Brian Kelleher’s fighting career is not over yet. Kelleher was supposed to fight Journey Newson last week at UFC Vegas 72, but the bout was called off by UFC management a few days before the event because of Kelleher’s undisclosed neck injury. Kelleher hinted at retirement due to his frustration over the situation, but he has now revealed that he may have more fights left in him.

Kelleher had been having neck problems for a while, which included getting stingers during practice. A few weeks before his fight with Newson, he had a stiff neck and decided to get an MRI, which revealed disc herniations and nerve compression in his neck.

Kelleher wanted to fight Newson to get paid and because it was the last fight on his contract. He trained as hard as he could despite his injury, and he felt good upon arriving in Las Vegas for the fight. He stated that he didn’t feel in pain, but he knew there were things that needed to be addressed.

Kelleher got the bad news from UFC management while he was in Vegas. He was shocked and disappointed by the decision, but he understood that it was too risky to allow him to fight. He stated that multiple things are going on with his neck, and he needs to undergo surgery to address them to be able to fight again.

Kelleher was at first hesitant to undergo surgery and preferred to address the symptoms through conservative measures. However, he’s now considering surgery because it’s not that risky, and he thinks he can fight again before the end of the year.

He spoke to other fighters and his physicians, and they all expressed confidence that he could recover from the procedure and get back into the ring. Kelleher said that the best surgeon in the country would perform his surgery, and he would need around three to four months to resume training fully.

Kelleher expressed his desire to continue fighting in the UFC despite his injury. He admitted his previous comments about retiring were made with emotion, and he was trying to make a tough decision about his future as a fighter.

Kelleher sees the UFC as his home and where he wants to end his career. He’s optimistic that he can have a farewell fight after he has his surgery to end his career on his own terms. Kelleher has fought 15 times for the UFC since 2017, and he has a record