September 25, 2010 was the last time former UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk laced up the gloves and stepped into the octagon. “The Muscle Shark” has since been a memory to MMA fans, owing to a myriad of injuries. The former champion recently caught up with MMA Weekly to discuss his inactivity and his future.

“I’ve just been injured. I’ve got some injuries that need surgery, and I really don’t want to have surgery. I’ve had surgery several times in the past, and the whole recovery process, I don’t like it. I don’t like the down time, the three to four months of getting back to 100-percent; I don’t like that. I’m trying to get myself healthy without having any kind of surgery. …I mean I feel pretty good. I’d say I’m probably 85-percent, which is pretty good, considering”

Since being stripped of hist title behind testing positive for nandrolone after defending against Hermes Franca at UFC 73, The Minnesota native has gone 2-2. After losing to B.J Penn in his return title bout, Sherk would then outpoint Tyson Griffin, suffer a unanimous decision loss to future champion Frankie Edgar, and take a contentious split decision victory over Evan Dunham.

While Sherk gave no official timeline for his octagon return, the 39-year-old still feels that he is still a tough fight for anyone at the top of the lightweight division, but upon his return will likely serve as a litmus test for one of the many gatekeepers in the stacked weight class. While if there is one weight class that does not lack depth, it is 155 lb., Sherk may very well be a serviceable test for many of its up-and-coming fighters.