Even though former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin is taking some time off, he must undergo hernia surgery in the upcoming week.

"I have hernia surgery scheduled next week," Franklin told SportNet.ca. "I have a slight tear in my upper stomach. I need to get it taken care of. Once I do that, then I'll get back to a normal training regimen."

According to Franklin, the tear is small, but he is taking precautionary measures so that it does not turn into a larger issue. As for his recovery time after the surgery, the former champion is looking very optimistic.

"You never know 'til afterwards, but we're hoping for six to eight weeks," he said.

Currently, Franklin is taking some time off from fighting, but has definitely not retired from the sport. He is already looking to his next fight date, planning out a return.

"I'm hoping May, maybe June," he said. "I'm not opposed to going to Montreal at all. I've fought in Canada several times and I love the fans and they love me. I could see [the UFC] saying something about Montreal. I could see it."

Franklin is well-known for fighting internationally. While only four of his 16 UFC fights have taken place outside of the United States, the four international fights took place within his last seven. Franklin has fought in Germany, Canada and twice in Ireland.

The former math teacher plan to continue his fighting career in the light-heavyweight division. While he still has five or six months until his next fight, he will try to get his body bigger so that he can compete with some of the larger light-heavyweights.

"What I'm trying to do is put on enough weight so that I'm actually a sizeable 205-lbs. fighter," he said. "I'm not a big 205-pound fighter, and I realized this, so I'm hoping to put some size on."

However, while the 205-lbs. division might be his new home, Franklin would not be adverse to dropping back down to the middleweight division and trying his luck again in the weight class where he won the belt.

"If they decide that they want me to move back down to 185 and try some fights there, and possibly make another run for the title?" Franklin said. "You just never know what's going to happen a year from now."