'Cyborg' Santos undergoes successful surgery on fractured skull

Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos is on the road back to recovery.

Eleven days after his skull was fractured by a flying knee from Michael Page at a Bellator MMA event on July 16, Santos underwent a successful seven-hour surgery in Houston.

"I had surgery yesterday, and thank God everything went fine," Santos told MMA Fighting's Guilherme Cruz. "It lasted seven hours, and the hospital will give Bellator a full report later today. God guided the doctors in this surgery so everything went well."

Once the image of his injury was spread on social media, some wondered if he would be able to fight again. In interviews following the injury, Santos predicted he could be back competing in six months.

"They didn't tell me anything about timetable for recovery yet," Santos said. "I'll be released from hospital today, and then they will tell me how long it will take. But it will be fast. I'll be back soon."

Bellator covered the cost of Santos' medical bills, while his ex-wife, Cristiane Justino, started a GoFundMe page that raised more than $24,000 to support him while he's sidelined. Santos said he plans to donate those funds to a youth center back in his home country of Brazil instead.