When Anderson Silva sustained a gruesome leg injury in his rematch with Chris Weidman, many were convinced we had seen the last of the Ultimate Fighting Championship superstar.

But Dana White thinks otherwise as the long-time UFC president seconded the earlier announcement of Silva, saying that retirement is not yet in sight for the Brazilian, and that there is a good chance the mixed martial arts superstar will be back by the end of the year.

In an interview on Arsenio Hall's talk show, White said that the former undisputed champion's injury looked bad, but he reiterated that Silva is in good spirits and he is confident that he will be ready to return to the Octagon later this year.

"He'll be walking before the end of the month without crutches, he'll be training in less than six months and he'll fight before the end of this year," White said, Yahoo Sports reported. 

White pointed out that the length of rehabilitation depends on the reaction of the leg after the surgery, but the UFC president noted that the rehabilitation is much easier compared to fighters who sustain ACL tears because torn ligaments usually take longer healing time than broken bones.

"So if you blow your ACL out, you're out for a year and three months. You break your leg in half; you're back before the end of the year," White stressed.

White's assumption echoed the recent statement of Silva's manager, Jorge Guimares, who recently said that Silva is already preparing to start rehabilitation. Guimares also expressed confidence the 38-year-old Brazilian will be back in less than a year.

"It's gonna be a lot of physical therapy, but he's in the right place. It might take a year, but I think no later than one year, he'll be back," Guimares told MMA Weekly.

Silva and his camp are not expecting another title fight anytime soon. White also added that Silva should first prove that he can still compete against the best before getting another title shot, including another rematch with Weidman or a super fight with Georges St-Pierre.

Recent reports also suggested that Silva, who is considered as the greatest mixed martial artist off all time, is still interested in facing Roy Jones Jr. in a boxing match before making his return to the Octagon.

Read: UFC Legend Wants Boxing Match With Roy Jones Jr. Before Rematch With Chris Weidman