Former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva will not participate in UFC 198 on Saturday.
On Tuesday, Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports cited UFC President Dana White in reporting that Silva will not fight Uriah Hall because of abdominal pain that may necessitate gall bladder surgery.
UFC medical consultant Jeff Davidson commented on the setback, per Iole: “Anderson developed abdominal discomfort [Monday, and] further evaluation today is consistent with acute cholecystitis. He will be seen by a surgeon [Tuesday] for possible surgery.”
Iole noted that cholecystitis occurs when the gall bladder becomes inflamed and is a main cause for its removal.
Silva will surely be disappointed to miss UFC 198 since it is set to take place in Curitiba, Brazil, his native country.
He commented Tuesday on his mindset approaching the homecoming fight, per Damon Martin of Fox Sports: “I’m very happy. I’m very excited. It’s my dream to fight in Brazil in my country, in my city. My career started here. I’m very happy, and this is very important for my legacy and my story fighting in the UFC now.”
While Silva will no longer participate, White did tell Iole he will look for a new opponent for Hall.
Silva was one of the main attractions for the card considering he is widely viewed as one of the best mixed martial artists in UFC history. His reign as middleweight champion lasted seven years, and he defended his belt 10 times. Silva still holds the UFC record as the longest titleholder, per Martin.
Silva’s legacy is largely secured, but this is another blow in what has been an inauspicious stretch. He sports an 0-3 record with a no-contest in his last four fights and was suspended for a year after he tested positive for banned substances, per Iole. He beat Nick Diaz at UFC 183, but the result was changed to that no-contest after Silva’s positive test.
Silva, 41, signed a 15-fight deal with the UFC before his bout against Diaz.
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