Todd Duffee hasn’t been seen in a UFC fight since a first-round knockout loss to Frank Mir in the UFC Fight Night 71 headliner nearly two years ago. He hopes for that to change in the coming months, though.

Duffee (9-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC), who once was considered the future of the UFC’s heavyweight division due to his speed, power and athleticism, has been his own worst enemy over the years. Keeping healthy has been a constant battle that has allowed Duffee to fight just three times over the past five years.

From injuries to medical ailments, Duffee has struggled to keep in good enough physical condition to step in the octagon. He was most recently scheduled to fight Mark Godbeer at UFC 209 in March, but was forced to withdraw due to his involvement in a car accident.

Nearly two months ago Duffee went under the knife for shoulder surgery, and according to his latest social media updates, his recovery is coming along nicely. His latest comeback attempt is tentatively targeted for November.

Duffee most recently competed at UFC Fight Night 71 in July 2015, where he suffered a 73-second knockout loss to former UFC heavyweight champ Mir. Prior to that, he scored back-to-back first round finishes of Anthony Hamilton and Philip De Fries, albeit wins that came two years apart due to his inconsistent schedule.

At 31, nearly eight years already have passed since Duffee made his memorable UFC debut against Tim Hague at UFC 102 in August 2009. He stopped Hague with strikes in a mere seven seconds for what still remains the fastest knockout in UFC heavyweight history.

Duffee followed the win over Hague with a one-sided beatdown of Mike Russow at UFC 114 in May 2010, but just when the fight appeared in hand, Russow stormed back and earned one of the most shocking come-from-behind wins to ever occur under the UFC banner.

From there, the issues that have plagued Duffee’s career began to pile up. But ever the optimist, Duffee remains confident he can still compete at the highest level.

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