Anderson Silva Has No Intention of Retiring: “What I Have to Say to You is That I'll Be Back”
Former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva suffered a severe break when both bones in his left leg snapped when current champion Chris Weidman checked the Brazilian’s kick in their Dec. 28 rematch at UFC 168 in Las Vegas.
Little more than a week after the incident, Silva’s manager, Jorge Guimaraes, told MMAWeekly.com that he believed Silva would return to fighting within the next year.
“I definitely believe he’s gonna fight again. I see that spark. I think in one year he’ll be back,” said Guimaraes.
“He’s very positive. He was crushed the day that it happened, of course. But it’s all good man. He’s in great spirits right now. I believe he’s gonna come back stronger.”
Silva apparently said as much to UFC president Dana White when the UFC’s head honcho visited him while recovering in Los Angeles, but on Sunday, the former champion took part in an extended interview with Brazilian website Globo.com’s Fantastic to finally talk in depth about the injury and the likelihood of his return to fighting.
He intimated how difficult the recovery, still in the early stages, has been. There are sleepless nights, aches, pains. There are early mornings that Silva gets in the car and has his wife take him away from their house so his cries of pain don’t wake their children.
He struggles to understand why this injury happened, but what he doesn’t struggle with is his resolve to return to fighting.
Sure, Silva has worries. He’s 38 years old. He’ll turn 39 in April. He worries that he might never again be able to put his full weight on the damaged leg. He worries that he might go through rehabilitation only to have his doctors say he should not fight again.
Those are the ghosts of worry that haunt his thoughts, but Silva is steadfast in his belief that he will recover and he will fight again.
“I have to prepare myself for that, too,” Silva told Fantastic in regard to being told he can’t fight, but added, “I am confident that everything will be all right, I'll be fine, and that I will come back to fight soon.”
While most of us pondered whether or not the rematch with Weidman would be the final time we witnessed Anderson Silva in the Octagon, retirement doesn’t seem to be something that has entered his mind.
“Your body tells you, your mind tells you, ‘now it's time to stop,’” he said. “I think I still have a lot to do in the fight [game] and I have no such intention of stopping.”
Guimaraes was adamant that his friend’s optimistic attitude has put him in the position that there is no doubt about a return. There are hardships to face. There are struggles on the horizon. But Silva’s return, to him, is all but inevitable.
“It’s gonna be a lot of physical therapy, but he’s in the right place,” said Guimaraes. “It might take a year, but I think no later than one year, he’ll be back.”
Silva didn’t waver in his agreement.
“What I have to say to you is that I'll be back.”
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