Anderson Silva Cleared to Spar for First Time Since Breaking Leg at UFC 168
Not
yet fight-ready, Anderson Silva is nonetheless making progress. |
Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com
Anderson Silva apparently took a major step on his road to recovery Friday.
The former middleweight champion posted on Twitter that he was able to spar for the first time since gruesomely breaking his left leg in a loss to Chris Weidman at UFC 168 in December.
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The “Spider” broke his left leg when Weidman checked a low kick in their title clash approximately six months ago. Silva immediately collapsed to the canvas in agony following the kick, bringing a halt to the bout in the second round. The Brazilian underwent emergency surgery after the fight, where an intramedullary rod was inserted into his left tibia by the UFC’s orthopedic surgeon.
At the time, Silva’s recovery timetable was announced as being anywhere from three to six months. Earlier this year, Silva told Brazilian media outlet Combate.com that he did not expect to fight in 2014. Instead, a return in early 2015 was far more likely.
“The predictions that I will fight at UFC 181 or any other upcoming event are not true,” he told Combate in March. “This year is already over for me.”
Since then, rumors have swirled regarding a potential opponent for Silva’s comeback, with retired welterweight contender Nick Diaz being a popular mention. “UFC Tonight” recently reported that Diaz would be interested in such a matchup if the money was right.
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