On December 12, 2017, it was reported that Dar had suffered a knee injury and that he would require surgery. Dar underwent successful surgery to his left knee on 14 December to repair a tear in his meniscus, and despite not having a definitive timetable for returning, stated that it was "more than likely going to be around the five-month mark." On the June 20, 2018 tapings for WWE's United Kingdom Championship Tournament, Dar returned to action in a fatal four-way match, defeating Flash Morgan Webster, Mark Andrews and Travis Banks to become the number one contender for the WWE United Kingdom Championship.