long as I can fight, I'll be happy."
Penick's Analysis: Johnson doesn't want to rush things, obviously, because that could lead to him re-injuring the shoulder or not allowing it to heal properly. And shoulder injuries can be nagging and frustrating to return from, as we saw just last year with Anthony Pettis' longer-than-expected layoff. But if Johnson can get back to action by July, he's already headlined one successful Fox event, and fighting again on network TV with a strong card could be very good for him to continue building himself up in the eyes of UFC fans.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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