Anderson Silva Undergoes Surgery on Broken Left Leg
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Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images(LAS VEGAS) — After breaking his left leg during Saturday night’s fight against Chris Weidman, Anderson Silva underwent surgery at a Las Vegas hospital.
The operation was performed by Dr. Steven Sanders, the UFC’s orthopedic surgeon. Sanders inserted a titanium rod into Silva’s broken tibia.
Silva is eager to fight again Prior to undergoing surgery, he reportedly asked doctors, “When can I train?”
Following the operation, Sanders gave the 38-year-old Silva a recovery timetable of three to six months. Sanders added that he could resume training as early as six to nine months.
“When the fracture heals, the bone will achieve its original strength. In addition, it will also have a titanium rod that is 11.5 millimeters in diameter shoring up that area,” Sanders said Monday on a conference call with reporters. “Whether a fighter returns after injury can be multifactorial, but from a bone perspective, when the fracture heals, you can start to test the soft tissue.”
The injury occurred during the first minute of the fight’s second round when he tried a left kick on Weidman (11-0) who blocked with his knee, breaking Silva’s leg on impact.
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