by Dann Stupp on Sep 08, 2011 at 6:55 pm ET
Rich Franklin is again on the recovery trail.
The former UFC middleweight champion and current light-heavyweight veteran suffered a shoulder injury 10 days ago and will undergo "minor" surgery on Tuesday.
The fighter's reps today confirmed the injury with
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).
Franklin suffered a torn right labrum but expects a full recovery. That process is expected to last two to three months, and after physical therapy, he can return to training.
Franklin hadn't been booked for an upcoming fight but was rumored for a November or December return, possibly against Tito Ortiz. "Ace" hasn't fought since a decision loss to ex-champ Forrest Griffin at UFC 126. He then was slated to fight at UFC 133 this past month, but his opponent, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, ultimately pulled out of the fight due to injury. (UFC president Dana White recently told MMAjunkie.com he
didn't envision rebooking Franklin vs. Nogueira.)
"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," Franklin stated. "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."
Franklin, 36, continues to be one of the UFC's most recognizable fighters. However, while rotating between wins and losses in his past six fights, the Ohio-based fighter has suffered a handful of injuries, including a severely scratched cornea (in a close loss to Dan Henderson) and a broken arm (in a win over Chuck Liddell).
While recovering from his shoulder injury, Franklin will continue to work on his newest project, a film adaptation of his life story. Eric Eisner's Double E Pictures recently purchased the rights to produce the movie, which is titled "American Fighter."