KYLE Noke will return to his old home town of Dubbo for a few days next week as he continues his recovery from shoulder surgery.
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The UFC fighter, who is currently splitting his time between the US cities of Albuquerque and San Francisco, is enjoying an extended break in Australia, and it was originally planned that he would fight at this weekend's UFC on FX:6 event on the Gold Coast.
But a torn rotator cuff and damaged tendons in his left shoulder, suffered in his 45-second win over American Charlie Brenneman in September, put an end to that idea.
"I would love to be fighting here in Australia again, particularly in Queensland where my family moved to after we left Dubbo," Noke said.
"But my team told me to be sensible about it and have the operation, and I went under the knife on November 9, so I'm about a month into my rehab.
“I’m in Australia until December 30 and when I get back to America I will see my doctor and hope to get the all clear to start training again.
“All being well I’d like to have a fight in either March or April of next year.”
The win over Brenneman took Noke’s overall career record to 20-6-1 and bolstered his UFC figures to four wins and two losses.
It was the emphatic nature of the 32-year-old’s victory, via first-round TKO, that has many pundits predicting a big future back in the welterweight division.
But for now Noke is focused on enjoying his time back in Australia, and in particular a visit to Dubbo to see his father Peter and other family members.
“After these fights on the weekend I’m going to come back and see dad for a few days and just poke around Dubbo,” Noke said.
“I’m not in any training at the moment so the first place I will be going is Village Hot Bake for a pie or two.
“I haven’t had Christmas in Australia for a long time so I’m really looking forward to it, and after I visit Dubbo dad is going to come up to the Sunshine Coast and spend it with all of us which will be nice.”