Michael Bisping Injury: Updates on UFC Champion's Recovery from Knee Surgery

UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping is set to undergo knee surgery that will keep him out of action until May. 

He told John Pollock of Fight Network's MMA Report (h/t Fox Sports' Damon Martin):

"

I actually found out just recently I’ve got to have a knee surgery. Nothing major, just a clean up. I’ve got a slightly torn meniscus, a couple other things going on in there so I’ve got to get that knee surgery taken care of. We scheduled that and I should be having that in the next couple of weeks.

Get that taken care of and I’ll probably be defending the belt around May, something like that I would guess.

"

Following his defeat of Chris Weidman, Yoel Romero is expected to be Bisping's next opponent in the Octagon as the Englishman bids to defend his title. Indeed, Romero is determined to get his shot at the belt when Bisping returns:

Indeed, Romero wants the fight confirmed sooner rather than later despite Bisping's upcoming surgery:

"

Is this where you injured your knee?  smh  sign the papers @bisping set the date already #ynuevo https://t.co/TZBdChk2t0

— Yoel Romero (@YoelRomeroMMA) January 19, 2017"

Bisping successfully defended the belt for the first time in his last fight, as he beat Dan Henderson in October in their second clash.

The Englishman appears in coming release xXx: The Return of Xander Cage, and his promotional commitments to the film have occupied his time since.

Romero has won his last eight fights in succession, with his only defeat in MMA coming at the hands of Rafael Cavalcante in 2011. The Cuban undoubtedly deserves a title shot, and there's a strong chance he'd win the belt.

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

While Bisping produces a great volume of accurate punches, and he's got the endurance to keep going for a full five rounds—as he has done in three of his last four fights, all of which he's won—Romero's size, power advantage and explosiveness could well make him the favourite for the bout.

Per MMAJunkie's Fernanda Prates, fellow middleweight contender Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza believes the two will face each other in the Octagon—a clash he dubbed "the dirty [fighter] against the chicken."

Indeed, it seems certain to happen sooner or later with Romero perhaps the strongest contender for Bisping's belt in the division.

As for when the two will face off, nothing is likely to be confirmed until after the champion's surgery and his recovery timeline is more accurate.