Brian Stann knows what to expect from his recent shoulder injury.
The grade II separation of his acromioclavicular (AC) joint is something he experienced – in both shoulders – during his high-school and collegiate football career.
So Stann, who recently pulled out of a UFC on FOX 4 headliner due to the right-shoulder injury – knows he can expect a six- to eight-week recovery.
"No surgery, luckily," Stann told FUEL TV during Friday's UFC on FX 3 pre-show. "Hopefully I can get this healed up as soon as possible and get my range of motion back.
"But for now, I can't even pick my arm up."
Stann (12-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC), a former WEC light-heavyweight champion, has moved into UFC middleweight title contention with a recent 4-1 run. Against Lombard, a UFC import who long reigned as Bellator's 185-pound champion, he had an opportunity to pick up a signature career victory on network television. But those plans were derailed during a recent training session when UFC heavyweight Shawn Jordan accidentally landed on Stann's shoulder during a scramble.
"It just happened, and my shoulder didn't really stand a chance," Stann said. "You could hear the crack right away. It's one of those feelings when you know you're hurt, and you know the difference when you're injured. Unfortunately, I was injured."
Stann hopes to return to light grappling in four to five weeks, though he'll have a better timeframe of when he can return to full training in six weeks.
While Lombard has been shifted to a UFC 149 matchup with Tim Boetsch, Stann simply wants a fellow contender when he returns to the cage. That includes fellow injured middleweights Vitor Belfort and Michael Bisping.
"I want to fight anyone who's ranked ahead of me," he said. "We want that belt. We all want to be champions.
"I'm fighting to be a champion, and in order to do that, you have to beat the guys ranked ahead of you to get closer to that title shot. I'd welcome a fight with either one of those guys."
