ESPN.comis reporting that UFC bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz will be having surgery on his broken left index finger and will be out for months. Cruz got hurt while training for his final WEC title defense against Scott Jorgensen at WEC 53. Here's ESPN:

The surgery will prevent Cruz (17-1) from any contact training for as long as three months and might postpone his return to the octagon until early summer. Although the San Diego-based fighter is hopeful he'll resume hitting pads within 12 weeks, he knows an official return date will be up to the UFC.

"It could be six months, but I'm not planning on six months," Cruz said. "I'll say that it will take me eight weeks to recover and 12 weeks to punch again. [My return] has nothing to do with me being ready. That has to do with the UFC booking cards. I can't book myself on a card if I'm not ready.

This is more bad news for the UFC. Featherweight champion Jose Aldo already had to cancel his UFC debut at UFC 125 and isn't expected to return until March.

 The UFC urgently needs to be raising the profiles of both Cruz and Aldo in order to build up the WEC's marquee 135 and 145lb divisions into legitimate UFC draws. While hardcore fans have been very supportive of both divisions, casual fans are only aware of former WEC featherweight champ Urijah Faber who has cut down to 135lbs and will be aiming for Cruz' title.