UFC's Rich Franklin Injures Shoulder, Will Undergo Surgery

Former UFC middleweight champion Rich "Ace" Franklin (28-6) suffered a torn labrum in training camp 10 days ago and has been scheduled to undergo surgery Tuesday, September 13th to repair the damage. The announcement was made on Friday via a press release sent out by the fighter's PR firm.

Franklin is expected to make a full recovery within the next two to three months, but will be forced to undertake in a period of physical therapy before he is allowed to return to training. The 36-year-old injured his shoulder while participating in grappling practice at his gym in Cincinnati.

"The timing of this shoulder injury is unfortunate considering my fight was pulled from the UFC 133 card, but I know everything will go as planned and that I will recover quickly," said Franklin. "The UFC is being supportive, and I hope my fans also will be understanding - I promise to get back in the Octagon and fight again as soon as possible."

The news is the latest in a line of recent setbacks for the former champion. After dropping a unanimous decision to Forrest Griffin in February, Franklin was scheduled to square off against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at UFC 133. However Nogueira was abruptly scratched from the card just weeks from the event after suffering a significant shoulder injury. With no viable options available to replace the Brazilian's spot, UFC officials elected to remove Franklin from the card.