UFC News: Jose Aldo Plans September or October Return

Recently, UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo was forced to withdraw from his scheduled title defense against Chad Mendes at UFC 133.

Since the announcement, Sherdog has released new details on Aldo's injury situation.

The day after Aldo's most recent fight against Mark Hominick at UFC 129, the featherweight champion began to experience numbness in his arm.

“I had a problem with my cervical vertebrae in December that was making my arm numb," Aldo said. "I contacted a doctor and he diagnosed it a nerve entrapment, and recommended for me not to fight and to do physical therapy. I did that and got much better. I had this during the camp for the [Mark] Hominick fight, but with less intensity."

Aldo later sought out the opinion of a second doctor in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, the diagnosis remained the same.

“The doctor recommended I go through physical therapy for six weeks before training again, and that’s what I’m doing now," Aldo said. "That’s why I won’t fight in August.”

Despite only recently discovering the extent of his injury, Aldo has already set a timetable for his return.

“I will return in September or October. The daily physical therapy will be my training for the next fight. I’ll treat it as seriously as I would treat a camp, because I need my body 100-percent healed to fight well.

"I want to thank everyone who called me worried about my health and say that it hurts more in my heart than the actual injury. My life is fighting, and when it doesn’t happen, it’s like I’m dying a little bit. But, I know I need to follow the doctors’ instructions, because I need to be 100-percent healthy to have a long career in MMA.”

Aldo's injury is just one in a trend of physical problems plaguing the UFC's current champions.

Bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz has finally recovered from hand surgery and will be fighting Urijah Faber at UFC 132 in July and lightweight champion Frankie Edgar was forced to withdraw from his UFC 130 rematch with Gray Maynard due to back and rib injuries.

Welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre suffered a awful-looking eye injury in his last fight, light heavyweight champion Jon Jones recently withdrew from a fight with Rashad Evans due to a hand injury and heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez has been out of action since October while rehabilitating a torn rotator cuff.

So, I think I speak for UFC President Dana White and mixed martial arts fans everywhere in wishing Aldo a speedy recovery.