Tag: UFC 168

Weidman vs. Silva 2: MMA Surgeon Says ‘Silva Has Very Good Chance to Return’

Dr. Steve Mora, a renowned orthopedic surgeon, believes there is a very good chance Anderson Silva recovers from the gruesome leg injury he sustained at UFC 168 and returns to fighting, if he wishes.
It was reported on Sunday in an official statement f…

Dr. Steve Mora, a renowned orthopedic surgeon, believes there is a very good chance Anderson Silva recovers from the gruesome leg injury he sustained at UFC 168 and returns to fighting, if he wishes.

It was reported on Sunday in an official statement from Zuffa that Silva suffered a broken tibia and fibula in his middleweight championship bout with Chris Weidman on Saturday night. The lower part of Silva’s left leg suffered an immediate break when his shin collided with Weidman’s knee during an attempted leg kick.

A complete medical analysis and X-ray examples are provided in Dr. Mora’s interview with BloodyElbow.com to explain the prognosis of Silva’s injury.

MMA fans and fighters alike have already jumped to the conclusion that this is the last we’ll ever see of Silva in the Octagon.

 

At 38 years old, it’s highly improbable to expect him to fully recover from such a devastating injury and get back to competing against the best fighters in the world.

Dr. Mora has seen his share of disturbing injuries over the years, and while he admits Silva’s was “pretty grotesque,” he doesn’t believe it’s career-ending. If Silva remains patient and strictly adheres to the rehabilitation process, Dr. Mora sees no physical reason stopping him from continuing his fighting career:

How long is it going to take to heal? The injury could take 3-6 months to heal, and then to be recovered enough to get back to fighting, it could take a year, not because of age, but because of the nature of the fracture. They tend to be stubborn to heal in everybody. I think there’s a very good chance that he heals and recovers sufficiently to get back to his fighting career. That’s obviously if he wants to.

During a pre-fight interview with MMAFighting’s Ariel Helwani, Silva said that there was a “good chance” he would stop fighting after the rematch with Weidman.

One would have to seriously question any possible motivation for coming back at this point, outside of a longshot hope of a third fight with Weidman. As the longest reigning champ in UFC history, there really isn’t anything left for Silva to accomplish.

Fighting isn’t an easy way to make a living. Thousands of young fighters dream of one day being in the position of Anderson Silva, who is financially stable with the option of never working another day in his life.

Perhaps this injury is a sign for “The Spider” to walk away and close the chapter on a legacy that will be revered for generations to come.

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UFC 168 Results: Dustin Poirier Wants Cub Swanson Rematch

Back in February at UFC on Fuel TV 7, Dustin Poirier and Cub Swanson put on an absolutely tantalizing battle of back-and-forth striking, grappling and Octagon persistence.
They fought to the bitter end as Swanson captured his fourth straight victory an…

Back in February at UFC on Fuel TV 7, Dustin Poirier and Cub Swanson put on an absolutely tantalizing battle of back-and-forth striking, grappling and Octagon persistence.

They fought to the bitter end as Swanson captured his fourth straight victory and left “The Diamond” wondering why he took such a high profile fight on 63 days notice.

Since then, Poirier has looked like a man on a path for revenge.  He dismantled divisional youngster Erik Koch back in August and most recently destroyed a high-intensity Diego Brandao this past Saturday at UFC 168.

What this means for the 24-year-old is that he’s finally ready to fight another Top 10 featherweight.  He’s ready to avenge that early 2013 loss to Swanson and get back on track for a 2014 title shot.

“I feel like I deserve to be 100 percent and fight him [Swanson],” said Poirier at the post-fight press conference this past weekend, originally reported by MMA Mania:

“With the Zombie [Chan-Sung Jung], I was 100 percent prepared for that fight,” added Poirier.  “I showed up to fight that night and he actually beat me. But with Cub I beat myself. I took the fight on short notice. I cut 30 pounds in a week. I took the fight because I got the call and I’m a fighter, but Cub Swanson didn’t beat me that night, I beat myself.”

