UFC analyst Joe Rogan worried about Anderson Silva's health
While talking to reporters last Saturday night at the post UFC 169 press conference, UFC president Dana White exuded confidence that not only would injured former middleweight champion Anderson Silva return to fighting but that he could do it within a year's time.
"Anderson should be walking without crutches here in the next couple weeks, then he'll start training in a few months. We've got to see how he comes back. He is 100% confident that he's coming back," White said.
Silva completely broke his leg in two places during his UFC 168 middleweight title rematch against champion Chris Weidman last December. "The Spider" is still on crutches.
"He probably won't fight until the end of the year. If everything goes the way that it should, he should be fighting in pretty much the same fight he had this last year," White went on.
The UFC's long time analyst Joe Rogan is not so optimistic about Silva making a speedy recovery. "Maybe. Dana's a promoter," Rogan said on the Opie and Anthony radio program.
"You've got to make sure that it's completely healed up before you check it again. [Opponents] are going to do the exact same thing," Rogan explained.
"Anybody who fights Anderson is going to practice checking kicks like a mother [expletive]. Guys have come back in other sports, but those other sports are very different. They don't involve purposefully trying to break your bones."
Rogan's perspective is a valuable one, given that he's watched perhaps more top MMA fights, up close and personal, than any other person on the planet over the years, and it's a sensible counter balance to White's premature optimism. On the other hand, perhaps Dana was just trying to help keep the spirits up of Silva as he goes through this difficult period healing and recovery.
In either case, Rogan's caution for Silva to consider his health first is good advice for the future hall of famer. Follow Elias on Twitter @EliasCepeda & @YahooCagewriter.
