Herman Cautiously Optimistic After Two Knee Surgeries

Following his stint on the third season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” middleweight Ed Herman became one of the more familiar faces in the UFC. He fought nine times in the Octagon between June 2006 and August 2009, but Herman has been missing in action for the past 14 months. On the rebound from a pair of serious knee injuries, he has opened his own gym in Fort Collins, Colo., after spending much of his career with Team Quest in Oregon.

“My knee is feeling good right now,” said the 30-year-old Herman. “I’m taking my time with coming back since I can’t afford to hurt it again. It’s been super frustrating to be out this long, but it’s allowed me to focus on the mental part of my game, coaching and my family, as well.”

Herman first injured his left knee in the opening round of his last fight against Aaron Simpson at UFC 102 in August 2009. When he went to throw a head kick in the second round, Simpson caught the leg and pushed Herman to the mat. He immediately grabbed his leg, and the bout was called off due to the injury. Herman tore the anterior-cruciate ligament and meniscus in his knee and, after undergoing surgery a month later, was working his way back when he hurt the same knee again in January.

“I was just training, and I came back too soon,” said Herman, who has 19 finishes among his 21 victories. “I was doing some light sparring and came down on the knee wrong and got hurt again.”

The ACL and meniscus in Herman’s left knee were torn again, putting him back on the shelf.

“Having the two injuries back-to-back really makes you take a step back, look at what you have and realize just how quick you can lose it,” said Herman, who was a finalist on Season 3 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” “Before the first knee injury, I’d never had anything like this happen to me before. I was prepared to do the rehab again since I’d gone through it once before, but the emotional part of it was tough. I’m glad I have a great supporting cast.”

Along with rehabbing the injuries, Herman made the decision to leave Team Quest and open his own gym -- Trials Martial Arts -- with Team Quest teammate Ryan Schultz in Colorado. Herman admitted the decision to strike out on his own was not an easy one to make.

“It was a very hard decision for me to leave Team Quest and come out to Colorado,” said Herman, who has beaten Chris Price, Scott Smith, Joe Doerksen and David Loiseau while fighting for the UFC. “I’d been looking to open my own gym for a while, and Ryan and I got an investor. [Schultz] lived in Colorado, and I came out and visited, and it seemed like a nice place, so we decided to open the gym here.”

With the new gym opened, Herman has focused on preparing for a return to the Octagon, which he hopes will come in the first few months of 2011.

“I’ve been talking to [UFC matchmaker] Joe Silva about how things are going,” said Herman. “I’m looking at February or March 2011 to get back in there. I want to give myself plenty of time to be ready.”