As of right now, with Swanson recovering from elbow surgery and key contenders like Ricardo Lamas and Frankie already tied up entering 2014, a rematch just one year later looks very promising for Poirier and Swanson.

Of course, that’s unless fellow UFC 168 standout Dennis Siver pries for a quick turnaround.

 

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UFC 168: Did Chris Leben Retire with This Tweet?

Blessed with concrete hands and an iron chin, UFC veteran Chris Leben has been one of the most entertaining Octagon fighters of all time.
Now while his 12-10 promotional record isn’t mind blowing, it was Leben’s ability to go toe-to-toe with anybody in…

Blessed with concrete hands and an iron chin, UFC veteran Chris Leben has been one of the most entertaining Octagon fighters of all time.

Now while his 12-10 promotional record isn’t mind blowing, it was Leben’s ability to go toe-to-toe with anybody in the middleweight division that made him such a fan favorite.

But on the heels of his fourth straight loss and a slew of personal drug problems, “The Crippler” seems to have finally met his match.

It’s unfortunate for fans who grew accustomed to seeing the 33-year-old tuck his chin, grit his teeth and swing for the fences, but the carnage was never going to last forever.

While his retirement from the cage isn’t official, this recent Twitter post suggests Leben is most likely walking away:

As a mainstay in the middleweight division for over eight years, Leben has been one of the UFC’s most consistent fighters.

He has served as a great ambassador for the sport throughout its prolific evolution, especially when it came to putting new top contenders to the test.

Now while some people will remember Leben for quitting against Uriah Hall this past Saturday at UFC 168, true fans will appreciate his appetite for brutality until the world turns post-apocalyptic.

In any case, the orange-haired bruiser has done enough over the years to be renowned as an everlasting name in mixed martial arts.

 

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Weidman vs. Silva 2: MMA Fighters Tweets Doubtful of Anderson Silva Return

The word horror took on a whole new meaning at UFC 168 in the much-anticipated rematch between Chris Weidman and Anderson Silva.
According to a statement released by Zuffa on Sunday, Silva suffered a broken tibia and fibula on Saturday night after goin…

The word horror took on a whole new meaning at UFC 168 in the much-anticipated rematch between Chris Weidman and Anderson Silva.

According to a statement released by Zuffa on Sunday, Silva suffered a broken tibia and fibula on Saturday night after going shin to knee with Weidman on a leg kick. The initial perception from fans was complete confusion on what had actually occurred.

It wasn’t until the UFC showed the replay that grotesque and distorted facial expressions spread throughout the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas like a contagious disease.

Silva had attempted to throw a left leg kick, which Weidman immediately blocked with his knee. The collision of shin on knee caused an immediate break, which left the bottom part of Silva’s leg dangling freely. It was a very disturbing image that will likely haunt fans for the rest of their lives.

In the released statement, it was also revealed that the usual recovery time for such an injury is three to six months after the surgery. However, this timetable most likely excludes the many months of rehabilitation that will be needed to help Silva’s leg return to 100 percent, if that’s even possible.

The general consensus among Silva’s peers on Twitter is that the MMA legend has fought his last fight.

It’s tough to envision a 38-year-old Silva returning from such a devastating injury.

An injury of this magnitude could literally take years to fully recover from. It isn’t logical to expect a man at Silva’s age to bounce back and resume competing against the best fighters in the world at 185 pounds.

What more does he have to prove?

Silva has accomplished everything there is to accomplish in the UFC, and he will likely go down as the greatest fighter in MMA history.

There comes a point in time in every sport where a superstar needs to step down and pass the torch to the next generation. It’s the inevitable circle of life generated by Father Time.

No man, woman or beast escapes the cold clutches of Father Time, not even the great Anderson Silva.

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UFC 168: Chris Weidman ‘Excited’ to Move on from Anderson Silva to Vitor Belfort

Chris Weidman has managed to accomplish something no other fighter in UFC history has ever accomplished, twice: he defeated Anderson Silva.
The UFC middleweight champ shocked the world back in July by knocking out Silva in devastating fashion and winni…

Chris Weidman has managed to accomplish something no other fighter in UFC history has ever accomplished, twice: he defeated Anderson Silva.

