Australia's newly crowned UFC interim middleweight world champion Robert Whittaker is one super relieved man that he doesn't require surgery.
Whittaker hurt his left knee in camp and re-aggravated it in the first round of his gutsy world title win over Cuban colossus Yoel Romero earlier this month in Las Vegas.
The 26-year-old Sydneysider fought through considerable pain to win a points decision and become the first Australian to win a UFC world title.
Whittaker said on Friday the injury had been diagnosed as a severe grade-two medial ligament tear and he was in a knee brace.
He said that it "potentially" meant he might not fight again this year.
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However, the diagnosis is still a blessing for Whittaker.
"It was super relief knowing I didn't have to get surgery," he told AAP on Friday.
"I think avoiding surgery at all costs, especially at my age, is key."
He wasn't sure when he would be right to return.
"I'm going to go off how my physios think I'm healing and, more importantly, I'm going to go on how my body feels," Whittaker said.
The enforced layoff will allow Whittaker time to recover from niggling injuries which he hadn't had after taking on two fights in three months.
"The problem with taking back-to-back fights is that you drag out these niggling injuries and you never have time to let the body heal," he said.
"I want to do that."
Whittaker isn't fussed over whether his next fight will be against Englishman Michael Bisping, the man whose own injury issue had led to the UFC sanctioning an interim title fight.
Before getting injured, Bisping was supposed to be making his next defence against former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre.
"It is what it is. UFC, they do what they kind of do, putting on the event," said Whittaker, rated No.14 in the UFC pound-for-pound rankings.
"I'm just going to worry about healing and letting my body recover."
In the short time since coming home, Whittaker has already noticed a spike in recognition.
"I'm definitely getting recognised a bit more. I think there's lot of good exposure in the Australian media," he said.
"A lot of Australians in general have got behind me and I'm definitely starting to feel the love."
