Rejuvenated Silva returns to scene of ghastly injury for UFC 183
Thirteen months ago, Anderson Silva, widely considered to be the greatest fighter in Ultimate Fighting Championship history, lay crumpled up in the corner of the cage inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena screaming in pain after his left leg snapped on the knee of Chris Weidman as Silva attempted a kick.
Silva lost the fight by technical knockout in the second round, his second straight loss to Weidman, who had won the middleweight title from Silva in their previous meeting. It was easy to imagine that Silva, 38 at the time, would never fight again.
He says that thought never crossed his mind. And UFC president Dana White is fond of relaying the story of Silva, waiting to go into surgery to repair his fibula and tibia, asking the doctor when he could resume training.
It has been a long road back, but Silva will return to competition in the same venue where his injury occurred, facing Nick Diaz tonight in the main event of UFC 183.
Silva said there is definitely some symbolism to the fact that his comeback will take place where he was injured on Dec. 28, 2013.
“Absolutely,” he said with a smile.
Silva, more than a 4-1 favorite tonight, said he thinks he has done everything he can to prepare himself for a return to competition. Now, he looks forward to again hearing his entrance music, signifying it’s time to walk out to that same cage to resume his career.
“I feel excited,” Silva said. “In my mind, I’m very comfortable because I’ve trained hard and I’ve spent a long time working my way back. Now I’m very excited and very happy for the fight.”
Silva is one of the UFC’s most accomplished fighters. He retained the middleweight belt 10 consecutive times after winning it with a knockout of Rich Franklin in 2006.
The Brazilian won his first 16 fights in the organization, the longest winning streak in UFC history, before losing the belt to Weidman in July 2013 as a result of a stunning knockout. Weidman then won the rematch in December 2013 when Silva suffered the horrific leg injury.
Despite all of his accomplishments, Silva looks at tonight’s return as a new beginning. He said it feels similar to when he made his organizational debut in June 2006 against Chris Leben.
Perhaps viewing his return in that way will keep his mind off what happened the last time he stepped into the cage. He has insisted all along he would return, but the road back hasn’t always been smooth.
While he says his leg is as strong as ever and his doctors have assured him is back to full strength, he says the doubts have seeped into his mind at times.
Silva admits to going through two sessions with a sports psychologist to help in regaining confidence in using his leg, which always has been a major part of his offensive game. One way he has kept his mind off the injury is by avoiding discussion of it this week.
“This is part of my life I won’t talk about anymore because my leg’s good now,” he said. “I train hard now, and everything is newer. I don’t talk anymore on this because this is the past. It’s not difficult, it’s just the past.”
Silva’s future remains a question mark. He appears to be toying with the media, giving a wide variety of answers about his plans.
One day he hints that he wanted only to prove he could return and might retire after tonight. The next day he might say regaining the title would be a perfect way to end his career. Another popular response from Silva has been that he wants to take on marquee challengers and not bother with chasing the belt.
Only he knows for sure, but White says Silva probably will be offered a title shot with a victory over Diaz, who also is coming off a long layoff.
A victory is no sure thing, though Diaz is dealing with issues of his own. He missed a media appearance Wednesday and said Thursday he had “some things going on” in his life.
The 32-year-old Californian also is coming out of a pseudo-retirement. He walked away from the UFC after a welterweight title fight loss to Georges St. Pierre in March 2013.
Diaz has complained about the direction of the sport, fighter pay and other issues. He finally found an opponent and a payday that interested him enough to return.
The bout headlines a pay-per-view card that will air live at 7 p.m. A four-fight preliminary card will air live on Fox Sports 1 (Cable 329) at 5.
The first three bouts will stream live on the UFC’s online platform, Fight Pass, at 3:30 p.m.
Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj.