The UFC middleweight champ shocked the world back in July by knocking out Silva in devastating fashion and winning the title. Despite all of the pre-fight hype and praise Weidman received from MMA experts, people generally weren’t convinced Weidman was actually a better fighter than Silva.

The MMA community harped on Silva’s “clown-like” antics of fighting with his hands down as the primary culprit of his undoing. It wasn’t as much about the things Weidman did right, as it was the things Silva did wrong.

If given another opportunity, a serious and more focused Silva would annihilate Weidman, or at least that was the general perception.

At UFC 168, Weidman did the impossible once again and defeated Silva in devastating fashion. Silva, who had been successful throwing leg kicks in the first bout, attempted a similar tactic in the second round of the rematch.

But Weidman came prepared this time around.

During the post-fight press conference, Weidman admitted he had trained extensively on checking leg kicks in camp. All of the hard work and preparation paid off, as it led to Weidman’s second consecutive TKO victory over Silva this year.

Unfortunately, Silva’s leg was severely damaged in the process. After going shin to knee with Weidman on a left leg kick, Silva immediately dropped to the canvas cradling the lower half of his leg and screaming out in agony.

According to a statement released by Zuffa on Sunday, Silva suffered a broken tibia and fibula.

While Weidman has a heavy heart for Silva, he is also happy about finally getting an opportunity to move onto his next opponent, Vitor Belfort.

I’ve never broke a guy’s leg, and I didn’t want to see Anderson Silva get hurt like that, Weidman said at the post-fight presser. … [Vitor Belfort] is a completely different fighter than Anderson Silva. He’s very explosive, strong, very experienced, good on the ground and on the feet. He’s going to be a great challenge for me, and I’m excited for that fight.

Belfort, who also attended the press conference, was given the floor by UFC President Dana White to give his early thoughts on the matchup:

I want to thank Chris Weidman for accepting my challenge, and I just want to say that I’m ready to go back to the gym Monday. Congratulations to you guys, and I’m looking forward to my next challenge.

Belfort has a hot hand right now with spectacular knockout wins over Michael Bisping, Luke Rockhold and Dan Henderson.

In 2014, the world will look on with great anticipation to see if “The Phenom” can succeed where Silva failed and hand Weidman his first loss. 

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UFC 168: Video of Ronda Rousey’s Team Reacting to Anderson Silva’s Leg Break

The kick heard around the world, where former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva shattered his left shin on current titleholder Chris Weidman’s knee, left the fight community in a state of shock Saturday night. 
While Weidman clearly won the…

The kick heard around the world, where former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva shattered his left shin on current titleholder Chris Weidman‘s knee, left the fight community in a state of shock Saturday night. 

While Weidman clearly won the first round, “The Spider” was aggressive off his back and appeared ready to throw some leather while the fight was standing. 

Unfortunately, the bout ended in a gruesome twist of fate. Look no further than UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey‘s reaction to the brutal injury. 

“Rowdy” looks away in horror as UFC color commentator Joe Rogan goes over the slow-motion replay of the leg break. 

Rousey‘s camp all had a similar reaction to the unexpected turn of events in the headlining title matchup at UFC 168 on Saturday. 

Rousey competed in the co-main event of the evening, earning both “Submission of the Night” and “Fight of the Night” honors for submitting arch nemesis Miesha Tate with her patented armbar in the third round.

The former Olympian improved her undefeated record to 8-0 and is still yet to win a bout via any way besides armbar.

Surprisingly, initial reports indicate that Silva could resume training in three to six months and potentially make a return to the Octagon if he so chooses, per Bloody Elbow. 

Silva, who turns 39 years old in April, has now suffered back-to-back losses for the first time in his career after winning 17 straight bouts and setting the record for consecutive UFC middleweight title defenses (10). 

As for Weidman, he will next face off with ex-UFC light heavyweight champ Vitor Belfort at a yet-to-be-determined event in 2014. 

 

John Heinis is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA editor for eDraft.com. 

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