UFC fighter Anderson Silva is eager to return to the ring again after breaking his left leg on Saturday at UFC 168. Silva, who suffered the injury against Chris Weidman, is expected to begin training again in six to nine months, ESPN reports.
Weidman (11-0) retained the UFC middleweight title after earning a TKO against Silva, who fractured the tibia and fibula in his left leg after Weidman used his leg to block a kick from Silva in the second round.
Dr. Stevens Sanders, the UFC's orthopedic surgeon who operated on Silva, inserted a titanium rod into Silva's broken tibia. Sanders projects the timetable for Silva's recovery to be between three to six months, and he anticipates Silva will be able to resume training in six to nine months.
"In the pre-op area, his questions were, 'When can I train?'" Sanders told ESPN.com during a conference call on Monday. "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.
"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."
Sanders also described the rehab Silva (33-6) must undergo.
"You don't rehabilitate a broken bone," said Sanders. "It heals on its own, and when it heals, it's ready to go.
"The rehab is in relationship to the soft tissues. The ankle joint can get stiff because of the soft tissue above the joint. His rehabilitation will involve range of motion on his knee and ankle, and based on the pattern of the fracture, he'll be allowed to do partial weight bearing in the near future, as we get through the acute pain phase."
Silva remained hospitalized in Las Vegas as of Monday afternoon; no timetable was given for his release.
