UFC Fighter Anderson Silva Undergoes Successful Surgery After Suffering Gruesome Broken Leg In Middleweight Title Bout

Meeting current middleweight champion Chris Weidman in the main event of UFC 168, former middleweight title holder Anderson Silva hoped to recapture the title he dropped to his 29-year-old opponent five months prior to their rematch. Headlining an action-packed evening at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, Weidman and Silva -- who owned a career record of 33-5 entering the night cap -- were expected to provide the live audience and millions more watching from home with a highly entertaining bout after tremendous build-up to the throw-down.

The high-flying and immensely entertaining bout never really materialized however since Silva suffered a gruesome leg injury. One of the greatest fighters in the history of the sport, the 38-year-old native of Sao Paulo, Brazil broke his left leg after Chris Weidman checked Silva's leg kick with his left knee. Immediately going down after delivering the blow, Silva laid on the mat in agonizing pain with one of the most excruciating injuries UFC has seen in its tremendous history. Taken to the hospital where he underwent immediate surgery to repair the damage, doctors say that Silva's surgery was successful and the broken fibula will not require an additional procedure.

“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,” 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. Anderson will remain in the hospital for a short while, but no additional surgery is scheduled at this time.

“Recovery time for such injuries may vary between three and six months,” the statement continued. “Anderson is deeply touched by the outpouring of support from his fans and the entire MMA community. There has been no immediate decision about his future, and he would kindly ask for privacy at this time as he deals with his injury and prepares to return home to recover.”

At 38 years of age and already with an established resume that includes the UFC record for most consecutive wins (16), Silva may think long and hard about a comeback after going through a significant injury such as the one suffered in Las Vegas.

“Maybe he'll want to make a comeback, but who knows," UFC president Dana White said. "We'll see what happens. I don't want to count him out. I don't want to count him in. The important thing is he gets the surgery and heals up.”