If things had gone according to plan for bantamweight champ Cody Garbrandt, he’d be fighting his arch rival TJ Dillashaw at UFC 213 this July 8. Regrettably, the champ was forced out of this hotly anticipated contest with a back injury.

Luckily, Garbrandt has received the necessary treatment for his back troubles, and he’s now easing toward his recovery and eventual return to the cage.

On the latest edition of The MMA Hour, Garbrandt discussed his recovery and his hopes for his return to the Octagon.

“I feel good,” he said of his current condition. “I’m trying not to get too excited. I feel like I’m a 12 year old kid out trying to climb trees again.”

“My coaches and my physical therapist are keeping me on track where I’m doing enough to feel good, I’m not overexerting and prolonging this injury longer than it has to be,” he continued. “I have a lot of ass-whoopings to give out in the 135-pound division. So I’m going to stay true to that, stay healthy, and get back. I can’t give you a timeframe, I can only hope. 

Garbrandt then explained that, in a perfect world, he’d like his rescheduled battle with Dillashaw to occur as soon as UFC 214, which goes down this July 29 in Anaheim. Unfortunately, however, this isn’t something he can commit to just yet.

“Hey if it was a perfect world, and everything worked right for me, I would TJ’s ass July 29th,” the bantamweight champ said.  “I’m tracking my progress weekly. I’m not trying to prolong this fight with TJ. Who wants to go around and deal with this dickhead for this long?” 

With his fight with Garbrandt momentarily off the table, Dillashaw has been campaigning for a fight with flyweight champ Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson.

Here’s hoping Cody Garbrandt makes a speedy recovery!

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 5/30/2017.