Pic: Surgeons turn UFC bantamweight Raphael Assuncao into a cyborg

No. 3-ranked bantamweight contender Raphael Assuncao recently went under the knife to repair a broken ankle that failed to heal properly following a training camp injury last December (more on that here). What started as 8-10 weeks of recovery could drag on for an entire year.

And now the Brazilian is clomping around with some heavy metal inside his leg, as you can see from these surgical pics manager Daniel Rubenstein provided to MMA Fighting.

HE'LL BE BACK.

Upon his return, Assuncao (23-4) will likely need just one or two wins to get himself a crack at the crown, considering he's one of only two men to hold a win over current 135-pound titleholder TJ Dillashaw. But who's holding the belt by…