Anderson Silva cleared to begin training, plans 2015 return
May 7, 2014, 9:13 PM | Updated: 9:13 pm
When Anderson Silva broke his leg in one of the most horrific ways imaginable during his title fight against Chris Weidman at UFC 168 back in December, many predicted it would be the end of the former champion’s long and storied career.
But now less than five months after fans witnessed Silva’s bone pop out of his shin, the Brazilian revealed that not only is he cleared to begin training again, but also plans to make his return to the octagon as early as next year.
“Next year, [I’m] back,” Silva told MMA H.E.A.T.’s Karyn Bryant. “[I’m] back for next year. This year, [I’m not] back [to] fight. I have my plans, I have my family…So, next year, I don’t know when, but next year.”
If you follow Silva on Instagram, you should already know that he has begun the long rehab process and has been recently cleared to begin throwing kicks with his surgically repaired limb.
“The last [time] I went to my doctor, my doctor said, ‘That’s OK, you’re ready for [kicking], that’s not [a] problem. … When you’re ready, you’re back.”
While Silva said he is no longer feeling any pain in his leg after returning to the gym, there was a brief period where he doubted he would ever be able to step in to the cage again. But with the help of his family and students, he has since pushed past the initial shock of the gruesome injury.
“When I broke my leg, for one month, [there] were a lot a problems, a lot pain. I was scared…At the time when I broke my leg, I [did not] know if I would be back. But now I am good and I am very happy. I stayed together with my family, stayed together with my academy, working hard. So I am very, very happy. ”