Long Island UFC fighter Brian "Boom" Kelleher underwent neck surgery six months ago to save his career.

The Selden man will now go for his first comeback win on Saturday night.

Kelleher's been in the UFC fight game for 11 years, so he's got his share of battle scars - and he was happy to show off his latest one with News 12's Kevin Maher.

Kelleher didn't earn the scar in the Octagon - he earned it in May after neck surgery to fix problems caused by years of fighting.

"I had nerve compression on the spinal cord, I had herniation and disc bulge, a lot going on in there. I really was only going through the surgery to resume my fighting career," he says.

Between the neck brace and the worry, Kelleher said the road back wasn't easy.

He documented his rehab on social media - and even asked the UFC to not forget about him.

"People start to write you off. I just want to show that you can come back from a bad injury, and you can come back better than ever," he says.

Kelleher said he's now pain-free and can do things his injury prevented.

His muscles have grown back and so has is love of the sport after it was almost taken away.

"Now, I'm back with a new second chance to fight a former world champion. I couldn't ask for a better opportunity. I just feel like everything is perfect for me to make a big comeback statement," he says.

Kelleher fights Cody Garbrant Saturday in Las Vegas.

He's going for his 25th career win. The fight is on ESPN2.