MANILA, Philippines – Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight champion Anderson “The Spider” Silva has undergone surgery to repair his broken left leg, the company announced in a statement.
The 38-year-old Silva broke his left tibia and fibula when his kick was checked by Chris Weidman during their championship fight in the main event of UFC 168 in Las Vegas over the weekend.
“Following Saturday evening’s UFC 168 main event, former champion Anderson Silva was taken to a local Las Vegas hospital where he underwent surgery to repair a broken left leg,” the UFC said in a statement.
“The successful surgery, performed by Dr. Steven Sanders, the UFC’s orthopedic surgeon, inserted an intramedullary rod into Anderson’s left tibia. The broken fibula was stabilized and does not require a separate surgery,” it added.
The UFC said Silva will stay in the hospital “for a short while,” although no additional surgery is scheduled.
Recovery time will take an estimated three to six months.
Silva’s gruesome injury, which occurred in the second round of the five-round championship fight, led many of his fellow MMA fighters to fear for his future in the sport, but the UFC said the Brazilian legend is not yet thinking about his future in MMA.
“There has been no immediate decision about his future, and (Anderson) would kindly ask for privacy at this time as he deals with his injury and prepares to return home to recover,” the UFC said.
Silva, who started his UFC career with 16 consecutive victories, has now lost back-to-back fights. Weidman, for his part, was successful in his first-ever UFC title defense and now has an 11-0 record.
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
