Shoulder surgery sidelines James Te Huna until 2015

James Te Huna's 2014 has gone from bad to worse, as it appears the New Zealand native will remain on the sidelines for the remainder of the year after undergoing shoulder surgery on Tuesday.

The middleweight competitor was slotted in the main event of the UFC's debut trip to New Zealand against Nate Marquardt last month. While the contest was supposed to be an opportunity for Te Huna to flourish in front of his hometown crowd, it was Marquardt who made a emphatic return to the middleweight division with his first round submission victory over Te Huna. Marquardt looked in top form for this fight, as he dominated on the feet before transitioning to the ground, where he sprung a surprise armbar with less than 30 seconds to go in the opening round.

Now, after nursing a three-fight losing streak and an injured shoulder, Te Huna decided to undergo surgery to rectify the issue but will now have to wait until next year to avenge his losses in the UFC.

"I'm having surgery on Tuesday," Te Huna told Stuff. "I'll be out for about six months and I won't be fighting for about 10 months. It's very frustrating but I've been there before. I'm a fighter ... it's what I do."

It is likely that we will see Te Huna in the octagon at least once more, even though he has endured three violent stoppage over the past year. It will be interesting to see who he is matched up against when the time comes.