Leah McCourt beat Judith Ruis in February as she became the first woman to headline a Bellator Europe event in Dublin
Northern Irish mixed martial artist Leah McCourt has undergone surgery on two places in her right shoulder.
McCourt had been aiming for a return to the cage "in July or August" but said she "knows how hard the next few months will be" as she recovers.
In February, the 28-year-old became the first woman to headline a Bellator Europe event in Dublin.
"To me, a big setback has always meant a bigger comeback," McCourt posted on Instagram after her surgery.
She added: "What's one more setback on the path to achieving greatness? Adversity has only ever pushed me up ten levels.
"This time will be a small sacrifice so I can fulfil my purpose."
After her historic win over Judith Ruis in Dublin, McCourt was set to face Janay Harding at Wembley Arena earlier in May but that fight was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
McCourt was crowned IMMAF amateur world champion in Las Vegas in 2016 and has won four of her five professional fights.
'I'll swallow blood before my pride': Meet Scotland's first pro female boxer
Lockdown love life: How can romance spark in a global pandemic?
