Robert Whittaker is back.
Whittaker, UFC middleweight champion, has been medically cleared by his doctors to resume training without limitations following his emergency hernia surgery in February, according to his manager Titus Day.
Whittaker was scheduled to defend the title against Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 234, but he was forced to withdraw from the fight just hours before the event after suffering from a collapsed bowel and an internal hernia.
Day said Whittaker is still weak and out of shape but resumed training recently. He is hoping to return to action in August, per Day.
The UFC will crown an interim middleweight champion on April 13 when Gastelum meets Israel Adesanya in Atlanta. The winner will fight Whittaker in a title unification bout later this year.
According to sources, should New Zealand’s Adesanya win, the UFC is considering booking Whittaker vs. Adesanya in Australia this summer. However, if Gastelum wins they’ll likely schedule the fight for a pay-per-view card in the United States.