Anderson Silva, Post Broken Leg, Dismisses Retirement Talks; UFC Superstar Declares He 'Will Be Back'
Anderson Silva is facing a long recovery from a gruesome injury, but the fighter who is considered as the greatest in Ultimate Fighting Championship history is not yet ready to call it quits.
Silva, who broke his left leg during his rematch with Chris Weidman last month in Las Vegas, is expected to be out from six to nine months, fueling speculation that fans might have seen the last of the Brazilian fighter.
But in an interview with MMA Fighting, Silva's coach Pedro Rizzo revealed that the former undisputed UFC middleweight champion told him that he will be back to fight inside the Octagon again.
"At the hospital, Anderson told me 'I will be back, master. I will be back'. I told him 'yeah, you'll be back home to recover and rest'. And he said 'I will be back, master.' He's a fighter. He has six months to recover, heal and then decide what he's going to do next," Rizzo said.
Silva's manager Jorge Guimaraes also announced that Silva is determined to prove his doubters wrong, while also revealing that a recent x-ray showed positive signs, increasing the possibility of having a successful comeback probably later this year or early next year.
"He had his second X-ray and everything looks great. It was a clean break so the nerves are okay. He's already started physical therapy and he's moving his toes," Guimaraes told TMZ.
Guimaraes added that Silva is in good spirits right now and he is feeling determined to come back stronger.
"I see that spark. I think in one year he'll be back," Guimaraes told MMA Weekly. "He's very positive. He was crushed the day that it happened, of course. But it's all good man. He's in great spirits right now. I believe he's gonna come back stronger."
However, Dr. Robert Klapper, who once performed a surgery on the Brazilian's elbow, said that returning with confidence from an injury of that magnitude is easier said than done.
Aside from the psychological effect brought by the gruesome injury, Klapper told Fox Sports that Silva will experience pain as long as the screws locking that titanium rod inserted in his leg are not removed.