Yahya hoping to return in early 2016 after deviated septum surgery

Apparently years and years of getting regularly slugged in the face can have a negative effect on how well a fighter's nose works.

Case in point, UFC bantamweight Rani Yahya, who found himself sidelined in the later stages of 2015 after undergoing surgery to fix a deviated septum.

"It’s the price we pay for years of training and getting punched in the face," Yahya told MMAFighting.com's Guilherme Cruz. "It was affecting my cardio and my personal life. I got a six-month medical suspension after my last fight, so I decided to fix this problem now.

"It's way better now. I can breathe and sleep better now, so it’s helping me a lot. The doctor said I’ll be cleared to train hard and spar two months after the surgery, so January or February, I’m in. I want to fight as soon as possible."

Sporting a 6-2 (one no contest) record during his nearly five-year UFC tenure, Yahya is riding a two-fight winning streak, notching consecutive victories over Johnny Bedford and Masanori Kanehara.

With the upper echelon of the 135-pound division in his sights, Yahya is looking to vault himself into title contention with a bout against fellow WEC alum Urijah Faber.

"There are a lot of top fighters there, some young prospects coming up, and I want to face the best," Yahya said. "(Urijah) Faber and I fight for a long time, so that could be interesting. But there are other great challenges in there, and I’m up to fighting anyone. I'm working on my evolution, and I don't think I've showed half of what I can do."